How carefully did you look at the name you chose for your newborn when you decided to adopt? Did you dissect the name to see what possible combinations people could come up with from it? Apparently, we didn’t look close enough. Now what should we do? Is an emergency name change or spelling change in order?

We spent months coming up with our daughter’s name. We wanted a name that had real meaning behind it. We chose a special name for our daughter that reflected our joy to an answer to years of prayer. The name we chose also reflected our family heritage. How... more

With a mere nine days before we board the plane for the trip that will change our lives forever, much remains to be done. Today alone I’ve spoken to our social worker and lawyer (both more than once!); my daughter’s pediatric staff, and I still have to coordinate a few more adoption-related things before the end of business today.

If you’ve read this blog with any regularity, you know I’m not so good with “the small stuff”. Big stuff, no problem – just don’t drown me in... more

I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. (Psalm 102:7)

Here it is – almost 3 in the morning – and what am I doing? Blogging about adoption. If I’m not up thinking about the kids, I’m writing about them … or talking about them to my husband, who coincidentally, also is having trouble sleeping (and not because I’m talking to him!)

Yes, we’re a scant ten days away from departure to pick up the kids. I have a “countdown” plug-in on my internet homepage. Each morning my son comes into my room, and we count off another... more

For the last six months, I have been hesitant to schedule anything more than a week or two out, because we’ve been under the assumption that the finalization could happen “any time now…” As I homeschool, it’s been hard to schedule outside classes (particularly multi-part classes that you pay for up front with “no refund” policies!). I teach classes and camps as well, so I feel as though I am making up dates as I go along!

It’s been this way since December, so one might legitimately think I would be used to this by now, or we might actually... more

While devouring everything I can about adoption, I came across a wonderful cross-section of articles on what seems like the “Never-Ending Wait.” What is so great about these articles is that they address the fact that:

• Others have “Been There, Done That”

• Children arrived and everyone lived to tell about “The Wait”

So, while you are waiting, you can read about waiting! Many of the articles offer wonderful suggestions on how to manage the wait time. I hope you find them beneficial during your wait time!

While You Wait: A fabulous listing of many, many articles written by those “in the... more

If anyone in the Bible knew anything about patience, it would be Job. Job not only waited adversity out and won the victory through God, but lost just about everything that would matter in this human life in the process.

He lost his health, his children, and the respect of his wife and friends. His wife told him just to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Yet this same verse tells us that Job “held fast [to] his integrity.”

To really understand this story in context, it’s crucial we understand where all this adversity came from. Many... more

It is said, “the course of true love never runs smoothly” and I suppose that includes adoption as well! Just as the end was in sight and we were about to set a court date to finalize things, we encountered some pretty severe obstacles. I don’t think they are deal-breakers, but they could delay things and may add some expense. I can’t really be specific, because it involves confidentiality issues, but it really made me first angry, then sad, then just really hyper because I couldn’t get my brain to shut down!

I’ve never been through... more

The time between the moment you decide to adopt and finally holding the child(ren) of your dreams spans eons. How can you survive the wait?

Pray: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray for everyone involved with your adoption.

Memorialize the wait time: Blog, journal, scrapbook, but somehow create a way to document your journey.

Read: Currently on my bedside shelf you will find: Raising Adopted Children, Post-Adoption... more

I stated in an earlier post that I was going to outline some ideas for wiling away the hours until your child arrives. Great minds must think alike, for the very same day, Tana wrote an excellent series of articles on just that. So rather than duplicate the effort (and she has done a superior... more

Many of you know that my son has Type 1 diabetes. So, every night we check his blood sugar at various hours of the night (which he sleeps right through!). Lately, during the time that I am up, I’ve been watching the television show, Adoption Stories. Hubby seems to sense when it’s on and joins me in watching it (maybe I wake him up with my sniffling and crying? :) ).

I am addicted. Each night, I look at the different stories that profile people from all walks of life, various ethnicities, contrasting backgrounds … yet with stories so much like my own. One in particular hit... more