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Hi Stephanie! Please send Susan a PM so she can get the details of our regional gathering. I hope to see you in a month. Wow, time is ticking on this year. Have a great week & I look forward to following your journey. xoxo, Amy

Mari, I continue to be amazed at your strength through out this hospital stay. I hope that you are saving these loving post & will print your story for keep.....you have such a way of telling everything that makes me feel like I am right there. Thank you for your honesty through these post. xoxo, Amy

Mari..... Take comfort in the signs that you have seen. I am so appreciative of the time you are taking & energy you are putting into these post. I can feel the love oozing from every pore of your soul. When you are ready to share the next segment know that we are ready to digest your words of love. xoxo, Amy

You keep me hanging on by a thread....like a mouse for that small bite of cheese......loving your dialogue/story. Please continue I keep learning from you. xoxo, Amy

So. so excited for ya'll!! xoxo, Amy

Many blessings xoxo, Amy

Glenn, We have been thinking of you all night. There are no words that we can offer other than we are so sorry to learn of this loss. May you & your family relish in all the memories of your precious Priscilla. May you feel the warmth of God's loving arms around you. The Brown family

I read this article early this morning after Hayden awoke us early as usual . I found myself thinking that sounds so like us.... because we get so excited when Hayden reaches some of those milestones that he lags in. After a year of struggling with my own emotions of learning that Hayden has a wide spectrum of different/special needs I know these things are so very true: Again thanks Elizabeth for finding just the 'right' articles for those of us need them....you never cease to amaze me . xoxo, Amy

And sometimes you learn to open your heart, never imagining what blessings will be bestowed upon you. That's what happened for us. Feel free to PM me at any time. When the time is right the right child will come. Keep the faith xoxo, Amy

Wow, so many inquiries lately....makes me remember our journey 2 1/2 yrs ago. Best wishes to you all. Going in w/ open eyes & hearts will lead to your child.....I know that our child found us that way . xoxo, Amy

Susan, Double check w/ your homestudy agency. You know Virginia & the wacko laws... xoxo, Amy

Greetings..... We had one child also adopted when we sent our inquiry in---that was Feb. We were accepted & attended orientation in May. Our son was born in August! Hang in there snail mail is forever at times . And I echo the others, your child will find you. xoxo, Amy

Joe & Mel, Welcome to Abrazo. Hope you find just what you are looking for here. Take some time to wonder around the many post & hopefully you will find the answers to your questions. Can't wait to learn more about your family. xoxo, Amy

Wow, simply wow....a heartwarming story of courage, faith & love. Thanks for finding & sharing xoxo, Amy

To all the new families, we send our fondest congraulations on your newest arrivals. Hugs & kisses from Virginia to your new bundle of joy!

A very scary place to be... Very real feelings felt.... Remembering how we felt during our first adoption that was contested.... Knowing how grateful we are to be a part of the Abrazo family now & that we didn't have to worry about those feelings this time. Thanks legal department!

I'm pretty sure that the author is Patricia I. Johnston.

Welcome to Abrazo! We used Abrazo to adopt our son in Aug 2005- he just turned 2, our daughter is 7 & her adoption was a private independent one in 2000. We also live in Virginia. Please feel free to PM us for questions. We are having a Virginia regional gathering September 29 in Williamsburg area. PM Kathy, iNPink, for the details & watch the gatherings page. Again welcome!! ~Amy

Welcome to the world baby Victoria! Welcome to Abrazo (& the forum ) Congrats to the newest family from your Virginia family

What an amazing story to watch unfold....... Can't wait to watch as your family of FOUR grows in love & the circle of love grows. Congrats!

Congrats to all new parents! May all members of the adopiton triad be blessed.

If we have a question or two about the application, should we post them here? Or, call Angela? If we should post them here, I'll go ahead and list them. If we should call, I'll do that. Please just let me know. Okay, here I go. . . 1. Would it be taken negatively if we stated "unknown" for the question regarding a parents' attitude towards adoption? 2. For the health statement/question, should we put something like "good/fair" or if there is a health issue list it? 3. For the description of retirement plans, should we list the specific type, amount, account number? Or, just the type? 4. Savings and investments, would this also include any life insurance policies with a cash value? Thank you to whoever can assist us with these questions. We want to do everything we can to get past second base Cathy and Brian Personally, the more honest you are with questions 1 & 2 the better. I feel like you need to know up front how your family is ging to relate, welcome & love the child you are hoping to welcoming into your home. Does that make sense? I needed to know w/ all of my heart that my parents would love my children just the same as my sisters (biological). I can see in my dad's eye the twinkle of love he has for EACH of his grandchildren...it makes no difference how they arrived. As far as your health.....the more you can exprain a problem (in my eyes & I work in health care) the better you are & the more you understand what it takes to care for yourself. I'm trying to remember but I think that I listed all my surgeries & other health issues. Tim did the same. I don't remember what we put for answers to 3 & 4. I would defer you a more recent PIW graduate or the Abrazo staff for those answers. Hope that helps . best wishes.

We want our children's birthmothers to know how special they are to us! While they each have their reasons for the types of relationships we have w/ them......we want them to each know the graditude of the gift that we call our children. Each year we send a small token of our appreciation that arrives on birthmother day along w/ pictures. I agree that birthmother day is way under looked by society. Trying to find a card that is good for each of our children's birthmothers is challenging as well......but so far I've been successful. I hope that as we educate those around us they will the importance of Bithmom Day.

A beautiful picture.... A beautiful family..... A beautiful story! Congrats on to the newest babe joining a beautiful family! Blessings from Virginia.

When Shayla arrived in our lives, we had waited for 4 years to become parents. Our parents could hardly stand the fact that we were in California with her & they were in Virginia. As soon as we got off of the airplane (prior to 9/11 & the tightened security), our parents met us at the gate...biting their nails with anticipation for us to get off the plane. Once we saw my dad, he almost grabbed Shayla out of my arms......it was so sweet. I can still see his face, it was the sweetest look. It was like he had been waiting all his life for that one moment. With Hayden, it was a very long day of travel that he & I had before we arrived home. But our parents were there at our house awaiting their first looks, holds & kisses.......it was like a long labor, hours of pacing & then the glorious entrance, . There is no difference in our children & my sister's children (bio). Our parents ask about the kids birthparents & how they are & what is new for them. Our families really care about the birthfamilies.