If you ever check out special needs adoption forums, one of the most commonly asked questions, certainly in the top 5, goes something like this: Which special needs are EASY? It’s an honest question and one that parents who’ve experienced raising children with different special needs have tried to answer. I’ve jumped in many times [...]
Finding Mommy
February 5, 2013 by 3 Comments
When I adopted my son in 2010, I did the “marathon tour” of Beijing before heading to his province to finalize his adoption. (Which I recommend all adoptive parents do at least once, by the way. It’s a huge insight into your child’s birth culture.) Included somewhere in that two-day blur of sight-seeing, our group [...]
clarity and experience
February 1, 2013 by 4 Comments
The entry below is an excerpt from a post I wrote last year in June for NHBO. We had received what seemed to be devastating news about our son in Henan and after processing it for a few weeks, I thought my writing it may be a help to some adoptive parents. But within an [...]
Her story
January 29, 2013 by 3 Comments
I returned from the Created 4 Care retreat late Sunday night. Wow, my head is spinning with all of the information I took in. I still have a lot to sort out, but one theme that really stuck with me is telling Sunshineʼs story in a way that is respectful and considerate to her. Telling [...]
next shared list
January 21, 2013 by 3 Comments
The next shared list is scheduled to be released tonight, January 21st, US time, January 22nd China time. Wonderful news for all families waiting to be matched! Congratulations to all families in the Special Needs program, whether you find your child on shared list, the Special Focus list or an individual agency list… it’s always [...]
#1 Sign
January 15, 2013 by 4 Comments
Here is the Number One Sign that you need to re-clarify the similarities between adopted and birth children: When your 5 year old sits next to an adult visitor at church and promptly asks him, “Did you come from a belly?” Well, Kevin. As a matter of fact, we ALL came from bellies. Time to [...]
the best Christmas present ever
January 11, 2013 by 6 Comments
I stood in the back of Tess’s kindergarten classroom with the other proud parents and looked on as my 5-year-old daughter performed in the class’s “holiday show”. Her part was a simple song with just a few lines and hand movements to go with it. She didn’t know all the hand movements… just like the [...]
Questions and No Answers
January 5, 2013 by 8 Comments
I am excited to introduce our newest member of the No Hands But Ours team, Tara. Tara is a Texas gal who’s passionate about God and adoption. She has been married to the man of her dreams for 13 years and they have five children: three “homegrown” kids, a son with cleft lip and palate [...]
sleep deprived & living to tell about it
January 1, 2013 by 3 Comments
It’s funny just how fast we forget the hard stuff. Like labor and delivery. Or training for an athletic goal. Or the first few weeks of full on reentry after an international adoption. We were blessed with two daughters by birth. After the first traumatic delivery, for a solid 18 months, I said “never again!” [...]
Do you Love me Big?
December 21, 2012 by 2 Comments
This, is my family. They are all pretty cute, but they also look very different. Well, not Miss G and the Wife. They look very much alike. Everyone comments that Miss G is a miniature version of the Wife. And from what I’m told, Senior K walks, talks and behaves very much like myself. But [...]
