There is a story coming out of Des Moines that has me scratching my head. I even read it out loud to my husband to see if I was missing something.

There is a foster mom named Susan who wants to adopt the foster child who has been with her for almost two years. This should be a good thing, right? I thought so.

This case has been back and forth in court where the Department of Human Services was removed as guardians of the little boy, Elijah.... more

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my children respond best to “code words,” and one of them is bora, the Spanish word for erase. We erase whatever infraction has occurred, and start over again.

As we prepare to begin a new calendar year, the concept of a clean slate is appealing. Though we get a “mini” new slate every 24 hours, as God grants us each new day, the thought of a whole year to do something (lose weight, learn a new language or hobby), holds allure.

My... more

I’ve recently made a foray into the world of digital scrapbooking and I think I’m hooked. I’m certainly not going to give up my paper scrapbooking, but this is an awesome creative outlet and I find it easier to make the time to do because I don’t have to drag out all of my supplies, find space to work and ensure that no babies or cats get into my work. Digital scrapbooking is done completely on your computer. There are many fancy (re: expensive) programs that you can work with, but I’ve found a free program (Scrapbook Flair) and free items to work with and am excited about it. Since I still haven’t completed Ella’s lifebook, I’m thinking about working on a digital one for her.

Digital... more

Even if you consciously chose to slow things down this year and not go overboard for the holidays, it’s likely that your child can sense things are more stressful and fast paced than usual during this winter season. If your child was recently adopted, has only been home for a short time or is just very sensitive to changes, the holiday season can wreak havoc on their emotions and behavior.

With the holiday rush behind us, it’s time to unwind and come down from the crazy days leading up to the winter holidays. Children who are newly adopted may be feeling overwhelmed from the... more

Getting your child tested for TB is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your child's health after homecoming. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that commonly affects the lungs of an infected person, but can infect any part of the body. It is very common in Ethiopia, which means our kids are ALL at high risk for having been exposed to TB.

TB is spread through the air when an infected person coughs. It first settles in the lungs. As the disease progresses it can spread to other parts of the body. People with TB are most likely to spread it to people they spend time with every day.

Adoptive families need to test their kids for TB exposure twice-- first,... more

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

Part of it is this crazy revved up time of year for children. Part of it is just sibling life. Part of it is acquiring two siblings overnight after nine years alone. Whatever it is, today it hit a fever pitch. The children have been squabbling about toys, turf, and tiddly stuff.

Since waking up on Monday morning, it’s been one roller coaster ride after another. A looooong drive, not sleeping in our own beds, lots of food, toys and presents, another looooong drive home, and more, more, more!!

Each meal... more

We have accomplished another step in our second process to adopt from Viet Nam. Our I600 Petition has been submitted to our local USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.) Our petition will be help until our final home study report joins it, which should be soon. Our home study agency had forwarded our home study to our placement agency for approval and was in... more

I’ve been playing around with an idea for awhile, and thought this would be a good weekend to roll it out. Here at Casa Stro, every Saturday is Pancake Saturday. It’s a tradition that began when I was a child growing up, and one that I have carried over, now, with my children.

In a pancake recipe, as you know, you put in a little of this, a little of that, and that is what I will do in this new... more

I actually expected her to show up on Christmas day at grandma’s house. She showed up last year on Christmas day as well as on her birthday and at her brother’s graduation party. I took her gifts with me just as I had the previous year. No, I didn’t invite her. Actually, I cannot invite her. You see she has not given me her address or her phone number since she left home angry18 months ago.

I was a little surprised when she did not show up, especially when her older sister, brother-in-law, and nieces showed up. After all, she lived with them for almost a year after... more

The anguished words of a grieving mother, “I would have done things differently had I known that I would only have him for 15 years.” I heard her mournful cries and it tore at my heartstrings and caused my own tears to burst forth. She and I have been friends for nearly five years. She is a good mother who always knows where her children are and what they are doing. She keeps them involved in sports and other extracurricular activities to keep them out of trouble. She speaks to them honestly about life because as a teen she stole to feed her younger siblings. They were... more