Christmas with Gracie was a blast this year. She was so funny because when it came time to open our Christmas presents she looked confused since we told her she could not touch the presents in the days leading up to Christmas. Once we told her it was all right to open them her face lit up with excitement.

Gracie received a Leap Frog learning system with books she could change out, a mega color doodling pad and three Blue’s Clues DVDs just to name a few. I gave her a Dora the Explorer bathtub... more

Shanghai Daily reports on an American philanthropist in China

The story reads a bit like something out of Dickens:

AN American businessman in Shanghai has donated tens of thousands of yuan to the family of a deaf-mute woman who wandered China lost and alone for eight months.

The good Samaritan, who only wants to be identified by his Chinese name, Ke Yuehan, has also offered Zhang Guangxia, 21, a job in his company after reading her story in the Shanghai Daily.

Ke and his girlfriend visited Zhang at her family home in Henan Province last week.

"He said... more

The last day of 2006, what a whirlwind of a year this has been for me! As the old year ends, I cannot help but marvel at all that I have learned. Throughout the year about, I have seen the amazing resilency and resourcefulness of those separated by adoption. The dogged determination and strong desire to reunite in many separate family members continues to amaze me with each new story that I uncover.

The opportunity to watch and hear stories of search and reunions has been an exciting one for me. As reunions increase and become more frequent, more research... more

It is New Years Eve! It’s time to say goodbye to the old, 2006, and hello to the new, 2007! Do you have any fun plans for the night?? Even though you may be pregnant, you could still toast in the New Year (If you can make it up till midnight, I couldn’t when I was pregnant!) with a glass of sparkling white grape juice or apple cider. Maybe not as fun to some, but still festive!

Do you make any New Year’s Resolutions? Even though it wasn’t a brand New Year when I gave birth to Charlie, I remember thinking that this was my chance to start over, erase... more

July 13, 2006 continued from Part Two...

We were at the orphanage for a very long time. It was so hot! There isn't any air-conditioning or even fans. Tim wasn't feeling too great and had to use the bathroom. He finally ended up having to use one without running water (they pull water from a well-type thing and carry it in buckets to flush toilets and other uses). A little two year old boy was in the bathroom and... more

July 13, 2006 continued from Part One...

The traffic and roads were very much like in Viet Nam and Ethiopia, in that it was chaotic. Lots of trucks and cars and exhaust. There did not seem to be any road rules other than try not to get hit. They use honking a lot, as well. There was a large truck broken down in the middle of the road and everyone just drove around it.

The streets of Port-au-Prince... more

July 13, 2006

Today is Talley's first birthday.

We did not get very much sleep last night. We woke up every half hour, thinking it was time to go, only to look at the clock and realize it was not time to get up. When it was time to get up, we both struggled. We were so sleepy. We rushed to shower and dress and made it down in the lobby barely on time. We ended up having to take the second shuttle to the airport, so we had time to sit around and wake up. I quickly checked email and sent... more

Want to help children but not be an adoptive parent? Or perhaps your family is complete, but you want to help in other ways. You could be a foster-adoption worker.

Every agency, DHS office, reunification center and supervised visitation office needs workers, some volunteers, others are paid positions.

Usually when working with children either as a volunteer or paid position you'll need to undergo drug testing and get fingerprinted.

Sometimes educational degrees are helpful, but not usually required. A love of children is more important and wanting to make a difference. In most jobs you'll be working with bio and adoptive and foster families.

Here's one... more

The following is the first of a four-part open letter written by Amy Eldridge, Director of Operations for Love Without Boundaries. Amy brings up many interesting observations and opinions based on her experiences helping families adopt from China. While I don't agree 100% with everything she writes, I see her point. And do totally agree with her that EYES WIDE OPEN is the ONLY way to approach adoption of a post-institutionalized child.

"What to Expect When You're Expecting... more

Title: Guatemala ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Guatemala Author: Marcie Aboff Illustrator: Zachary Trover ISBN-10: 1404815708 Recommended Ages: Young Adult Est. Cost: $17.43 New or $13.50 used Moose's Rating: ****_ Buy it at the Amazon by clicking here!

For... more