This blog has stood empty all day because I can think of little to be thankful for that doesn’t sound contrived or trite. Truth is…I don’t feel very thankful today. It was one of those days when all the overwhelming aspects of my crazy life came crashing together. And for once they had little to do with LuLu’s disability (save for if she was in school, I could get the rest of my life done!)

I think the thing that is hardest about the challenges in my life right now is the unpredictability of it all. Ironically enough, parents of special needs children understand how important predictability and routine are for their children. And I work very hard to... more

I am so thankful (and sometimes still totally in awe of) the Internet. I don’t know how people adopt without it. Or how they raise special kids who don’t seem to “fit the mold”. Back in 1996, when this whole desire to adopt internationally came to a head for me, I picked up the phone and called a man who had been featured in a local newspaper article about adopting from China. About two sentences in he said “Do you have internet access?” “Yes,” I replied sheepishly, knowing that my internet prowess was well below average. “Good,” he announced, “it’s the easiest way to learn what you need to know.” He proceeded to rattle off websites of information, listserves... more

I'm thankful that I have a loving family who cares enough about me to give me a day at the spa. Yes, they gave it to me for Mother's Day. And yes, I didn't use it until yesterday. And yes, I'm a bit disappointed that the polish on my pedicure smudged. But still...I'm so very thankful.

It's one of those sweet moments as a stressed-out mom, when your family gives you the permission to lay down the mantle for a few hours. And it was heavenly!!!!

I’m still thinking about how thankful I am for scrapbooks! I love my scrapbooks. While sometimes I wish I was a bit more creative ( I covet, then steal ideas from those more talented than I), I enjoy the craft very much.

And my family enjoys the finished product. Super Dad hauls the albums off the shelf to show guests, my extended family reminds me to tote along the current album when we come visit, and the girls love to page through each book on rainy afternoons. The kids have already started to squabble over how... more

Today I’m thankful for Friday Night Crops! Yes, like Sharlene over on Older Children blog, I’m a scrapbooking addict. The only time I find time to engage in my addiction is on the first Fridays of the month. For nearly a decade now, several scrapping addicts from my church gather in the fellowship hall for a night full of scrapbooking. It’s “crop ‘til you drop” at its finest. It is my one “girls’ night out” that I’ll do just about anything... more

I’m thankful for the way adopting our special needs child has increased my own faith journey.

Now, it’s hard for me to talk about my faith journey without talking about my belief in God. But I don’t think you have to be “religious” to have faith. In fact, faith is simply being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Everyone, regardless of your religious beliefs, has faith is a few things. Oxygen for one. Gravity for another.

But adoption causes the individuals involved to do lots of faith stretching. In our situation, the decision to adopt internationally was rooted in faith. We believed (and hoped) in a child we could not... more

I’m not above stealing a really good idea. Birth/First Parent blogger, Jenna Hatfield, posted that not only is she going to blog each and every day through the month of November, but every day she’s going to do a Thankful Series. So I thought I'd join her on the NaBloPoMo. Jenna went on to comment that it is sometimes hard for her to be thankful when she thinks about various aspects of adoption from a first parent... more