Ready for this one?

This is a good story of WHAT NOT TO DO!!!!!!!

Reece's Rainbow staff couldn't have made it any clearer that when you travel to EE you need new money.  The money has to be new bills.  No fold marks, no tears, no wrinkles.  Everyone that has been on this journey makes sure to remind everyone that they have to order these bills at least 2 - 3 weeks in advance.  Everyone makes it crystal clear about the money!!! 

So, I told Dave about 4 weeks ago that we need to order new bills.  I told him what other families have said and that he should order them ASAP.  He assured me that HIS bank will have no trouble getting the new bills.  Then 3 weeks ago, I checked with him again - reminding him that we HAVE to have new bills.  He said "no trouble".  2 weeks ago - same thing.  Last week, I told him - "You need to go to the bank and ask just to make sure."  He assured me he would.  I asked him last Friday - He said he hadn't had time.  I flipped out on him (In a nice way of course - um, no - not really)!!!  So Monday he went to the bank and spoke with them.  When he got home from work, I asked him again.  He said "the bank is ordering the bills and we will have them Thursday night".  Wow - I thought - his bank is good!!!   But, he was looking a little stressed. 

Today Dave calls me at about 4pm and states he is driving home from Buffalo (2 hours away) - I asked "why?", he said he was coming from the bank.  I was so confused since our bank is right here in Jamestown.  He said he had to go to Buffalo to get the new money because the delivery couldn't get to Jamestown due to the weather.  I thought it was a little strange since the weather was the best it had been in awhile.  But I was just happy he had the money. 

Ten minutes after getting off the phone with Dave a friend calls.  She says "are you going to EE to adopt your little girl".  I said "YES".  She said you are not going to believe this.  I thought - what in the world could this be about.  It is important to know she works at a bank, not Dave's bank but another bank.  She then tells me the most unbelievable story.  Her Bank got a call on Monday to order a good amount of new bills.  She thought, there is no way we can get that money by Friday.  She told me that the staff was pretty much cursing who ever would wait to the last minute to do this.  But they decided they would see what they could do.  When she called to order the new money they said they could have it here by the end of the week.  She was surprised but happy that she was able to help.   Well, her bank gets the delivery yesterday afternoon - they look at the delivery and the bills were not new.  She said the employee's were sick.  How would they tell this family that is adopting from EE that they were not able to get the money.  She said she left work yesterday so upset.  The staff called every bank in the state to see if any one had new bills and the amount we needed.  Than Bank manager got a hold of a branch that had it.  She told me "this is unheard of".  They were all shocked - they couldn't believe it.  So they call Dave this morning and told him he has to go to Buffalo to get the money.  When Dave goes to pick up the money - the bank teller didn't get his complete social security number - she was missing 1 number.   So they ended up calling my friend to see if her bank could get the number.  Well then the teller tells her the name of the man.  My friend couldn't believe it - all of this madness for someone that lives 1 street over, US!!!!  This whole week she had no idea she was fighting for money for her friends!!!  Isnt' this an amazing story.  This is a Christmas Miracle for sure.  If we didn't have this money - I'm not sure we would of been able to go.  It is that serious. 

So - please take my advice when I say "Order your money 3 - 4 weeks in advance!!!!!

I needed this little sign that we are doing exactly what we are suppose to do.  I had been so stressed today - questioning everything.  Well, this story cleared it all up!!!!!

Thank you FATHER!!!!!  I Love YOU!!!!!!