As parents to three amazing kids, we’ve found many things to be constant over the years: going to music festivals, a yearly trip to Duluth, nightly walks (when the weather permits), spending time with
A Whirlwind Adoption
A rush to finalize before a teen turns 18 On a cold Thursday in January, Jeff received the call that started a flurry of events to adopt his fourth son. He had been home study approved for about a
A Millennial’s Guide to Foster Care and Adoption
If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I’d be married to my high school sweetheart and have two kids at 25, I would have said, “You’re nuts.” But, that’s exactly what happened. I met my
Five Years
It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since Hope moved in from her last foster home. In some ways it seems like it couldn’t possibly be that long; in other ways it feels like a lifetime
14 Years Ago I Got “The Call”
On his birthday last week Tea (Sammy’s birthmom) texted to let me know she’d reached Sam to wish him a happy birthday. She said he told her he was “skating w/ a bunch of white ppl. Lol.” I wrote
Raymani Wins Hearts Like a Superhero
3-year-old Raymani and 5-year-old Jesse still talk about Dec. 14, 2017. It was “Big Brother Day,” a day when Jesse showed his new little brother how to build toys at Build-a-Bear and they went to
Life Changes When You Adopt from Foster Care
During this season of giving we find ourselves reflecting on all the wonderful gifts we received this year---the greatest of which was the adoption of our bright daughters Sky (8) and Leyna (7). We
Making Memories to Last a Lifetime on Tour Korea
There are many things to praise about Tour Korea, but I will focus on three: First, extraordinary staff accompanied us. A birthland tour for adoptees is not a typical sightseeing jaunt. There are
Adoption is What Made Us a Family
8-year-old Jonah and 11-year-old Isaac look forward to attending Adoption Day Camp one week every summer. They canoe, swim and play games to develop team-building skills. They and their fellow
Why Adopt?
Why did we choose to adopt? This was a question we got A LOT when we started telling people we were in the process of adopting a child. The question that usually immediately followed, both said and
