Before I Begin At first, my goal was to write a letter to our adopted children. However, the words felt deeply personal, and I struggled to put into words just how I feel about them. As the contents unfolded, the words...
Category - Parenting
You’re Not Crazy: Adoption is Difficult Sometimes
Adoption Isn’t for the Faint of Heart Have you ever laid awake at night really worried that it shouldn’t be this hard? You’re not crazy for doing so. Parenting looks easy from the outside. Provide some basic...
Adoption Influencers
Adoption influence has changed tremendously in the last 20 years. As technology has made sharing experiences easier for parents, families, and children in the adoption community, many have developed a platform with the...
Our First Christmas as a Family
Let me start by saying I was never as nervous or excited about Christmas day as I was that year. My husband and I had been married 14 years at the time and had spent holidays anywhere from big family gatherings to (my...
5 Gifts to Give Your Adoptee this Christmas
Christmas, somehow, is right around the corner. There is a chance that if you are organized you already have your children’s gifts wrapped and under the tree (or at least stashed in a closet). I am … not organized. And...
International Adoption: Navigating Medical Care When Coming Home
I had just become the mom of an almost 3-year-old. My husband and I adopted a beautiful little girl from India after 2 years of paperwork, education, social worker visits, fundraisers, agency fees, and countless prayers...
5 Reasons Why You Need Community
Finding Support In The Adoption And Fostering World Brene Brown says it best, “We don’t have to do it alone. We were never meant to.” Our communities are a huge part of our lives and mold and shape us every single day...
5 Reasons Adopting Older Children Was Right For Us
When many people think about adoption, the first thing they might picture is a newborn baby born to a teenage mom. Hundreds of videos of adoptive moms and dads meeting their baby for the first time reinforce the idea...
7 Tips to Help Children Integrate
I met Teresa and Dave Johnson and their family at church several years ago. Anyone who talked to them just once could feel that they were good people who were full of love. There have been a few times since then that I...
5 Things to Remember in The First Year
With technology, it is easy to set reminders for yourself in every aspect of your life. Your phone can act as your assistant and tell you not to forget your grocery list, post office run, or to pay a bill. The days of...