Button, Button...you got our button??

Do you have our button yet?  If so - THANKS!!!  If not - what are you waiting for??

In the year we've been searching for our birthmom we've had two situations materialize...both of which were due to a personal referral.  We have yet to have ANY contact through our agency.  (Which isn't that surprising...it's kinda what we expected)  Although both of these situations fell through, we wouldn't have even had the experience if it weren't for two people who SPOKE UP for us when they had the chance.

So if you haven't already, please take a minute to put our button up on your blog.  Easy peasy step-by-step directions can be found HERE.  And if you are ever given the opportunity to talk about adoption - go for it!  And if you get the chance to name drop...well, that would be awesome!

People LOVE us!

I was just pleased as punch (can I say that even though it isn't 1930 anymore?) to log onto the web this morning and finding not ONE...but TWO friends who are spotlighting our hope to adopt.  Yay!

You can check us out on Amanda's blog.  She's has two of the cutest little boys. 

Stefanie also featured us...she is our friend Valery's daughter Olivia's birthmom.  Her blog is an awesome place to start if you are curious about the birthmother side of adoption. 

I feel so loved today.  And for the first time in a while, I feel hopeful.

Today is a good day. 

::EDIT::

.

Jenn, who is the wife of one of Nathan's college roommates also posted about us today.  

(Thanks for the heads up Amy)

Holy Cow...THREE!!!  In ONE day!  Wouldn't it be cool if someone who reads one of these three blogs helped us find our baby?  That would be awesome! :) 

Celebrities and Adoption

The instant you read the title who flashed in your mind?   Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt?  Madonna? 

Here's a few other celebs who have adopted:

Hugh Jackman

Katherine Heigl

Nicole Kidman & Tom Cruise

Steven Speilberg

Diane Keaton

Meg Ryan

Lionel Richie

Julie Andrews

Nia Vardalos

And here are a few who were adopted:

Dave Thomas - founder of Wendy's

Bill Clinton - former president

Gerald Ford - former president

Edgar Allen Poe - author

Faith Hill - country singer

John Lennon - singer, songwriter

Steve Jobs - of Apple fame

Nancy Reagan - former first lady

Scott Hamilton - figure skater

Priscilla Presley

Waiting Children

A couple friends and family members...and even some strangers have asked us why we don't just adopt through foster care.  The long, complicated legal and practical answer to that usually causes eyes to gloss over...so I'll just say this: frequent military moves make it legally difficult.  Maybe someday we can adopt through foster care, but for right now it isn't an option for us. 

But if you are a family who is going to stay put for the next few years foster care just might be an option for you!  On September 30, 2008, there were an estimated 463,000 children in foster care. (statistic here).  There are kids of all ages, and they run the whole spectrum of physical and emotional wellness...but they all of them need homes.  Adopting from the Foster Care system doesn't cost nearly what an agency adoption does and the state helps you out with some of the legal expenses.

Do you think you might have room in your family for one (or two, or three...) more?  You can view pictures of waiting children HERE.   Also, Mrs R (who has a fabulous blog) has a post called Matching Mondays.  She posts pics and short descriptions of children who need homes.  You can find her Matching Mondays posts HERE.

Hoping to Adopt Spotlight: Josh, Ann, Ellie & Ashley

These are my friends Ann & Josh.  Josh and Ellie (as a week old baby) were the first people I met at church when we moved to Utah.  Ann befriended me right off the bat and has been my adoption buddy ever since. 

Josh, Ann, Ellie & Ashley

When Josh proposed to Ann, she ran away.
"Really, I was just so amazed I could marry such a wonderful man, I didn't know what to do!," she reports. "But really, after that initial shock, we've been totally happy!"
Married for ten years, Josh and Ann are very into education (Josh has a Ph.D. in physics and works as a research scientist. Ann has a master's degree in communication and stays home with their two girls) and having fun as a family. The picture is of them visiting a shark exhibit and touching the sting-rays.
They adopted their first daughter, Ellie, at birth.
"Our birthmom came to Utah to deliver and we were there when she was born, it was incredible," Josh said. "We have a very open adoption with her. In fact, she and her boyfriend flew out to visit in May."
Ashley joined the family as a two-year old.
"Her mom was in a tough situation. We were so grateful to her for thinking of adoption and for finding us," Ann said. "We flew her and her daughter out to visit us this summer. We wanted to connect with them again."
Josh and Ann still feel someone is missing from their family. You can check out their profile at :  http://www.parentprofiles.com/profiles/db21760.html

And the tradition continues...

Nathan and I started a tradition years ago that I have come to love.  It is no secret that I love politics...and I {love} elections.  I love to step in that booth and cast my vote.  I feel so patriotic, it makes me teary thinking of all the men and women throughout history who have made sacrifices so I could have the right to vote.  Our tradition is simple, but (if I do say so myself) awesome.  The evening of election day is spent watching the results roll in and when we can't take anymore (because even though I love politics, I can only take too much of the talking heads) we take a break from that to watch My Fellow Americans.  If you have never seen this movie you are missing out.  It is an oldey but a goody....Jack Lemon, James Garner and Dan Aykroyd in a work of comedic genius.  So many fantastic one-liners.  Oh, and I almost forgot an important piece of our tradition.  We make muddy buddies as our movie snack...because of all the mud-slinging that goes on before an election - get it MUDDY buddies...MUD slinging.  HA HA HA

Happy Election Day!

Positive Adoption Language

I've found that when I talk to people about our hopes to adopt, there are a lot of language/phrases that are used that convey a negative image of adoption.  Things like "I could never give away my baby" or "Are they your real children?"   No one does it to be hurtful...it is just that they don't know better.  (I didn't know better at first...until I started immersing myself in the adoption world) The list below is a quick, basic list on positive adoption words & phrases that, if used, will help spread a more positive view of adoption.

I got the list above from Adoptive Families Magazine.

National Adoption Awareness Month Kickoff!

This video is the perfect way to kickoff the month.  Our friend Sterling is the beautiful woman behind the amazing voice and the touching story.  You can read more about her HERE.