Families Supporting Adoption: Idaho Falls Chapter

No Birth Father Legislation This Year

2011-02-14T12:36:00.001-08:00

We have removed the previously posted information about House Bill 499. We acted based on some untrue information we received. Please accept our apologies and discontinue your e-mails and phone calls to the Legislators.

The Bill is NOT in the legislature at this time. It was last year, but has not been re-introduced this year.

Thanks for your quick actions!

We'll keep you posted if and when it does reappear.

Finding Friday: Craigslist

2011-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Craigslist is another means to promotion and its free! On one of the adoption forums I read, a woman posted that her daughter's birthmother actually found them on Craigslist. She placed an ad in her city under the General category. In this ad, she included her cell phone number, email, and a link to their profile.

Craigslist is divided into sites based on geography. According to their FAQ, you may only post your ad on one of the Craigslist sites for which your ad is most relevant and generally this should be the site closest to where you are located. And remember watch out for scammers.

Finding Friday: CafeMom

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have heard of some couples who have been matched birthmothers on CafeMom. CafeMom is a social networking site for women. One of the features of CafeMom is groups. There are a couple groups I have listed below where birthmothers post looking for adoptive parents and where adoptive mothers post their desire to adopt. If you sign up for these groups you can

So far I've had some contact with potential birthmothers but unfortunately they were fake. You really need to be careful. Next week I am going to post about how you can

Matching Monday: Cassandra

2011-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to w

Finding Friday: Google AdWords

2011-01-14T06:00:00.001-08:00

I posted back in October 2009 about using online advertising as part of your adoption efforts. I talked about Facebook, MySpace, and Google AdWords.

Currently Google AdWords is giving away $75 dollars worth of advertising for new customers. Click here for the sign up page and information on how to use AdWords.

I know how much an example helps so I'll share what I'm currently doing. I am only bidding on one keyword ("looking to adopt") and bidding up to a $1.00 a click. Our ad title is "A Family Looking to Adopt" and our text is "Considering Adoption? See how we may be the family for your baby."

Finding Friday: Project Snuggle

2011-01-07T15:12:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this charity while doing some searching for articles for the blog. This text comes from the Project Cuddle web site.

Project Cuddle® is a nonprofit organization that operates a 24-hour, 7-day a week crisis hotline that works as a search and rescue program.

We search out safe and legal alternatives for women that are contemplating abandoning or dumping their babies.

We work with volunteers to rescue newborns and infants from abandonment. We do not discriminate against anyone who is willing to rescue a baby. Project Cuddle® is a non-profit charity and charges nothing to the girls in need or the Rescue families. The adoption process can cost between $10,000 and $30,000, but Project Cuddle® charges nothing.

You can apply to a "Rescue Family" for these newborns and infants. To apply you need a copy of your current homestudy, a letter to the birthmother, 3x5 family photo, and the 3 page application. Go to this address for the application and for more information about the required paperwork and their process: http://www.projectcuddle.org/rescuefamily.asp

Disclaimer: This organization receives volumes of applications from adoptive couples so the wait could be very long. Also, you will still need an agency/attorney to complete the adoption.

Health Booth Reminder

2011-01-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

We hope you each had a wonderful holiday season and are ready for a new year!

FSA will have a booth THIS Saturday, January 8, at the Community Health and Wellness Fair. We would like to thank those of you that have e-mailed a photo for us to use at the booth. If you haven’t had a chance to e-mail us one, please do so in the next few days. We will be printing the photos and using them as part of our table display. (FYI no names or identifying information will be included with any of the photos)

As part of this booth we would also like to display pass along cards. We will have stacks on the table for people to take as they’d like. If you’d like us to display a stack of your pass along cards please get it them to the LDSFS Office sometime before Friday at 5 pm. Please put your cards in an envelope clearly marked FSA. We don’t have any idea how many people will be coming through the health fair, so we are very unsure of how many pass along cards to ask for. We will keep unused cards and they can be picked up at the LDSFS Office, or at the next FSA Activity.

Let us help you promote yourselves; get your pass along cards to the office! If you don’t have pass along cards, but wish you did, they can be made very easily with business cards purchased at any store!

Matching Monday: Nehemiah & Alicia

2011-01-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Zach

2010-12-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Adoptive Family Pictures Needed for Health Clinic

2010-12-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder we are hosting our adoption booth at the Heath Clinic on Saturday, January 8, 2010. If you feel comfortable, we'd like to get as many 8x10 or 5x7 family pictures from our FSA families to display at our adoption booth. If you'd like to participate, you can either email a good quality photo to us as an attachment or drop a photo by the LDSFS office in Idaho Falls. We'd love to get as many of our fantastic adoptive families to showcase as possible!!

Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas!

If you do drop a photo by the LDSFS office, please be sure the photo is a copy or a cheap Walmart print off since some of the photos will be in frames and some may be attached to posterboard, etc. (and most likely not returned to you).

Facebook Group for Our Chapter

2010-12-22T10:06:00.001-08:00

One of our chapter members created a Facebook group for our chapter. It is a personal group so it gives the ability for us to chat. It will be great to see and get to know those who don't make it to the activities. If you would like to join and have a Facebook account, visit here and request to join.

Matching Monday: Tatianna

2010-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Darline

2010-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Jordan & Tate

2010-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Cody

2010-11-30T21:11:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Davion

2010-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Success after Failure

2010-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is Sam, Julia, and their daughter Tessa. Even though this is not a local couple their story gave me hope. Click here to read their success story.

From God's Arms, To My Arms, To Yours

2010-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

I don't think National Adoption Awareness Month would be complete without sharing this special song. This is the song our son's birthmother used to tell us she had chosen us to be his parents. I get teary every time I hear it.

Finding Friday: Facebook Makes Couple's Adoption Dreams Come True

2010-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is Seth, Melissa , and their son Noah. Click here to read their success story.

Adoption Fireside

2010-11-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

You are invited to a special Adoption Fireside featuring:

Michael McLean

courtesy MichaelMcLeanMusic.com

Sunday, November 28, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Taylor Mountain Stake Center
260 Castle Rock Lane
Idaho Falls, Idaho

We are very excited to hear once again from Michael McLean. His adoption fireside several years ago was a wonderful evening. Please feel free to invite birth parents, adoptive families, adoptees, and any others who have been blessed by adoption.

Please RSVP to idahofallsfsa@yahoo.com and let us know who will be attending so we can plan for seating and refreshments.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Matching Monday: Amareon & Aniyah

2010-11-08T07:47:00.001-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Annual Adoption Celebration

2010-11-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Annual Adoption Celebration

Saturday, Nov 13, 2010

10:00 AM

Jennie Lee Building

It is National Adoption Awareness Month! We are so blessed to be touched by adoption in our lives!

To help celebrate we are asking for donations to put together Birth Mother baskets for our local LDS Family Services office to use. If you are able, please bring one/some of the following items with you to the breakfast:

Candles
Lotion
Bath Salts
Journals
5X7 Picture Frame
CDs
DVDs
Inspirational Books
Jewelry
Finger Nail Polish
Stuffed Animals
Slippers
Small Photo Albums
Gift Certificates.

We will be assembling the baskets and we will have a few fun giveaways to give away in a drawing! So come and enjoy the fun, we can eat, visit and serve!

Finding Friday: Couple’s Adoption Wish Comes True on Facebook

2010-11-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is Molly, John, and their son Theodore. Click here to read their success story.

Lullaby For a Birthmom

2010-11-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

My heart is really full after listening to this song. It really moved me. It is a tribute to birthmothers everywhere.

Major Declares November as Adoption Awareness Month

2010-11-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Mayor Fuhriman of Idaho Falls signed a proclamation declaring November as Adoption Awareness Month in conjunction with National Adoption Month. Click the picture above to watch the news story aired by KPVI News 6.

Matching Monday: Richard

2010-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

New Boo at the Zoo Info

2010-10-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

I hope that there are many of you planning to donate candy for Boo at the Zoo. It is a great opportunity for publicity both for adoption as a whole, and for individual couples.

We wanted to provide a bit more information, and a few ideas!

The Zoo has asked for us not to use penny candy. Please respect their wishes in your candy selection. I have been pricing candy all over town! WalMart has a chocolate mix for $8 that contains 95 pieces of candy. Costco contains a similar mix for $13 with 150 pieces of candy. I have found a printable $2 off coupon. With this coupon, you can get a 4lbs bag of Wonka candy at Albertson's for $4. Sweet Tarts & Laughy Taffy are both flat.

If you are currently hoping to adopt we’d encourage you to attach your personal information on each piece of candy. This can be done in a variety of ways. Please be creative! If you are concerned about the cost there are many ways that are inexpensive. You can print tags any size you’d like. You could easily get 20 on a page with a simple message “Hoping to Adopt, jaromandcandiseadopt.blogspot.com” “Hoping to Adopt, itsaboutlove.org, search Jarom & Candise”

You can print your information on adhesive labels and attach them to candy. The Hershey’s Mix is great for this; lots of flat candy bars! Labels are inexpensive, and easy to use.

Purchase business card templates and print a low-cost pass along card to tape to candy.

The possibilities are endless. I think you could easily donate 200 pieces of candy with your information attached for less than $25.

Also, if you are working on your home study, but are not currently approved you are still welcome to donate candy with your blog address on it. Your blog can later direct people to your itsaboutlove.org profile once your home study has been approved.

And lastly, you can donate a bag of candy without any personal information on it. With EVERY piece of candy we will hand out general adoption information with the website. We would appreciate your donations whether you include personal information or not!

Candy can be dropped off in Idaho Falls at the LDSFS Office, 1600 John Adams Pkwy. If you are interested in dropping of candy in Rexburg please reply to this e-mail and let me know. We’d like all the candy dropped off by Friday the 2nd.

Matching Mondays: Kyler

2010-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Andy

2010-10-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Mentoring Program

2010-10-06T20:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks to those of you who responded to our mentoring program. We are in the next few steps of the process and will be notifying you of your mentoring match in the next week. If any of you forgot please respond quickly! Make sure to tell us if you want to be a mentor, or want to have a mentor.

FSA @ Boo at the Zoo

2010-10-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

Tautphaus Park Zoo

October 28th, 29th, & 30th

5pm to 9pm

Come visit us at the zoo for tricks, treats, games and prizes!

This year we have decided to host a booth at Boo at the Zoo. Last year 8,000 people attended this event so this is a great promotional opportunity. With 8,000 people coming to the zoo we will be needing candy donations, you can take candy donations to the LDS Family Services office in Idaho Falls. Let the secretary know the candy is for Candise or FSA. Email idahofallsfsa@yahoo.com for a Rexburg drop off location.

You can attach your pass-along card to all of the candy you purchase. If you don't have a pass-along card we would still appreciate any candy donations.

We need volunteers at the booth from 5-7 and then 7-9 each night. We ask if you do volunteer to bring your family before or after you your shift. Please email idahofallsfsa@yahoo.com if you'd like to volunteer. All candy donations need to be received by October 21st.

Join the Mayor to Celebrate Adoption‏

2010-10-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

We are excited about the opportunity to spend time again this year with Mayor Fuhriman, the mayor of Idaho Falls. He will be reading and signing a Proclamation declaring November Adoption Month in Idaho Falls. This will take place in Idaho Falls on

Monday, November 1st, 10:00 am

Please put this on your calendar and plan to attend. The event doesn't last long, but has lasting benefits for adoption. The local news stations will be in attendance and eager to talk to adoptive families and birth parents. I was surprised last year by the number of people that commented to me that they'd "seen a story about adoption" on the news. I love a positive news story about adoption! We'd like to fill the room with families who have been blessed by adoption! Please plan to join us.

National Adoption Month is a great time to promote adoption and celebrate the joy it brings into our lives. Plan to attend the Proclamation Signing on November 1st, and the Adoption Celebration on the 13th. We also have another VERY exciting opportunity for you to participate in promoting adoption, and promoting yourselves. Look for the e -mail about that very soon!
Please let us know if you have any questions, and go mark your calendars now! We'll see you on the 1st!

Matching Mondays: Ben

2010-10-04T12:44:00.001-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Mentoring Program

2010-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

We are also very excited to be starting a Mentoring Program. This is in use by many other FSA Chapters throughout the United States and has been found to be very effective. We are looking forward to the benefits it will have to our local chapter and hope for your support. Participation is easy, and will be rewarding to all! How can you participate?

Have you adopted? If so, we’d love to have you be a mentor! You will receive the name of a couple that has not yet adopted. You can be available to answer questions, share your story, your experiences, and your expertise. You will be an invaluable resource, and a much needed support to a couple hoping to adopt.
Are you hoping to adopt? If so are you interested in having a mentor? They would be willing to answer questions, share ideas, and be a great support to your adoption endeavors. They will be a great resource and support when you are nervous about your face to face, need someone to proofread your birthparent letter, or help with ideas for promoting adoption.
It doesn’t matter how long ago you adopted, or how long you have been waiting to adopt. We hope you will take advantage of our mentoring program. We need your support to make it work!
If you are interested please respond to this e-mail. Let us know if you want to be a mentor, or if you want to have a mentor!

And as always, if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Please respond to idahofallsfsa@yahoo.com by Friday, October 1. Soon after that we will contact those interested and let you know who your mentor is/or who you will be mentoring!

Brandon and Elise are new on our FSA Board and they will be managing the mentoring program.

Thanks in advance for your participation. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Jarom & Candise

Brandon & Elise

Matching Monday: James, Levi and Hannah

2010-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Save the Date! November Adoption Celebration Breakfast

2010-09-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

When: November 13^th

Where: Idaho Falls

Why: To celebrate adoption and National Adoption Month.

Please put it on your calendar; more information will come soon!

Matching Monday: McKenna

2010-09-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Dwayne

2010-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Failed Placement - Part 3: Help from Family and Friends

2010-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

What a helpless feeling it is to see someone you love and care about in such deep distress and grief from the loss of a life promised. As your friends or family members need to grieve, you also may feel grief and sadness. If you are a family member, a disrupted adoption plan is the loss of a potential member of your family, and your range of emotions may be similar to those of the couple whose adoption plan disrupted.

When someone we care about has been hurt, we often feel angry. You may feel anger and confusion about the disrupted adoption plan too. It is healthy for you to acknowledge your feelings, but it is equally important that you not add your own grief to that of your friends or family members. If you need help processing your feelings, seek other support people to allow you to express and experience your feelings. The most important role you can play now for your friends or family members is to be present for their feelings and not allow yours to become equally important.

So what can you do to help? The following list may offer some practical ways you can support a friend or family member who has experienced a disrupted adoption. This list is not exhaustive. Trust your instincts; you may instinctively know other ways to be helpful.

Be present. As your friend or family member is grieving, just be there. Don't try to fix it (you can't), and don't try to make sense of it (you can't do that, either). Just be there, maybe sitting with them, maybe just being around them in the house. It is most important that you be there.

Listen. Be prepared to listen! And, maybe to listen to the same story over and over. As difficult as it can be to listen, some people process their emotions verbally and need to talk things out. Listen, too, to what is not said, to the need possibly to be quiet, to reflect, and to pray. The important part of listening is to be able to hear more than just the spoken words and to "hear" the feelings.

Don't say that you know how they feel. You don't! Everyone experiences loss differently. Our individual personalities and life experiences give us different lenses through which we view our life experiences. A family who has experienced the grief and loss associated with infertility may feel this loss much differently than you might. That's okay. Your role is to be there and walk with them through the valley—not to carry them or set their pace on their journey.

Don't say, "This wasn't the one" or "There is a reason..."
Don't be critical of the birthfamily, agency, or adoption process. Don't say, "It was a mistake for the birthmother to spend time with the baby in the hospital..."
It may be true, but it doesn't help to say "This wasn't the baby that God intended for you."

Be prepared to step in and take over some daily chores. You may need to call other friends and family members for them or call their employers. You may need to help pack—but not throw away—the baby items that they have collected. You may need to intercept the mail or telephone calls or mow the lawn or provide a meal.

Help them to plan ways to remember this child.

Write a letter to the child, or write a journal.
Make a memory box with pictures, cards, and memorabilia.
Plant a tree.
Buy a garden stone.
Plan a healing or memorial service.

Source: Bethany Christian Services

http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/7CE18584B6E14AD7852574A7005100E9

Matching Monday: Cory

2010-09-07T08:05:00.001-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

PRIDE (Foster-Adopt) Classes

2010-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, I found out when the next set of PRIDE classes for those interested in foster to adopt. These are the classes that Brenda mentioned when I spotlighted her family.

When: September 20 - October 20 on Monday & Wednesday from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where: Idaho Falls Center for Higher Education (University Place), Room 217

1770 Science Center Drive
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402

Contact: Jen McArthur (mcarjenn@isu.edu)

Failed Placement - Part 2: Helping Yourself

2010-09-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

First, allow yourself to grieve and know that everyone grieves differently. Grieving is acutely necessary for healing. You may feel sad and want to cry, or you may feel as though your tears are endless. You may want to cry and tears will not come. You may feel empty—like there is a hole in your heart. You may be angry—at the birthparents, your adoption specialist, at yourself or your spouse, or even at God. You may feel like this is not really happening, or think, If only I had….

There are a variety of feelings associated with grieving, and you may experience some of them, many of them, or all of them at different times and in differing intensity. You may jump from one stage to another and back. You and your spouse may experience your grief very differently, but regardless of how you express your loss, you both need to walk through this valley. Your grief is normal.

Give yourself permission to have and to express your feelings. Don't feel that you need to control your feelings or put a lid on them—just allow yourself to feel them. Expect that you will experience anger, sadness, guilt, denial, and rationalization. Anger can be a frightening or upsetting feeling for grieving families, but it is a natural emotion when you experience a loss.

Talk. Talk about what you are feeling. Share your thoughts and memories. Find someone whom you trust—a person who will just listen—and talk about your feelings. It is your agenda. Talk if and when you are ready and about the things that you want to express.

Don't blame yourself for the pain you are feeling. It may be tempting to blame yourself for planning an adoption or for trusting someone else with a desire that is so strong. Don't blame yourself for not being prepared—for not guarding your heart more or protecting yourself or your family emotionally. You made a decision to enter into an adoption plan, so you need to "own" that choice. The pain that you feel is not because you made a bad decision, but because it did not work out as you had planned.

Take the time to take care of yourself. Accept help offered by your family, your friends, your pastor, or your church community. You don't have to do everything, and you don't have to do it alone.

Allow the people who care about you to support you. Don't hesitate to lean on a person you trust when you are tired. God does not promise us lives free of pain, but He sends caring people to help us on difficult days.

Avoid rushing into a decision. Don't decide that adoption is—or isn't—right for you. Your emotions are running high now, and it makes sense to postpone major decisions. That may even mean closing the door rather than throwing away everything connected with the baby.

Keep mementos. Perhaps you could create a special box where you can tuck away reminders of the baby for whom you hoped and prayed. This baby, like any other child, is now a part of your life story. Tuck those memories away so that, if and when you are ready, they are there for you. There are many experiences that weave the tapestry of our lives, and this is one of them. You don't need to deny your experience or try to pretend it didn't happen.

Source: Bethany Christian Services

http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/B776EE97984E0CF7852574A700508FE1

Spotlight Wednesday: Brandon and Elise

2010-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Brandon, Elsie, and Cadence

Hello! We are Brandon and Elise Miller. We met in singles ward while Elise was completing her undergraduate degree and Brandon was working on his PhD at the University of Wisconsin. In December of 2005, we were married in Idaho Falls and a few years later, we moved from Madison back to Brandon’s hometown of Idaho Falls. After 3 years of infertility struggles, we adopted Cadence Avery in June of 2010! We’ll tell you a little about ourselves…

Elise was born and raised in Wisconsin and majored in neurobiology and psychology. After moving to Idaho, she continued in school for her MBA at ISU and now works at North Wind, Inc., as a finance analyst. She loves to travel, play/watch sports, bake, and read…and spend time with her family. Brandon is originally from Idaho Falls and attended ISU for his mechanical engineering degree and UW-Madison for his masters and PhD in nuclear engineering. He is now a nuclear and materials engineer at the INL. In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, and play sports. We are currently in the process of building our future home, which keeps us very busy. The first two children in the family, Bella and Nessa (short for Bellatrix and Narcissa), are a black and fawn pug.

We started the adoption process in January of 2009, with our approval in April of 2009. From there, we waited, until at the start of 2010 we finally heard from a birth mom! One of our contacts was Cadence’s birth mother, in Utah. For a few months we sent emails, and after we sent a short video of ourselves and our dogs saying hello, we really seemed to connect with her. We went to visit at the end of February and she chose us shortly after that. Then it was just a waiting game… Cadence was due May 31. We continued to develop our relationship with K, in the mean time, including a second visit, and Cadence was born on June 5, 2010. She is a happy, healthy, smart little 7-week old and we both adore her. We’re taking her down to see K again soon and we’re looking forward to sealing our family together this fall.

Failed Placement - Part 1: It Can Happen to You

2010-08-30T19:17:00.001-07:00

I don't want to be all gloom and doom but lately I've encountered more and more people who have gone through an adoption plan failure. Having experienced this twice ourselves, I know finding help out there is hard. I hope this will be a help to someone (though I would never wish this upon anyone). So for the next couple days I'd like to post a really great article I found. It is 3 parts and here is part 1.

...

Having an adoption plan disrupt was not what you had planned and may feel like another cruel twist. However, God has not promised you a life without pain but has promised to be with you in all the twists and turns. Remember His promise and know that He is with you.

Our prayer for you is that as you walk this path, you will feel God's presence and comfort. May you find healing and peace in His ultimate plan for you.

You never thought it would happen to you. Even though your adoption worker told you that a number of families would experience the disruption of an adoption plan (before the adoption was finalized), you thought that it would happen to other people—but not you.

When an adoption plan disrupts, whether before a baby is born or after, whether you have met the birthfamily or had the baby in your home, the pain and feelings of loss are real. Once you hear the news that you have been selected as adoptive parents, you often begin to bond with the idea of that baby, the baby that might become your child to love and to raise. You know on one level that this is not a sure thing, that you have to wait—and wait patiently—but in your heart, on an emotional level, you want this baby so much. This must be the baby that God intends for your family.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you." Jeremiah 29: 11&12

When your adoption plan did not become a reality, you experienced a profound loss. It is similar to the loss that expectant parents feel when they experience miscarriage or stillbirth. Your grief is real. But all too often, potential adoptive parents feel as if they do not have the right to grieve. After all, the baby is alive and well and going to be raised by loving parents. And it was not your baby—yet.

But an adoption plan that does not materialize is a loss, and the hurt and pain run deep. The grief of parents who miscarry or have an adoption plan disrupt is sometimes called "disenfranchised grief" because people may not feel entitled to grieve or may feel that, without a death, they should not feel grief.

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness." Psalms 143: 8-10

Source: Bethany Christian Services

http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/C03CC1BCED408BBB85256CE100693757

Finding Friday: HopingToAdopt.org

2010-08-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

I've come across a new profile listing service called HopingToAdopt.org. It does charge a monthly fee ($30) and a setup fee ($40) but right now you can get one month free month and have the setup waivered when you use the code 1MOFREE.

Matching Monday: Madisen, Chase, Hayden, and Jaydah

2010-08-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Finding Friday: MyAdoptionProfile.com

2010-08-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've learned about another FREE profile listing service called MyAdoptionProfile.com. It is the basically the same format as ParentProfiles.

Matching Monday: Jerry

2010-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Finding Friday: Car Ad (Revisited)

2010-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Back in December, I featured the idea of putting an ad like this one in one of your car windows.

At the time we were matched with a birthmother, so I decided to hold off putting one in our vehicle. My stepsister-in-law just started a vinyl business so the timing was just right to have her cut out the design as a vinyl car decal.

I think it looks great and much more noticeable then just taping up a printed piece of paper.

If you'd like one for your vehicle (I know this is a shameless advertising), visit her Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop/simpleevinyl. She can customize the title, profile address, and stick family (man, woman, boy, and girl available).

Finding Friday: Coping with a Failed Placement

2010-07-30T06:00:00.003-07:00

You wouldn't think that failed placements would fall under the "finding" part of adoption. For those just starting your adoption journey, a failed placement is a term used for situations that do not result in a successful placement after the birthmother selects the adoptive couple. Though our experience with two failed placements in a row is not quid per quo, I've found many couples who've experienced at least one failed placement during their adoption journey.

After our 1st failed placement, I found this article in the National FSA newsletter by Brenda Horrocks where she relates her failed placement experience. I've read it several times as we've gone through the grieving process again. Though you are probably not experiencing a failed placement right now, I hope that if ever do find yourself in that situation you can find the help you need and remember your feelings are NORMAL. Eventually your heart will heal.

....

In December 1999, a year after being approved for adoption, my husband and I received the news we had been praying for… a birth mother had chosen us to be the parents of her one-month-old baby girl. We did what any excited expecting couple would do…we announced the news to our family and then went shopping. We were to pick up this little baby in two days. We were told that the birth mother felt strongly about her decision and had received spiritual confirmation that it was right, so we were surprised to learn the placement was on hold while she struggled to gain family support. After six weeks of being told: "We feel this will still happen," we learned that the birth mother had decided to parent.

We didn't blame her for this decision, and we hoped for the best for her and her baby. We picked ourselves up and sadly moved forward. We just felt numb during the first few days, but as time went on, the pain became stronger until we felt as if all were lost. Mornings were especially difficult. The desire to do anything but lie in bed forever was practically non-existent. Seeing pregnant women and witnessing blessings at church were more painful than before. There were times when I would walk into the nursery, take out the baby clothes we had purchased, and rocked them to my chest as I sobbed. One night I thought I heard a baby crying. I felt so alone, so hopeless, and I wondered if I was going crazy. No one seemed to understand what we were going through, and people said all the wrong things. They seemed to think It as nothing. Finally at some point a person (actually a worker at LDS Family Services…not our own worker) validated my pain by letting me know that what I was feeling was similar to what a woman would feel if she had miscarried. I received another gift when the Lord blessed me with a dream that renewed my hope. I hung on to that hope as If it were a life preserver. It came at the darkest time of my life, and it helped me survive.

In May 2002 my sister delivered her only baby girl…stillborn. It was one of the saddest things I have ever experienced. Diane went home with lots of material about what to expect in the grieving process, and because I was one of her primary caretakers, I read the information. Not only did I learn about what my sister might be going through, but I also realized that if any-one could be there for her, it was me. All of the things mothers feel after losing a baby were what I had felt when the placement didn't happen back in 1999. This experience brought a new understanding and comfort to me.

In July 2000 my husband and I had our first baby girl placed in our arms. It was a miraculous day! I have never felt so much joy and gratitude. Then, in October 2002, our second daughter was placed with us, and we felt like we held the world in our hands. The pain of our infertility and adoption loss made the joy of parenthood that much sweeter.

In August 2006 we again faced a failed placement. After working with our birth mother for her entire pregnancy, she chose to parent. But this time I was armed with the knowledge of what to expect, and I knew that, just as before, the Lord would help us as we tried to pickup the pieces. We also had a worker who cared about us and called to see what she could do. These things made this loss easier to bear, and we truly felt that the Lord was carrying our pain for a time. I didn't feel the full impact of the loss for almost a year…but by then, the Lord had brought understanding to my heart, and I was able to bear it better. The following year, we were able to adopt our son, Camden, who has added so much joy to our family.

Couples, if you have experienced a failed placement, you are not alone in your loss. Many of us have felt the pain, anger, and hopelessness you feel. If your worker is not reaching out to you, then reach out to them, your FSA board, or anyone else who will listen. Let your bishop know about your loss; let people in your ward and family help you. They may not fully understand, but many will want to help. If you are currently hoping that a birth mother will choose you, consider preparing a plan for what should happen if you ever suffer a failed placement/adoption. If you need someone to take over and call your bishop for you, that is OK. Let your worker be the one to call. Share your plan with your worker and your bishop, and let them be part of it. If you would rather be left alone, share that as well. I am thankful to say that while my husband and I have suffered through much loss, we have actually gained from those losses. We have gained greater empathy, greater compassion for anyone who is grieving over the loss of a child (including birth mothers), and a greater love for our Savior and our three incredible children. Grief is a difficult journey, but we can be blessed with comfort and help as we travel.

Matching Mondays: Idaho Edition

2010-07-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Finding Friday: Available Children

2010-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday I featured Neal and Brenda's success story. Brenda was so thoughtful to include in her email the links to the sites she used to find available children. So in the right column, I added section called "Finding Available Children." I've included the sites of individual states on top and at the bottom sites featuring children from all states.

Brenda also talked about PRIDE classes. These are classes are required to become a foster family, but as Brenda stated, that after inquiring after several children they realized how these classes were necessary to foster-adopt. Unfortunately, the classes for Health and Welfare Region 7 just finished up last month and I did not see any scheduled for the rest of this year. I will keep you posted when I find out the dates for the next session of PRIDE classes.

Spotlight Wednesday: Neal and Brenda

2010-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Neal, Brenda, Halle, and Dillon

I spotlighted Neal and Brenda back in November. Since then they have added a new member to their family. They are in the process of adopting Dillon who just turned 6.

I emailed Brenda and asked her to tell me how Dillon came to their family. Last year, Neal and Brenda suffered through a failed placement after being matched with a birthmother very early along in her pregnancy. Having already waited so long for a placement, they felt the need to look into another options. Here is their story as told by Brenda.

So that's when I started surfing the Internet. I started inquiring on waiting children websites through foster care on a weekly basis. I wasn't ready at first to accept older children, but the more profiles I read, the more open I became to the idea. I worked with Dan [their caseworker] for months inquiring on various children, but the more inquiries I made, the more apparent it became that we needed to get certified through the foster care system in order to be successful.

We found Dillon in Nov of last year. I inquired but didn't really have much hope because his caseworker had received over 400 e-mails. They called us in Feb and said we were one of two couples but ended up picking the other couple. However, they called back in June and asked if we were still interested because the other couple hadn't worked out. By that time, we had already started our PRIDE foster care classes, which turned out to be a huge timesaver in getting him home to us.

We are still all adjusting to each other and he does come with a past, but it felt right so we are moving forward with the adoption.

There have been major benefits that go along with adopting a child from foster care. He is classified as special needs due to his ADHD and need for help in the classroom, so he will have a subsidy from the state until he's 18. We can also take the full adoption credit because he's considered special needs. The state also pays you as a foster parent until you are finalized. They paid for our hotel while we were visiting him in Boise, and I believe we will get up to $3K reimbursed in finalization costs when we're done.

FSA 2010 International Conference

2010-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Former BYU quarterback Brandon Doman is the key note speaker.

TO REGISTER: www.regonline.com/2010_fsa_conference

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Mondays: Idaho Edition

2010-07-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Mondays: Idaho Edition

2010-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-06-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Dinner & Discussion

2010-06-13T23:16:00.001-07:00

FSA National Conference Service Project

2010-06-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

The best way to find yourself
is to lose yourself in the service of others.
~Mohandas Ghandi

This year, Families Supporting Adoption will be hosting a service project at the annual conference. Collection baskets will be set up for conference participants to have the opportunity to serve two great organizations in collecting items that they are in need of. Please bring your donations with you to the conference.

The first organization we will be collecting items for is Birth Mother Baskets.

Birth Mother Baskets is a non-profit organization started by Gina Crotts. Gina is a birth mother and refers to the daughter she placed as her "little butterfly." In an effort to give back to the adoption community and serve other women who have placed and may need some additional love, Gina created Birth Mother Baskets. Donated items are arranged into beautiful baskets and sent to birth mothers in need. We are honored to be part of her cause this year.

Items that we would love to collect for Birth Mother Baskets include:

Journals
Lotions
Bath Salts
Bath Bubbles
Movies
Jewelry
8 x 10 or 5 x 7 photo frames
Music CD's
Inspirational Books
Hair Products
Make-Up
Fingernail Polish
Manicure/Pedicure Sets
Photo Albums
Magazines
Small Blankets
Slippers
Stuffed Animals
Gift Certificates (massages, spa treatments, pedicure, manicure, movies or book store, etc.)
Large Baskets (Gina recommends laundry sized wicker baskets at Wal-Mart for only $4.00)
Tissue Paper
Ribbon
Candles

We will also be collecting school supplies for The Christmas Box International.

The friendly environment of the Christmas Box Houses are unique. Children are brought into the shelter program after being removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Instead of spending the night in less comfortable circumstances, they are able to arrive at the House were the staff is immediately available to talk to children and explain what is happening, what will happen, and why. The House staff provides a sense of caring, warmth and continuity at a very difficult time in a child's life.

Currently there are three Christmas Box Houses located in the state of Utah in Salt Lake, Ogden and Moab. The Houses all have the basic concept of a child-friendly, calm, home-like atmosphere and have added programs and services to meet the unique needs of the children in the communities they serve.

School supplies that we would love to collect for The Christmas Box House include:

#2 Pencils
Glue Sticks
Backpacks
Boxes of Tissue
Pink Erasers
Broad Tip Markers
Scissors
Pencil Cases
Wide-Ruled Spiral Bound Notebooks
Pocket Folders
Crayons
Packages of Wide Ruled Loose Leaf Paper

We can't wait to see you at the Conference!
Don't forget to register HERE.

FSA National Conference Art Exhibit

2010-06-13T23:04:00.002-07:00

Call to Artists and Those who Love Art

By Rebecca Staley

We are looking for art to put on display during our annual Families Supporting Adoption Conference this July. We all have been touched by the miracle of adoption and know how bitter and sweet that journey is. This is an opportunity to share a piece of your journey with others. All are invited to share their love for adoption through art, whether by craft, photography, sculpture, poem, or paintings.

Deadline: July 1st

All who want to participate will need to submit a photo of their art through email by the deadline to: cutefamilyof5@gmail.com

Photos need to be added as an attachment and in jpeg format. Please include artist's name, title of the work, medium, date completed, and size of the piece.

Art selected will be on display during the FSA conference at the Davis Conference Center July 30-31st.

All art from children will be displayed on a children's wall.

We hope you will want to join us and share your creative side!

FSA National Conference Registration

2010-06-13T23:04:00.001-07:00

Registration for the
2010 FSA National Conference
is up and running.

Simply CLICK HERE to be taken to the registration page.

Registration looks something like this:

The Conference will be held at the Davis Conference Center in Layton Utah on Friday July 30, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM and on Saturday, July 31, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM.

The cost of the conference is $35 per person.

Please contact the Hilton Garden Inn for lodging information. Use the Group/Convention Code located in the "Lodging" tab of the registration link.

This year we will have a myriad of classes for anyone interested in adoption.

Birth Father, Adoption Triad, Adult Adoptee, Adoptive Couple, Transracial Adoption, Ask a Birth Parent and Birth Parent panels will he held throughout the conference and have been a favorite of attendees for years.

Are you new to adoption? No problem! We will have classes on Drug/Alcohol Impacts in Children, Infertility-Spiritual/Gospel Insights, Understanding Birth Parents, Adoption Law, What Birth Parents Wished Adoptive Couples Knew, and FSA-Who, What, Where, When and How.

Are you looking for more resources and information on transracial adoption? We've got you covered there too. Classes will be held on Latent Racism & Racism & Racial Socialization and an overview of transracial adoption. We will also have the opportunity to view and discuss the film Living on the Fault Line.

We will also have classes on parenting available to attendees. Classes are scheduled to include topics such as Communicating/Talking About Adoption With Older Children, Openness, Communication Between Adoptive & Birth Families, The Power of Positive Parenting, Ages and Stages and Unequal Adoption Relationships.

We will also have information and classes available on Foster Care, Special Needs Adoption, Children Available for Adoption, Creating Profiles, Intercountry Adoption, Gifts for Birth Parents and Adoption Advocacy.

The FSA National Conference is not just for Adoptive Couples, Adoptive Parents and Hopeful Adoptive Couples. There is an entire track of classes devoted to Birth Parents and Birth Families. For more information on those classes, please see the previous post HERE.

*Conference registration for birth parents is free.

Classes are subject to change without notice.

Matching Mondays: Idaho Edition

2010-06-08T07:25:00.001-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-05-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-05-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-05-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Pictures Needed for Birthmother Dinner

2010-04-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring to everyone! We are coming up on our annual Birth Mother's Dinner! This year we have decided to put together a DVD slide show of our birth mother's with our families. So we will need your help. We would like the pictures to be of your birth mother/s with you or your children or both. If you would like to submit pictures you can email them to kimjerde at gmail.com, just be sure to put in the e-mail description pictures for birth mother's dinner. I will need pictures submitted by April 30, 2010 if you are interested.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-04-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-04-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Open Adoption Fireside/Education Class

2010-04-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

If you didn't get an invitation in your inbox, please leave a comment or send us and e-mail and we will make sure you get one.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-04-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-03-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-03-08T13:34:00.001-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-03-02T09:30:00.001-08:00

Click here to access the Wednesday's Child site. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-02-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Spotlight Wednesday: Daren & Shannon

2010-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Daren, Shannon & Addilynn

I spotlighted Daren & Shannon back in October. Since then they have a new addition to their family through the miracle of adoption. Click here to read Addilynn's wonderful adoption story.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-02-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-02-08T07:09:00.001-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-01-18T07:50:00.001-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2010-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Spotlight Wednesday: Derik and Amanda

2010-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Derik and Amanda

Derik and Amanda have successfully adopted twice. Recently Amanda was a guest blogger on the R house blog. She has quite the story being not only an adoptive mother but also being adopted as well. Here are links to her three part story.

Adoption Education Class

2010-01-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2009-12-28T07:14:00.001-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Matching Mondays: Idaho Edition

2009-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Finding Friday: Email Blitz

2009-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Send an email to your contacts explaining that you are approved to adopt and you are hoping to grow your family through adoption.

This is a sample email I found on the FSA web site.

Dear Family and Friends (and family & friends of family & friends),

A miracle happened for us in 2006 when Isaac joined our family through adoption. The love and support you gave us at that time was deeply felt and appreciated. We have been so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who have kept us in your prayers. We started our paperwork for another adoption in January of this year and have since been approved to adopt again! YEAH!! We are again asking for your prayers and assistance. Since our chances of adopting increase with exposure, we want to remind you about Designated Adoption. Designated adoption is when the birthparents and adoptive parents find each other through a third party.
That is where you come in!

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

Forward this email to everyone in your address book. If you have a blog (Blogger, Typepad, Facebook, Myspace, ect.) copy and paste this email to a post.
Link our Internet profiles on your blog accounts.
Bookmark our online profile(s) for future reference. (http://2adopt.blogspot.com)
Have our pass-along cards with you at all times.
If you know of a woman who is thinking about placing her baby for adoption, or doesn't quite know what to do, please give her one of our pass-along cards or our web address. You could also post our cards on bulletin boards wherever you think a potential birth mother or someone she knows might see them. (Dorms or Collage Campus)
Create a signature line at the bottom of your emails that has our web address included. This serves as a constant reminder of our hope to adopt.

Much Love,
Ben, Amanda & Isaac
ouremailaddress@email.com

Spotlight Wednesday: Mandy and Jake

2009-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Jake, Mandy, and Luke

One of the first things I loved about Jake was his sense of humor. He loves to make people laugh and has a remarkable talent for putting people at ease so that they feel comfortable and accepted. People often comment to me on how funny he is and how much they like to be around him. Teenagers and kids in particular are drawn to him because he’s not afraid to remember what is like to be in their shoes. Amongst our 25 nieces and nephews, Jake is a big favorite. He is also a hard worker and knows how to get things done and have a good time while doing so. He is the 6th of 8 children and was raised on a dairy farm. Chores were part of his daily life growing up and in his words, “there wasn’t much time just for fun so we had to learn to have a good time while working.” He still knows how to enjoy what he’s doing no matter what the task. Jake is currently employed as a bulk fuel tanker truck driver. He delivers locally and we are blessed to have him home every night. He works hard to provide for us and does a remarkable job of it. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and would someday like to pursue a career in this area. Right now, he feeds his love of history by listening to any historical audio CD he can find. His combined love of history, hard work, and sense of humor makes for a lot of laughs, a sense of accomplishment, and a continued desire to learn and grow everyday.

I better tell you a little about Mandy; she’s awesome. Mandy is such a genuine person that I was instantly attracted to her. However, my lack of skill with talking to women made for a drawn out get-to-know you period of dating. This was actually good because we became such good friends first and then the romance just iced the cake. Another attribute of Mandy’s is that she is so accepting of anyone around her. She moved around the country a lot while growing up and had the chance to meet and make friends with all types of different people. Mandy also loves to read. She will frequently read a novel in just a few days or in the case of Harry Potter books, just one day. I love to make her smile because she has the best smile that just warms up the whole room.

It was almost two years ago now when our lives irrevocably changed with one phone call. We had applied to adopt and had been waiting for over a year for that very opportunity when we received a call from our social worker. He told us he had a letter for us from a birth mom who had chosen us to parent her newborn son. Joy, as we had never known it before, filled our hearts and we were overcome with it. Following that call, we were able to immediately go and meet our son Luke. He was small, but strong, and we both felt an instant bond and love for him. Luke is now almost 2 and is a happy toddler who loves books, animals, has a desire to please and entertain, and is constantly learning and exploring the world around him. He is still the joy of our hearts, and we love him so much. We honestly couldn’t love him any more if he was our biological son. Yet in the midst of our joy, we recognize the difficult choice that his birth mom made and the trust she has placed in us. We were humbled to say the least and our hearts go out to her in her sacrifice. She has a special place in our hearts and in our home. We continue to keep in touch with her through pictures and letters. As Luke gets a little older, we fully plan on telling him just how special his birth mom is and how blessed we are to have him.

I wanted to thank Mandy and Jake for being so willing to be spotlighted, I wondered if I was going to have to stop Spotlight Wednesday.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2009-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Finding Friday: Car Ad

2009-12-04T06:00:00.001-08:00

Walking out to my car after work, I noticed the cutest sign in the rear driver-side window of the car right in front of me. I could kick myself for not taking a picture of it with my cell phone but here is my attempt to reproduce it for you.

My first reaction was why haven't I thought of this. It's such a great idea. Businesses use their vehicles all the time for advertising. Plus you gets lots of exposure without the added expense because most of us drive quite a bit anyway.

Spotlight Wednesday

2009-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Would you like your profile and/or success story to be spotlighted? Please email dynamicdiner@gmail.com. If you have a success story, please write up about one page and include a picture. Otherwise, I can find your profile off itsaboutlove.org.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2009-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.

Finding Friday: Blog Button

2009-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Many of your friends and family have blogs these days. Having them add an adoption button is an easy way for them to share your desire to adopt with their blog readers. Click here for a tutorial. One thing the tutorial assumes is that either you or a friend has photo editing skills. If you need help with this part just email me your photo and the text you want on your button.

This is our adoption blog button so you can have an example.

Spotlight Wednesday: Sean and Jessi

2009-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sean, Jessi, and Jaydn

Jessi and I love to go out on dates, but we also enjoy being together with Jaydn on our outings so much that we are very often an inseparable threesome. We like to ride bikes together, go on picnics, play sports and board games, go to new restaurants, play sports together, travel to foreign lands and go sightseeing! We also love meeting new people as a family, so we like having friends over for dinner and other activities.

Jessi and I have always had the goal that our home would be the place Jaydn and his friends want to hang out at when they’re older, because of the environment that exists here. We’re working on that right now, and we hope that feeling can stay in our home.

Jaydn, our wonderful son, is now in 2nd grade. He loves sports, wrestling with daddy, reading books, having picnics and playing at the park, riding his bike, snorkeling, working in the garden, building his marble slide and various Hot Wheels car slides, and pretending he’s a Jedi on Star Wars. He has a very inquisitive mind. He reads books about everything and especially loves the scriptures. Jaydn is also a kind and caring friend to his neighbor friends, and he is so gentle with infants.

Our marriage, family, and faith are the most priceless gifts we have. We’re thankful for all of the experiences we have had together. We wish to share our love with more beautiful children in the years to come.

Finding Friday: Email Signature

2009-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

An email signature is basically an electronic business card. You can make it as fancy or simple as you want. Ask your family and friends if they can setup an email signature for their email to share your desire to adopt. Here is an example.

Our friends are hoping to adopt!

Check them out!

www.barryandrebecca.com

Everyone has a different level of comfort when it comes to sharing your desire to adopt. An email signature is good for those who don't feel comfortable passing along your pass-along cards. You may want to include links to the tutorials below because I find that most people won't know how to setup an automatic email signature.

Here are tutorials for the most popular email services and programs.

Even if you don't send a lot of email to people other than your friends and family, I suggest putting an email signature on your email anyway. I find it's a good reminder them. This is my email signature.

HOPING TO ADOPT!

We are excited to build our forever family through adoption.

To learn more about us, please visit our website: http://www.barryandrebecca.com

If you know someone in a situation where they might place their baby for adoption please direct them to this website.

Matching Monday: Idaho Edition

2009-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Click here to read about last week's Wednesday's Child. Don't forget to watch the video segment.