karen&scott

Awww Mari, the wonder and miracle of it ALL. I am sure it seems like only yesterday, the memory of her special birth day (and days leading up to it) still perfect in your mind! It all worked out, against so many odds. God is good. Everything went according to His plan, special people were in your life as they needed to be, for your daughter, as well as your grand daughter. Thank you for sharing your miracle(s)!!

Congrats Lauranda!

I am sad to hear this news. He was a very nice attorney.

Hopefully it's not too serious. And gives you peace of mind to know why and how to remedy your dizziness. Karen

Awww...another awesome photo in the gallery! congratulations to all.

So happy for Stephen and Teri! What a whirlwind of family planning, all is beautiful and perfectly timed.

Every so often I stroll through the gallery of parents-in-waiting (to remember those days, those dreams, myself). I'm never surprised to see the best folks in the world find their way to Abrazo. I know this is not by accident, as Abrazo has many outreach efforts all over the United States from former clients, which IS the BEST referral of all. And Abrazo's selection and education process is extremely thorough, as it should be. For expectant families who are searching their options, wanting the best for their precious child/children, the profiles in the gallery offer hope that you have found a safe place. So happy there is a way for two worlds to become one, through adoption, through Abrazo, through this forum. Thinking of each of you as you wait. I pray patiently (with you) about how much your lives are about to change...the Abrazo way! Peace, Karen

Waiting and remaining faithful has the best outcomes! Two families brought together by a loving determination to not let disappointments get in the way. Karen

Such a wonderful announcement (and photo)! Congratulations!

Mari, Happy Anniversary! Celebrate those silver streaks (me too), I call them parenting stripes! We've earned them! LOL. Have a great day. Karen

Staying positive with you (and for you Mari). Peace, Karen

Hi Katie and Matt. I can feel the excitement about your decision to apply. I hope it all works out, that Abrazo is a good fit for your family. In the meantime, feel free to read and post on the forum and gain as much information as possible. Adoption journeys usually have many peaks and valleys, hang in there! It will all be worth it. Karen

Matt and Katie, Just uploaded pictures from our annual Camp Abrazo weekend. You can view all of the photos in the gallery under Camp Abrazo 2013, to get a glimpse of what this agency is about...Family. Best of luck as you try to decide which way to go! My Abrazo Babes are 17 and 12. Our wait was under a year both times, with 1 failed placement in between. Our family is exactly the way it's meant to be. Adoption is a complete leap of faith, follow your heart, educate yourself on the risks and gain strength in knowing you will find "who" is looking for you, at exactly the right time. I know you'll get feedback from more recent families who have gone through the program. Karen

I agree Ellen, it really is sad, the tragedy of her early death compounded by close family relations being severed (for whatever reasons). I read through the comments on the announcement link Elizabeth first posted, which gives a glimpse into her life prior to and at the time of her death. Life is Just Too Short. Karen

Thanks to all three generations of parents in the Adams family who are making a difference, in the lives of our children. I agree that education is an important way to give back to society. Thanks for sharing this news. Karen

I remember meeting her at the Memphis picnic too (several years ago). She was dear to Abrazo. Karen

So happy Abrazo does everything in their power to keep adoption affordable for the middle class. Likewise, I work for a small employer and not only did I not get paid time off, I didn't really get any length of time off either. I had a week. My work piled up on my desk waiting for me to return. Since no one else at my company does my job. I wasn't ready to put my baby in daycare until 6 months, so I found a family friend (grandma who was retired) who was thrilled to make some extra money...babysitting. Not ideal, but I think we all find a way to make it work. After reading this thread about employer legal benefits of up to $5000 per child and other benefits that are offered through large employers, I wonder if I should be looking for another job? But I probably won't since there are always trade off's. I do have short term flexibility and that means more to me now that my children are older and all sorts of things pop up that I wouldn't want to miss. All is good, we more than survived. And with the IRS tax credit/incentive, we were able to recover financially fairly quickly and come back and adopt our second daughter 5 years later. Karen

I agree with all of the above. I think sometimes the general public gets confused in figuring out if adoption fundraising is a "need" or a "want"? Karen

I agree this article didn't do much to convince me, to see her side. But I think there is a grain of truth to be found. There is something much more endearing about parents working hard and saving for their future, for their family, sacrificing today and for many years, before their ultimate dream of parenting by adopting can be realized. And a life lesson of perserverance to share with their children. Rather than, just deciding adoption is the way to go and then figuring out how to enlist donations from others to help fund this decision. Adopting doesn't come easy, it's not supposed to. Stability and perserverance are great traits to live by. Karen

So happy for Madelyn and her families! God Bless.

These words explain many feelings that adoptive parents have (forever). Thank you.

Beautiful announcement, beautiful family! Congratulations. Karen

And then there are those situations, where the extended family does not know about pregnancy/baby, who was placed. The day of finding out and acknowledgement is still to come... My heart goes out to birthparents who feel like they have no one in their immediate family to turn to, during this important life decision. Karen

Thanks Suzi. This makes sense to me. Adoption expenses can be claimed for the credit in the tax year "after" payments were made, unless it's the year of finalization, in which case, all expenses would be allowable towards the credit in the same year. I guess everyone needs to work with their individual tax advisor to determine how it is interpretted. Karen

Suzi, To take it one step further, what would happen if you had used up part or all of your adoption credit on failed attempts hoping to achieve a successful adoption and then decided NOT to adopt afterall (ie: became pregnant or some other reason)? Then would you have to give the credit back, that which you took before an actual placement? (since there was no successful adoption) Thanks for the great information on this thread. Karen