Looking back at the past 11 months with my children, I see such growth and progress. I remember when “Success!” was getting them to sleep at night!

Success now looks very different than it did then. The kids have moved onto bigger challenges. Success now comes in the form of conquering fears time and again.

The last... more

Did you grow up hearing the Golden Rule? The verse that is frequently referred to as the Golden Rule is found in Luke chapter 6, verse 31 and it says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (NIV) I think that most children, even those who are not part of a church family have heard this rule. One of the purposes of learning Bible verses is so they can come into your mind when you need them. Believe me, after helping many children memorize verses to recite on AWANA club nights, I have learned many. Obviously, the children recognize these verses when I recite them as well.... more

Six months ago today – right around right now, in fact! – we were sitting in a courtroom five states away, joy barely contained! As we sat in chambers with the judge who signed our interlocutory decree of adoption, she talked to us about the enormity of the undertaking we were seeking her to grant.

After talking to us, and to the children, she signed the interlocutory decree. An interlocutory decree is:

A decree of adoption granted by the Court,... more

At a certain point after the adoption is finalized, not every waking moment is consumed with a hyphenated thought – you know: post-adoption, adoption-related, birth-mother…In other words, life begins to take on a “normal” timbre – whatever “normal” is. Your children are just that – yours – and you begin mentally dropping those “adopted child,” “biological child” labels. Not that those labels meant you loved your child(ren) any more or less – but for a certain period of time, you had to make a mental shift – an adjustment in thinking. With a spouse, there was a period of courtship, where the idea of marriage and spending a life together germinated for awhile, typically speaking. With a biological... more

We had our second and final post-adoptive placement appointment yesterday. The visit went exceptionally well.

For those of you who may be wondering what types of concerns are covered in a post-adoptive visit, I’ll cover them briefly (although if you survived the homestudy, you’ll be just fine!):

Children: * General physical health (gaining in height and weight; overall good health; whether or not there have been any medical issues, or if the child has special medical needs, what the prognosis is/how things are going. * Mental heath: If there are any mental health issues, the caseworker... more

Today marks the three month anniversary of the finalization of our adoption. Here are some impressions of the last three months:

The beginning is tough! Man, those first few days and nights were hard. I absolutely cannot fathom how a single parent does this! My husband and I “spelled” each other during those first crucial and excruciating first days.

You love your children immediately, but sometimes liking them sometimes takes awhile. Don’t get me wrong – I adore all three of my children, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a mother bear who loves her cubs more – but during the really behaviorally challenging times, I had to switch to “agape-mode.” Agape is the selfless love... more

Depending upon the agency you choose for your adoption, you may be required to undergo post-placement visits. Our agency requires two visits, and we had our first one today.

Post-placement visits are intended to assess how well both the adopted children and the adoptive parents are adjusting to their new family life. Because the goal is framed as a positive one – to keep families together and avoid disruptions – your social worker is a valuable resource.

Our social worker found that things were progressing amazingly well for only four weeks at home. She was pleased that we had already put so many things into place already and accessed many needed services: the children have... more

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10b)

Where on earth have I been, you may have asked? Well, Friday marked one month since the adoption was finalized. I’d love to say that we’re thriving, but in all honesty, we’re in survival mode. I know adjustment - grand adjustment of this magnitude – takes time. The kids are dealing with separation from their foster family, a move approximately 2,000 miles away, a new home, new friends a new church family, a new pet – so much! The rest of us are adjusting to having our family... more

We’ve been home for a week and a half now. Though there have been some very dicey moments with regard to my daughter’s emotional health and its disruption to the family dynamic at times, I have to say that overall, this Love Thursday finds us with harmony in the home!

We’ve gone to homeschool park day, and the kids spent a great deal of time together with minimal “fussing” at each other. Ditto for a few other family outings - in fact, a few of these outings have been downright pleasant! The kids have exhibited “fancy manners” (our code phrase for remember to be polite), and have really been... more

Thanks to all for their many words of congratulations on our finalization! It’s been a whirlwind, and I’d love to say that today, a full week after arriving home, we’ve settled into a routine. I say, ‘I’d like to say that’, but I can’t!

Things are still somewhat chaotic in transitioning from one child to three overnight. All three are in very different and distinct developmental stages, so each has his or her own needs in adapting. This is not to say they aren’t adapting well. For the most part... more