Yesterday he was just a little thing I held in my arms. Before I knew it he was crawling. Then he took off walking. I remind myself not to blink my eyes very often for fear of losing a precious moment of time with my grand children.

I remember how quickly time flew by when I was busy raising their parents. They seemed to have grown up over night. They were playing video games and talking on the phone and before I could get used to that stage they were dating.

Time is such a precious reminder to love our children and to nurture them every... more

One of the ugliest feelings on earth is Jealousy. It is some times referred to as the "Green Eyed Monster." No one ever profits from jealousy. In most cases jealousy just hurts the people you love the most that are around you.

So why is it so common amongst siblings? Why do friends and lovers experience such a negative emotion towards someone they care so much about?

Siblings often compete for attention. They also compete to find their place in the family. It is so hard for Parents to always be fair in every area. I know... more

A is for Adoption B is for the Blessing Adoption brings to families. C is for the Children that Adoption finds good homes for. D is for the Danger that Adoption keeps kids from. E is for the Energy that Adoption brings to life. F is for the Faith that Adoptive families are based upon. G is for the Gratitude Adoptive parents feel. H is for the Humble Spirit Adoptive parents reveal. I is for the Importance for every Adopted child to belong. J is for the Justice that Adoption provides in good parental homes. K is for the Kindness that Adopted families feel. L is for the Love that Adopted children learn to feel. M is for... more

I am the first one to admit that I do not have the first clue as to "How to" go about adopting a child from another International Country.

Some of my reasons are:

1.) Lack of Knowledge 2.) I do not speak another language fluently. 3.) I have never had the money to travel. 4.) I am not knowledgeable of the Laws in other countries concerning adoption. 5.) Financially I do not have the money to live in another country long enough for an adoption to be completed.

So I have never thought that adopting... more

A few years ago. When my husband and I were young and full of energy. Before we ever made our commitment to adopt children. We adopted a lot of animals.

One Easter we purchased what we were told were two ducks. One was this cute little yellow fellow with a bright orange bill. Whom we were sure fit the discription so to speak and we named him "Duckie", the other was a bit different. We asked the lady if she was sure that this other was a duck. She assured us that it was in fact a "duck", but just a different breed of duck. Well we knew different... more

One of the most common issues with children who are adopted. Is an issue of trust. So many times in their life they have depended on someone to be there for them only to be pulled out of that persons life and placed into another home with new people.

So it is hard to relax and learn to love and trust again. Which is one of my reasons for allowing my adopted children to choose a pet of their own.

I usually like to have them choose a cat or a dog. Because pets like these love us unconditionally and they will cuddle and give us... more

As a loving reminder of how blessed we are as a country. My voice goes out to every American Family who has thought about adoption but has not acted on their intentions.

November is just one month before our Christmas Holiday. This year it is National Adoption Month. What a wonderful gift to be adopted and find a loving family right before the holidays.

You can read more about it on http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/nam/

The purpose of a National Adoption Month is to raise awareness of children living in foster care who are up for adoption. There will be public service announcements and a proclamation... more

The perfect place to begin searching for information on Adoption is on the Web. Here are the Top 25 Adoption Web Sites on my list. Enjoy the vast and wonderful information of Adoption:

1. http://www.olderchildadoption.com/ 2. http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/children/adoption/index.htm 3. http://www.cwa.org/ 4. http://www.adoptions.com/ 5. http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/services/index2.htm 6.... more

It is really easy to get excited and to over plan visits for your pre adopt child. In some cases when the child has had a bad experience with adoption. The case worker will start an adoptive family off with what is called pre adopt visits.

This is just like a weekend visit where the child you want to adopt comes to visit your family at your home for the weekend.

As new parents we tend to want to impress the child. So we go way out of our way to plan fun weekends. While this is fun and a good idea for maybe one or two visits. It is better to actually plan normal weekends at home.

The main purpose for these visits is for the child to get to know you and your... more

This is a busy world. There are people with high powered jobs and families with two incomes. So it is no surprise that when a couple thinks of adoption, they may fear the responsibilities of rearing newborn children.

Let's face it two hour feedings, multiple diaper changes, bath time and snuggle moments along with finding the right day care to take your child and give quality care is not easy.

The choice of taking time off from your career to nurture a child is a big leap for some families. So we are beginning to advocate "Older Child Adoption." It is a... more