This wonderful little book took me quite by surprise and it it may you  as well.  New on the market, written by Eva Marie Cote and illustrated by Tom Myers, it is an unassuming little paperback that I was contacted by the illustrator about.  He wondered if I would take a little time and look over it and give them my opinion so I said sure, especially since I knew I had Book Week coming up.
When the book arrived, I instantly knew with P3’s birthday being days away, I had …

Mandy and Pandy are a little Chinese girl and a Panda Bear who have been paired up to create a cute series of 6 books to give a basic introduction to the Chinese culture and their language for English speaking children. Each book is accompanied with an audio CD which includes English text read by a native English speaker and Chinese text read by a native Chinese speaker.  When you are the mom of a Chinese born/American raised daughter, books like this are EXACTLY what you …

When P3 was placed in my arms in China, she wasn’t able to sit upright yet.  She was 9 1/2 months but coming from an institutionalized setting, that was not really shocking.  By the time we left China, a week and a half later, she was able to sit up just fine, a perfect example of how the rest of her small and gross motor skills continued to improve over the next 6 months and she was all caught up in no time.
Her language skills, however, did not make the …

As the proud mom to a darling girl from China, I have learned oh so much more about Chinese History and have a great desire to share it with all of my girls. Because of this interest, I want to share a great opportunity that is coming up this Summer ~ A Weekend of Intrigue: NYC Hotel and Silk Road Tour!

Families can now transport back in time to one of the greatest trading routes in history by visiting the Traveling the Silk Road Exhibition at American Museum of Natural …

When I was offered to review an American Greetings PhotoWorks Studio Book that was baby themed, I was so excited. I had been planning to make one yet not just for any baby – for my P3.  As our pictures of her first 10 months are minimal, I felt while it could prove a bit challenging with the typical American shades of pink for baby girls, I wanted to make the most of what we have.  I never want her to feel that she was unloved just because she …

You know how I love China’s Orphans. After all, they gave me my P3!  Now, of course, times have changed and it is difficult to get a healthy child from China but there are many, many children still available with what could be very remediable medical conditions here in the US and other economically advantaged countries.  Of course, you really want to be able to bring home a child who has had all of the loving care possible, just like my P3 – Not an easily guaranteed thing.

Well, at …

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This contest has closed and the winners are announced HERE.
Thanks to everyone whoo enjoyed our little inpromptu giveaway!  Watch for our Mother’s Day one in April!

Yes, I realize that November has passed and thus ended  National Adoption Month but I have a few additional things I want to share.
One of the things we did not go over is Foster Care.  I received the following information from one of the great PR reps I work with, Wendy Will from Wilks Communications.
“As the government looks to next year’s budget to determine …

When you are waiting for your precious child, it can seem like forever and as we all know, money does not grow on trees.  Most adoptive families get very, very creative in ways to save, find and/or make the money they will need for the expenses that just normally accrue with the adoption of a child.  In our case, we held some awesome garage sales, saved, and incurred some debt.  We were incredibly blessed by the kindness and generosity of others and will be forever grateful.
Listed here are some of …

To go along with National Adoption Month, I have come across a wonderful book, written by an adoptive mom.  Her name is  Andrea Nepa and she is the author of Red in the Flower Bed: An Illustrated Children’s Story about Interracial Adoption.
Red in the Flower Bed is about:

The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted with the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of seeds being planted in the perfect place – exactly where they belong. Children and …

November is National Adoption Month. Most of you are well aware of my love and appreciation for the adoption process.  My blog first started due to adoption in fact.  Sooo, I decided that I would place some special emphasis on Adoption and share some stories and resources that you may or may not know about, okay?

Ahh, my 3 P’s. Each one of them came into our family in a very special and different way for which I will be forever grateful.
P1 was via the Gift of Domestic adoption through …

P3 at 10 Months Old
Nanchang, Jiangxi China

June 2007

Silly Girl!
P3 2 years at HOME!
June 2009
Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky!  Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom,  The Not-So-Blog Blog, Wordful Wednesday, Moomette’s Magnificents, Go Graham Go, Momspective, Mom of 3 Girls, Newlyweds!, What’s that Smell?, MomDot, Green Mama’s Pad, Here and There and Wordless Wednesday for more terrific WW!

P3 in her Adoption Referral picture About 6 months old
P3 building sand castles @ Zadow Park. About 31 months old.

Last week was the 2 year anniversary of the first time I saw my daughter’s face…something I will NEVER forget!

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky!  Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom,  The Not-So-Blog Blog, Wordful Wednesday, Go Graham Go, Momspective, Mom of 3 Girls, Newlyweds!, What’s that Smell?, MomDot, …

While I am a crafty person, quilting is not something I have loads of experience in.  While by P3 has been home from China for almost 2 years, I do still have her 100 Good Wishes Quilt to put together so anything helpful and encouraging catches my attention.

This caught my attention.
You Can Make This.com, a fantastic creative website and blog from the talented Kris & Kim is a wonderful site.  This month they are opening www.YouCanQuiltThis.com!  They are so excited to share projects, tutorials, and patterns brought together by a …

Babies, Babies Everywhere!
P3’s First Home, the Fengxin SWI
I am so grateful for the good care she got there.  I just wish they all had their forever family!
January 2007
Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky!  Then you can head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom, 7 Clown Circus, MomDot and Wordless Wednesday for more terrific WW!

If you recall, P1 is our daughter that we adopted domestically at birth.  We learned that her birthmom had selected us to be her family about two months before she was due to be born.  We were beside ourselves with excitement but had to do the best we could to keep it all under wraps until it was a done deal, so to speak, just in case the adoption did not go through. So during those two months, we knew we were hopefully adopting a newborn but that was about …

“Smart Cookie” Contest Ends February 10th!

Two Minutes to Help Save Lives
The Cookie Magazine “Smart Cookie Reader’s Choice” contest ends in one week!  Please take two minutes to vote for Amy Eldridge and help LWB win the $35,000 donation.
This is a free, no-obligation way to help children receive the life-saving surgeries they need to survive and thrive.  Please forward this email to at least one more person and encourage them to vote as well!

Cast your vote! Click here…

Diana of Custom Blog Designs made this absolutely adorable header for her daughter’s blog in honor of Chinese New Year, which begins TODAY!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

The Dallas Overseas Chinese School will host an open house from 2 to3:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Richardson North Junior High School, 1820 N. FloydRoad in Richardson. The school focuses on teaching spoken Chinese,including its cultural and historical influences. Various educationalprizes, including one complete tuition voucher, will be awarded.www.overseaschinese school.com; 972-467-3942.

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Joint Council Call to Action: Vietnam
For the thousands of Vietnamese children living outside of a family, intercountry adoption is no longer an option. Please help the Joint Council on International Children’s Services change this by participating in their Call to Action.
Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Norm Coleman of Minnesota will be forwarding a letter to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, to encourage Vietnam’s continued participation in negotiations on intercountry adoption. The letter will express Congressional support for the continuation of …

Well, today marks the first of what I hope to make a weekly thing – Simple Sundays. Since Sunday is a kinda special day for me to spend with my family and at church, I do not want to spend hours on the computer. Plus, since spending time with them makes me feel good, I thought I would like to kind of ‘Mom It Forward’ and share a few things with you that may make you feel good. Feel free to share with your friends and family and or do …

Well, November came and went before I blinked twice! So much for the best laid plans regarding special activities for National Adoption Month! Ha! Could be because we were having a Rockin’ good time with something called Because It’s Christmas!!:) Y’all were so truly amazing about coming out and playing along and I know I really never thanked you. I truly have THE BEST READERS EVER!!!
Even though November has passed, I still wanted to share this wonderful piece of jewelry with you. This foster …

A Family is FOREVER! Please consider adoption!!

Because It’s Christmas began Nov. 10th and runs through the end of November on my Review and Giveaway Blog, 3 P’s Mama Says… where somethin’ is ALWAYS happening!
Adoption+Children

One of my favorite magazines is Adoptive Families. It is a monthly publication that covers just about every aspect of adoption – before, during and after. Month after month, they publish some fantastic and insightful articles as well as some that are really meant to be shared like this great PDF on 8 Great Reasons to Adopt Now. If you would like to read it, just click on the image below and check it out. I think you will be glad you did!As for me, these …

Yes, we are officially rockin’ into November! This past week has been so much fun with the Bloggy Giveaways. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered my giveaways here for the Hoohobbers’ rocker, the Ciao! Review and giveaway and over on 3 P’s Mama Says… for the Super Snacker set. If you have not entered yet, you still have until Noon TODAY!!
I have a bunch of reviews and good giveaways this week alone because I want to be all ready for us to start Because …

Sometimes it is hard to believe that this sad little face in yellow is the same person as the little face below. It truly is amazing what love can do and to me, that is what adoption is all about.

I have recently had several people ask me about adoption and how to get started and where to go for information. Especially since November is coming up quickly and that is National Adoption Month, I wanted to share some super references with you to get you going.

Just …

If you are a mom of girls, you have most likely heard about American Girl dolls. Really, I never knew what the big deal was about them but now that my 2 oldest girls each own one I have a better appreciation for them. Recently we went to the Dallas AG store and I noticed they had a Chinese American doll, Ivy. As the mom of an adopted Chinese daughter, I was really pleased to see that and I figured eventually I would purchase one for P3. You see, …

Check this out!

I had read about the Balsis family before and I am humbled by their open hearts. Adoption alone is not an easy thing then add the international quotient and top that off with the child being special needs – Down’s Syndrome like their other daughter. WOW! That is a handful and then some! And they are getting ready to go RIGHT NOW!!Almost equally, I am THRILLED to see the retail and blogging community getting behind them and helping them out! This will be …

Meet Emily and KC. They are an adorable young couple who are willing and ready to adopt. While I do not know them personally, I felt an instant connection the minute I saw their webpage. Brett and I have been in their shoes and know the powerless feeling you have while you wait for the right Birthmom to find you. If you know of anyone who is looking for a loving and happy home for their child, please contact Emily and KC via their webpage. …

I have not posted about China basically since my last post on the Earthquake recovery but like China, I too have recovered. One of my favorite humanitarian organizations is, as many of you know, Love Without Boundaries (LWB) out of Oklahoma. They have worked wonders for millions of China’s darling children. Here is the July update from Amy Eldridge, their Executive Director that I print with her permission. Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi everyone!
July has been an amazingly busy month for Love WithoutBoundaries, and I want to mention …

LWB Medical Program – Bringing Hope

Karen Maunu
Medical Director
Having been a part of Love Without Boundaries for over three years, I have been able to see some miraculous things. My most favorite thing of all is to see the children we have helped find their families. Over the last month, I have seen more than ever, many of these children on the shared adoption list or have been contacted by families who have completed their adoptions. I …

Here is a bit of my follow-up post on http://aboutadoption.org. It is not as exciting as the first but I needed to cover a couple a salient points. Hope you will read and enjoy!
Knowledge is Power
I really want to thank everyone for their comments following my last post. We certainly have a diverse group of readers! Diversity is such a big part of adoption and it can evoke a range of emotions. As with many things, adoption has some terms that are totally unique …

Got published, that is.:) Yes indeedy, I am feelin’ pretty proud of myself too. This time it is for a weblog just about adoption called About Adoption. I am supposed to be writing here several times a week on adoption and adoption related issues so I need all the ideas and help I can get from all of my adoption buddies!
The article I started with though is basically the story of how my 3 P’s joined our family so go take a peek and tell …

I learned of Steven Curtis Chapman while waiting for P3 to come home. He is a marvelous Christian singer with many CDs and many awards to his name. He had just His beautiful wife Mary Beth is the author of the delightful Shaoey and Dot books. But none of these things compare to the delight, joy and pride that this couple finds in their family. As the parents of 3 beautiful ‘homegrown’ children, their hearts were lead to China, where their 3 youngest daughters were …

Saturday was the long sought-for day when we were able to go as a family and be sealed for time and all eternity as a family unit. Such a gift! Now Ms P3 is as much my daughter as P2 in the eyes of the Lord as well as man. Enjoy our happy family moment!
Thanks for stopping by! Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday for the full scoop and bigger list!

Well, now that our final adoption hurdles are past (many pictures and thoughts are forthcoming) I find myself a bit more introspective and yet at peace. My family is complete. The hurdles to create it are past. I can rest….for a nanosecond.;)
Now on with life and all of the humor that comes with it!

I recently read this on an email from Amanda at Starfish Foster Home (if you are not familiar with Amanda and her amazing adventures, you are in for a treat!) Amanda …

Here at Chez Nous (our house) we LUV Shaoey and Dot books.
So there I was one day recently, minding my own business and all of a sudden I realize this is a NEW one we have not read or seen before!
So if you have read it, please share because I am seriously wanting to get it but would probably order it online. (When I order online, I like to know a little something about what to expect, ya know?;)
So leave us a message! Thanks!

Well, this is another very belated post but we were lucky enough to have Debbie and Savanah come see us about a month and a half ago. It was so good to see them again! Savanah is adorable as always and Deb seems to be doing well, all things considered. We agreed – Motherhood is NOT for Wimps! Ha! The girls had a good time together and actually played very nicely together. I’d like to think they remebered each other. Now if only Emma Rae could have been …

Yep, she is now 100% legally and totally ours. We even have a real US birth certificate for her with her complete name. We actually did this a little more than a month ago… sorry for the photo delay. There may be more later when I finally get Mom’s pix too.
Our lawyer was terrific – Terri Daniels (see the link to the right). Now on to her Citizenship, Social Sec. card, Blessing, and Sealing. We will keep you all posted!

I have kept looking at the date all month with a feeling of it being a date of HUGE importance. When I have stopped to think about it, I realize, it is, has been and probably always will be a date of importance for us. You see, October 26th (2005) was when our Dossier was officially logged in in Beijing. And after two-plus long years of waiting, look what that brought us……….:D Thank you China, from the bottom of our hearts!

The PBS Kids show Arthur has long been a favorite at our house. Well chalk another good one up for Marc Brown and the gang over at PBS because “Big Brother Binky” – Parts I & II is very well done and considerably more accurate than most media representations of Chinese adoption.
In it, Binky’s family decides to adopt a baby girl from China. Binky receives the news of getting a baby sister with plenty of enthusiasm and helps prepare their home for her arrival and to go to …

Sure enough, as expected, P3’s Resident Alien Card (aka ‘Green Card’) arrived about 3 weeks after we returned home, generated from the American Consulate in Guangzhou and our stop at Immegration in LAX. It is good until 2017…after that we would have to renew it!;) Thankfully, she will not be needing it anywhere near that long. As soon as we can complete the paperwork and go to court to finish the adoption stuff, she will also become a new US Citizen…whooohooo!

I in some ways find it hard to believe that P3 has been in my arms for a month now – June 3rd was Gotcha Day and June 4th was Adoption Day in China. We have begun the process to complete the adoption here in the US since Brett did not travel with me and I will keep you posted on the events as they unfold.

As for our newest sweetheart, what can I say? I am truly her Mom – no doubt about it. …

Happy Girl

P2 and P3

P1 and P3

3 P’s in a Pod
No, we have not disappeared nor have we decided never to write again. Life has been, well….a tad busy.;)
We returned from China safe and sound without any notable glitches. We were so happy to be home and see those smiling faces waiting for us at the airport. My in-laws had been a lifesaver and P1, P2, Brett, my cat, and the house were all intact.
P3 was a real trooper throughout the whole thing and settled into getting acquainted with the rest …

Well, we made it safely but it has taken me a bit longer to post again. Many apologies! Man, this travelling gig is tough! I am sure P3 has decided we must just live in hotels and ride on buses with an occasional taxi thrown in.;)

The White Swan is a WONDERFUL hotel! What a fabulous way to end the trip…it feels like we are on a cruise…a very unique cruise but a cruise.lol

P3 is just the best baby. She is easy going and sweet …

It is Official…in the eyes of China, Miss P3 is ours and we are coming to an end of our time in her province. Jiangxi is indeed an amazing place to which we will be forever grateful for our precious Jewel. We have visited Elephant Lake Park and the Longevity Temple, Tengwang Ge, and HanShang village – a town nearby representative of where P3 came from. I am still processing our thoughts and feelings from our visit there today. Believe me, I will think twice before complaining …

Hell everyone!
Yes, I have her and she is perfect!! I have been having a few technical issues since arriving in Nanchang, thus no posts or email and now I am so behind and oh so tired….hmmm… I must be a new Mom again!;)
I will try to post tomorrow but if I do not, please know how we love reading your comments and emails. Know all is well and we are having an amazing adventure. Above all, know P3 is so precious, healthy, smiling, eating, sleeping and blossoming …

Hello, this is Brett. Al has been busy and has not had a chance to post but I know you have been interested in her progress so I thought I would at least post some pictures. Yes, she and Grammy got baby P3 and she is beautiful. I will let Alyson fill in the details but here are some pictures in the mean time.

Time is short before leaving for the airport, Nanchang and the reason for this entire adventure – P3. I have so much to tell you and share and my mind and heart are full to the brim…and I haven’t even met her yet!;)
Here is some of the information from Day 2. Hopefully I will get more pictures and info loaded for you later. Until then, know that we are fine, having a wonderful and amazing trip and are about to add our own Jiangxi Jewel to the …

After a somewhat rocky start to the morning including a lost breakfast ticket, Michael and David, the 2 guides from our agency, divided our group with all of us going to Jiangxi going with Michael and we were off to Tian An Mein square. It is, quite literally, a huge square and today, as most days, there were plenty of people there to see it. As I am finding the people, by far the most facinating part of this trip, it was a prime location!

This is Chairman Mao’s …

This will be quick as we need to get ready to leave again soon but let’s finish up our Arrival Day.
I so loved the drive from the airport to the hotel. The windows were open on the van and I was loving it like a dog, soaking up every sight, sound, smell, and feeling. As Michael had to wait at the airport for another group, we travelled with just the driver so our discoveries were our own and it was wonderful! I will have to tell you more later about …