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Overexposed

September 27, 2014 1 Comments

I’ve been in America since May, which means that I haven’t been to an orphanage since April, which means that it’s been many months since I last took pictures of orphans. Because of this I’ve had some extra time (ha! Is there any such thing?) to go through old pictures. Y’all, I’ve taken a lot …Read More

Adopting a Toddler with Hemophilia

September 26, 2014 3 Comments

Our household looks a lot like the average family; a coupe of kids, a beloved pet and constant chaos.  We ever so skillfully (insert sarcasm) navigate pre-school, after school activities and a whole lot of fun.  By all accounts our life is pretty “normal”.   A new addition to our normal has been the management …Read More

God’s Calling (And He’s Using a Megaphone)

September 24, 2014 16 Comments

We adoptive parents are a feisty, powerful bunch. We are in pursuit…on mission…active…hoping…
dossier building…finger-printing…connecting….fundraising…hurdle jumping…praying…planning…
counting-down…conferencing…reading…packing…travelling…bonding…adjusting…teaching…nursing… care giving…loving. But are we listening for God’s voice? Many claim that adoption starts with a calling. God speaks and we respond. And for a glorious moment, our ears are perfectly tuned to His voice. Sometimes though, somewhere along the …Read More

She Smiles

September 22, 2014 15 Comments

Late one Monday night, I incessantly hit ‘refresh’ on my computer screen hoping for an email. Longing for THE email. The minutes felt like hours and then suddenly something popped up. The subject simply had a name – my daughter’s name. A flood of emotions overtook my husband Chris and I as we opened that …Read More

Mothering Together

September 21, 2014 5 Comments

When I learned my boy was in foster care, I found myself praying for the woman who was caring for my child. She was doing her job and I was appreciated her. When I heard that she co-slept with my boy keeping him safe by her side at night and that Isaac’s favorite activity was …Read More

Together

September 20, 2014 14 Comments

My adoption story is a common adoption story. It began in South Korea. Through a sequence of unknown events and decisions, I spent time in both an orphanage and foster home before I was adopted at the age of five months. I was welcomed into a family in Michigan with two parents who longed to …Read More

International China Concern

September 19, 2014 0 Comments

In 1993, a newborn baby girl was brought to a Chinese orphanage. She lived less than 24 hours. She died without a name. Without a family. But her short life touched one man, and he started International China Concern (ICC). That man, David Gotts, thought there had to be another way, a better way, for …Read More

I’m Pretty Sure My China Mommy Cried

September 19, 2014 11 Comments

As an adoptive parent, I sometimes forget that my adopted children had a life before me… that their life did not start when we met in a Chinese Civil Affairs building. The following essay was written last year by my 9 year old daughter, Mia, as part of a class assignment on “A Place I …Read More

aging out child: Jonathon

September 18, 2014 1 Comments

Jonathon ages out next February and is listed with Wide Horizons. “Jonathan is a sweet and smart boy who is hoping everyday for a family in the United States. Sadly, this wonderful kid only has 6 months to find a family! Under Chinese adoption law Jonathan must be adopted before he turns 14 years old. …Read More

The Fruits of Attachment Labor

September 17, 2014 4 Comments

While we were waiting to bring Sunshine home back in 2010 and 2011, I learned as much as I could about fostering attachment. I tried to memorize all of the attachment advice. Build trust by meeting needs quickly, check. Be the only ones to meet all of her needs, check. Love unconditionally, check. Don’t let …Read More

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