tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post8906863789047432938..comments2023-04-07T09:23:42.191-05:00Comments on Marti Times: Battling World's Toughest Mudder To Bring Home Ukrainian Orphans!Marti Timeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05752008054217044825noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-29383937118327537032012-09-22T19:49:39.833-05:002012-09-22T19:49:39.833-05:00Wow! I was sitting here reading your blog, and th...Wow! I was sitting here reading your blog, and thinking how cool this fundraiser is, when I scrolled down and saw Anonymous' post and nearly fell off of my chair---such vitriol!! I am still astounded by the bitterness of this person and wonder why someone would lash out in this ignorant and cowardly way. Anyway, bravo to you and I will click on the form. <br /><br />As for Debra & Ray, well, all you need to do Anonymous, is follow their blog to track how the "unrelated" girls have settled in. They are absolutely blooming, and the transition is amazing. And, by the way, Anonymous, while these girls were not biologically related, which I guess is your criterion for sisterhood, because of the bond they had formed in the orphanage they were every bit as close and perhaps closer than American biological sisters.<br /><br />Debra and Ray, like Loren and Cammie, have brought girls who, through no fault of their own, were condemned to the very small, poor and restricted world of a Ukrainian orphanage, into a home filled with love and appropriate structure and these girls have bloomed. <br /><br />What price do you place on a life, Anonymous? What level of material comfort and money does someone need to have before its "OK" in your book to save a child? If you saw a child drowning in a pool would you hesitate to save him because you might chip your nails, or get your silk slacks wet, or because pool water would ruin your $300 Keratin treatment? I hope not, but frankly I'm not sure. But I am sure that Debra and Ray are stepping out in faith to save 2 more kids, and my money's on Loren! As for you Anonymous, I hope you reconsider and join in too. Alyciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07634386032800976295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-52639013874862668982012-09-21T11:08:43.650-05:002012-09-21T11:08:43.650-05:00Thanks for your support Lauren...you are exactly r...Thanks for your support Lauren...you are exactly right.<br /><br />The easiest way to support us is in the fundraising is to click on the "Fundraising Flyer" link right above the chart, then fill it out and mail it in. The flyer should have all of the information you are looking for. Thanks again!Marti Timeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05752008054217044825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-68070379503476799192012-09-21T09:37:05.116-05:002012-09-21T09:37:05.116-05:00Wow! What incredible ignorance. I have followed ...Wow! What incredible ignorance. I have followed Debra's blog since her first adoption and I have always appreciated and admired the incredible effort she has taken to make sure that her children were adjusted, accepted, and HAPPY. She's fought like a Mama bear to make sure that they get all the tools and options that could possibly be available to them. While, no, they were not related prior to the adoptions, they are sisters now. If you read her blog at all you can see this in every sentence she types and every beautiful picture of her girls. <br />Why is fundraising to help two children know the love of a family in any way a bad thing? I do not understand the mindset of people who make these comments. Adoption is something with a very tight deadline, it's not always something you can plan in advance. <br />I have loved Debra's blog for years. It's one that I read daily. And it often helps me with insight for my own children and my stepdaughter as we are blending a family as well. She's very real, very honest, and a very good mother.<br />I do not normally comment, but when I saw this I had to. I am very happy that you have such a wonderful community of support to be willing to help each other in this way. If only the majority of our society would give of themselves in this manner... imagine what our world would be like? <br />Sorry to be on a soapbox, but I do not like to see good people attacked. I would be happy to pledge for your laps in this endeavor (cookla4566@gmail.com). Tell me where to go and how. Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05064821228714120667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-7129449660889091932012-09-20T15:28:09.660-05:002012-09-20T15:28:09.660-05:00Funny, we proactively took our children to see cou...Funny, we proactively took our children to see counselors, to help with their adjustements etc. After a month of weekly visits, we went to once a month, and after 2 or 3 of those, we were told that our children were well adjusted, happy and healthy children and that the professionals saw no need for counseling services. But thank you for assuming that they are not settled or doing well. I love ASSumptions :) <br />Do they speak perfect English? No. Do they make mistakes? Yes. Does that mean that 2 more orphans should remain orphans? I don't think so. <br />As for finances, we have adopted 3 kids in the past 2 years. We fundraised less than 0.5% of those expenses. Are we millionaires? No, but last time I checked that wasn't a requirement for adopting. We will get there, because these girls deserve a family- and that alone is the biggest motivator in the world.Just Another Day In Paradisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08219999739244521563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-87243513668530843502012-09-20T14:54:10.187-05:002012-09-20T14:54:10.187-05:00Ahhh, the angry "anonymous" from Colorad...Ahhh, the angry "anonymous" from Colorado strikes again. Welcome. I was expecting at least one negative comment. Tara is right, the ignorance is astounding.<br /><br />I am not sure how helping raise money for a family means that they "cannot afford to adopt more kids" and the girls themselves seem to be doing pretty good. It seems to me that helping someone else out voluntarily because some of us actually feel led to do so is a good thing. I am pretty sure that Debra and Ray are busting their butt to earn as much money as they can and are doing everything in their power to see these orphans get adopted. What are you doing anonymous? I mean, outside of making negative comments? <br /><br />As far as my wife and I "illegally and unethically coercing" biomom and grandma to let me adopt the girls. I find that comment kind of strange since the big law breakers at the time were technically biomom and grandma themselves. They conspired to have grandma take them to grandma's house on the weekends and then actually go stay with biomom instead. That is when they saw most of the physical abuse from husband #3 against biomom. Want to guess how legal that was? Want to guess how many times biomom actually went through the legal route to visit the girls? Want to guess what her chances would have been if she had tried? Do you really want to take that side of the argument? <br />By the way, coercian involves some type of threat or force to get what one wants. We never made any threats or used any force (unless the letter we wrote grandma had some special powers), and if you took the time to actually read our blog (instead of the 6 posts you actually clicked on) you would know that. Biomom and Grandma were simply scared to death that we would hurt the girls or steal their organs. <br /><br />They were about as ignorant as your comments. <br /><br />Once they met us, they were fine. And by the way, grandma and biomom actually didn't "let" us adopt the girls. They had no legal say in the matter and we could have much more easily (and cheaply) hired a lawyer to go down there to "remind them of the law" if we wanted to use the forceful route. Certainly, that would have been more "legal". <br /><br />Anyway, no hard feelings. Part of blogging to the world means that you open yourself up to criticism so it wasn't unexpected. I am well aware of the negativity that is thrown on adoptive families including Debra and Ray. <br /><br />Too bad we don't care.Marti Timeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05752008054217044825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-38240779806300976772012-09-20T14:28:39.241-05:002012-09-20T14:28:39.241-05:00I agree Tara. We will never know their name. It...I agree Tara. We will never know their name. It's so stupid it is actually laughable. I'm not sure who 'illegally coerced' anyone. Lol The birth family had no rights. The girls were stuck in an orphanage unless adopted. I therefore am ignoring this person. However, I am responding because I want to encourage other adoptive families to ignore such people as well! Choosing to have a relationship with a birth family is a tough decision, but I hope others will consider it inspite of ignorant people like this. Sometimes this is not a good idea, but sometimes it is. Unlike anyone I know, however, we did insist that we had support of the grandmother because she is a wonderful person. She simply isn't physically able to care for them. Although we were not obligated to have a relationship with the biomom, I feel it is important for our girls. None of the family had any rights and we didn't have to do any of these things. It has been incredibly healthy for the girls and us. So, to adoptive families everywhere: There is always one idiot out there. Their comments name them as such. Ignore, do the right thing anway, and be happy with that. We definitely are!<br />Cammie Cammiehttp://www.facebook.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-68178608430947522362012-09-20T13:53:26.837-05:002012-09-20T13:53:26.837-05:00Wow, the ignorance of that comment is astounding, ...Wow, the ignorance of that comment is astounding, and why is it not surprising that the individual was unwilling to put his/her name to it?<br /><br />Love you guys and we'll be discussing our involvement in your mudder hopes! :)Tara G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09199251979718649256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-868563140242537746.post-83352037134045069432012-09-20T12:15:05.101-05:002012-09-20T12:15:05.101-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com