August 30, 2018 Andrea Y., Attachment, attachment activities, attachment challenges, July 2018 Feature - Attachment Through the Years, parent-to-child attachment 5 Comments

Send. I remember exhaling after I completed his five year home post-placement report and sent it to our adoption agency. Five years — and the last of seven post adoption reports – was done. Barely in time… because you know how life gets. You get the reminder it is due and suddenly you find yourself …Read More

March 6, 2018 Andrea Y., Attachment, attachment challenges, TBRI-based therapy, Trust Based Parenting 2 Comments

There is nothing more exciting than those first years of just about anything. First years dating… first years of marriage… and your first years of parenthood. As I think back to some of the first years of the sweetest times in my life when things were “new” — I get nostalgic and I almost always …Read More

October 20, 2017 Andrea Y., Contributor Q and A, Meet the Contributors 1 Comments

Continuing today with our series in which we share a short Q and A with one of our contributors to give y’all, our faithful readers, a little more behind-the-scenes insight into the amazing group of writers assembled here. And it will also give each of our contributors a chance to share their heart in a …Read More

September 19, 2017 adoption community, Andrea Y., Newly Home 2 Comments

One of my favorite things to do each month is to write for No Hands But Ours. I love to write. I love to share. I actually love to sit over coffee with friends and talk — but I find myself in this current season with six children ranging from toddler to teen with little …Read More

July 17, 2017 Andrea Y., attachment activities, attachment challenges, cocooning, July 2017 Feature - All About Attachment, parent-to-child attachment, Trust Based Parenting 3 Comments

I think as moms, we would all say we are passionate about connecting to the hearts of our children. For me — children have always been my heartbeat. Children influenced my major, my career and later led to my putting my career with children on hold—to be a stay-at-home mom. I know this is a …Read More

March 18, 2017 adopting again, Andrea Y., large families, other ways to care for the orphan, should we adopt? 2 Comments

Today. Today feels like one of those “the days are long but the years are fast” kinda days — busy, demanding, a mile long to-do-list sort of seasons of motherhood. Have you been there? Maybe you are like me and feel like you live there! It’s in these impossible laundry-piled days that’s it’s easy to …Read More

January 25, 2017 adoption realities, Andrea Y., Attachment, attachment challenges, cocooning, large families 1 Comments

We walked out of church — baby in the arms of daddy… a few bigs walking behind him and I trailed behind with my two little loves born across the ocean with their hands folded in mine. We jumped in the van — and out of no where I just said, “Who wants to go …Read More

November 17, 2016 adoption realities, Andrea Y., large families 0 Comments

I sat at the red light waiting patiently and the sign caught my eye. “Tour of Homes”… an event most of our towns have during the holidays, and I imagined for a moment what those homes might be like. I pictured myself going with friends — something the mom with just one or two little …Read More

October 19, 2016 Andrea Y., Beyond Adoption, other ways to care for the orphan, should we adopt? 8 Comments

I was running late – how I do most things – when I remembered I needed to stay hydrated because I’m nursing a new baby. (A new one after two adoptions has brought all kinds of perspective on not only things I missed — but also just how precious each day and little one is… …Read More

April 18, 2016 Andrea Y., should we adopt? 5 Comments

I’m a slow learner. But with each passing year I learn that this is the most important habit to have — keeping my eyes up. Whether we are called to grow our family through adoption or to be advocates for waiting children or called to go and rock babies across the world or to support …Read More

March 17, 2016 Andrea Y., Beyond Adoption, other ways to care for the orphan 1 Comments

My little boy walked around the chair and peaked over my shoulder. He saw a little boy who was his brother’s age – waiting in an orphanage in China. Momma. Is that my brother? No baby. It’s not. It’s a little boy in China we can pray for. He doesn’t have a family – and …Read More

February 26, 2016 Andrea Y., China trip, February 2016 Feature - Siblings, siblings 6 Comments

It was the best decision we made concerning travel for our last adoption. It would double our travel cost — but as we prayed about it, we felt certain we should extend the offer if they were ready. We sat our seven year old daughter and eight year old son down and simply asked if …Read More

January 17, 2016 Andrea Y., siblings, telling their life story 0 Comments

In four months, we will find ourselves at the hospital to bring home another baby. Baby #6. Oh I’m beside myself and can’t wait. I never thought we would have another biological baby at my age, but our sweet surprise and after 3 biological children and 2 adoptions has been quite buzz and brought much …Read More

December 17, 2015 Andrea Y., Christmas, waiting to travel 0 Comments

We had just begun decorating the tree tonight when he ran in the room saying, “Mama! Mama! Where are my ornaments? Is that one mine momma?” Although his hand-made ornaments are fewer because he’s been with us… home… a shorter time than the rest, my heart couldn’t help but recognize the peace it felt as …Read More

November 17, 2015 Andrea Y., Attachment, attachment activities, China trip, first year home, prepping for China 3 Comments

It was a rainy Sunday. A day of rest. I told the children to go grab books and have “reading and rest time” after church. All was quiet — and then our littlest who is now four and a half came quietly in my room. He came home when he was just over 2 years …Read More

September 21, 2015 adoption community, Andrea Y., Attachment, cocooning, first weeks home, first year home, September 2015 Feature - Coming Home 1 Comments

To help our friends and family understand attachment and our transition, we sent this letter to friends and family just before traveling. Please feel free to personalize if for your family if you are preparing to bring home a little one too… …… Dear Family and Friends, After so much preparing, hoping and waiting – …Read More

June 17, 2015 Andrea Y., Dads 0 Comments

It’s not easy being a mom. And bringing home little loves through foster care or adoption adds a little twist in our mommying as we walk more tenderly through healing and hopes of attaching… as deep and strong as every mommy hopes to. But this week – I think of you… the fathers that lead …Read More

May 17, 2015 Andrea Y., siblings 0 Comments

Two years ago this week, I was a basket case. We were anxiously awaiting for our travel approval for China — and unfortunately… we would miss it. He would have another birthday in his orphanage — apart from us. That was this week two years ago. I did what any reasonable waiting mom would do …Read More

April 17, 2015 Andrea Y., Attachment 2 Comments

I set out to share with you how many years later I’m still working on attachment with my most precious children. Forming and maintaining healthy attachment is something as parents we will work a lifetime on with both our adopted and biological children. I wanted to share with you ways we have little “connection checks” …Read More

February 20, 2015 Andrea Y., February 2015 Feature, February 2015 Feature - Marriage, marriage 3 Comments

It was almost exactly one year after arriving home with our fifth child, and I felt like our family had finally found our new normal. It took us much longer after bringing home our fourth to get in our groove as his medical needs were more complex, and we had to quickly learn how to …Read More

February 1, 2015 Andrea Y. 3 Comments

It’s been almost two years since we brought home our youngest child, and I feel my heart longing to grow again. The thought of six children would make some readers wide-eyed — yet I know in my heart we are called to grow again. I’m learning to be still in this “in between” place and …Read More

December 15, 2014 Andrea Y., Christmas 1 Comments

I love Christmas. I confess I play Christmas hymns year round. They are hymns people. Hymns. They work all the time — January through December. It’s truly my most favorite! I also confess I decorate well before Thanksgiving. If you follow me on Instagram — I was totally annoying you with my holiday decorating mid-November. …Read More

November 10, 2014 adoption community, Andrea Y., guest post 3 Comments

Six years ago this week — my third child was born. We were done — we thought. Outnumbered. Three made sense to us and to the world around us. I would have never guessed in that hospital room that just 4 months later we would be filling out mounds and mounds of paperwork to grow …Read More