tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88392531455564637452024-03-12T22:58:49.918-07:00A Life of GivingPonderings on the charitable world, adoption, and helping children in need.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-83210029493041325622010-03-02T08:15:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:20:48.431-08:00Our New Blog - LWBcommunity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1DfecWYR48P1I68MAgerwID47K2ZMZjWGyR9xPRFK6TTBKkeHebbrXnqjP89nlAvo3TSCE0xZFndZ2IRNUPLfmdqVXjnL1Q-qqOp8KdgGF-SVJ52yJGdmind8Ao7sVWYByVl5NmxSYX8/s1600-h/1blogfinal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1DfecWYR48P1I68MAgerwID47K2ZMZjWGyR9xPRFK6TTBKkeHebbrXnqjP89nlAvo3TSCE0xZFndZ2IRNUPLfmdqVXjnL1Q-qqOp8KdgGF-SVJ52yJGdmind8Ao7sVWYByVl5NmxSYX8/s400/1blogfinal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444072149775170642" border="0" /></a><br />Hi everyone,<br /><br />No, we didn't disappear off the face of the earth, but we have been working on a new blog that would combine both our Life of Giving blog and our LWB Stories blog, in order to create a community where people can discuss adoption, children, and making a difference in the world. We hope you will join us at <a href="http://www.lwbcommunity.org/">www.lwbcommunity.org</a> and join in the conversation! Today's blog is about older child adoption, and we'd love to hear your thoughts.<br /><br />We are so grateful to everyone who had a Life of Giving widget on their own website or blog page. I would invite you to grab out new widget for LWBcommunity and switch them out. Our hope with the new blog is to encourage lots of discussion about the topics we hold dear.<br /><br />Thank you for all of your support! See you on the other site!<br /><br />Amy Eldridge<br />Karen MaunuAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-37185765683996206642010-01-25T04:56:00.001-08:002010-01-25T05:01:51.762-08:00School for Newly Adopted Older Children<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypMFML3qh6q6a6euC6Bstbhggw-JABOpH5H7LJ16Nt_x8h0LZbQgUh3E08kKXCA6UIyC98m17xLUKDor18ZToTdb7MVcAilnRZA-VShSRXksmQptRuYROP2S99Qx6iGh_ONplbn2jDIw/s1600-h/j0439327.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypMFML3qh6q6a6euC6Bstbhggw-JABOpH5H7LJ16Nt_x8h0LZbQgUh3E08kKXCA6UIyC98m17xLUKDor18ZToTdb7MVcAilnRZA-VShSRXksmQptRuYROP2S99Qx6iGh_ONplbn2jDIw/s320/j0439327.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430660755654440914" border="0" /></a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:100%;color:black;" >With new Special Needs adoption lists just coming out, I’d like to continue the discussion of concerns about adoption of school aged children.<br /></span><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" >We adopted our second daughter, just as she turned 4 years old, bringing her home in December.<span style=""> </span>We gave her the nine months before the next school year to get used to us, get used to the language and take some parent/child classes together.<span style=""> </span>We started her in 4 year old preschool that fall.<span style=""> </span>When we had her evaluated for Kindergarten, the public school system said she was ready to go, their only hesitation being her spoken language and some gaps in language concepts.<span style=""> </span>Since she was making progress in private speech therapy, they felt she could overcome this.<span style=""> </span>Interestingly, the public school would not offer speech therapy, but would consider her for ESL assistance, due to being in the country less than two years.</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" >We ended up placing her in Montessori school in a mixed age 3-5 preprimary half day class as a 4 year old, even though she had turned 5.<span style=""> </span>This allowed her to work on 5 year old activities where she could and still have opportunities to fill the gaps of the earlier ages.</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" >A friend of mine recently brought home her son, just as he turned 6.<span style=""> </span>She enrolled him in kindergarten starting shortly after they were home.<span style=""> </span>He is receiving ESL services.<span style=""> </span>Looking back, I think my daughter would have benefited from starting school right away, rather than waiting.</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" >If you have adopted an older child, what age and what schooling decisions did you make?<span style=""> </span>Which ones worked and which ones did not?<span style=""> </span>What advice would you give to parents just now bringing home a school aged child?</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Guest Blogger</span></span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nancy Williams</span></span></p><p style="font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">HR Associate Director</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/">Love Without Boundaries</a></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:15pt;color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-2019271675500047532010-01-21T04:47:00.000-08:002010-01-21T05:52:19.115-08:00Searching<span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Last week Zara Phillips and DMC released a music video for their song “</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZbKNJUyGQ0"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000066;">I’m Legit</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">”</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;"><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PZbKNJUyGQ0&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PZbKNJUyGQ0&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">They released this song last spring, to bring awareness to closed birth records in the US. Both Zara and DMC are adoptees who have done a lot to promote adoptee rights and adoption awareness. Only eight states, within the U.S., give adoptees rights to original birth certificates.<br /><br />When DMC was 35 years old, he found out that he was adopted. Trying to come to terms with his beginnings, he filmed a documentary called </span>“</span></span><a href="http://www.me-dmc.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/NAA/cdid/5654/pid/4814"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000066;">DMC: My Adoption Journey</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">” which won a news and documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Cultural Programming. In addition, he wrote his song “</span><a href="http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU19xA8h3FQ"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000066;">Just Like Me</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">”</span> </span><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">about adoption.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PU19xA8h3FQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PU19xA8h3FQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />He said this about his song, “I wrote this song for all members of the adoption triad. I want people to get rid of the shame, and secrets. Adoption is about love.”<br /><br />Zara is an author, singer and songwriter from the UK. She wrote a book “</span><a href="http://www.zarahphillips.com/book.shtml"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000066;">Mother Me</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">” written about her view of motherhood from an adoptee’s point of view. In this book, she explores relationships between adoptees and birthmothers. She is quoted “It seems that birthing my children was also a birth for my whole self”. She is also just finished directing and producing an adoption documentary that discusses the lifelong impact of adoption, “</span><a href="http://www.zarahphillips.com/film.shtml"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000066;">ROOTS: UNKNOWN</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">”. This is currently being screened in both the US and England.<br /><br />How wonderful it is that adoption can be main stream and discussed so openly. With the joy that adoption brings, there is also pain. I give both of these artists a lot of credit for sharing their personal stories.<br /><br />I will leave you with one of the questions that Zara hopes that her documentary will try to answer, “What does someone touched by adoption need in order to feel emotionally whole?” I think that both DMC and Zara are showing us the way they are doing this. What do you think this might mean to you and your family? </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Karen</span></span>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-1692563642195220182010-01-20T08:01:00.000-08:002010-01-20T08:27:43.199-08:00The Smallest Moments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR-N-nl-AVC0HvYty4GCsidvHt6EW7Fnj5MFpRHI_RvAQQL589R365X2EMTyNYDyFsdEjjlTb_LMWM4zCFF3nu1ppWLgks9itfisZCEGbNlIYplaxq-QUKgKLHoVHSFQsZ4F-Wq2QRLCE/s1600-h/1blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR-N-nl-AVC0HvYty4GCsidvHt6EW7Fnj5MFpRHI_RvAQQL589R365X2EMTyNYDyFsdEjjlTb_LMWM4zCFF3nu1ppWLgks9itfisZCEGbNlIYplaxq-QUKgKLHoVHSFQsZ4F-Wq2QRLCE/s320/1blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428853280944723138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I want you to imagine an Easter Sunday mornin</span><span style="font-family:arial;">g in a rural part of China. Two wonderful volunteers for LWB had been invited to share a meal that day at a local family’s home with the orpha</span><span style="font-family:arial;">nage director. They sat on assorted stools placed on the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">cement floor and looked out at the countryside and rice paddies through wide open doors. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">There was no other furniture in the room, except a shrine to honor ancestors.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO5_ilijXm6JyvMmJL5I0q1XzDD0XuMx61KO5bcZ5Nxz4O9-ydsbcLJv0Lijpjjn0wy-Z7-1_wAkikrqCF44jZJgdmoTEDPJLhkhVyhECCZr-W4tG2WScH0Gb4GkXdfZZvfXY3krMN3CS/s1600-h/1blog1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO5_ilijXm6JyvMmJL5I0q1XzDD0XuMx61KO5bcZ5Nxz4O9-ydsbcLJv0Lijpjjn0wy-Z7-1_wAkikrqCF44jZJgdmoTEDPJLhkhVyhECCZr-W4tG2WScH0Gb4GkXdfZZvfXY3krMN3CS/s320/1blog1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428853646863203266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">One hen nested in a cardboard box behind the door while others pecked at the crumbs that had fallen from the table. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The volunteers soon learned that while they ate…...a tiny baby slept in the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">furthest back room. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">He had been abandoned with an abdominal surgical scar and a misshaped head. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1FNxr_OO8HdoaOsZlGU-IlgC7b7BB2Ib116jOQgS4iUoN656B6gzvcMoGx5sC-WZKQVccVg36UAQ54EVWFzPYVHKoe-5_CUmnpIchyphenhyphenE8vt3GBONrb437q5FSwN6_tUrjHuk1yHqVeXjc/s1600-h/1blog3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1FNxr_OO8HdoaOsZlGU-IlgC7b7BB2Ib116jOQgS4iUoN656B6gzvcMoGx5sC-WZKQVccVg36UAQ54EVWFzPYVHKoe-5_CUmnpIchyphenhyphenE8vt3GBONrb437q5FSwN6_tUrjHuk1yHqVeXjc/s320/1blog3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428855015687819554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The volunteers were told he was four months old, but they immediately could see that he was the size of a newborn. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Wondering what his fate would be in the rural countryside if he wasn’t seen by a doctor, the volunteers asked if he could be sent to the hospital for a full evaluation. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Thanks to some wonderful supporters, he was able to be moved right away. That tiny little boy spent a month in the hospital receiving needed medical care, and then was moved to an LWB foster care program to live with one of our very best mommas. He was loved completely in that home for the next 2 years. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />This past December, he was adopted to the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">United States, and his mom just wrote to us asking if we had any information on her son. There is always so much joy when we learn that a child we have helped has been united with a loving family. This child, however, brought both joy to our hearts but also a realization that the smallest of moments can change the course of one’s life forever. What if the invitation to eat in the rural home had not been extended to our volunteers? They would never have seen the tiny baby in the back room. What if they had chosen to not speak up and say “we think he needs care”? Or what if the funding had not been available at that moment to move him to the hospital for a month long stay? </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />But the beautiful thing in this story is that the volunteers <span style="font-weight: bold;">did</span> share that humble Sunday meal, and they <span style="font-weight: bold;">were</span> taken to the back bedroom to meet a little baby. Everything came together in the perfect way for one more child to be given a second chance at a healthy life. And when that happens……I can only close my eyes and give the sincerest thanks for everyone who takes the time to care about the children around the world who are orphaned.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWziKOMmZVKZq5_4WcvQW4gb5bskDfIZKK-tNrxXiIHvHljhCCqFUkwqQxHFTLuARQwtbgdrMyZszqx6k3dSLbuqqY0DFDnIOL8L-NZtNrC2IGs4akK5sy1qd4RjaUnO0se0LGUSHXK5G/s1600-h/1blog4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWziKOMmZVKZq5_4WcvQW4gb5bskDfIZKK-tNrxXiIHvHljhCCqFUkwqQxHFTLuARQwtbgdrMyZszqx6k3dSLbuqqY0DFDnIOL8L-NZtNrC2IGs4akK5sy1qd4RjaUnO0se0LGUSHXK5G/s320/1blog4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428855399327874930" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />To everyone who volunteers, who lifts prayers, who gives of their hearts and their funds to those in need……THANK YOU. You may never even know how your gifts have changed the course of someone’s life, but I hope this story shows that when we step out in love, beautiful things can happen. I think life is filled with these moments that we might think are insignificant at the time, but which allow tiny miracles of hope to shine through. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">And how wonderful is that?<br /><br />Amy<br /></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-68837784909888796672010-01-18T07:18:00.000-08:002010-01-18T07:23:18.875-08:00Have You Voted Yet?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHvPgAQEh4681S-KKucNw1c2RaSmlaptvn4-KAvZCBHTqurvJvOt20ZrEgBhZSkzbZKnUutm2KmObZXZSYEG3Pjzqr4JIik1dixksOKcn9LeyKr2B3ndIz9CLt9PMkFxYYtbAj1Bpt8s/s1600-h/Eileen.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHvPgAQEh4681S-KKucNw1c2RaSmlaptvn4-KAvZCBHTqurvJvOt20ZrEgBhZSkzbZKnUutm2KmObZXZSYEG3Pjzqr4JIik1dixksOKcn9LeyKr2B3ndIz9CLt9PMkFxYYtbAj1Bpt8s/s320/Eileen.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428099830513838882" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">There are just 5 days left in the </span><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Chase Giving Challenge</span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. We have heard from many people who didn’t realize they needed to vote AGAIN in Round Two, as it is a brand new contest. Please take the time to visit <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934">http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934</a> and cast your vote to help orphaned children in China. It will only take a moment, but the results could last a lifetime for all the children who still wait.</span><o:p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Everyone with LWB is so grateful for your help!</span><o:p></o:p></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-60252032778016306932010-01-16T17:41:00.000-08:002010-01-16T18:00:53.492-08:00VOTE - Loving Livia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8qB5MBR64ugrbWZtHmEabfxmcihBBzBzgYkN_4l-MJjeArlWJmFM2D5J8CE9T9yZSlASmRS5o0mzb_DIekM3xBl9bb5u4e7SDr4tvkkxOeNIKkjiBDLMQJ0gkBv5r21QLEJ24BQL8lQ/s1600-h/Livia2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8qB5MBR64ugrbWZtHmEabfxmcihBBzBzgYkN_4l-MJjeArlWJmFM2D5J8CE9T9yZSlASmRS5o0mzb_DIekM3xBl9bb5u4e7SDr4tvkkxOeNIKkjiBDLMQJ0gkBv5r21QLEJ24BQL8lQ/s320/Livia2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427522476698075650" border="0" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >Have you cast your vote for LWB yet in the <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934">Chase Community Giving Contest</a>?<span style=""> </span>I want to introduce you to Livia so you can see how taking the time to do so can allow even more vulnerable children a chance at life.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />Livia came into LWB’s hands from a rural orphanage when she was four months old, weighing just 5 pounds.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">She was malnourished, weak, and truly fragile. If she had not been moved to our cleft home, she would</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">definitely have passed away</span>.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />Our trained caregi</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">vers got right to work and Livia began receiving her feedings with specialized</span> cleft bottles and high calorie formula.<span style=""> </span>Over the next few weeks, she began gaining weight, began smiling, and most importantly began realizing what it means to be loved.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p>Just four months after arriving in such a weak condition, Livia was ready for her</span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > life-changing surgery!<span style=""> </span>She recovered beautifully and began hitting all of her development milestones.<span style=""> </span>In fact, she recently celebrated her first birthday and is now beginning to walk.<span style=""> </span>She is now in LWB foster care, ready for adoption and an unlimited future.<span style=""> </span>What joy she brings to the world!<span style=""> </span>What a tragedy it would have been if this beautiful little girl had not been given a second </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEJslhSyFi6DA34fY5KidL0M4a9ZCV_PV7GPvJjTxtFgIVMV3gFd-SmfO1gUHsLEyRN7R0c7WEZUyELsOYkd12pbjCYYbDiKOXLSJ4_J3kOl3gR-2gquqdFkX7t7yfJSX4w39zD80aZU/s1600-h/LiviaZhangVillage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEJslhSyFi6DA34fY5KidL0M4a9ZCV_PV7GPvJjTxtFgIVMV3gFd-SmfO1gUHsLEyRN7R0c7WEZUyELsOYkd12pbjCYYbDiKOXLSJ4_J3kOl3gR-2gquqdFkX7t7yfJSX4w39zD80aZU/s320/LiviaZhangVillage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427518586132104674" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >ch</span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >ance.<span style=""> </span>Her whole life is in frontof her now, thanks to our cleft healing homes.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:";font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />A</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12pt;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >nd by <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">voting</span></a> today for LWB, you can help us open even more specialized homes to save the lives of babies just like Livia.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Please take the time to cast your vote today, because every baby’s life is important.</span><o:p></o:p></span>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-11943101192823936872010-01-15T10:35:00.000-08:002010-01-15T10:47:08.087-08:00Photo of the Week - Vote Today<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPcxJCtD6O9ba9agVGGGjFO8uRa3IKv7OJbQSKBGJjO8LWI5H375c8a6Xni29qvZANvCvsg5jt5dGT-WQPmw2yB6OPcDc_f_VZkUdcjKg3uZ0DmEOLdljHfRlorqwcen8DHYakNcAKEdD/s1600-h/1l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPcxJCtD6O9ba9agVGGGjFO8uRa3IKv7OJbQSKBGJjO8LWI5H375c8a6Xni29qvZANvCvsg5jt5dGT-WQPmw2yB6OPcDc_f_VZkUdcjKg3uZ0DmEOLdljHfRlorqwcen8DHYakNcAKEdD/s400/1l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427038793550578066" border="0" /></a><br />Our photo of the week comes from our Zhang Village Foster Care. This is baby Landri, and I think you can tell just how much she loves being with her foster momma. Obviously the feeling is mutual!<br /><br />Landri's life was saved through our Cleft Healing Homes program, as she arrived from a rural orphanage extremely sick and weak. Our dream is to have a healing home in every province in China, so that babies like Landri can have a second chance. You can help LWB reach that goal by voting for us in the Chase Community Giving contest. Cast your vote from January 15-22 to save even more lives and to make even more moments like the one above possible!<br /><br /><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934?m=7ccbc80f">http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934?m=7ccbc80f</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-17839300745321869382010-01-12T20:43:00.000-08:002010-01-12T21:36:19.200-08:00Heroes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjFgYUH-vA8RcKpgCR2FHmHOYRxo8mEYzTFo19j7iDPBkJsM_0YNPWqZ5SaNeSb9oGJqPE2354fZxMhgprUgCdWWANHkCyCTK4HkDmrJjH9rutbX8qTg0rWor1X2_xJDjX9KGsMTz8wh9/s1600-h/123.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjFgYUH-vA8RcKpgCR2FHmHOYRxo8mEYzTFo19j7iDPBkJsM_0YNPWqZ5SaNeSb9oGJqPE2354fZxMhgprUgCdWWANHkCyCTK4HkDmrJjH9rutbX8qTg0rWor1X2_xJDjX9KGsMTz8wh9/s320/123.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426090244719029586" border="0" /></a><br />A friend forwarded me a Youtube video yesterday that I loved so much. You can watch it by clicking <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg">here</a>. This beautiful video profiles Patrick Hughes, a young man who was born with special needs who played in the University of Louisville marching band. As I watched his inspirational story, I was moved not only by his positive attitude, but also by the dedication of his loving father. His dad works the night shift at UPS so that he can then help his son with his activities during the day. I couldn't help but wish that every child born had at least one parent so completely devoted to them. What would this earth look like if it was filled with this kind of love? <br /><br />Have you known a child who has overcome extreme odds with a similar positive attitude? Or do you know a parent who has devoted themselves completely to making sure their child will find happiness in life? Please share their stories with us! We can never get enough positive and uplifting news like this one, especially working with orphaned children who face such enormous obstacles each day. <br /><br />Here's to all the parents out there who realize that inside each child is the potential to impact the world. So many moms and dads are true "quiet heroes", sacrificing of themselves so that their children can have the best life possible.<br /><br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-85880091199386179642010-01-11T05:44:00.000-08:002010-01-11T05:54:32.857-08:00Older Child Adoption<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-KmmOEdXa39BSnmkNGUp2eA2HGCfqE8lrMO9NVUHOsQTozWqxUz9jJlM1HlptnIqxMXDz_o6Y_L-v_YcMr_qTi_AbvSQ2Bcnk-yp_EgCsM3cNzdBWxAwtUONzDf1raekyQKzqx6jf68/s1600-h/Picture+441.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-KmmOEdXa39BSnmkNGUp2eA2HGCfqE8lrMO9NVUHOsQTozWqxUz9jJlM1HlptnIqxMXDz_o6Y_L-v_YcMr_qTi_AbvSQ2Bcnk-yp_EgCsM3cNzdBWxAwtUONzDf1raekyQKzqx6jf68/s320/Picture+441.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425479856656098242" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';" >Many people may not know how many children there are waiting for families in China. While the wait for healthy babies continues to get longer, there are children on the waiting child list who wait almost as long for their families to find them. <o:p></o:p></span> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';"><o:p></o:p>Choosing the waiting child path may not be for every family, but there are so many amazing children who wait every day. These children may have may have medical special needs and others may be older. Right now, there are a number of children who are in LWB programs that wait.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';">One story of the special needs path has unfolded over the last six months on the Motherlode blog, part of the New York Times. Last week, the story of an older special needs adoption from China was featured, “<a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/adoption-six-month-later/?hp">An Adoption, Six Months Later</a>”. Jenny Staff Johnson and her husband adopted a six year old little who had severe scoliosis from China this past July. Jenny, who has written periodically about her adoption of her daughter Rosemary, wrote an essay about what it means to bond to an older child and to be a family.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';">In this essay, she talks about the process of bonding with her colicky, biological children and then how surprisingly easy the bonding process has been with Rosemary. She had planned for the worst, but says that it has “exceeded my wildest dreams.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';">She summarizes her experience this way:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style="font-style: italic;">Parenting both biological and adopted children has taught me this: fit is different with every child, regardless of how they come to you. Sometimes you just have to work at it for a while. It’s natural, and it’s O.K. We expected our daughter to grieve, and she has. To sometimes be angry at us, and she has been. But mostly, she is a game member of the family she joined already in progress.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';">This essay was very well written and honest, and the comments that follow are just as informative. What an uplifting and inspiring story…..our only hope is that another child waiting will find their family.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Have you considered the adoption of an older child or a child with a medical special need? What concerns do you have? If you have adopted an older child, what were your experiences? What advice would you have for someone considering an older child?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-80147271905321796982010-01-08T08:15:00.001-08:002010-01-08T09:45:34.753-08:00Photo of the Week - Amazing Changes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2hL0yfgFkkwamO9BC4-69pvB9kILdSdfepO5nPqgbHS885tY9HxrfC6owI9YPAfEboeMtjTANeMUGKKJAxdMNIJye8PHPAvt8pjltJCZMS9I3pDE2l44YfUXcFB1VwwkmOtzbqLQ9hE/s1600-h/Paulbeforeafter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2hL0yfgFkkwamO9BC4-69pvB9kILdSdfepO5nPqgbHS885tY9HxrfC6owI9YPAfEboeMtjTANeMUGKKJAxdMNIJye8PHPAvt8pjltJCZMS9I3pDE2l44YfUXcFB1VwwkmOtzbqLQ9hE/s400/Paulbeforeafter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424421274068783554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV1FDsNBzqiJhE9Is8lzU49Ik4TvIZLq9bic1DbaYF0iHuKZhV_ng-hcxyZcLHmOkoDSTefssOeKPzSMwkUbz23eR_95XYq4cQvdOCosK7yPxIQtpnhyphenhyphenmdarSXjb5tR-xlVNmmx1scOE/s1600-h/Ronniebeforeafter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcV1FDsNBzqiJhE9Is8lzU49Ik4TvIZLq9bic1DbaYF0iHuKZhV_ng-hcxyZcLHmOkoDSTefssOeKPzSMwkUbz23eR_95XYq4cQvdOCosK7yPxIQtpnhyphenhyphenmdarSXjb5tR-xlVNmmx1scOE/s400/Ronniebeforeafter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424406624522284930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAolgG0HvxOeb6Umbmgbcogh3aXjGfWltYiVoJlSnzd153py7RwQ24LHL-PdmtJJZkqiEkEJUP9drEesZYBZcTDp8OHmodXXQ1VMOJTqSwVelut5OpvoV7hhd5o_Aai5V4I6NoafMaBc/s1600-h/Ronniebefore.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvFVTQf2n2JudXvgpxXg2k_9_JeXPLJM95I55DKHsqlEa_t9CeQEXDayJPHHlA3LoV2pdlbk8YvkhY8JrmiPIhMiNB5SySKxAEYAdRRIfs_9dsDB7A2IVCEssFJPAVY7dyT4aw_KY9-E/s1600-h/Paulbefore.jpg"> </a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This week, two little babies had their lives changed forever by a simple surgery. Both of these children had severe bilateral cleft lip and palate. In less than two hours, their lives were transformed. Thank you to the amazing cleft surgeon at Anhui Children's Hospital who performs these miracles everyday. Both baby Ronnie and baby Paul will now have a wonderful chance at finding a forever family....amazing!</span>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-82336621378191312202010-01-04T04:46:00.000-08:002010-01-04T04:52:33.394-08:00In the Blink of an Eye<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2FL0sfYRsHqNAoF6xaTH_wMRoqFqcxhrsapM4vn-t1oLkhHoDn24urGtVGnP4QzLv_tKVdjQDnOWAPFqRnN4OHaG3N0WVZ1Lw9EA1Kjv8sAdGcgc_7cwg0ZBYpo5W0MkxsPz0eZp5RZX/s1600-h/ad.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2FL0sfYRsHqNAoF6xaTH_wMRoqFqcxhrsapM4vn-t1oLkhHoDn24urGtVGnP4QzLv_tKVdjQDnOWAPFqRnN4OHaG3N0WVZ1Lw9EA1Kjv8sAdGcgc_7cwg0ZBYpo5W0MkxsPz0eZp5RZX/s320/ad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422865943637961442" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday I went to the funeral of my minister. Harold Dowler had a giant personality that filled up the room. He was a straight talking cowboy from Wyoming who gave the most massive bear hugs and who, when talking to you, made it clear that your life and what you were telling him was truly important. I had seen Harold at church before he died, and he hugged me so hard that he picked me up off the ground. He put his huge hand on my shoulder and told me if I ever needed anything, he wanted me to know he was there for me. And then I learned that a few days later, in the blink of an eye while sitting at the table with his family, he had a heart attack and passed on.<br /><br />His funeral was a celebration of his life, and ended at Harold’s request with everyone in the church playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” on kazoos. That was classic Harold, to help dry our tears with a moment none of us will ever forget.<br /><br />All day yesterday I kept wishing that I could see him just one more time, as I sure wish I could tell him just how much he meant to me, and how his wisdom stories that he shared have helped shape how I view the world. When someone dies suddenly, I think it is natural for the people who knew them to think, “if only I had told them……”<br /><br />Last night I stayed awake thinking of Harold and about how suddenly someone can leave this earth. How many unspoken thanks or words of appreciation are there that swirl in our heads but that never make it into a letter to a friend or out of our lips to a family member? I think a wonderful New Year’s resolution for 2010 is to try and not let those moments slip by. Are there people in your life that have made a real impact on you or your family but whom you haven’t expressed how much they have meant to you? Let’s all resolve to send those notes, make those phone calls, and make sure that our gratitude reaches those in our lives who have blessed us by being there. <br /><br />- Amy<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is 'thank you', it will be enough. ~ Meister Eckhart</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-43288017784995069062009-12-30T06:42:00.000-08:002009-12-30T06:49:51.370-08:00Finding Birthparents<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mtMMNp4pIL39gQ-cSwV3mCVdpQ3Bu7Wc2v6y6gSUlBxTQ3RYHwLrRHGCuebtat6Nt4sHbEUiNuiYISB7_8ADCakGP1ZvEQJ_LvJWpDtCrONQtvPrhrSy7ynsYBeLitDvpaNkCqAdXl8/s1600-h/857106_rusty_flowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mtMMNp4pIL39gQ-cSwV3mCVdpQ3Bu7Wc2v6y6gSUlBxTQ3RYHwLrRHGCuebtat6Nt4sHbEUiNuiYISB7_8ADCakGP1ZvEQJ_LvJWpDtCrONQtvPrhrSy7ynsYBeLitDvpaNkCqAdXl8/s320/857106_rusty_flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421041009451727186" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On Monday, The LA Times ran an article called “</span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-china-search28-2009dec28,0,6025953.story?page=1">Adoptive families' quests to trace Chinese roots often meet dead ends</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">”</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />This article featured one family who went to China and within minutes of putting up a poster at their daughter’s finding site found her birthparents. At the same time there are success stories, there are also stories of failures. Another family featured in the article has traveled to China 13 times and has yet to locate their daughters’ birthparents.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Changfu Chang, associate professor at Millersville University in Millersville, Pa has created a number of </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.org/">documentaries about adoption in China</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. In the LA Times article, “Chang says he knows of perhaps 20 adoptive families who have located birth relatives of their children, a minuscule number considering the more than 60,000 Chinese babies adopted by Americans since the early 1990s.”</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Have your children asked you to find their birthparents? Have you travelled to China to look for your child’s birthparents or are you planning to? If you have gone, what did you do to find them? If you are thinking of going, what are planning to do to find them? </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Karen Maunu LWB</span>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-87354565005532492672009-12-21T10:23:00.000-08:002009-12-21T10:30:15.191-08:00International Adoption 13-Year Low<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRLd62Nes2OGnLeHJVWymcX0SawmVDjlnMtufDaaATGXQ6M9UYNb_ce30Z1q2DedHydBD41ZbjKE9wvkozzARHpO-hvGaniwXKDsUY9k3PTs_kUBKSbePYavKdgCzBbLm_6Unjh37GtE/s1600-h/1243247_baby_hand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRLd62Nes2OGnLeHJVWymcX0SawmVDjlnMtufDaaATGXQ6M9UYNb_ce30Z1q2DedHydBD41ZbjKE9wvkozzARHpO-hvGaniwXKDsUY9k3PTs_kUBKSbePYavKdgCzBbLm_6Unjh37GtE/s320/1243247_baby_hand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417757941075004642" border="0" /></a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; color:windowtext; font-weight:normal; font-style:normal; text-decoration:none; text-underline:none; text-decoration:none; text-line-through:none;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Last Friday, a new article on international adoptions by Americans came out “</span><a style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gcrbmoOBOt-XHGEpuZsaS24GWXlwD9CLBA200">Foreign adoptions by Americans hit 13-year low</a><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">” by David Crary. In 2009, foreign adoptions dropped to 12,753, 27% lower than 2008 and nearly 45% lower than the all-time peak in 2004.<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><o:p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></o:p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig">This article sited many reasons most of them pertained to adoption reform. <span style=""> </span>In this article, Chuck Johnson, chief operating officer for the National Council for Adoption was quoted:</p><p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-style: italic;">"This drop is not a result of fewer orphans or less interest from American families in adopting children from other countries," he said. "All of us are very discouraged because we see the suffering taking place. We don't know how to fix it without the U.S. government coming alongside."</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig">Thomas DiFilipo, president of the Joint Council on International Children’s Services believes that in 2010, adoption numbers could fall even further. He would like to see more help from the State Department saying, <span style="font-style: italic;">"One of their primary functions is to help potential adoptive parents, when their focus should be on children in need of adoptive families."</span></p><p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We would love your thoughts on what this might mean for your family.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Were you thinking of adding to your family through international adoption?</span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Does this article make you rethink these plans? Are you planning to contact any of your congressional representatives?</span><o:p></o:p></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-34691405582138920942009-12-18T12:32:00.000-08:002009-12-18T12:38:38.572-08:00Photo of the Week - Cozy Andrew<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMu7FkOQzHUfYdGt1C44d7D5KXDSFe3sJddA4lU1hbNcjKVYme_oTIZlR4pybzDngAzlS1vwi5CMEFXQ0Cz_XRJeNp-TUNknY1SVYX6UWAZ5CB6gkVMFbXuB8ev_-fnQMMhrZGwmR13z4/s1600-h/Andrew_Kaifeng_Nov+09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMu7FkOQzHUfYdGt1C44d7D5KXDSFe3sJddA4lU1hbNcjKVYme_oTIZlR4pybzDngAzlS1vwi5CMEFXQ0Cz_XRJeNp-TUNknY1SVYX6UWAZ5CB6gkVMFbXuB8ev_-fnQMMhrZGwmR13z4/s400/Andrew_Kaifeng_Nov+09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416677241843011394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What an absolutely adorable face! This is Andrew from our Kaifeng foster care program. He will be snuggly warm this winter in his new coat, courtesy of our Coats for Kids program. </span>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-37249514278269513592009-12-16T19:49:00.000-08:002009-12-16T19:54:05.838-08:00What Shall I Leave My Children?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">The open sky, the brown earth, the leafy tree,</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The golden sand, the blue water, the stars in courses</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> and the awareness of this.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Birdsong, butterflies, clouds and rainbows,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Sunlight, moonlight, firelight.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A hand reaching down for a small hand,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Impromptu praise, an unexpected kiss, a straight answer.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The glow of enthusiasm, and a sense of wonder,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Long days to be merry in and nights without fear.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The memory of a good home.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Anonymous</span><o:p></o:p></p> <!-- cg24.c1.mail.mud.yahoo.com compressed/chunked Tue Dec 15 21:45:35 PST 2009 -->Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-58605137933095550882009-12-14T19:49:00.000-08:002009-12-15T11:03:42.329-08:00Chance Encounters - What Are Yours?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDTitqmS2GsVzQAa_uLXdUr6TZfp7qP28n2K0ftN2YDSaZoRh4ODJ0CmdDcBU_4lLYCaFT06G8_TXvKO6HL2Q_1nymsRpKcSF3idmdkcj62l5E-ykyp2M3pwirycI7U5WdoTqjweEihA/s1600-h/1241451_butterflies.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 201px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415306449575840306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDTitqmS2GsVzQAa_uLXdUr6TZfp7qP28n2K0ftN2YDSaZoRh4ODJ0CmdDcBU_4lLYCaFT06G8_TXvKO6HL2Q_1nymsRpKcSF3idmdkcj62l5E-ykyp2M3pwirycI7U5WdoTqjweEihA/s320/1241451_butterflies.jpg" /></a> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.EmailStyle16 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; color:windowtext; font-weight:normal; font-style:normal; text-decoration:none; text-underline:none; text-decoration:none; text-line-through:none;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >I found this wonderful new blog, <a href="http://www.chineseadoptee.com/">One World: Chinese Adoptee Links Blog</a>, a compilation of Chinese adoptees blogs through one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.chinaadoptiontalk.blogspot.com/">Adoption Talk</a>. </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >This new blog is being written by Chinese adoptees around the world.</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >This is their welcome at the top of the blog:</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Welcome to ONE WORLD: Chinese Adoptee Links (CAL) Blog! Founded by a </span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">group of seven</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">, Erin, Jazz, Jeannette, Jennifer Bao Yu Jue-Steuck, Julia, Mei-Mei, and Sabrina </span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">span 3 continents</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> and </span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">represent 5 generations of Chinese adoptees</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">. This is a compilation of stories and articles from around the world, reflecting the diverse experiences of those adopted from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia and from around the globe. If you'd like to contribute, please email the webmaster at eclairerin@gmail.com. Visit CAL online at: </span></span><a style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)" href="http://www.chineseadopteelinks.org/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">http://www.chineseadopteelinks.org/</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><p style="FONT-STYLE: italic" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;">Thank you!</span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">As I read through the blogs, I couldn’t help but think of my girls at these older ages, participating in a blog like this.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">What would their words say?</span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">One of the blogs really made an impact on me – “<a href="http://www.chineseadoptee.com/2009/12/chance-encounters-part-deux.html">Chance Encounters (Part Deux)</a>” .</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In this blog posting by Jennifer Bao Yu Jue-Steuck, she writes about “8 Chance Encounters That Have Changed My Life”.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I couldn’t help but see these events through the eyes of my daughters.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Her #4, meeting another adoptee in class while she is in college, or #5 sitting next to a mom and her Chinese adopted daughter in a subway, and then #7 meeting “fellow peer-aged ADULT Chinese adoptees”.</span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">I love how she ended this blog post – What chance encounters have changed your life? </span><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;">What a wonderful blog and definitely one that I will be introducing my girls to.</span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">When you read this, what thoughts come to your mind as you envision your children as adults? </span><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0);font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Karen Maunu</span><br /><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-32545332759800739502009-12-11T15:35:00.001-08:002009-12-11T15:40:43.891-08:00Photo of the Week - Surgery for Iris<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02G_0yqzwUGGgOAg5MgY4NIVaPbITQThOyFSJEqYUFryYS4XT18S3r3CKtZ48VGotpUWXt5zysd3rzDnsEjVdBP7c_YE9k5vNSk6Bvu0Qhrma47fGwOZbUM0iLChyLyCJAiBzHLwurfc/s1600-h/2009.12.10+Pre-op+Preparations+%2816%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02G_0yqzwUGGgOAg5MgY4NIVaPbITQThOyFSJEqYUFryYS4XT18S3r3CKtZ48VGotpUWXt5zysd3rzDnsEjVdBP7c_YE9k5vNSk6Bvu0Qhrma47fGwOZbUM0iLChyLyCJAiBzHLwurfc/s400/2009.12.10+Pre-op+Preparations+%2816%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414126497748031778" border="0" /></a><br />Little Iris in the US having surgery on the large hemangioma on her neck. Yesterday, she had the first of two surgeries she will have while she is here. Thanks to Dr. Hochman and his team, her first surgery was a success! She did so well yesterday and loved being the center of attention. The only thing that made her upset was that they removed her pretty bracelet after she was put under anethesia. Our hope is that as soon as she goes back to China, her paperwork will be submitted so she will be able to have a forever family!Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-43110104131331068272009-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:002009-12-08T21:30:10.173-08:00Status of Adoptions from China - BOYS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLvMEmjTeMp4JjbvrYbRg84tHboOcLarFhyNduEs56nA-1Ceh1Y0mC79KYGh3SL5OKMq2VoKFKjNDasIXGIT6p8RZdRARNOmlS78or2afq5WsjzrrL_koc-oKtbp8hC0ASiBRFVUkBK2C/s1600-h/jumbo_baby_rattlers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLvMEmjTeMp4JjbvrYbRg84tHboOcLarFhyNduEs56nA-1Ceh1Y0mC79KYGh3SL5OKMq2VoKFKjNDasIXGIT6p8RZdRARNOmlS78or2afq5WsjzrrL_koc-oKtbp8hC0ASiBRFVUkBK2C/s320/jumbo_baby_rattlers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413104208552955474" border="0" /></a><br />The National Council for Adoption recently released a report on the status of adoptions from China to the US. You can read the entire document <a href="http://www.adoptioncouncil.org/documents/NCFAADOPTIONADVOCATENO18.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br />I had never seen the total number of adoptions broken down by gender before, and was surprised to still see such a disparity between the number of girls being adopted versus boys, especially since many of our programs in China run pretty much 50/50 on the boys and girls we help. In 2008, 3030 girls were adopted to the United States while only 822 boys found homes. I actually found myself thinking that I probably knew at least half of those boys who had found a family! <br /><br />A little bit later on in the article, they mention a study on boys from China published in April of this year. In this study, 61 families were asked questions regarding their adoption of a son, and it was wonderful to read that the vast majority say their sons are doing well. The main concerns raised were the lack of resources for boys from China, since the majority of adoptions are of little girls, and also a need for more help in framing their son's stories, as most people believe only little girls are available for adoption.<br /><br />If you have adopted a son from China, what explanation do you give when asked how you were able to adopt a boy? Did you specifically request a boy from China or were you open to either gender? Why do you think the majority of waiting children files returned "unchosen" to China are of boys?<br /><br />Amy (proud mama to one of the cutest little boys from China ever, and yes, completely biased!)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342011448047886272noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-45562340122914337692009-12-07T08:59:00.000-08:002009-12-07T09:07:29.302-08:00What are You?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib86l5y_02t_Lg2bsK-yMlV-oWvyYe9D-zC089mwoyTyTmcZ2gABWUtldStW8Km1pEvHn5ee4JBUd5aZPBrSA1TWwP3pVxRPzxzf98wUFHPZ8i5YzGA7twsLPlO03Rum2HN0fjk_NCYzE/s1600-h/1217936_flag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib86l5y_02t_Lg2bsK-yMlV-oWvyYe9D-zC089mwoyTyTmcZ2gABWUtldStW8Km1pEvHn5ee4JBUd5aZPBrSA1TWwP3pVxRPzxzf98wUFHPZ8i5YzGA7twsLPlO03Rum2HN0fjk_NCYzE/s320/1217936_flag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412541427458582770" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Saturday night, I watched the movie “Grand Torino” with my husband. I loved how in this movie, the character Clint Eastwood plays starts out very racist regarding his Hmong neighbors but in the end, gives his life for them. He asks them to go back to where they are from and doesn’t believe that they are American. As a veteran in the Korean War, he viewed all Asians as bad, especially his neighbors. I loved how at the end of the movie, he pins the silver star he earned during the war onto the neighbor boy Tao, really symbolizing how they are connected and that he saw him as American too.</span><o:p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></o:p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig">In addition, a friend was telling me recently that in the year 2050 the Caucasians/Non-Hispanic whites in the US will become a minority. I found this article "<a href="http://www.gbmnews.com/articles/2842/1/Caucasian-Race-in-the-United-States-to-be-the-Minority-in-2050/Page1.html">Caucasian Race in the United States to be the Minority in 2050</a>" that Reuters is predicting that by that time, this population will account for 47 percent of the population.<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig">NPRs Melisa Goh recently did a story called “<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120649664">What Are You? The Answer’s Not Black or White</a>” about being raised multiracial and how being mixed, with a white mother and an Asian father, that people didn’t know where she fit. She also talked about conversations can easily slip from race to nationality.<o:p></o:p></p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">She went onto talk about a bumper sticker on her cousin’s car that read, “Somewhere in Kenya, a village is missing its idiot”. She responded this way:</span><o:p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></o:p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>But this jab struck a tender spot. He sees the sticker as a purely political matter. I see it as unquestionably racial. I drew blood when I pointed this out, and our conversation took that ugly turn.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>But for me, those who question President Obama's citizenship are sending me a personal message: If your father came from somewhere else and isn't white, then you may not be American enough. To them, I'll always be an outsider.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>Thing is, my cousin's husband isn't one of those people. Far from it. He and my cousin have adopted three Chinese orphans. He'll never, ever tell them they're not as American as their blond, blue-eyed brother — and I wouldn't dare anyone to try.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>He has heard people say his children should go back to where they came from, and he has always put a stop to it. So I don't understand what's so funny about that bumper sticker.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig">She goes onto say:<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><i>Turns out, "What are you?" isn't a question for just funny-looking people like me. It's a question each one of us has to answer. And that answer, for all of us, isn't black or white.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What makes an American? Do you look at the color of someone skin and wonder where they are from? Have you ever made false assumptions regarding someone’s race and their nationality?</span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Karen Maunu</span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-4920991772101978442009-12-05T13:59:00.000-08:002009-12-05T14:05:36.007-08:00Photo of the Week - Healed Heart for Austin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJBD9YJr8GFFGGyZjeAWeH60Ba18G6cunrV_Kn7SzUUEwkzOThTObZt8rjRTOLurUkpXXZ14qxnASbndbz2LVnxqmUPQ3d6hN5l6lbprEFlUrBl70pej2krccvWfcHREW4RcimRB4xfM/s1600-h/Austinsurgery.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJBD9YJr8GFFGGyZjeAWeH60Ba18G6cunrV_Kn7SzUUEwkzOThTObZt8rjRTOLurUkpXXZ14qxnASbndbz2LVnxqmUPQ3d6hN5l6lbprEFlUrBl70pej2krccvWfcHREW4RcimRB4xfM/s400/Austinsurgery.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411875734993713634" border="0" /></a><br />Austin is a little boy from our school in Jinjiang who had a really serious heart defect. His smile is so infectious! He had surgery last week and was just discharged. When his Ayi told him he would be having surgery and he smiled. Our hospital monitor told us that Austin was nervous but very brave ‘and didn’t cry’. We are so happy this beautiful child is now healed!Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-57772052214857344372009-11-29T19:30:00.000-08:002009-11-29T19:37:19.793-08:00Our Grassroots – PLEASE Vote!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-XO0G_otu3UelAH5LynaRaeIAhT922eYYlyUhcqBmLk_9Em7ENWGcYoRxXmEbpkWSk-ICOB3J5sA3D01ZfwC1zek0Y6YYInpwuVjeWlJ5yb_QBA_7uaFz4dC3SwnKoRk_nrAYxLZK3M/s1600/1243162_grass_4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-XO0G_otu3UelAH5LynaRaeIAhT922eYYlyUhcqBmLk_9Em7ENWGcYoRxXmEbpkWSk-ICOB3J5sA3D01ZfwC1zek0Y6YYInpwuVjeWlJ5yb_QBA_7uaFz4dC3SwnKoRk_nrAYxLZK3M/s320/1243162_grass_4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409735033163893218" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the beginning, Love Without Boundaries started to help orphans in China. The hope was that if 10 children a year could be helped and adopted, we would have done our job. People who were passionate about helping children came together, grassroots style.</span><o:p style="font-family: georgia;"></o:p></span> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-size:100%;">Over the years, we have grow, but our grassroots have stayed. We are all about helping children and using almost all volunteers so that our overhead stays as low as possible. The difference today is that we are now helping more than 1500 orphaned children a year and more than 1000 children who we have helped are now in families. We know that we are making a difference everyday.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-size:100%;">In October, Facebook wrote a blog about our work in winning last year’s Facebook Giving Challenge sponsored by the Case Foundation "<a href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=155964907130">Causes Return to Their Grassroots Online</a>". Between donations and what we won, we were able to raise over $130,000 that directly went to helping children.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-size:100%;">We are now in another contest were we have a chance to win $1 Million dollars…..do you know how many children’s lives could be touched with this money? JP Morgan Chase is running the Chase Community Giving contest for grassroots charities. There are two parts to this contest. The first part runs between now and Dec 11. If we can get enough votes and be in the top 100 charities, we will win a minimum of $25,000 and we are able to move onto the second round. The second round runs from Jan 15 – 29 and during this time, the charity that receives the top votes will win $1 Million and the five runners up will each win $100,000. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-size:100%;">We need your help! Please vote for LWB and then spread the word to your friends and family. This money could make such a huge difference to some of the most vulnerable children. Please vote and share this link - <a title="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934 blocked::http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934" href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934" target="_blank">http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank you so much for your help and support….we are the charity that we are today because of YOU!</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263934?src=embed"><img src="http://a1.chase.contextoptional.com/images/vote_for_us.jpg?1259201682" /></a>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-49229367821250073752009-11-23T06:05:00.000-08:002009-11-23T06:13:37.304-08:00"Find My Family"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWs-kezVf66TNW2oLGXWg2u3xYjB8tUzaZrlwJ4gJvPCF7wIR1WDB9ez9NHebDdBKqSYMlF1T-5Ppgfze-K3gY5SlwRcPomEv3ZyuqOfUxpEf4Zf8PNztWNEbN4L8pljWvVuFPh7Y_hM/s1600/1215912_paper_chain_in_the_dark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWs-kezVf66TNW2oLGXWg2u3xYjB8tUzaZrlwJ4gJvPCF7wIR1WDB9ez9NHebDdBKqSYMlF1T-5Ppgfze-K3gY5SlwRcPomEv3ZyuqOfUxpEf4Zf8PNztWNEbN4L8pljWvVuFPh7Y_hM/s320/1215912_paper_chain_in_the_dark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407301424350497922" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >I was recently watching TV with my girls, and a preview for “Find My Family” came on. This new show premiers tonight on ABC. They sat mesmerized as birthparents and adoptees were reunited. So many thoughts came into my head, but the first was so sad that a day like that would never be able to happen for them if they wanted it and then I felt sad for the people who had been filmed. To me, this event should be private and not be made into reality TV. I looked at my girls, wondering what they were thinking. When it was over, I asked them how the show made them feel, and they both answered “Good!” </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><o:p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></o:p></span> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">With the enthusiasm that I heard from my girls, I now wonder if this is a show they should watch – my girls are 9 and 11. I wondered if this kind of a show would promote good birthparent discussions or if this show would cause them more pain. Martha Osborne from “<a href="http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=684">Rainbow Kids</a>” had a great commentary on her website about this show.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Her first point was based on the show’s tagline. “With the tagline <i>Some people have spent their whole lives searching for the one thing that matters most... Their wish will now come true. Let's find your family</i>, producers completely discount any worth of the adoptive families who have loved and raised these children. Instead the show emphasizes the loss of a child's ‘real family' as the one-and-only central issue of all adopted children's lives.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">She goes further to say that, “Unfortunately, the general public's opinion and understanding of adoption is largely shaped by the media. ABC's exploitive new series will focus on the most extreme issues in adoption, and is sure to have an effect on how our children's teachers, extended family, and friends view and accept adoption.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">In her article, she writes that younger children should not watch this show because it focuses on adult emotions, but that parents should empower their children by using the <a href="http://www.adoptionsupport.org/pub/index.php">Wise Up! </a>Workbook . For upper elementary school and middle school, she advises some discussions with children around birthparents and identity, media and marketing of ideas, their feelings around these issues, and how others may start asking them intrusive questions because of this show and how to handle them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Have you see the previews for this show? What are your thoughts about letting your kids watch it? What will you do to prepare your kids? If your children are older, even if they don’t watch this show, are you going to be proactive in preparing them in how to deal with possible questions as this show becomes publicly known?<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Karen Maunu</span><br /><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-79153516211103978412009-11-20T14:06:00.000-08:002009-11-20T14:11:43.132-08:00Photo of the Week - Cindy and Samuel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAJn8dX3ZOZj5-Pj8Ru25uMBzfopnISjsAiDZdDUtXZss0A4AUPgxMEbHlBarocIbPSw0ftljoXLOlXFlnr9JhO0SXbabDHXjNPfTbyBaF8MrjS6vmsxvQ3o3THK2AwCc5bkZPWLwM-Y/s1600/CindySamuel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAJn8dX3ZOZj5-Pj8Ru25uMBzfopnISjsAiDZdDUtXZss0A4AUPgxMEbHlBarocIbPSw0ftljoXLOlXFlnr9JhO0SXbabDHXjNPfTbyBaF8MrjS6vmsxvQ3o3THK2AwCc5bkZPWLwM-Y/s400/CindySamuel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406310886845146322" border="0" /></a>What an absolutely gorgeous photo of our manager Cindy and baby Samuel. Samuel is a child who is being cared for at our Heartbridge Pediatric Unit. Cindy visits monthly to do reports and play with this kids. With all of the snow that Beijing has had, the roads have been icy, so Cindy's husband joined her on her most recent visit. From this picture, you can sure tell how much Cindy loves her job. We are just so grateful for all of our kind and loving staff who work so hard on behalf of the children.Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-56330792708660961842009-11-15T19:03:00.000-08:002009-11-15T19:13:11.450-08:00Racism Around the World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKWxEcTyYZXoQz1YOuMKXxfb-QFH3s5J5Fm7OjotkqyxpmbvAV5RrFKsy8a3MjdPh2W-Cep4W__Ry9202HUqUIGtCkoUsw3VcwQMlLeGZHnfnTIs_m3qp99ZgqtDxpb9EOhNMkEvLVtQ/s1600/Obama.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKWxEcTyYZXoQz1YOuMKXxfb-QFH3s5J5Fm7OjotkqyxpmbvAV5RrFKsy8a3MjdPh2W-Cep4W__Ry9202HUqUIGtCkoUsw3VcwQMlLeGZHnfnTIs_m3qp99ZgqtDxpb9EOhNMkEvLVtQ/s320/Obama.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404532294409553922" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';" >This morning, President Obama arrived in Shanghai, the third leg of his four nation trip to Asia and his first visit to China. I was struck this weekend with the timing of his arrival to China with a photo that I just happened to see…..a photo of President Obama and his Chinese American niece taken during a vacation in August. As I looked at the photo, I thought of how much I wish our country could truly look beyond race.<o:p></o:p></span> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';"><o:p></o:p>China is now dealing with the issue of racism as well. As Chinese society opens up to the outside world and more Chinese marry foreigners, they are now dealing with very similar issues. There was an interesting program on NPR last week called “<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120311417">Mixed-Race TV Contestant Ignites Debate in China</a>” about a young girl whose mother was Chinese and father was African-American. She was raised in Shanghai and recently appeared on a Chinese reality TV show. Her appearance has caused an online racist debate.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';">Hearing about this young girl, I was so struck by how similar her story is to many in our own country. And how much the story of differences causes stereotypes and judgments. I hope that as our world becomes smaller and smaller, that there will be more acceptance around the world with all people in all nations. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:'Calibri','sans-serif';color:black;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As you read news stories, do you feel that worldwide we are becoming more accepting of other races? Do you feel that the media runs stories to sensationalize race? What are you doing as a parent to raise an open family?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839253145556463745.post-79371184440870637182009-11-14T06:55:00.001-08:002009-11-14T07:17:10.794-08:00Photo of the Week - Harvest Party<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpF_2P5gg5iGQ-ahoGC75BuRHORBM2TLeGcE1Z7rDOQsU3E99L8QK6sljsyKM-8IPMZZcsddzX8ShFHDERSoQmkpC6tmmNcMR854wXji7mJIj-p4pZfhSj8GXOSXo5oBI-XAnzxXXZsg/s1600-h/Harvest+picture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpF_2P5gg5iGQ-ahoGC75BuRHORBM2TLeGcE1Z7rDOQsU3E99L8QK6sljsyKM-8IPMZZcsddzX8ShFHDERSoQmkpC6tmmNcMR854wXji7mJIj-p4pZfhSj8GXOSXo5oBI-XAnzxXXZsg/s400/Harvest+picture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403973216363789234" border="0" /></a>It's harvest time....and harvest party time in our Believe in Me schools. Thanks to generous sponsors, these children were able to celebrate fall with a wonderful harvest celebration. We just loved the photo of these children in their party hats. Happy fall!Love Without Boundarieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015933036011694699noreply@blogger.com1