[Open Adoption]

I thought I would include in my Christmas card to my cousin mentioned previously in this topic two things from Adoptive Families Magazine. Hopefully that would spark her interest, get her attention and maybe she would be interested in subscribing to the magazine and continue to get more ideas and information. "To some extent, your child's self esteem is tied to her concept of her birthparents, and to why they placed her for adoption." That was taken from Handling Tough Questions-When your child asks about pregnancy, birth families,and adoption.

Then in Briefly Noted describing the book Families Change "When problems hurt kids, families need to change, so kids will be safe." "A child's family might change from a birth family to a grandparent family or a foster family or adoptive family."

I will let you know if I get any response from her.

Thanks for listening.

Laural

[Open Adoption]

I went to a family reunion this Thanksgiving. A cousin and her husband adopted two school age girls from Russia.

I asked her to tell me when and how they decided to adopt.

She said she did not want to have to deal with the birthparents.

She also said that the girls did not have anything nice to say about their birthmother. I guess they were taken away

from her. She could not provide or did not food, underwear, and locked them in. I do not suppose we will know the whole story.

It kind of hurt my heart that my cousin would not encourage anything positive to be said about their birthmother.

I think how can she relate to living in Russia? Poverty? I do not think she can.

I did not try to tell her about our adoption and she did not ask me. Although apparently she did ask my husband how much it cost.

I do think she should try to encourage the girls to think of some postive about their birthmother. It will help them in the long run. Maybe she did the best she can under her circumstances.

Maybe this is comparing apples to oranges but I think it is good to recognize your roots.

Laural

[Church Membership]

Nathan, Beth and Adam,

Thanks for your advice. I will probably join a UMW circle and we also have Beth Moore at my church too so maybe I will check that out in the fall. We have a female associate minister that I like so maybe I will talk with her.

I guess church attendance will be up to my husband so I will let him figure it out. But there is a nursery obligation if he uses it so I may have to help out at another time to fufill that responsibility.

I will see how he feels in the fall but I hope he will start taking Zachary on a regular basis.Maybe the new contemporary service Zachary could actually sit through ? Casey could try it if he sat in the back.

Thanks for ya'lls advice.

Love,

Laural, Casey, and Zachary

[Church Membership]

Hello. My husband and I were married and baptised Zachary in the Methodist Church. I am now working Sat. and Sun. 12 hr shifts.I am wondering if we shoud go to a church with more racial diversity. I guess it will be up to my husband to go with him initally. I might like a church that has more activities during the week. I am envious of the Memphis area having prayer groups just for mom.s. I guess I could join a circle or prayer group during the week.I am not sure they are in session during the summer.

Thanks for listening.

Laural,

Casey, and Zachary