We bought a boat!

We have been thinking of a way to spend some family time and camping just isn't our thing, but boating, now your talking!! So far, we have the boat, a slip, a couple of life jackets, and a cooler, sounds good to me......not sure if we will ever learn to waterski but a big tube and a couple of floating rafts work fine for us! Sorry David!! We took "her" out for a ride last night, it was cold but we all slept very well last night. We have all agreed on the name, I guess everyone names their boat, so she will be called "Iona"..... like Iona boat!! Looks like we are going to have a great summer!


Our boat "Iona"

First trip out, not a boat in sight, never hit anything!

First Fridays - May (already)

First Fridays Guest Speaker - Jeannie Butler "Annabelle's Wish"

We are thrilled to have our good friend and her family come to First Friday this month, all the way from Nashville, to speak to us about their invaluable experiences of working with and helping Chinese orphans for the past 10+ years. Jeannie is dedicated to serving the needs of these little ones and has been to China almost 30 times. She is going this month to finalize the plans for our first First Fridays China trip this fall! More details to come this week at FF!! You may want to join us on this awesome trip October 25th - November 5th!!

We hope you make an effort to come this Friday to listen to her speak about orphans and what they endure while they are in an orphanage. She has such a wealth of knowledge and personal experience, we are so excited to learn more so that we can all be better prepared and understand the reality of where our children have started out.

Bring a friend or family member so they can learn along with you!! We have free childcare and are hoping to have a huge support for Jeannie and her family as they share their stories with us!

First Friday - April Check This Out!

We hope you can join us for a great First Friday this month! We will be walking through attachment issues, grief, rejection, jet lag, and the first week home ( the wonderful world of sleep deprivation). Our incredible panel of guest will discuss first hand their experiences and share with us the "real stuff" about what you may encounter during your Perfect Storm!!

During our preparation for this months FF, I have learned so much from two wonderful ladies, Liz Steinberger and Kim Perry. I have always thought of attachment as just something that happened and then you were "good to go", boy was I wrong. I also didn't realize that "all" kids who come from the background our children come from, either foster care or orphanage care are "special needs" kids. These kids have missed so much and in listening to Liz and Kim, they have "painted a clear picture" of what "needs" these kids really have.

The most amazing thing was that I was unaware, even though we have MiMi, who is now 5, how important it is as a parent to become an expert in attachment. I have learned over the past month not to be afraid of attachment issues but to learn as much as possible because this is what will help you guide and become you child's cheerleader! Dan and I want to be the ones to really understand MiMi's grief, not just on "gotcha Day", but today and everyday as she looks pleadingly into our eyes looking for the answers to "why did my birthmom leave me?" "did she not have enough dollars or what?" "what was she thinking when she left me there on those steps, was she sad?" "why does this hurt my heart, I don't even know who she is? ....these are the things each of us must work through with our kids we love so much. The reality is that they each have "a story", but the details need to sometimes be told and retold and this is our job.
It's complex and complicated as Dan always says, but this is why we are the ones who are adopting, because we said "yes" and that simple answer will change your life.

Dan and I love our girls and find parenting them to be such a privilege. With the help of many great friends and our FF community we are excited to become experts about attachment and "all the issues" that come along with adoption. We hope you come out Friday night to learn more and share this adoption journey with all of us.

FYI - two new things coming this month....First Fridays Rescue Chef and Lifeline Teams.....all the details coming Friday night!