9 months later...we say your name at least 100 times a day

Special Thank you to Melissa Glynn Photography for capturing some beautiful photos for our Holiday cards. It amazes us that 9 months ago we began this journey and Melissa was right there taking our photos so we could announce to our family and friends that we were adopting our firstborn Lottie Lee from China. She is not only a fabulously talented photographer she is funny and Scott likes her too! She will be following us through our journey and capturing all of our big moments throughout the next couple of months! Proud Mommy & Daddy with Lottie Lee's first photos, hopefully waiting for us at Austin Bergstrom International Airport, and of course Lottie Lee's first official photo shoot.

Now we still are waiting until Winn's 30th birthday (April 23rd) to submit our dossier to China (one of the many requirements set by China's government) but it is officially paper-chase time and we are busy with parenting classes, blood work & doctor physicals, letters of reference, background checks, and home visits. It is a scary and overwhelming process but we are taking it step by step and trying to enjoy all the steps that will lead us to Lottie.

In the end we will have our baby girl and be ready to do it all over again!

Tis' the Season

Restaurant.com Gift Cards make great Stocking Stuffers!

During the Holiday Season 10% of donations received from CoupAide gift cards for the Lottie Lee Fund will be given to Smile Train to help deliver cleft lip surgeries to children in need! If you would like to be a part of Lottie Lee's Red Thread please contact us.  We have gift cards and Holiday cards(pictured above)  Place your orders by e-mail winncastagno@yahoo.com

Gift Cards are also available online http://coupaide.com/deal/lottielee/

8 Reasons why Restaurant.com Gift cards make great Holiday Gifts.

1. Your supporting cause collects $10 with each purchase.

2. Huge bang for your buck. You receive a $50 gift certificate with only a $20 contribution.

3. Instant gratification. Receive your gift certificate immediately upon purchase.

4. Certificates make great gifts and never expire.

5. With over 18,000 partnered restaurants nationwide use these gift certificates while your in our out of town.

6. Extremely easy to use. Visit Restaurant.com, find your favorite restaurant, print the custom voucher, and give it to your waiter.

7. You may break your $50 up in $10, $15, or $25 to redeem at multiple locations

8. 10% of funds will be donated to Smile Train

10 Things to Be Thankful for.....

This time of year it is always good to reflect on things for which we are thankful, and we are so grateful for many things in our lives, including these:

A person we don't even know who purchased several gift cards from CoupAide for us on October 1st.

Opening the mail and finding a donation and a pretty little tutu from an old friend of over a decade ago.

That Lottie will have such wonderful Grandparents and their on-going support to get her here.

That Winn's godmother Charmaine and mother Abbe are joining us on our journey to China.

CoupAide's help with fundraising.

Our friends at, La Mia Bella, who have included us as photographers in their Santa doggie photo shoot to also help us raise funds.

A special friend who has been all-ears and supportive ever since we started this adventure 9 months ago. Thanks for always being there.

Prayers and love from Flower Mound, TX and for giving us the best godmother for Lottie.

Our photographer Melissa Glynn, who will help us capture the next year or so with beautiful photography.

To the birth parents who will have made a difficult decision and all others who have taken care of her before us, we are very grateful.

Give the gift of a Smile

This holiday 10% of all donations for the Lottie Lee Fund will be donated to Smile Train

"Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly, aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job.  Being born with a cleft in a developing country is truly a curse. Every baby born in Uganda with a cleft is given the name Ajok which means literally, “cursed by God.” Some newborns are killed or abandoned right after birth.  The good news is that every single child with a cleft can be helped with surgery that costs as little as $250. It's a true modern-day medical miracle that gives a child back their life." Courtesy of Smiletrain

During the Holiday Season 10% of donations received from CoupAide gift cards for the Lottie Lee Fund will be given to Smile Train to help deliver cleft lip surgeries to children in need! If you would like to be a part of Lottie Lee's Red Thread please contact us.  we have Red Thread packets with gift cards to sell. 

Gift Cards are also available online   http://coupaide.com/deal/lottielee/

Let's change a child's life and give them the ability to smile! Happy Holidays!

Christmas Pictures with Santa

When we started talking about adoption, Scott and I had no idea how we would be able to afford the expenses, we just decided that together we would make it work and we would not let the financial aspects interfere with our dream to adopt our daughter. 

Everything would fall into place...

Blessing have continued to change our lives, dear friends Perry & Lisa Silvas owners of La Mia Bella Pet Salon have opened their hearts and provided us the opportunity to participate in their annual Pictures with Santa event.  When they initially called we thought they wanted our help taking the pictures with a donation to the Lottie Lee Fund.  We were so excited.  But it doesn't end there!  Perry and Lisa told us the entire event was dedicated to Lottie Lee and with all their help we hope to make this years Pictures with Santa the best one yet!

If you live in the Austin Area please join us for a fun filled day and get your picture with Santa!  Happy Holidays to all we certainly have more blessings than we ever expected and are so thankful!

50 Thank yous

The best things in life are not things, the best things are people like you... Thank you for all the love and support.  Each day we find ourselves overjoyed with all the love.  Friends, family, and even strangers have come together to help us raise the funds to afford Lottie Lee's adoption. 

Our favorite "Thank you" story this month, is while visiting family we couldn't pass out the gift cards fast enough ( we actually ran out of gift cards) the love we felt was like nothing else. The enthusiasm to meet Lottie Lee and welcome her into our family was present our entire visit.  We felt so lucky to have such a wonderful, loving and supportive family!  For all of you we are so blessed!

Wrapped in LOVE

Scott and I received this beautiful handmade shawl from our dear friend Georganne Chamness, it is a prayer shawl that has been blessed for our sweet Lottie Lee.  Words cannot describe the love and support we receive everyday, but tonight this beautiful handmade gift represents the tangible love.  We will cherish this gift and wrap ourselves in the love from our family and friends as we patiently wait to meet our baby and we will take this beautiful gift to China wrap ourselves in it as we fly across the world, we will cling to it as we wait to see Charlotte for the first time and we wrap Charlotte in it her first night with us. 

Prayer of Blessing

May God's grace be upon this shawl...

Warming, comforting, enfolding and embracing.

May this mantle be a safe haven...

A sacred place of security and well-being...

Sustaining and embracing in good times

As well as difficult ones.

May the one who receives this shawl

Be cradled in hope,

Kept in joy,

Graced with peace

And wrapped in love.

Blessed be!

St. Philips ACTS, 2011