Adoption
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Adoption – The Cost
Adoption costs are part of the journey many avoid discussing. However, few people are truly aware of or prepared for the adoption costs. Families come to adoption in various ways, after long infertility battles or even as the way to grow their family by choice, or desire to give a family to a child in foster care. This is only our story and experience. Seven years ago today, we officially started our adoption journey with our first conversation with an adoption facilitator and our first sticker shock. I went from excited to defeated in one call, but we had a plan. We don’t want to think about the costs. It…
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Dear Birthmom, an Honest Letter from my Side of Adoption
I wrote this to our birthmom many years ago, but the years have brought a few changes to my perspective and unfortunately tragic changes to our circumstances. Have you ever had a letter you wanted to write, but knew you could never send it? It would be too real, too raw, too vulnerable? stir up too much drama? What about talk to someone who is out of your life? Sometimes, I have so many things I’d like to say specifically to our daughter’s birthmom due to our unique circumstances. This is not a letter to any birthmom. That would be easier to write. Birthmothers make a tremendously bold choice to…
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Adoption – Getting Started
If you’re considering adoption, getting started doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are a few tips based on our family’s journey. Adoption – Getting Started Decide your time frame for really starting the adoption process. We spent 2-3 months researching before taking the first step. During the research process, decide on a budget and financing. Start saving money at first glimmer of choosing adoption to build your family. Most agency adoptions cost between $20,000-40,000, you may be able to find the agency’s basic costs outlined online which will help you formulate a budget and choose an agency. You can raise funds, get a loan, and expect a tax rebate. Research…
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Master Weaver – Trusting God in Chaos
I’ve had lots of messy, hurtful times in my life: my husband’s combat tours, gossiping neighbors, financial struggles, marital tensions, infertility, health crises, times that felt like they were breaking me apart. During those moments that felt like my world was breaking in two, I’ve held tightly to this promise. Romans 8:28 ESV “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Because sometimes in the middle of it, I couldn’t see how. I’ve sat in the mess holding my heart in my hands wondering how God could possibly being doing any good. And then…
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Mother’s Day 2014
As a blogger, it can be hard to write about holidays or events on demand. I’ve spent all week trying to approach writing about Mother’s Day. My entire blog is about being a Christian mother, and I covered a lot about becoming a mother in an earlier post, Seriously Harvard? that dealt with Samuel 1, Hannah’s story. Plus, many of my friends are struggling this year with having lost a mother or a child, or never having been a mother in the traditional sense. I understand that pain. Being barren myself, Mother’s Day has been hard for me for a long time. I’ve never even gotten to experience the tiniest…
