True Joy

 For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

(2 Nephi 2: 11)

I know I have quoted this scripture before on my blog, but I am quoting it again. Over time and based on different experiences currently happening in life, different scriptures take on different nuances of meaning and this is definitely one that has done that for me. It is a go-to scripture and one that I love.

I feel like I have been blessed to get glimpses of true joy in life-- and those glimpses have not come from anything worldly- not from money (cause heaven knows we don't have any of that), nor from new clothes, nor from driving nice cars. No, it has come from having strong family relationships and seeing the love that God has for us through modern day miracles.

I am talking about my Uncle Judd and his miraculous recovery from a seriously life-threatening stroke. A week or so after Judd's stroke, I remember crying in bed one night and asking Devin what he thought about the situation. After we talked about it for a while, we both determined that it was probably best for us to start preparing for the fact that Judd would not live. His situation was so dire and it just seemed like a mountain that could not be climbed. At the same time, thousands of people were praying and fasting for Judd and I know the power of both of these things. It was hard to cling to hope, but I wanted to anyway. I have seen Judd just once since his stroke and that experience seemed to just affirm to me that hope was slipping away fast.

Well, just a few days after I saw Judd, he miraculously awoke from his coma-- something I had told myself would not happen. Since then, each day makes huge strides in his recovery. Every time I talk to Che'- his daughter- I am amazed at the progress being made each day. We aren't talking little things, we are talking huge things. Judd walked up stairs today. He is speaking and completely lucid. Even a tiny thing would seem like a miracle, but these are major things. I have no doubt that we are in the middle of a large miracle wrought by the hand of God.

When I talked to Che' yesterday and she told me that Judd had walked around a gym on his own, I told her that I don't really have words to express the true depth of my happiness for what is happening. I told her that I am certain that I wouldn't feel this type of joy if a million dollars landed on my doorstep. I mean that.

I think one of the main reasons we are able to feel such joy and happiness in this situation is because we have been on the other side. One of the questions (of many) that I ask my adoptive couples when they are in the process of being approved for adoption is to tell me about traumatic experiences in their lives. I always think about how I would answer certain questions should they be posed to me-- and for that one, I hands down have an answer. There is nothing in my life that compares to the trauma of losing my aunt Linda. Nothing comes even close. Before her death, I might have said my parents' divorce, but compared to that and even the other deaths our family has experienced, my personal experience has been that Linda's death has been the most difficult thing in my life to this point. I know that may sound silly to many of you, but it's the truth. I  can't express how much I still miss her and how difficult it is to re-live the moments leading up to her death. Time does dull the pain some, but just little triggers-- like seeing a life-flight helicopter, or seeing the hospital where she died, or watching her video--bring it all rushing back.

One thing Linda's death has taught me, though, is to experience true joy in times of blessing. This is one of those times. I feel such joy and gratitude for the miracle that is happening and just felt the need to express that. God is good and He loves us. He has a plan and wants us to be happy. I don't know His reasons for all things, but I trust in His will and know that as painful as it was and is, He needed Linda and the others who have passed on, but now He has allowed us to have Judd for more time. He also allowed Mason to live {not sure that I have ever said much about Mason's story , but he is Cortney's oldest son and was ran over by a pickup truck as a toddler and wasn't expected to live. He is now a happy and healthy 9 year old} and Charlie to live {and be developmentally normal thus far!}. We have so much to be grateful for. We all know that I am great at acknowledging the losses we have experienced, but I want to make sure to acknowledge our blessings as well, because they are many.

Just a quick ending story. Every day Hallie has been praying that "Uncle Judd will recover." One day, I asked her if she knows what "recover" means, and she said that she has no idea. I had a good laugh because she must have heard Devin and I praying for that and adopted it. Today she decided to mix it up a bit and said instead, "Please bless Uncle Judd to be able to go home tomorrow and for this to never, ever happen again." Amen, sista.

This is what it's all about. Clark family 2010 family photos- the first ones since probably 1987 or so and a good thing because Linda passed away a short 5 months later. (This is just one branch of the family- the branch I am talking about- but I feel the same way about all of our family)

*Small disclaimer: Sometimes I feel a little silly posting certain things on my blog because I don't want to spin things to make them seem all about me when they are not. But, I am one who processes things by writing and this is where I write, so what I say is just how I feel about experiences and what I have learned from them, not to draw attention away from those that the experiences affect the most. Like with Linda, obviously it is much more important how Brad and the kids were affected, not me. Same thing with Judd- it is much more important how his wife and children feel versus how I feel. But, this is part of how I process things, so here it is. 

Adoption 101: My guest post

A post that I wrote for some friends of mine who are adopting appeared on their blog today during a week-long adoption "media blitz" that they are doing in order to promote finding their next baby and educate the world about adoption. Since I plan to some day (ha!) print my blogs into books, I thought I would add the post here as well. I gave a little intro on their blog of who I am and that my background is that I have worked in adoption for 5 years plus adopted Flor, but I am taking that paragraph out because I assume you all know that already. 

 Here are some questions they asked me to answer. I don't ever specify where I work or anything like that because I want it to be clear that this is ME speaking, not LDSFS. I basically answer all questions just in regards to domestic adoption (what I do for work) versus international adoption since domestic adoption is  what this couple is doing, although I do throw some random things out about international adoption, too. Apparently writing this post late at night made me extra talky because it is a tad bit long. Read if you'd like. Also, I might throw in some random pictures since posts without pictures are boring. 

Q: What is the number one thing you wish people understood about birth parents?

A:  I really love this question because I think that often people think of birth parents and birth families in just a little bit of a negative light, whether it is thinking that they are drug addicts, crazy, or something of the sort; or thinking that they are going to be threatening to the adoptive couple’s relationship with the child in this day and age of openness. The reality is that birth families are typically  very normal people-Birth moms could be your next door neighbor, your friend at work, your little sister…anyone. In my experience, birth parents are just normal people who face a difficult situation with their pregnancy. Each has different circumstances, but the one common thread is that they always want their child, yet they are able to put their own wants and needs aside for what they feel is a better choice for their child. I have never met a birth parent who didn’t have a deep and burning love for their child nor have I met one who didn’t want their baby. So, the one thing I wish people understood is that birth parents are  people like me and you and that they are among the most selfless individuals out there (okay, that was two things—you’ll forgive me right?)

Q: What is the adoption process (for birth parents and adoptive couples?)

A: Adoptive couples follow a more typical pattern, so let’s talk about them first. Adoptive couples typically attend an orientation meeting; have a set of 4-5 interviews (some together as a couple and some as individuals); complete massive amounts of paperwork, both online and in a paper file; have a home visit; and complete 10 hours of training (this may vary by state, but 10 hours is required by the state of Utah) before being approved for adoption. Once approved, couples are encouraged to network and find opportunities for adoption so that their odds of having a placement are increased. At the same time, their profile can be shown by the agency or potential birth parents can search for profiles online. Once a birth mom contacts them, they typically email for a time to get to know one another and then set up a time to meet, either with their caseworker present or not.  The time frame on this completely varies. Some birth moms choose a couple early in their pregnancy, and other times the couple may not know they have a baby coming until the baby has been born and the birth mom contacts them from the hospital. After the placement happens, the baby is in the couple’s physical custody for 6 months before they can go to court to finalize their adoption (this also varies by state, but in Utah, couples can finalize at 6 months).

The process birth parents go through is a bit different depending on the individual. Like I mentioned, some birth mothers know that they are going to place their child for adoption early on and meet with a caseworker and attend group meetings with other birth parents for most of their pregnancy.  Sometimes we meet with girls who are uncertain which decision will be best for them, whether it is to parent, to place, or to marry the birth father.  In these cases, it is the caseworker’s job to remain neutral and help them look at each option in depth, discuss decision making,  and then to support them in what they decide. Other times, expectant parents go throughout their pregnancy planning on parenting and then something changes and their first contact with the agency is shortly before or sometimes right after their baby has been born. Once an expectant parent chooses adoption, the process is that they look at couples, correspond with a number of them usually, and then meet one or two couples in what is called a “face to face” meeting. After the couple has been chosen, the two parties usually keep up a positive relationship through emails, texts, visits, etc. without the help of the agency.  The birth parent’s work with their caseworker then focuses on planning for the hospital plus talking about grief and preparing (as much as possible) for the loss they will experience after the placement. After the placement, birth parents are encouraged to continue to seek counseling and help from their caseworker as they go through the grief and loss process.

Q: How long does it take to adopt?

A: These next few answers should be more concise. J It can take anywhere from 1 day to 10+ years to adopt. It is completely dependent on when the couple is chosen and since birth parents choose couples themselves, there is no specific time frame.

Q: How much does it cost to adopt?

A: This also completely depends on what type of adoption and which agency you use. Domestic infant adoption can range from $4000-$60,000 , again depending on which agency the couple uses. Typically the agencies that charge more have more babies being placed, so there is a pro there, while the cheaper agencies typically have longer waiting times. So it is up to each couple to decide what works best for them. International adoption can also have a wide range, anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000 I’d say, depending in the type of child being adopted (special needs, older, siblings groups, etc. would likely be cheaper) and which country.

Q: Can the birth parents change their minds?

A: Each state varies in what their laws say regarding this matter, so I will talk specifically about Utah again here. In Utah, a birth parent can change his or her mind at any time until they sign the relinquishment documents (the soonest a birth mother can sign in Utah is 24 hours and 1 minute after birth. A birth father can sign at any time during the pregnancy or after the birth).  At that point, the documents make clear that he/she cannot change their mind once they have signed. Some states do allow a period of time after the documents are signed where a birth parent can change their mind, but Utah does not. I know that we often hear much more negative than we do positive in the news or by word of mouth, but the reality of my experience in the past 5 years is that I have only had one birth mother change her mind once she had committed to adoption.  Just one. That’s not a lot compared the number of placements that have gone through. I always tell the birth parents with whom I work that they will need to re-make their decision when they are holding their baby in the hospital, but my experience has been that they still follow through with their choice that they have thought about, prayed about, and agonized over for months. Because they are usually so strong and love their babies so much, almost all follow through with their plan to place.

Q:  In open adoptions, is there a legal obligation to stay in contact with the birth parents? 

A: In Utah, there is no legal contract that obligates adoptive parents to follow through with commitments made to birth parents. However, my experience has been that adoptive couples develop such a love and friendship with their child’s birth parents that they want to keep in touch. It isn’t something they feel is a burden or difficult to do, but something that is an honor.  Adoptive couples really are usually so fantastic to do what they say they are going to do and more.

Q: How common is open adoption nowadays? From your experience, is open adoption a good idea?

A: Almost ALL adoptions nowadays have a degree of openness. Openness is a wide range of things, from sending a picture once a year, to having frequent visits with the birth parents. To the second part of the question, my answer is yes, yes, yes! I have seen nothing but beauty in open adoptions. Is it sometimes awkward in the beginning? Yep! How many adoptive couple/birth parent relationships do we have examples of to show us how it is supposed to be done? Not a lot, right? It’s not like we can look around and say, “That’s what a mother/daughter relationship is” or “That’s what a friendship looks like”. It is just a different type of relationship that can take some time before it feels comfortable. As the relationship evolves, though, it often becomes something beautiful. I think there are benefits for all three parties. For the adoptive couple, they get to know the biological history, habits, hobbies, medical history, background etc. of their child’s birth parents, which can be important for the child later on. They also get to keep in touch with someone who they come to love and care for deeply. Adoptive couples often want to make sure that the birth parents are okay and openness is a perfect way to do this. For the birth mother, openness can bring such healing and peace. It can affirm a difficult decision and help her know that she did the right thing and that her child is doing well. For the adopted child, openness can eliminate the “whys?” of the situation and can give them their biological history (which is so important!). Instead of wondering why they were “given up” or thinking they were not wanted, adopted kids can grow up with the confidence of knowing that their birth parents love them and sacrificed everything for them. For all parties, there is nothing wrong with having additional people to love and care for one another.

In my personal adoption experience, we do not have an open adoption with our daughter’s birth parents because she was abandoned in the hospital at the time of her birth and we have limited information about them. Honestly though, I have such a reverence and respect for the people who gave my daughter life and who chose to give her something more. Leaving her in the hospital may not seem like giving her more, but knowing a little of the conditions in which they lived, I think they knew that their daughter would have had little chance of survival if they took her with them. Our daughter was born with special needs and I often think how difficult the decision must have been for them to consider. I would love nothing more than to send pictures and updates to our daughter’s birth family to show them what a beautiful girl she is and how she is thriving.  I think of them often and really do ache for them. I would like to know how they are doing and to assure them that their daughter is alive and well. I am sure they think of her often and agonize over the choice they made. I honor them and love them, despite not knowing them. If not in this life, I really hope to have the opportunity in the next to tell them of my gratitude and love.

Q: What is the number one thing you wish everyone understood about adoption?

A: I promised not to be long winded and then there I went again... Okay, so short and sweet on this one: I wish for people to understand that adoption is not a second rate way to build a family.  It is just a different way, but no better and no worse than any other way. There are often some difficult situations that bring couples to adoption, but in the end, the addition of a child is beautiful and sacred process, no matter how they come. I have two biological children along with the daughter we adopted, but there is no distinction in our house. They are all our children and there is no doubt that they are each meant for our family, though they came in different ways. I hope that everyone, at some point in their lives, gets a glimpse of how incredibly sacred adoption is, because it is. 

2 year old pictures

I know, I know, tons of posts about Jace in a row. I might talk about something else next time, who knows?

We had Jace's pictures taken on his birthday, and well, he may not have smiled AT ALL, and he may have made a lot of furrowed brow faces, but we have some cute ones and that's what matters. There are a few that really show his personality too, which is great. My friend/ward member Nicky Smith took his pictures and she does such a great job. Check her facebook page out HERE if you local people need a photographer!

LOTS of pictures with looks like this, like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME AND WHY!?"

This is such a Jace face-- so glad she got it on camera! He loves to raise his eyebrows and widen his eyes.

This is when he tried to "sneak" away, thinking neither of us would notice. Ha!  He bent over and made a run for it, but well, we made him keep taking pictures. The poor boy.

No idea what he is doing with his hands here? Probably saying "I don't know" because we kept asking him where Mickey was to keep him occupied.

He is handsome alright. :)

P.S. THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who are praying for my Uncle Judd!.He woke up this past weekend and is out of his coma, which we are ecstatic about! It was really touch and go there for a little while whether he would live or not. I went to see him on Wednesday of last week and hope was really low at that point. However, this weekend, he opened his eyes and has been nodding, pointing, moving limbs, and even rolling his eyes when the occasion calls for it :). SUCH great news and nothing but a miracle, for which we are so grateful. Yes, we do believe in miracles! He still has a long recovery ahead, but we are grateful. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Jace's birthday recap

I would say that we had a successful birthday celebration at Chuck E. Cheese, though Devin and I may not have enjoyed it as much as the kids. It's their opinion that matters, though, right?

We had Hudson that weekend so that his parents could go on an anniversary getaway and it was fun to have him and quite nice because he and Jace entertain each other. Wahoo! We had the obligatory pizza at Chuck E. and then sang "Happy Birthday" to Jace and ate the cupcakes we had brought (the best part of the meal if I do say so myself-- though not too difficult to win that award!). We then opened presents and let the kids run wild in the place. Fun times.

No need to narrate most of the hundreds of pictures I took, but here is a sampling:

I bought this hat just for the special occasion, but he was having none of it. Boo.

Also, we probably wouldn't have had him so dressed up, but he had just had his 2 year old pictures taken that morning and we just never changed him. So he just looks a little overdressed for the occasion. Oh well!

She loved those cupcakes too, though her face doesn't really show it. Okay, maybe the frosting all over the place does.

Devin and I are excellent parents and decided that Jace did not need toys or clothes for his birthday, he needed new "big boy" decorations for his room. So that's what he got. :)

"Why are you making me do this??"

Sad that this one is blurry because I think it is so cute. It looks like they are all hanging on for dear life and that Hudson has his arm around Jace.

And, how about a few little Jace-isms (taking suit after Hallie-isms):

*I was painting Hallie's nails and Jace wanted his painted too, so I pretended to brush the paint on his fingernails (not touching them of course). He cracked up and said "that tickles!" Silly boy.

*Jace came to me one day and said, "Mommy, owie, teeboo, owie, teeboo" while holding out his finger. I said, "Do you mean you have an owie on your finger?" He replied, "Yes....TEE BOO". He was quite annoyed with me that I just couldn't get that word right.

*After taking some medicine, Jace threw out his arms and shouted "Ta Da!!"

*He often says the phrase "Mommy take it" meaning Mommy take him to nursery or to the bathroom, or whatever (It=himself).

*One night at bed time, Jace kept saying "Mickey, Medis, Mickey, Medis..." I finally figured out that he was telling me that Mickey needed some medicine. He wouldn't go to bed until I got some "medicine" and gave it to Mickey.

*Another Mickey incident was when he told me, "Mickey yucky nose. Wipe it. Mommy wipe it!" He has quite the imagination and Mickey is his biggest pal, going through everything in life with him, from wiping noses to taking medicine.

*Jace was helping me carry a can of peaches up the stairs. In a really deep voice, he said "Mommy, suuuper heavy!" I replied, "Is it heavy?" And in a really high pitched voice, he said "No!" then started laughing hysterically. I think he thinks he so funny.

*Jace noticed a bruise on my leg one day and said, "Mommy dirty! Clean it!" Then he ran and got a piece of toilet paper and rubbed the bruise, trying to "clean it". What a cutie.

*He loves to sing the Hot Dog song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, except that he doesn't stop with the diggities and just repeats them over and over. I got a small part of it in the video below. (Please note Devin trying to shove Hallie out of the way with his foot...since we all know she is an attention queen!)
 Sure love our sweet (most of the time) boy!

 P.S. Please continue to keep my Uncle Judd in your prayers if you will. He remains in a coma and while there have been some positive baby steps, it looks like it will be a long road still. It could be weeks before we know anything still. It's been a really tough situation, to say the least.

We Believe in Miracles

Our family believes in miracles.

Honestly, with the amount of loss and heartache that we have experienced in the past six years, it is sometimes easier to remember the pain and the difficult things than the miracles we have seen. But, when I consider how much we have been given and what blessings are ours, I am humbled and amazed.

Sweet Charlie for example. Her story hangs on the "Wall of Hope" at the IMC hospital where she was life flighted after her birth. Her story IS a miracle and one that now brings hope to other families with little ones in the NICU there.

Here is her picture on the Wall of Hope says:

Charlie was born on June 21, 2011, when we lost her loving Mother, Linda, to an amniotic embolism. Without oxygen for some time in her Mother's womb, Charlie suffered from severe hypoxia resulting in brain damage. Her lifeless body was resuscitated in the emergency room while the doctors tried in vain to save her Mother. With her first breaths Charlie's tiny body began to convulse with seizures.

Life-flight was dispatched and Charlie was rushed to IMC's NICU. Here she underwent a cooling process designed to lower her core temperature and reduce swelling to the brain. She spent many days learning to breathe on her own and after 3 weeks, was transferred to Primary Children's Hospital where a feeding tube was surgically placed in her abdomen. After a total of 6 weeks in the NICU, and with a feeding tube and pump in tow, Charlie was allowed to go home.

Therapists from Utah's Up-to-Three program worked with Charlie for 7 months until she passed a swallow study confirming she had learned to swallow without aspirating. It was a wonderful day in February 2012, when the feeding tube was surgically removed. From that point on, Charlie's progress has been nothing short of miraculous. She is walking, learning, jabbering, and throwing the most wonderful tantrums. Full of life and spunk, Charlie is overcoming the odds and is living life to the fullest with no indication of limitations as initially expected. 

Our family owes a great debt of gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff at IMC and Primary Children's Hospitals. Thank you for giving Charlie every opportunity to overcome the odds!

Sincerely, 

Brad Rowbury and family..... Carter, Ryen, Jack, and the amazing Charlie Linda Rowbury

(sorry these pictures are not the best quality. They were emailed to us and they were tiny in the email. Oh, well.)

I can't look at Charlie without becoming emotional and thinking about what a miracle her life is. 

Now our family is praying and hoping for another miracle. 

This isn't my story to share, so I won't include many details, but my Uncle Judd (Cortney, Che', Colby, and Carlie's dad and Sue's husband for those of you who have been around long enough to have heard about them) is in a coma after suffering a stroke in the early morning hours Sunday. His situation is critical, but already there have been small miracles in what we are hoping will be a large miracle. It could be weeks before we know much, but we are praying and fasting for his full recovery. 

This situation is consuming me. It has been so emotional for all involved. I feel so helpless. Che', who is one of my dearest friends aside from being my cousin, called me shortly after it happened at 2:30 am on Sunday morning. We have already been conditioned to know that middle of the night calls are never good, and well, this certainly wasn't good. Che' and Landon were already on their way to Idaho and have been there with their whole family ever since. It is so hard for me to know that I am here and can do nothing but pray while they are all suffering through so much. I know that being there wouldn't help either, because what can you do? But it is really tough going through the motions daily and pretending everything is okay when really I just want to fix the situation. We all know that isn't possible---but we can pray and ask for a miracle, which is what we are doing. 

Sue and Judd's whole community is behind them praying and fasting, as are both sides of the family and many more friends and loved ones. I believe in the power of prayer and believe that prayer buoyed our family up so much when Charlie was fighting for her life. I know this time can be the same. So, if you can, please add Judd and Susan, along with their kids, to your prayers. It would mean a lot to me. 

Judd and Charlie girl

InstaSample February

Sorry for those of you who already follow me on Instagram. Just skip these posts :) I like to compile some pictures here from the month so that when the day actually arrives where I print my blog into books, I have these little moments.

Pajamas and boots--awesome combo!

Jace came upstairs wearing this wig one day when the kids were supposed to be cleaning the basement. Lovely.

I felt like I lived at the Mother/Baby unit for a while for work (not a bad thing!) 

The girls in the family. Nice face, Hals.

My little helper. Saturday has become food prep day at our house and Hallie loves to help.

G Chat with my high school friends! Love technology.

After months of having a beard, Devin shaved it off. Weird.

Micky Dees lunch date. Gotta love all those nuggets!

A for real date-- just the two of us! It may or may not have been years prior to this one...

Swimming with Grandma and PoppE!

An attempt to get a picture of the girls in their Indian princess dresses (which may actually be pajamas according to my cousin Cortney-- she has her daughter wear hers to bed and my girls have worn them to church. HAHA!)

I was doing dishes one day and noticed that these three bowls had been suspiciously labeled. I might have suspected Devin, but he has just recently learned to do his J's the right way :), so the only person left that it could have been was Hallie. Hmmm...

Pretty girl at her most recent doctor's visit. We visited with the neurosurgeon and determined that she does not need surgery on her spine for now. yay!

That's it for now! More, of course, next month.

Happy birthday Chris!

Jace is named after our brother-in-law Chris. We planned on using Christopher as a middle name all along as a way of honoring Chris and then Jace was born on Chris's birthday, making it extra special (Birthday post on Jace below!).

While Jace never met Chris in this life, Hallie did get to spend some time with him before he passed away in April 2009. This would have been shortly after Hallie was born, so around November 2008. 

As you all know, Chris lost his fight to a brain tumor. He was such an incredible and giving person that my sister has instituted a day of service in his memory every year on his birthday. She asks friends and family to just do something nice for someone else as a way of remembering him and the legacy he left.

Chris is the reason that we as a family participate in the Relay for Life every summer in Idaho Falls. There is no better cause than this one to help other families find relief from the horrible disease that we call cancer. I watched my sister and Chris suffer so much as they endured months of chemotherapy,  radiation, and Chris's declining abilities. Even though it has been four years, looking at pictures of Chris reminds me again of all the rough things that surround cancer. I know that many of you who read my blog did not know Chris, but I am sure many of you know someone who has battled cancer. If you feel so inclined, here is one simple way that you can help us honor Chris's special day:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=50614&pg=personal&px=15187204

You can consider donating to my Relay for Life fundraising goal. (click the link above and then click the "donate now" button).  I know I have asked you all a lot of times in the past to donate to different things, so I am sorry for that, but this is a cause that I really believe it. Even a $1 donation would mean a lot to me. Every little bit helps. Thank you!!!

Happy birthday Chris. We sure miss you here but know that you are accomplishing great things on the other side!

(also, for those who are local or who live in Idaho Falls, Devin and I are going to do our annual garage sale as our main fundraiser again this year. If you have any items that you plan on getting rid of or donating to the D.I. anyway, would you consider letting us pick them up to sell at our garage sale? Thank you!!!)