ElizabethAnn

Not to worry... after making dozens of phone calls to numerous Vegas hotels, we were stunned to learn they were less-than-eager to make it financially feasible for Abrazo to do the May orientation out there, so Angela (being the sensible one) has worked her magic to find a way to hold that weekend in good 'ole San Antonio instead... so while what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, what goes on in San Antonio makes parents of all, and that's a jackpot in itself!

Ok, so "TMZ" is not known as a particularly reputable journalistic site, but why on earth would they refer repeatedly to Tom and Katie as Suri's "birthfather" and "birthmother" but then identify Connor Cruise as "Nicole Kidman's former son"?! Check this out.

Another sad story, out of Detroit, where a relative who adopted and was raising 8 children is standing trial for the starvation death of her niece: Shylae's Tragic End. Obviously, any single parent raising four of her own children, two nieces and two grandbabies on her own is trying veryhard to hold a family together, but at what cost? Sometimes, it's healthier for everyone to look outside the family for help; open adoption truly can be an act of family preservation in itself.

Take a moment today to offer a word of thanks or lift someone in prayer! CLICK HERE to light a candle, that our whole community might be illuminated!

I found this on Huffington Post and thought it was so wonderful, I wanted to share it here in case the link goes bad:

Ouch! Madonna has got to be feeling about as popular as OctoMom, lately... Madonna's New Adoption Effort Hitting Brick Wall as Questions Mount

Obviously, this isn't the most reputable source, but it's a disturbing concept, regardless... Michael Jackson Set To Adopt Across the Pond? My response, in two words or less: "Oh, my."

Thank you, all!! At present, we are able to consider very few families with-children-already (unless they're AbrazoAgainers and/or people with very open preferences regarding age and race of the child/ren they desire), in order to focus our efforts on placements for the folks we already have onboard! but we continue to need childless couples so we appreciate your loyal referrals!!

The Pope announced this week that condom use is not acceptable, even to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Here's the BBC's report on the Pope's position and the public's response.

Further evidence that designated adoptions work, when couples do the outreach to find a mom interested in placing, and ethical agencies do all the work to make things happen, once that match is made: Internet Taking Lead in Adoption Networking Efforts.

I hear ya, Sister English! I definitely belong to the "Old Parents Club" (and I'm just senile enough to think I'm a pretty cool mom at the ripe old age of forty-something!) I definitely have more patience than I would have had I parented in my twenties, although I don't have the energy I probably did back then. But for many of the expectant parents who come to us, our adopting parents are as old or older than their parents, and they just don't see that as "optimal"... however charming I am in my efforts to persuade them otherwise!

The First Lady of France seems to have a more positive perspective on adopting than does the media reporting it, given this rather obnoxious and perjorative headline from the AGI News: http://www.agi.it/world/news/200903041954-...en0053-art.html Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!

I just wanted to share the link for the Look Good, Feel Better program, which is funded by various cosmetic companies (like MAC and Estee Lauder and others) and provides free products, makeovers and cosmetic pointers for women undergoing cancer treatment. This was a real spirit-lifter for my late mother, during her battle with cancer, so if you know of someone who might benefit, encourage them to check this out!

As we joke about in orientation, Abrazo often gets odd phone calls from folks who want to know if they can come by our agency and "look over" the selection of babies in need of adoption, like we keep them stored in files here for public review? But now, fertility treatment specialists are beginning to offer the kind of "mix and match" options that people mistakenly assume are readily available to adopters: California Clinic Offering Parents Choice of Baby's Hair, Eye Color. It begs the question: how important is it for a parent (whether they birth or adopt) to "get" what they really want most in a child? Does this potentially impact, in any way, their parenting style, or their future expectations of their child/ren? (And if parents can "order up" their desired child, why shouldn't children be able to "order up" their desired parent/s?)

Abrazo can send a staff member anywhere in Texas for a weekend to do a homestudy for you, if you'd like... talk with Angela about this option, once you have your application in and approved.

What a beautiful story of a woman who never anticipated motherhood, a father who surely never wanted to lose his children, and three teens who lost their first moms but found a new one in a college professor who had the courage to say "yes!" to a trio so many couples would have found reason to turn down: Single Mom Makes Fairy Tale Ending A Real Life Venture.

Just references to some of the terms used by the pastor in the preceding video...

How cool is this? Intergenerational Church Dance: 4 generations As one who attends a church with a whole lot more "builders" than even "boomers" or "bridgers," I find this truly inspiring. And for anyone out there who might like to visit this lively-and-alive church in GA (or hear sermons online): here's the Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church website.

You're in good company here, Suzi... whether or not they choose to come out of the Forum shadows to share their faith (if you build it, they will come! And you did, so perhaps they shall?) Abrazo has been blessed to work with some truly remarkable Mormon families over the years (just like you) and we're thankful for their presence in our program. Hope you meet some of them, here! P.S. Make mine a Diet Sprite, please. P.P.S. For those who are not of the Mormon faith, perhaps Suzi can share with you about the very special sealing that takes place after those adoptions are finalized, and what this means to our Mormon families?

I'm guessing you're referring to the Guatemalan stole (like this one?) These also come in patterns and colors appropriate to the African-American community, for anyone who's curious: see more, here. As a P.K. (preacher's kid), I think these make a lovely clergy appreciation gift, for anyone wanting a special way to show their pastor or priest what his/her support of their adoption means to them...

Wow!!! How cool is this?! I don't know where the "Bunde Christian Reformed Church" is, but I intend to find out and send their pastor a letter of commendation, because while surfing the Internet today, I ran across their church newsletter for February 2009-- and on page 4, they published an article for their congregation on welcoming adopted children into their church family!! See it for yourself, here! then forward a copy to your church office with a suggestion that they do something just like this! How great would it be for all Abrazo's kiddos to be attending churches with this kind of "adoption-friendly" spirit?!

This just in-- the grandmother of the Suleman octuplets admits she would not be opposed to her daughter making an adoption plan or the newborns she is so ill-prepared to care for: OctoGrandma Supports Adoption Option!! She's not the only mom struggling with questions about what her daughter should do... HERE, the mother of a pregnant 13-year-old desperately seeks answers. The comments that follow readily suggest adoption as a better choice than abortion, but nobody addresses the truth that a parent cannot legally make their child terminate nor place.

This is a good resource for parents of all faiths who want to teach their children to pray, even though it is specifically written for Catholics: Helping Your Child to Pray