I’ve always loved books and been a little bookworm and my children are no different! That’s Charlie reading a book about trains I gave him last Christmas, me reading a book when I was three in the middle, and Noah reading a book he got as a birthday gift on the end.

My mother taught me to read at a young age by making me my own books using construction papers, markers, and stickers. By the time I was in the first grade, I was reading well above my age level. My love for books continued and I still love to read when I can find the time for it.... more

Today I did something I found I should be doing a lot more of. My smaller children had a question and I followed it through with them to find the real life answer right in the moment it was in the fore front of their little minds.. It was an awesome experience helping them learn a lesson in responsibility, and in the process I learned my own lesson about how I can be doing more things like this as a mom to teach them.

When my three year old son and I arrived to pick his four year old sister up from preschool today we noticed a beautiful chocolate... more

Today is my precious Danika’s big 10th birthday! It is hard to believe that our family has shared a whole decade of watching her grow in grace and beauty. Honestly where does the time go?

Today, although her actual birthday, was also our preparation day for the family party tomorrow. We worked around the house getting ready and she was so excited to get several calls from friends, family, and birthfamily through out the day. When her little brother and sister... more

In my previous post, I discussed ways birth parents could share their traveling experiences with their child. On the flip side, adoptive parents may wish to share their traveling experiences with their child’s birthmother.

I love to hear about Charlie’s travels. I am glad that S and A are able to take him neat places. Sure, hearing about them does make me a little sad that I wasn’t able to experience things with him, but it also makes me happy that Charlie has these opportunities.... more

My family and I just got back from a short but much needed vacation to Atlanta, Georgia. Noah was on spring break and J took some time off from work and we just goofed around Atlanta for a few days visiting the baby pandas at the Atlanta Zoo, riding roller coasters, and just spending some quality time together as a family.

Even when I am on vacation, I still think of Charlie. I think of how great it would be if he were there with us. I try not to linger on that thought too much but instead I try to think of ways I can share my vacation with him.

A... more

Did you journal as a teenager? Did you have one of those journals with a lock on the side? I did! And I hid that journal under my bed, safe from my little brother! I was never very good at sticking with it though. I’d journal a bit only to write for a few days and then forget about it.

I didn’t really become good at journaling until after Charlie was born. Then, journaling became a way of life for me a way. It’s a way for me to heal and work through major life events.

Journaling is a very healthy and healing individual process. As a birthmother,... more

You cannot seem to explain to my middle daughter Cierra how to properly treat our pet puppy Bayleigh. I have been over and over this with her till I am blue in the face yet she persists with getting down on all fours and screaming in the dogs face, chasing her at full speed around the house and cornering her and holding her down. Needless to say this is not enjoyed too much by the dog. Today Bayleigh bit and scratched Cierra. . . Again. This is the third time she has been bit (not breaking the skin but definitely leaving marks). No one else in our family... more

Most of us have heard about postpartum depression. The hormones at work in a woman’s body after she gives birth are very powerful and can cause extreme emotions and often a sort of “surge” of depression known as postpartum depression. This depression is treatable and often the mother is feeling more herself in a relatively short amount of time.

When parents adopt a child they do not really ever expect to go through similar depression because the have not gone through an actual, physical pregnancy, but research is beginning to show that... more

While talking to our kids about their adoption experience can be a time to connect and discover how their little minds are processing things, there can also be some tough stuff in adoption we will need to explain as well.

Explaining some difficult things that perhaps led up to an adoptive placement is one example. Knowing how to speak to your child about situations that were at play in their birthparent’s life that precipitated an adoption is hard and needs to be addressed with care for how the explanations will effect the child’s self esteem.... more

My almost ten year old just returned from Girl Scout camp today. She had a great time! I went to pick her up, I just love those times because it seems like we have some of the best conversations about what is going on in her life, and often adoption is part of that conversation. Today was just such a time and we talked at length about adoption and her feelings about being an adopted person. Then suddenly she had a light bulb moment, she asked if she could share some information with adoptive parents about being adopted and I thought that was... more