July 19, 2018 adopting a boy, Attachment, attachment activities, attachment challenges, Contributor Q and A, July 2018 Feature - Attachment Through the Years, Kelley B. 4 Comments

Attachment. It’s a word that, at some point of the adoption journey, will bring every parent to their knees – either in frustration over all that seems to be lacking or gratitude for heart-shaped milestones reached. This month we are focusing on attachment over the long(er) term… not weeks or months home. But years down …Read More

February 4, 2018 fundraisers, Kelley B., other ways to care for the orphan 0 Comments

Fundraiser t shirts can be so much fun! You can never have too many shirts – and when it’s for such a good cause, I’m in! Here are five current t-shirt fundraiser and one cute hat fundraiser! Check them out and consider supporting some precious children finding their families… 1. The Carter Family 2. Love …Read More

November 23, 2017 adoption community, Kelley B. 0 Comments

Last year I complied a post of a little “look” into what we as adoptive parents feel we could have “missed” had we not taken the leap into adoption. We started the hashtag #wecouldhavemissedthis on Instagram and it took off! I urge you to scroll through the pictures and captions in the post below from …Read More

September 29, 2017 Chinese Culture, Chinese food, Chinese Holidays, Kelley B. 4 Comments

One of the many unexpected surprises that came along with adopting three children from China has been my new love for Chinese culture – and an absolute adoration for Asian markets! If you know me on Facebook, you know my best friend and I (also a China mom) have been known to do a Facebook …Read More

September 17, 2017 ASL, attachment activities, August 2017 Feature - Attachment Q & A, cocooning, Kelley B., sign language 1 Comments

Attachment. Not much more could not be packed into one single word, especially in the adoption world. We spent all of July focusing on this most-important topic and decided to continue into August – but with a bit of a twist. This month, we’re answering your attachment questions. Because we all have them – we …Read More

July 14, 2017 adoption community, adoption realities, Attachment, Kelley B., parent-to-child attachment, trauma, Uncategorized 8 Comments

“Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and valued – when they can give and receive without judgment.” – Brene’ Brown …… Long after the helium in the balloons from the airport homecoming is gone; long after the meal train has dried up, the cocooning has subsided, and …Read More

March 7, 2017 books, Kelley B. 0 Comments

Jennifer and I connected on social media when we were both adopting with the same adoption agency. I followed her process and her determined pursuit through the immigration issues they endured after bringing their daughter home from China. Jennifer has now written a book for adopting families! A wonderful devotional book that I suggest every …Read More

March 3, 2017 adoption community, Beyond Adoption, fundraisers, Kelley B., other ways to care for the orphan 0 Comments

Adoption t-shirts are one of the most fun ways to support adopting families. I have lost count how many adoption t-shirts we have purchased over the years. You never can have too many right? And what a great way to support families in process of making a once-orphaned child a beloved son or daughter. Here …Read More

January 23, 2017 fundraising for adoption, Kelley B. 0 Comments

Through fundraising for our adoption, I’ve met many determined adoptive mamas. I never tire of hearing others stories of adoption and how, despite seemingly impossible odds, God brought in the funds. When I meet other families that have fundraised I am always amazed and inspired. Each person puts their own spin, and uses their own …Read More

January 5, 2017 adopting a boy, adopting again, December 2016 Feature - Adopting a Boy, Kelley B. 8 Comments

When we started our China adoption journey, I was certain we would be bringing home one tiny baby girl. Sometimes God has bigger, different, and even better things in store for us. Our journey to our two boys has proven to be one of the best things to happen to our family About four years …Read More

November 30, 2016 Kelley B., November 2016 Feature - Then and Now 12 Comments

November is National Adoption month and a lot of us adoptive parents have been sharing pictures and a bit more about our adoption journeys on social media. For a few years now, a friend and I have chatted from time to time about how we could have missed this. We could of missed the joy, …Read More

November 21, 2016 adoption realities, Kelley B., questions from strangers, trauma 2 Comments

Just a few months ago I was at our local children’s hospital checking in for my son who was to have surgery that day. The lady that was taking my information was busy asking all the normal questions we parents get from medical professionals. My son was not by my side but a good distance …Read More

November 7, 2016 2016 Featured Fundraising Families, fundraisers, Kelley B. 0 Comments

We’d like to introduce our featured fundraising family for November – the Masterson family! Mom, Leslie Masterson, shares a little bit about their journey to bring daughter Ellie Grace home from China. ……. We are Sean and Leslie Masterson. My husband and I are in full-time ministry here in the Midwest. Five years ago, we welcomed …Read More

August 18, 2016 adopting a boy, adopting out of birth order, Attachment, disruption, failed adoption, Kelley B., older child adoption 4 Comments

“Maybe we are here to love wildly, passionately, and fearlessly,” whispered the heart. “You’re going to get us killed!” yelled the brain. This can be true for just about anything we find ourselves on the brink of but this particular quote, I believe, can be applied specifically to those taking the leap into the world …Read More

August 10, 2016 Kelley B., 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

June 3, 2016 2016 Featured Fundraising Families, fundraisers, fundraising for adoption, Kelley B. 1 Comments

Adoption t-shirts. Who doesn’t love a good t-shirt? Especially when it helps an adopting family get to their precious child! T-shirt fundraisers are always a fun and easy way to raise funds for your adoption. We did a few shirt sales for each of our adoptions and I love coming up with unique designs and …Read More

April 2, 2016 fundraising for adoption, Kelley B. 3 Comments

Sometimes even when we try our hardest, things don’t work out like we think they are going to. This is so very true for adoption fundraising. I have been around the adoption community for a while now and have seen so many wonderful fundraisers bring in tons of money for a family, and then I …Read More

March 21, 2016 2016 Featured Fundraising Families, fundraisers, Kelley B. 0 Comments

We’d like to introduce our featured fundraising family for March – the Fenn family! Mom, Libby Fenn, shares a little bit about their journey to bring daughter Maisie Shuyuan home from China. ………………….. We have been interested in international adoption for a long time, we even talked about it when we were dating. We had …Read More

February 22, 2016 fundraisers, fundraising for adoption, Kelley B. 3 Comments

My first post in this series dealt with the spiritual aspect of fundraising. In this post I am just going to lay out what I learned from our fundraising adventures: which fundraisers worked for us, which didn’t, and some tips and tricks to get the most out of all your hard work. I want to …Read More

January 21, 2016 fundraisers, fundraising for adoption, Kelley B. 3 Comments

If you would have told me five years ago that I would have been fundraising an entire adoption I would have told you you were crazy. But that is exactly the path the Lord had for us. This time last year, we had just adopted two children from China in less than 18 months and …Read More

December 12, 2015 2015 Featured Fundraising Families, Kelley B. 1 Comments

Imagine a precious girl, living in an orphanage in China for almost her whole life, watching child after child be chosen by a family. She waits so patiently – hoping that one day the nannies will come tell her that it’s finally her time to leave the cement walls she has called her home so …Read More