Author Archives: Bryn

Hold on to What is Good – Remembering 9/11

September 11th, 2019 | Posted by Bryn in SF - (Comments Off on Hold on to What is Good – Remembering 9/11)

It’s been 18 years since 9/11 rocked us to the core, tore down our sense of security in the world, and opened our eyes wide to the evil that seeks to destroy.

It was just a normal Tuesday morning. I was seventeen years old, sitting in a classroom with the TV on, wondering how an accident like this could happen. Then as the TV announcers screamed live on air when we watched the second plane hit, the realization was like a bucket of ice to the face – This was an intentional attack on our country, and our world was changing that day.

This morning I couldn’t keep the tears from flowing as I listened to several sound bites from people stuck in the towers and on doomed flights. They were making calls because they knew that there wasn’t much time left, that they’d never see their spouse or hold their kids again.

I kept hearing it again and again:

“I love you.”

The only thing that mattered was “I love you.”

Yes, evil exists. Yes, this was the biggest tragedy our country has experienced in recent memory. Yes, we live in a fallen world, and we ourselves make bad decisions on the daily, but is that a reason to give up hope? To give up on love?

The day after these horrific events, the people of the United States had a sharp focus on what was important – love. And from that – unity, hope, faith, the inherent dignity of each individual, patriotism, heroism.

One of our local printing companies printed American flags with the words “God Bless America” emblazoned across the front. They gave them out for free and ran out within hours and had print thousands more. Our country knew what was important that day.

Do we still? Or have we been desensitized? Has too much time passed? Has the shock been forgotten?

I encourage you today to look back. To remember. Not only the tragedy of the lives lost and all of the people who have been affected by this, but also the good stories of heroism and love.

Bring that love to the people around you today. Hold that baby just a little longer while he naps. Have a little more patience for the annoyances that come up. Go visit someone who may be lonely. Text someone you’ve been missing to let them know. Kiss the one that you love the most. Pray.

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. 
Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.

-Romans 12:9,12

Goodbye Netflix, Starbucks, and Disney?

June 14th, 2019 | Posted by Bryn in Catholic | Faith - (Comments Off on Goodbye Netflix, Starbucks, and Disney?)

Netflix.

Starbucks.

Disney.

They’re all pretty much everywhere in our culture. Have you binged Stranger Things? Sipped a vanilla Frappucino? Enjoyed the Little Mermaid?

None of these things in and of themselves are evil, but when it comes to big corporations who heavily contribute to pro-abortion lobbyists, when do we stop supporting them?

As you may have heard, Georgia recently passed the “heartbeat” bill, which bans abortions after 6 weeks gestation. All the pro-lifers are celebrating this as a victory in that it champions the inherent value of even the tiniest and most helpless among us, but pro-abortion advocates see it as a violation of women’s rights. Netflix and Disney are both threatening to boycott Georgia as a filming location, where historically it’s been a great place to film because of financial incentives.

Starbucks has donated to Planned Parenthood for years, as well as other huge companies, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, PayPal, Nike, BP, and more.

As a pro-life Christian, it’s hard to know where to draw the line when it comes to voting with our dollars. Yes, these companies contribute to the culture of death I’m desperately trying to avoid, but at what point am I morally culpable for the decisions of these companies? Some of them are really hard to escape (our group health insurance is through BCBS), while others are easy to avoid (cancelling Netflix in favor of another streaming option).

Just this morning, I read an article talking about boycotting certain companies whose values differ from my own. Does it really make a difference? I totally get the point that “voting with our dollars” is really true within a capitalist society.

As a family, we do our best to avoid companies that directly cooperate in evil, but what about when government cooperates in evil? My home state of Illinois is quickly becoming the “most progressive state” on abortion laws, so at what point does living here and paying taxes here become a moral quandary for my family? Do we participate in pro-life rallies, prayer, etc. and try to get things changed here or do we jump ship and move to a state that aligns with our values?

Although I do my best to avoid companies that support issues I disagree with, it’s not always possible (like with group insurance), and according to this article, we aren’t necessarily morally culpable for these evils. Give it a read, and share your thoughts.

The last line of the article really hits a nerve (emphasis mine):

…Boycotts can send a signal to the market that Christians and our cultural allies aren’t pushovers; that we love life and truth more than stuff.

A Happy, Healthy, Blessed Year

February 22nd, 2018 | Posted by Bryn in Living Simply | SF - (Comments Off on A Happy, Healthy, Blessed Year)

It’s been one year today. A year since I took a leap of faith. A year ago today, I was big pregnant with my 6th baby. A year since I regularly woke up sweating in the middle of the night, worrying about how we would afford all these kids. A year since I did what I never thought I’d do (again) – join a direct sales company.

With all the sadness and awful things happening in this world, I know that God calls us to be good stewards of the gifts He’s given us. He calls us to take care of our bodies, our families, our communities, and our world. What I’m doing with Norwex is one way to spread the message of wellness and help people live healthier lives.

My grandma died a month ago, and I’ve had some time to reflect on the things she taught me. One of my favorite memories of her is from when she invited me to attend a bible study with her. Up until then, she was just my grandma, but when I went to bible study with her, I was able to see her in a whole new light. She lit up the room – when Grandma talked, everyone listened to her quiet wisdom. She left her mark of kindness and love and sass in this world. It’s a better place because she was here. She wasn’t just my grandma, she was truly a gift to everyone who knew her.

My sweet grandma also smoked for 50 years of her life before quitting in 1998. For about the past 10 years, she was been hooked to an oxygen tank because of her COPD and she rarely left her home. Mentally, she was sharp as a tack, and I’m left wondering how much better her quality of life would have been had she not smoked all those years. When she first started smoking, it was just what everyone did, and no one could have imagined the health consequences later in life.

Fast forward to today – everyone KNOWS that smoking is bad for you, and many who do smoke try to quit to improve their health. The number of people who smoke today has actually dropped to an all-time low, which is wonderful for the health of our community. But SO many people still get cancer and asthma and chronic illnesses. What gives?

I recently read an article about indoor air pollution and how chemical cleaning products affect our bodies. Scientists studied lung function in women who used chemcial cleaning sprays frequently over the past 20 years and found that prolonged use of these products affects the lungs the same as smoking 20 cigarettes a day. As Maya Angelou said:

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

Now that we know that these chemical cleaners really are harming the health of our families and our environment, what can we do?

Change. Change our way of thinking.

The scientists from the study I mentioned above said that most of our every day cleaning should be done with just a simple microfiber cloth and water.

It’s a new and DIFFERENT way to clean. Instead of chemically disinfecting your surfaces and leaving behind chemical residue and dead bacteria that eventually attract more dust/dirt/germs, with Norwex you’re actually removing the dirt and germs from your surfaces.

{It took me awhile to realize the difference between chemically disinfecting and mechanically removing germs from surfaces. Think of it this way: EVERYONE knows that given the option, scrubbing your hands with soap and water is a better way to clean than using hand sanitizer. When you wash your hands, you’re mechanically removing the dirt and germs and rinsing them down the drain. Hand sanitizer kills the germs on your hands chemically, which works in a pinch, but generally it’s better to scrub!}
(If you’d like more info, please contact me!)

With this business, I’ve had wonderful months, loved this business, but also had slow months, made mistakes, and felt like giving up, but I keep persevering because I know that this business and these products are blessing the families they touch. It’s been a happy year, a cleaner year, a healthier year, a blessed year.

Thank you to all my hosts, customers, and team members!

If you’d like to join me on my journey with Norwex, please contact me on Facebook or through my contact form here.

Rejoice always…

September 14th, 2017 | Posted by Bryn in Catholic | Faith - (Comments Off on Rejoice always…)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Ten Practical Ways to Put Your Faith into Action

February 7th, 2017 | Posted by Bryn in Catholic | Faith | SF - (Comments Off on Ten Practical Ways to Put Your Faith into Action)

I wrote this article five years ago, and it was previously published at RealLifeatHome.com. Enjoy it again here!


Putting faith into action isn’t as hard as it may seem. We are all called to be holy and to live lives of grace, but how do we put our faith in Jesus Christ into action on a daily basis? Here are some ideas that may help you get started:

1. Receive the Sacraments. As Catholics, we are so blessed to be able to have guaranteed ways to receive grace. That is the gift of the sacraments. Attend Mass and go to confession. These acts not only bring grace, but tend to lighten any burdens you may be carrying.

2. Limit your TV/screen time. Don’t watch TV that portrays the marriage relationship–or any relationship–in a negative light. When you stop to really think about it, most sitcoms, dramas, and reality TV show sin as normal and even preferable to living a holy life. Ask yourself: Does watching this TV show bring glory to God? If it doesn’t, consider giving it up.

3. Pray for someone who has wronged you. And forgive them. It doesn’t really matter if they are sorry for what they did to you or if they even know they hurt you. God shows mercy to us every single minute of our lives, and it is our duty to pray for and forgive others.

4. Don’t gossip, and stand up for someone. When the conversation with your friends starts veering toward bashing others, sharing juicy details of someone else’s troubles, or anything of the sort, either stop the conversation by standing up for the person or just walk away. I know I have friends in my life who tend to gossip and not listen even when I try to defend someone, so sometimes the best option is to just walk away from the conversation.

5. Donate used clothes, toys, kitchen items, canned food, whatever to charity, and do so with a heart for Christ. We live in a world of constant surplus. I know I have a constant need to de-clutter, and “things” can take over if I don’t keep them in check. Our local Ladies of Charity and food pantries are in desperate need and always looking for donated items. Check to see if your church has a food pantry or a recommendation on where to donate. If you don’t have extra stuff to donate, maybe you can serve God by giving of your time and volunteering at church or at a charity.

6. Read the Bible. This one may seem kind of obvious, but many Catholics are not as familiar with the bible as most Protestants I know. A good place to start is Proverbs. There are 31, so you can read one each day for a whole month.

7. Stop complaining and start thanking God for your blessings. If you are reading this (on a computer or smartphone, with an internet connection), chances are you are in the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest people. Many people in the world today don’t know where they are getting their next meal, don’t have a bed to sleep in or an extra set of clothes. You are blessed physically and spiritually. Be sure to recognize those blessings and thank God for them.

8. Hold your tongue. A big part of being patient is just shutting up. I get along with my husband and am kinder to my children when I take time to really think before I speak instead of just spouting out whatever comes to mind.

9. Organize your house and your mind so that your family receives the best you. I know when my house is a mess and I have a million things on my to-do list, I get stressed and tend to take it out on my family. They don’t deserve that. If I keep the house clean and organized, keep close track of the calendar, and don’t wait till the last minute to get things done, the entire household seems more peaceful.

10. Pray without ceasing. This one’s from the bible. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” As you may have heard before, prayer has four general parts:

  • Adoration – Praising God
  • Contrition – Confessing your sins
  • Thanksgiving – Thanking God for blessings
  • Supplication – Asking for things

Adoration is the first because it’s the most important. God is our creator, our savior, our healer, our everything and He deserves to be praised all the time. So don’t just ask, adore Him.

What are some practical ways you have found to put your faith into action?

 

No, Pro-Life Doesn’t Just Mean “Pro-Birth”

January 27th, 2017 | Posted by Bryn in Catholic | Faith | Kids - (Comments Off on No, Pro-Life Doesn’t Just Mean “Pro-Birth”)

The actual women’s march was today – the March for Life. You didn’t hear about it on the Today Show, but it’s actually much bigger than any of the Women’s Marches this past weekend.

Feminists claim to support all women, to be marching for the rights of all women, especially those on the fringes of society. The problem many of us have with feminism is that it’s being shoved down our throats that we’re being treated unfairly even though this is THE best time in history to be a woman, in the country where we enjoy the most rights. Everyone has struggles and may experience discrimination in some ways, but are these struggles occurring SOLELY because we’re women? Highly unlikely.

The most frequent puzzling thing I’ve read in the comments sections of these pro-life vs. feminist articles is the claim that pro-life people aren’t really pro-life, they’re just “pro-birth” and don’t care what happens to babies after they’re born or to the women affected, and that pro-lifers want to force women to have babies, etc.

My first thought is, where did they come up with this claim? Where are their statistics to back them up? In an online conversation with a self-proclaimed “feminist”, I asked her those exact questions when she made the above accusation. And her response was that pro-life supporters are opponents of Planned Parenthood, so they’re inherently unsupportive of women and their babies.

What?!

Planned Parenthood doesn’t actually provide prenatal care, and NOT supporting Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with supporting women and their babies. Being in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood means that we would love for more babies to be saved from this abortion factory. I’ve heard many claims that Planned Parenthood is the only place for low-income women to receive healthcare, but again, where are the statistics on that? There are thousands of other real health facilities all over the country to provide basic healthcare for men, women, and children.

When pro-choice people say that we’re only pro-birth, they fail to take into account the thousands of Christians that adopt and foster children in their own homes, volunteer their time at soup kitchens and food pantries, donate clothing, toys, household items, and more to charitable organizations that give these things away for free to the needy, and donate BILLIONS of dollars per year in this country alone to help the poor with housing, healthcare, childcare, etc. The Catholic Church and other Christian organizations have done more for the poor in the history of the world than any other organization. For example, Catholic Charities USA (just one of the many, many Christian charitable organizations in the United States alone) was #9 on the Forbes list of 100 Largest US Charities last year. So how does this make us “only pro-birth”?

As pro-life supporters, we are called to a higher form of social justice. When we see that the dignity of the human person is threatened (in any situation, not just abortion), we have no choice but to speak up. We are called to be active in our communities and to help the poor and marginalized in our society. Which is why hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children marched today.

I saw many photos of people and their pro-life signs today, and one sign said, “1/3 of my generation is missing.”

Photo Credit: March for Life Facebook page

One third. This is completely heartbreaking when you really think about it. I was born a little more than 10 years after abortion was legalized in the United States, so I wonder how many people were missing from my kindergarten class, from my high school graduation, from my life.

The genocide that is abortion needs to stop. We need to be part of the culture of life that supports women in need, supports children and their parents, and truly believes that life is sacred from conception until natural death. It’s our duty and our responsibility as pro-life supporters to show others that this kind of world is possible. What will you do today to show that you’re truly pro-life?

Advice for President Trump from our Kindergartners

January 24th, 2017 | Posted by Bryn in Catholic | Faith | Kids - (Comments Off on Advice for President Trump from our Kindergartners)

My six-year-old curly-haired daughter is in kindergarten this year, and she’s part of a fantastic class in a fabulous school with loving, wonderful teachers.

On inauguration day last week, her teacher asked the kids, “What advice would you give our new president?”

If this question had been asked to a group of adults, I’m sure the sound of crickets would have followed. Or complicated stances on complicated issues. One or the other.

However, these kids know what’s important in life and prove that the simplest advice can be the very best.

Here’s what they had to say:

1. Please follow rules.
2. Always tell the truth.
3. Be nice to people.
4. Love others with your heart.
5. Care about all people.
6. Look at others with loving eyes.
7. Do what God wants you to do.
8. Help the poor.

We will pray for you every day.

Each of us would do well in all aspects of life following this simple wisdom.

They are a super group of kids led by a loving, Christ-filled teacher and learning about what’s truly important in life. Thank you to our teachers for loving and guiding our kids every single day.

10 Simple Family Traditions for Advent

December 1st, 2016 | Posted by Bryn in Advent | Catholic | Liturgical Living - (Comments Off on 10 Simple Family Traditions for Advent)

10simpletraditionsadvent_sf

It’s that time of year again, folks. Everyone’s busy, but cheerful, and the radio stations are playing nothing but Christmas songs even though it’s not Christmas yet.

But it’s December 1st, surely “Christmas Season” has begun, right?

NO! Traditionally, the four weeks before Christmas day have always been Advent, a Christian liturgical season of penitential preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ as well as for His second coming.In the Catholic Church, we can see evidence of Advent in the priests purple or rose colored vestments, the lighting of the Advent candles, special readings leading up to the birth of Christ, and an empty manger scene. Click here to read more about why Advent is so important to Christians.

Advent can be tricky because all kinds of celebrations are happening all around our kids. Holiday dance recitals, 25 Days of Christmas movies, the Christmas singing program at school, and school Christmas parties all occur during Advent. They see all the decorations and TV programs and hear the Christmas music and obviously assume it’s time to celebrate. That’s what makes this season of anticipation harder for parents to navigate.

Here are 10 things we can do this Advent to prepare our own hearts and our childrens’ hearts for His coming:

1. Light an Advent wreath. If you don’t have one, most parishes sell them this time of year, they can be ordered online, or you can make your own. This creates a special place for daily Advent prayers and shows the progression of the weeks as each candle is lit.

 

2. Get an Advent calendar. I’ve seen Advent calendars that have a daily ornament, chocolate, beer, Lego figures, toys, pretty much anything. This is especially fun for the kids to be able to countdown to Christmas and ups the anticipation as each door is opened.

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3. Set up a Nativity scene at home. Most of us have a Nativity set (or several) packed with our Christmas decorations, and now is the time to get it out and set it up in a prominent place in your home. The trick with this is to take the Christ child away until Christmas morning. I’ve had my Nativity set for years, and I place a pregnant Mary, which is a figure that matches that I already had in place of Mary holding baby Jesus until Christmas morning when they “magically” appear. If placed on a table top, it can be a place for prayer and reading the bible or other religious books.

 

thejessetree 15178176_739760849509326_2805305447897112208_n4. Set up a Jesse Tree. The tradition of the Jesse tree goes back hundreds of years. According to LoyolaPress.com, “We adorn a Jesse tree with illustrated ornaments that represent the people, prophesies, and events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The ornaments of the Jesse tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history.” It’s a fun daily tradition that will get you reading a little bit of the bible every day. This will really help adults and kids especially to understand the connections that led to the birth of Christ. I am making these ornaments from ShiningLightDolls.com, which are easy and adorable, and they conveniently have the readings right there on the download. Print the symbols, glue them to these wooden ornament circles http://amzn.to/2gB2G7X , and enjoy journeying through the Jesse Tree this Advent with your family!

 

5. Receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. This year I have a second grader, who will receive her First Reconciliation with her class this weekend. They have been preparing for months, been practicing, and doing homework for it, and now the time has come to fully receive God’s absolution through this beautiful sacrament. As adults living in the secular world, it’s easy to say to ourselves, “Well, I can just confess my sins to God and be forgiven.” And you’d be right, of course you can, but the sacrament of Reconciliation truly reconciles us with Christ, meaning that we are absolved from our sins and returned to a state of grace. It’s the perfect way and the perfect time of year to get closer to Christ.

 

6. Go to Mass. And truly be present. Listen to the readings and the homily. Worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Receive Christ in the Eucharist and believe in what is an unbelievable gift to us. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is coming up next Thursday–and it’s a holy day of obligation–which celebrates the conception of Mary completely sinless in her mother’s womb. Which brings me to my next point…

 

7. Learn a little bit about the Virgin Mary. The Catholic Church is so deep, so rich, and I’m just starting to scratch the surface on Marian doctrine. A book I highly recommend is Meet Your Mother by Mark Miravalle, which outlines each Marian dogma by chapter and will blow your freakin’ mind. Warning: this seemingly short little book has so much information about our mother in Heaven and will help you understand that although we do not worship Mary herself, having a devotion to her can change your eternity.

 

8. Give something up/make a change. This past Sunday at Mass, Father talked about how we should set a small, achievable goal in our faith life this Advent much like you’d do during Lent. Either give something up to remind yourself to pray and devote yourself to Christ (like when children give up chocolate for Lent) or actively do something to further your faith life. I personally am praying the Immaculate Conception novena and am reading Fr. Robert Barron’s Catholicism book this Advent.

 

9. Almsgiving. This is actually a very common thing to do, even among nonbelievers. It’s a merry time of year, and it seems to make most people more cheerful and in a more giving spirit. Your local parish may have a giving tree to provide Christmas gifts to needy families, food banks are always looking for donations and volunteers, several program exist that donate toys and coats to needy children as well. This is another one of my favorite things to do with the kids because they can see tangibly how we’re helping other people.

 

10. Celebrate the Advent feast days, like the feasts of St. Nicholas on December 6 (shoes by the door), Immaculate Conception on December 9 (get thee to Mass), Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 (pray the rosary), and St. Lucy on December 13 (rolls and cookies and candles for the festival of lights). Many have different cultural traditions tied to each of these feasts, so celebrate with your own cultural and family traditions or look online for ideas to begin some new traditions.

 

Bonus: Blessing of the Christmas tree. When we get our Christmas tree set up, we’ll be blessing it with this Christmas tree blessing.

Bonus 2: Ditch Elf on the Shelf and Follow the Star instead. A friend of mine recently told me that instead of Elf on the Shelf, she’s hiding a star each night for her daughter to find in the morning that will lead to their Nativity set by Christmas morning. What a cool idea!

 

We make such a big effort on the holiday of Christmas itself with gift-giving and celebrating, so let’s be sure to prepare our hearts–and the little hearts we’re raising–to really get ready for Jesus this year.

 

How do you and your family prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth? Do you have special family or cultural traditions for Advent? I’d love to hear all about it!

 

 

Nine – and halfway there

August 3rd, 2016 | Posted by Bryn in Faith | Kids | SF - (Comments Off on Nine – and halfway there)

I recently came across the Huffington Post article titled “To My Daughter, At Halftime.”

While the author here is giving her 9-year-old child advice and wondering how the next nine years would go, it left me struggling for breath because my boy is nine today, and I’m kind of in disbelief.

Nine, as in halfway to eighteen.

Half of his years under my roof gone in a blink.006_19

Like all parents (I assume), after the shock of imagining my baby in college, I start to wonder:

Have I taught him enough? Did I read to him enough? Have I hugged him enough? Have I loved him enough? Have i prayed with him and for him enough? Have I shown him enough grace? Enough to sustain him when I’m not with him every second?

I’ve lost my temper, yelled when I should have explained calmly, lost patience when I’m interrupted, had too great of expectations since he’s the oldest, and once or twice may have even said, “go play or I’ll make you clean something!”

But one thing I do know for sure. I love that boy fiercely. My heart grew bigger the day he was born.DSC_0656

Sometimes the burden of motherhood seems like too much pressure to be perfect all the time, and I’m not even close.

I may never  be “enough” for my kids, but God is. He’s there every step of the way, even when I can’t be with them. He loves them even more than I do. So I can choose to worry, or I can choose to trust.

When I asked him the other day how he wanted to celebrate, if he wanted a party with all his school friends, he simply said, “I want to go on a date with just you and me, Mom.”

I’ll take that while I can! Pretty soon he won’t want to be seen with me in public.

Pretty soon he will be listening to music I don’t understand and reading books I’ve never read and making me prouder than I ever thought possible and more disappointed than I ever thought he could.

He will have great joy and great heartache in these next nine years, and I’ll be there as much as he’ll let me. I’ll be learning even more about letting go and letting him spread his wings and fall on his face and take responsibility for himself, all while being close enough to guide him when he really needs it.

Oldest of five, surrounded by siblings on his birthday

Oldest of five, surrounded by siblings on his 9th birthday

Although I’m still praying the the next nine years don’t pass by quite so quickly, it feels like kind of a big accomplishment that we’ve made it this far. I’m praying I can trust more and worry less.

Oooh were halfway there… and livin’ on a prayer.

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*(We try once a month or so to spend time with each of our kids individually, and call it a “date” – I’ll explain more later!)

YOU can help save a life. Literally.

January 22nd, 2016 | Posted by Bryn in Faith | SF - (Comments Off on YOU can help save a life. Literally.)

HammerFam

A few years ago, I wrote about the beautiful children of Reece’s Rainbow, an outreach program that helps people from the United States and other countries raise money to adopt children with special needs from all over the world.

My friends Beth and Mike Hammer are working with Reece’s Rainbow to adopt a baby girl who has Down Syndrome from eastern Europe. Her quality of life is next to nothing over there, and she likely won’t survive past age 5 if she isn’t rescued. The Hammers are literally saving her life.

They are doing everything they can to bring her home as soon as possible, and they can care for her and provide a loving home for her once she’s here, but they need help paying the outrageous costs ($35k or more) involved with international adoption.

That’s where YOU come in. We are looking for 1,000 generous individuals to donate just $20 each to help ease the financial burden on this wonderful family. Your small donation will literally be helping to save a life.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but the Hammers need a village to help bring their baby girl home.  Will you help?

For more information and to donate, visit http://www.heartshammerhome.com/ OR click the Reece’s Rainbow button on the sidebar of this page (may have to scroll down if you’re on a mobile device) to donate via PayPal.

The Hammers appreciate each and every donation more than words can say. Help bring baby Hammer home! Donate today!