Watching Nightline last night, I saw the interview with rapper Jay-Z. He grew up in the 'hood' in Brooklyn, where he thought life was tough. Recently he took a trip to Angola, which changed his view. There he saw open sewage running down a road on the edge of an improvised basketball court, and helped a young girl haul water back to her family's home that "has to be the size of a jail cell," he says.

A visit to a rural village in South Africa was more uplifting. Jay-Z donated a "play pump" that spared... more

What one aspect of reunion makes the experience most rewarding for birth family members? Sometimes adoptees speak of having their curiosity satisfied. There is no more wondering about where their brown eyes came from, or their musical talent (or lack of it.)

Answers to many questions that they have thought about for years are often provided at reunion. Filling in the pieces of their lives is often satisfying and helps them feel more grounded. Even those who do not develop successful relationships after a reunion are still generally content with... more

Love is getting a kiss from your older sister after you've opened all of your birthday presents. And right before she steals the ball you're playing with and makes you cry.

Love is beautiful. More importantly, love is real.

Quick note: I'm listening to the Diane Rehm show online, and she's doing a thing on international adoption at 11 (as in, in half an hour). You can check it out live, or listen to it as a podcast.

I'll try to respond/review the broadcast afterwards, if its worth talking about. Rehm usually is.

Since I have been so candid this week and openly bashed my poor husband I thought I would post a picture of the day we became Mr & Mrs and share some of the good stuff. I asked my husband prior to planning this week of Marriage themed posts if he wanted to read anything before hand. I wanted to make sure he was comfortable with what I was putting out there in Blog land. He declined to read it and that shows that he trusts me. While I may portray my side & perspective he knows I will be honest. Our relationship & marriage has gone through... more

Well, it sort of fits. Obviously I can get the dress on, and other people might wear it, but it is pretty tight.

I've got one of those pieces of clothing that squeeze and push and lift and pull - that I'll put on Saturday and then try the dress again.

I may be able to wear it.

You see I've got hips.

Dr Oz. says the most dangerous... more

Last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for the Munchkin. I am thankful for every living and breathing moment of her life. I am thankful that she is alive, that I chose life.

Sometimes it's hard to be thankful when she's not always around; after all, I'm human and have selfish moments when I want her all to myself. Going for months on end without seeing her, other than pictures, is somewhat hard on my soul. Yet, it's just the way that things are and sometimes you just have to... more

I Hate Adoption Too!

There’s this still small voice inside of me. That voice in my soul that for all my life BL (before LuLu) drove me toward adoption. It tells me that adoption was indeed the right choice for my family. And that adoption is the right choice for other families as well. And that adoption is an incredibly valuable choice for unplanned pregnancies ( vastly preferable to orphanages full of starving and abused infants). But me advocating... more

In my previous posts about gift ideas, I mentioned that ornaments are a great gift idea for birthmoms from their children or for birthmoms to give to their children. Today, I’d like to share one specific ornament idea that is a personalized one of a kind ornament. Last year I was discussing Christmas gifts with Debbie, a friend who is an adoptive mom. She was trying to think of a nice Christmas gift for each of her children’s birthmoms. I suggested the idea of a recordable ornament to her. After... more

Uh oh…it’s contagious! That negative attitude…that “snit addiction” from Dr. G…it’s spreading…

Or, more accurately, as Adrienne put it, “she doesn't really hate adoption - she just hates having to think about it and write about it and worry about it all the time.” That’s me! I hate how adoption has consumed my life!

The statistics... more