Thank You

I know that I am incredibly blessed to have my sweet girls and to have successfully navigated our way through this adoption journey to find them. But I find myself complaining...a lot. Our journey has been one with lots of bumps along the way. Sometimes it seemed that anything that could go wrong, would. But not all of it was bad, after all, I have two beautiful daughters. So, I am setting aside my complaints to say Thank You.

Thank you to 3 birth parents for making an adoption plan for their daughters. Thank you birth families for supporting that plan and standing beside us as we ALL welcomed these little girls into our family.

Thank you to 3 different states for clearing us to go home with our beautiful daughters.

Thank you to 3 different LDSFS offices and caseworkers for tirelessly working on our cases.

Thank you to the girls who considered placing with us and in many ways helping us prepare to be parents again.

Thank you to the PD for taking our fingerprints again and again. And again.

Thank you to countless many who prayed for our family and opened their mouths to tell our story.

Thank you to family and friends for standing beside us and cheering us on.

Thank you to my 2 year old who had to wipe my tears too often and tell me it's okay. She even offered me a bottle once to make me feel better!

Thank you to a sweet husband who held me while I cried and taught me so much about faith and family.

And Thank you to my Father in Heaven for entrusting me with these Precious little spirits.

Adoption is a beautiful, life changing gift.

Adoption Items

I love to find great things about adoption, whether it be media or clothing, it's so nice to know that there are people out there who understand. So, I thought I'd share some of my favorite finds...

This website has such cute shirts for adopting moms and dads. My favorites are, "Paper Pregnant" or "Have I met her real mother? Yes...it's ME!" and "yes, my hands are full, but so is my heart!" Their prices are pretty reasonable, so these would make great gifts. (hint hint! ;) Check out their sale and clearance sections too.

www.adoptionmama.com

The cd "Chosen" is full of beautiful songs written from the perspective of the birth parents, child and adoptive parents. Make sure you have kleenexs handy, you are going to cry when you listen to it!

www.adoptionchosencd.com

Michael Mclean first wrote an adoption song years ago from a birth mother's perspective. He just released a book two years ago dedicated to adoption with a cd included. It's called "From God's Arms to My Arms to Yours" This cd is also written from different perspectives and is beautiful!

www.fromgodsarms.com

Etsy has some great adoption jewelry, t-shirts, birth announcements and more! Just type in a search and browse the great things that come up...let me know if you have the willpower to NOT buy things, I know I don't!

It is so great to have resources available for adoptive families. If you have favorite adoption books, cds or other items, leave a comment. I'd love to hear what they are!

So Proud

MTV has a show called "16 and Pregnant" that follows a teenage girl throughout her pregnancy and shortly after delivery. The stories are heartbreaking as you see all of the hard decisions these girls face and the lack of support, education, financial assistance. Last weeks episode, however, was incredible. Despite having no support and many concerns, the couple Catelynn and Tyler chose to place their baby girl for adoption. I was in tears as I watched them weigh their options and then choose to do such a noble thing, and then grieve when baby Carly was gone. But I was so proud of them. It's not often that an adoptive parent gets a glimpse of what it's like BEFORE they enter the picture, so I was grateful for that glimpse, as small as it was. That being said...

There are thousands of brave, noble birth parents out there making the same heroic decision and not receiving credit for it on tv and the internet. I know because I have been blessed by 3 of them. So, to my girl's brave birth parents, THANK YOU. Thank you for being our heroes. I am SO PROUD of YOU.

"She has filled the empty spaces in our family and our home..."

That Room

We have a 3 bedroom house. For the past 2 and half years we've lived here, our back bedroom has had many purposes. Many, many nights I sat in there and cried about our second baby and not being able to find them. I would wake up in the middle of the night and write in my journal or rock in our rocking chair. I would dream about them, pray for them, plead for them. After one particularly hard loss of a baby we were to raise, we turned the room into our office. Out went the baby furniture, in went the computer, bookshelves, recliner, etc. Those few months felt like a time for me to heal. I didn't go into "that" room and think about a baby because it had another purpose. I would sit in the recliner and read a book or look out the window thinking and talking to God.

Well, about 2 months ago, we received a phone call that made us quickly turn "that" room into a nursery again. And now, in that very room, is a sleeping baby girl. She is our second adoption miracle. She is perfect in every way. We waited a long time for her and now, because of her sweet birthparents and a Gracious God, our hearts, home, arms and "that" room are full again.

Small Enough

There is a beautiful song called "Small Enough" sung by Mindy Gledhill. Listening to it, I started to think of the countless hours I have spent in trying to find our children. And each hour, God has been Small Enough to care for me. He has been right next to me as I search adoption agencies, photolistings of children, email birthparents and have my heart broken again and again. I KNOW He has been there. He has counted my tears and I know that all of our sorrows will be replaced with countless joys. He is Small Enough to hear me, and I know that He hears you too.

Oh great God
Be small enough
To hear me now
There were times when I was crying
From the dark of Daniel's den
I had asked you once or twice
If you would part the sea again
Tonight I do not need a
Fiery pillar in the sky
Just want to know you're gonna
Hold me if I start to cry
Oh great God
Be small enough to hear me now
Oh great God
Be close enough to feel you now
(Oh great God be close to me)
There have been moments when I could not face
Goliath on my own
And how could I forget we marched
Around our share of Jerichos
But I will not be setting out
A fleece for you tonight
Just wanna know that everything will be alright
Oh great God be close enough to feel me now
All praise and all the honor be
To the god of ancient mysteries
Whose every sign and wonder
Turn the pages of our history
But tonight my heart is heavy
And I cannot keep from whispering this prayer
Are you there?
And I know you could leave writing
On the wall that's just for me
Or send wisdom while I'm sleeping
Like in Solomon's sweet dreams
But I don't need the strength of Sampson
Or a chariot in the end
Just wanna know that you still know how many
Hairs are on my head
Oh great God
(Are you small enough)
Be small enough to hear
Me now

Birth Mother's Day

Today is National Birth Mother's Day!

I would love to personally thank all birth mothers for giving the ultimate sacrifice for their child. You let them go to give them more and I know that your bravery is something THEY will carry with them the rest of their lives. I especially want to thank "K", my daughter's birthmom for giving "more than just one life when she made of this man and wife, a father and a mother. When she gave the gift we could not give each other." I know the joy of being a parent because of you. Thank you. Happy Birth Mother's Day!

Restoring Faith

We have had a hard time in the adoption world lately. I have become almost numb to everything we've gone through, because it hurts. It hurts to love again and again and wind up aching in the end. So I really have been just kind of numb, not knowing what to do or how I feel. And then I recieved an email this morning that restored my faith in adoption. A dear friend is holding her newborn son because his birthmother placed him with her this morning. This friend has lost babies and mourned and picked herself up to do it all over again. She is an inspiration to me to never give up...and her hard work paid off. Congratulations friend! You deserve such happiness. And to your son's sweet birthmom, thank you for restoring my faith in adoption and the bravery of souls such as yourself.

Growth

I have moments, tiny one, but moments all the same where I can see growth. Growth in myself, growth in my husband as we face our challenges together. He is always better at putting hard feelings aside and moving on...where I dwell and hurt and cry and then cry some more. This week I had an experience that made me see the growth though. It was only for a moment, but I was so proud of myself, of my husband, of us. I know this probably isn't making sense, but I have to journal this so that I can remember (even as soon as tomorrow) when I forget that there is purpose behind our trials- GROWTH.

Too cute!

I hope that she doesn't mind me sharing this, but a woman on my Yahoo Adoption Group recently shared this little story...

Her young daughter was sick and had to spend the night in the hospital. Her husband brought her son to visit his sister. As they walked towards her room, they passed the nursery. Staring with wide eyes at all of the tiny babies, he said, "Dad, is this the adoption room?"

She added, "Sigh. If only it were that simple." True. True.

Everything

I LOVE this song, and of course, the video makes me baul. Thank you "K" for giving EVERYTHING to our Brin.

I can't figure out how to add a video, but follow this link...

Mark Schultz