Cotillion 2009

Ben had his first semi-formal last night. He and his date Maggie, met up with friends for dinner and then went to the dance.....just one question....how did he get this big so fast????

A Special Need

I posted this originally on our old blog "TBG Happenings".



Sophie's referral picture June '07

With the wait getting longer I wanted to talk to all you waiting families about special needs adoptions. First let me say that it is perfectly ok to consider adopting a special needs child because the wait has become insanely long. There I said it. Do I think that should be the only reason, certainly not, but if the wait has given you pause to consider a child with a special need …..Why not! In some ways I think that the wait has been the best thing for children in China who will NOT be adopted domestically because of a special need. More families around the world have opened their hearts to children with various special needs. Many of these children may not have found their family had the wait stayed at 8-9 months. We were added to our agency waiting family list one month after our LID backing ’06. The climbing wait definitely was a factor, but it was also something that we had talked about and gone back and forth discussing. I can’t imagine not having our Sophie. If the wait had been shorter this crazy, funny, smart and loving girl would not be sleeping next to me. Sophie was on another agency list back in December of last year. Her information was posted several times on the WC yahoo board. Unfortunately she had to wait longer for us to find her and bring her home, and I hate that. But I am grateful that we found each other. Her file was sent back to the CCAA in January ’07 and in June her file was sent to our agency.

Only you can decide what special needs you can handle. Only you know if you would be able to handle the costs of surgeries and therapy if that is needed. We carefully considered each special need on our agency list, and were honest about what we could handle as a family and as parents. We considered Sophie’s special need to be manageable for our family. It has not been easy, but it certainly has not been harder than we expected. Her prognosis for a long and healthy life is excellent.

Love without Boundaries has produced an informational CD about the various special needs most commonly found in China adoptions. The disc is $10 and once LWB gets their site up again you should be able to order the disc.

Adoption like birth provides no guarantees. If you feel the tug of your agency special needs program, take a chance….you may just find your daughter.

Sophie’s special need was us; our special need was Sophie

I need to be a better blogger

So to make up for my lack of posting. I leave you with a song from Sophie

A Yearly Thanksgiving Tradition.....

16 Fun Filled Years -11/12/1993

I should add with a few sucky months thrown in to keep it "real":) I added the year so as you were laughing hysterically at the sheer volume of my up do you could take in to consideration that it was 1993 in Western Massachusetts....which really means it was closer to the fabulous 80's. Check out Chris weighing more than he does now and with hair! I am going to throw in some bullets because I am exhausted and I don't want to worry about grammar etc.

• Chris and I actually have 2 anniversaries. We got married by the JP on July 15, 1993 so I could add Chris to my insurance. He was just starting his company and was diagnosed with caratus conos (I wrote that phonetically cuz I have no idea how to spell it)
  

• When I told my Dad that we were going to be getting married sooner because of Chris' diagnosis. His response..." You are marrying an unemployed blind guy??? Do you want a seeing eye dog for a wedding gift??" It still makes me laugh. Not nice. But funny all the same.

• Our first wedding was a secret. Only our parents and siblings knew.

• This was probably a good thing because I was nice and calm the day of our wedding in November.

• Our family needed something to celebrate. My maternal grandfather passed away at the beginning of the week right before our wedding.

• That made things insane for my Mom. She doesn't really remember much about our wedding.

• Lots of people I know that have been married around the same amount of time Chris and I have been married are divorcing or separating....freaks me out a little. I want to shake them and remind them that there was a time that they thought their spouse hung the moon......
  

• I don't know anyone married more than 10 years that hasn't had some sucky marital months to work through....us included.
  

Chris and I are heading out for some Thai food tonight. No kids. Just some yummy food , beer and uninterrupted conversation. I love this man dearly. He is the my perfect match. He loves me and he makes me laugh every day....he is my dream.

"Orphan" Sunday

I going to link to another blog that addresses "Orphan" Sunday in a more eloquent way than I ever could......I understand that the motivations behind"Orphan" Sunday are good....but as a parent of a child who was once an orphan I have to wonder what it would be like for her to be with her faith community and see faces "splashed" across a big screen that look like hers, the not so positive opinions of her birth country shared, feeling like we "rescued" her from a life not as good as ours here in the USA. I would add to Malinda's prayer that we pray for all children everyday that they feel His love and presence in their lives.

Sophie K-3 2009