Randi graciously agreed to share their story of her children's adjustment.

We're at 10 months with Rebka-7 and Hana-now 3 and we are so very pleased with things. The first few months were rough but that was mostly everyone getting used to their place and the new dynamic. Rebka and Hana both tested in their ways, but things are settled now and I'm pretty impressed with their adjustment. I wonder if Hana adjusted better and easier because she had a sister with whom she could share the process.

At 10 months home, Hana is an extremely smart, funny, cute child. She turned 3 in August. She can count to 20, sight read about 30 words! She can dress and undress... more

January has flown by and I have had so much fun getting to know the ropes around here! I really am amazed by the other bloggers and all of our readers~what an amazing community this is. Anyone looking for information on any facet of adoption would be hard pressed to leave adoption blogs without learning something new.

I really appreciate the opportunity I have been given to write this blog. I became quite addicted to reading blogs during my wait pre-travel and I understand how important it is to hear from others who have been there, done that.... more

Today my Ryan turns nine years old. It is crazy to think about! I am always amazed at how fast life goes by on my kids’ birthdays, and today it no exception. Ryan was our second biological child (but is now the third oldest) and has been a wonderful kid to be a mom to.

For his ninth birthday, here are nine things about Ryan.

-Ryan is loud and funny and a total ham…he will do anything for a laugh. He starred in the school Christmas play and loved every second of it!

-He is a friend to everyone and hardly ever needs to be told to “be nice”. He is... more

I was thinking about how many of the readers are in reunion. Some may have had some contact. Some may have met face to face. Some may correspond frequently or see each other regularly. You may have distance that separate you. No matter what the case, reunions for one or both may feel like you are learning what you need to or want to know.

I have been involved in the adoption community since I was 18 and you can’t imagine how many times triad members have said to me how the other person isn’t giving them what they need. A result... more

It's my Mother-in-Law's birthday today, and we are separated by more than a thousand miles. We are in Wisconsin, and they are in West Texas.

It's been a couple of years since we have seen Jan and my FIL. Life has been very hectic for both of us. With Jan having hip surgery and extensive physical therapy in December of 2005, and us with Sammy being in and out of treatment centers and different therapies, it has made it very hard for us to get together. The last time they saw Sammy, he was probably about 5 feet tall. Right now he measures 5'... more

Where but in California could I take a photo like this one at this time of the year? Florida, maybe? Although it snowed in Malibu a few weeks ago, our weather is superb this time of year. Our weather is alternating between barely freezing to 80 degrees!

California has made at least two attempts to open records, maybe more. Both have failed. It is very tough to drum up the money needed to get legislation passed, and many other factors make it difficult as well.

This article towards... more

He acknowledged his brother, who was in the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has heard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to a truth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It was restored by a young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father and Jesus Christ."

McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and find out for yourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask whether it is true. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight is running a choir in the... more

Continued from this post here.

What do we tell Anna? Our daughter who came through a similar process of being in foster care, then placed with us for adoption, then adopted. When we got back from our trip to Israel over the summer, we told Anna that we would be looking for another baby to adopt, (she had been asking for a little brother or sister for months) and Adam came to us shortly thereafter.

What do we tell Anna? All along, I've prepared myself for the possibility that he may not stay, and I've tried to bring it up to Anna as well. I've said things like, "Well, right now Adam... more

Continued from here.

Adam, our foster baby, has been with us since mid-September. Actually since right before the Jewish new Year. We were told from when he was placed with us that they were planning to process his case for adoption, that there was no real chance of him going back to his biological family. There were possibly a relative or two that was looking for custody, but it wasn't going to be a suitable situation.

Over the last few months, I've heard drips of information come in regarding the details of the case - one of the hazards of going through the state foster care system.... more

There's a balance between telling the whole truth, sugar coating the truth, telling something that's not quite the truth, and resorting to the phrase I have vowed not to use, "Ask me when you're older." I've so far managed to keep that vow.

Anna is nearing four years old. She is black, adopted and Jewish. She spent time in foster care before coming to our home. She is growing up with babies and children coming in and out of her life and while struggling to make sense of that is also struggling to make sense of her own truth. How much and what to tell, and when, is something that I deal with on a daily bass.

Anna is learning about the birds and the bees on an almost four year... more