Garden of Hope

I saw the video of "The Last Lecture" and it really stayed with me. Be prepared, Dan and Adam. It is powerful. He was an inspiring individual. He will be missed by many, I am sure.

Congratulations to the newest Abrazo Family. What a whirlwind week this has been in Abrazoland! Blessings to all.

Fantastic addition. I hope it receives many hits because it contains a wealth of information.

Congratulations to the newest Abrazo family. May God watch over and comfort each of you in the transition and provide strength and evidence of loving choices.

Mark and Laurie, WOW the twisty roads and detours really are only preparation for God's plan. He knew Bailey's little sister would need to come home someday and so several years ago your travels wavered and went as they did. Congratulations on the new member of your family. What a wonderful blessing you have been given! May God hold Bailey and little sister's first mom close and whisper courage and love as she heals. Jean

What a beautiful opportunity to live all the positive and glorious parts of open adoption. Shauna, Ty, Dyna, Glenn, birthgrandparents, adoptive grandparents and all who have joyously watched this relationship unfold pray that God continues to bless the openness and close ties that have been built. Congratulations all.

Cool Amanda. It's lots of fun and the fish are little here so it's catch and release which means I can get them off the hook.

On Sunday afternoon Nathan cast his first line into the water and caught his first fish. It was such a joy to see him experience this. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me! He also got into the river, finally and had some fun in the water.

Great article, Elizabeth. I understand what you are saying Amanda. Recently someone was asking me about Nathan's birthmom. She said, "She just didn't care." I explained that that was not the case at all. I went on to support my belief that Nathan's first mom cared deeply and that is why she chose to carry him to term and deliver him in a hospital where she could connect with professionals who would help her place him in a loving home. People just have these ingrained, preconcieved ideas and it's terribly hard to dispell them. I don't think I convinced the person who made the statement at all. I think she believes her original statement. Fortunately, this conversation did not take place when Nathan was with me. I think perhaps it's more important for your girls to see your reaction and hear your response rather than to worry about the inital unfounded statement. Just my opinion.

Congratulations Patti and Steve.

What a beautiful post, Nana Carleen. I'm sure the Lord is smiling down on your new grandchild and all of her family. It was His plan all along! Many congratulations!

Blessings to the new mommy and daddy and the birthparents of the precious baby girl. God has brought you all together to love and nurture this little angel. Congratulations!

Awesome! How sweet it is, Sabrina. I hope you can have a face to face visit this summer.

Blessings to the newest triad! Blessings to the newest triad!

And that's why we love Abrazo! Sorry Angela had to deal with the venom but those convictions are what Abrazo's all about. May the agency forever uphold those beliefs!

Congratulations times two! God is good all the time, yes, all the time.

I love it, Cathy!

As I stop and think, there are so many that are hurting, grieving and in need. I have lit many candles and will return to finish my long list of candle lighting needs.

I echo all the previous posts, Erin and James. Abrazo works with couples with documented infertility. They accept the number of couples into the program that they can reasonably expect to place within a 12 month period. The couple's expectations and perameters often effects the length of time from entering the program to placement and whether the relationship between the agency and couple is a good fit. Birthparents working with Abrazo often want childless, Texas families however that is not across the board. Just look at Heather's Brayden, Melissa's match, Jeanna's beautiful family, and the list goes on and on. Abrazo provides birth families with profiles that match what the both families are seeking. The birth family selects the people that they would like to speak with and then it is a matter of a feeling, a fit, a destiny. It is so much bigger than it first appears. Congratulations on recognizing what we all know and choosing to file an inquiry with the best adoption agency bar none. Good luck and keep us posted! Hi TraceB, You have been talking with one of the sweetest Abrazo moms. Elaine is really one of those honest down to earth people that enrich the lives of the people around her. I hope you have an opportunity to spend time with her family as you journey toward parenthood. TN has a large and active Abrazo network that would be a wonderful resource and support to you as well. Good luck and keep reading and posting!

I agree with Sabrina and Jada. A lot of the end result is due to the expectations in the home. If the parent expects the child to succeed and gives them the experiences and opportunities to set them up for success then hopefully it will come to pass. If parents are apathetic and do not set high expectations, then the child will be more likely to fail. There are success stories from single parent homes and failings in two parent homes. It is dangerous to generalize about anything across the board.

My dad used to tell me that all good things come to those who wait and you are proof positive that dad knew what he was talking about. CONGRATULATIONS!

As a point of clarification, only the Milagros (full-service) program requires orientation attendance as a prerequisite (and this program is not an option for those who can get pregnant, since it's only open to those with documented inabilility to conceive.) So the good news is that you shouldn't have to wait on that May orientation, if you are accepted for either our designated or special needs placement programs. Get that application and send it back in, launch your homestudy, submit the information necessary to complete FBI/criminal/CANRIS checks, and you'll be off and running in no time! Good luck. Isn't that GREAT NEWS!

Three precious new individuals born, loved, and placed since my last log in. Congratulations to all the new birthmoms, birthdads, moms and dads and even some brothers and sisters, too. What a joyful read I've had. May God bless you each and every one.