Adam & Beth
-
Posts
5,075 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by Adam & Beth
-
-
Congratulations Denny & Cameo! I know you shared some names a while back, but can't wait for the official Birth Announcement sharing his new name.
We are very happy for you
-
In light of Elizabeth Edwards' announcement that her breast cancer has metastisized (spelling?), I wanted to share some positive news about a breast cancer survivor who is near and dear to my heart...my oldest sister was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer (Inflammatory Breast Cancer) in August 2004. She just had her regular follow-up appointment (they have been every 4 months since treatment) last week and got another excellent report. She is almost at the 3 year mark which is HUGE for IBC survivors (their 3 year suvivor milestone is like other breast cancer 5 year survivor milestones).
Praise God, thank you for your prayers - and thank you to those amazing doctors who helped my sister.
Lisa
That is wonderful news Lisa. My mother hit her 5 year survivor mark late last year. She still can't get good insurance which is scary, but she is healthy which is a blessing
. Beth's aunt is 15+ years and counting -
ADAM... put your undies back on!
I thought it felt a bit drafty in here today
Yeah, I debated whether or not to even post that one as I figured it might prompt a response coming from 'Adam' It was pretty funny though so I didn't want to pass it up.Moderator, please feel free to move this thread into the other
-A
-
Why We Love Children!
NUDITY
I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening
when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was
stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout
from the back seat, "Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"
MORE NUDITY
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's
locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies
grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement
and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy
before?"
OPINIONS
On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note
from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are
not necessarily those of his parents."
KETCHUP
A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her
struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the
phone. "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's
hitting the bottle."
SCHOOL
A little girl had just finished her first week of school.
"I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother.
"I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
BIBLE
A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he
fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible.
He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that
had been pressed in between the pages.
"Mama, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?"
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered,
"I think it's Adam's underwear!"
-
Thought it would be nice to have a place to share jokes that we might hear or receive. I know I love a good laugh.
Remember, this is all in good fun PS) I wasn't sure if there was already a Jokes thread.
UNDERSTANDING WOMEN
(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)
I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,
pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,
and still be afraid of a spider.
WIFE VS. HUSBAND
(I loved this one)A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and
neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs,
the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."
WOMAN'S PERFECT BREAKFAST
She's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee.
Her son is on the cover of the Wheaties box.
Her daughter is on the cover of Business Week.
Her boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl.
And her husband is on the back of the milk carton.
WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a
day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000.
The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything
to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"
Guilty as charged CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be
so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.
"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain.
God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;
God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.
The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my
coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that
the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, " I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the
top of several pages, that it indeed says .... "HEBREWS"
Thank goodness I don't drink coffee.
The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home
and were giving each other the silent treatment.
Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake
him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a
piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he
had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife
hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
I received some of these today from my mother and got a kick out of them. Hope at least one made you laugh too. Have a great day!-A
-
May peace come to that beautiful birth mother. Congratulations to the newest member of the Fishes family
-
I was reading this post as we have sent our INQUIRY in a couple weeks ago. I am assuming we will hear back with info and an application if accepted. Which is where this post below picks up. I just assumed if you received the application and sent it back in and it was approved you would be up for either the next or the next next orientation.
So, I guess it's safe to assume that you might not even get into an orientation for quite a while. Can anyone share the longest they've waited to get into an orientation. 6 months...a year? I am just trying to get an idea of what to realistically expect.
You really just never know. From what I've seen, the 'average' wait for an orientation seems to be about 2-3 months. Ours was one of the really quick ones. The November Orientation did not develop (not enough confirmed candidates) so we were shocked when we sent our application in early November and were told we had a spot available in a December Orientation (3 weeks away). It was crazy (for us). We thought it would be February-March before we were invited.
I haven't heard of anyone waiting 6 months, but I guess it is possible.
Best wishes to you,
Adam
-
My father was killed in a cycling accident (he was an avid bicycler) a little over three years ago when a car came over a hill and did not see him or the cyclist he was riding with. Fortunately the other cyclist was okay but did have the traumatic experience of watching her friend die. We continue to pray for her as we know the experience has hurt her badly.
I could write TONS of stuff about how great my dad was to me, my brothers, mom, etc. but as far as helping keep his memory alive for not only us, but all his grandchildren as well, here are a couple of things that we have going on:
One of my father's hobbies led him to work on a big project in South Mississippi with the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy which is a national non-profit organization (RAILS TO TRAILS) that turns abandoned railways into paved bicycle and walking paths and runs around if not even through multiple cities .
The LONG LEAF TRACE or LONG LEAF TRACE (OFFICIAL WEBSITE) is one of the longest Rails to Trails projects and the State of MS Dept. of Parks & Recreation have donated over $75,000 to build a pavillion in his honor on the trail (near one of the trail entrances) at the University of Southern Mississippi. It is in my Hometown and where my Mom lives so the kids will get to see it later this year when it is completed. So there will be something tangible that we can show them regarding his love of the outdoors and of cycling.
He was also very active in Scouting (Boy Scouts of America) and the local council there (Pine Burr Area) has set up an annual skeet and sporting clay competition to raise money for the Scouting program.
Within our family we perpetuate our traditions of camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, etc. as they were all things that my father enjoyed and taught us to appreciate as well.
In my own home, I attribute all of my woodworking skills to my father and know that he would be proud of the things I have built. I already know he would be proud of all I have accomplished in my blessed personal life.
Dad too was an avid photographer which is something I have recently gotten interested in. I aspire to have his talent in that area some day.
Overall, we just remember dad as being a loving, caring family man. I miss you Dad and love you.
-Adam
-
Nothing New in the Gallery under NEW ARRIVALS yet, so we'll be watching closely.
-
....We found them out in Idaho, land of fish, game and trees,
....They couldn't make orientation, with all the paperwork they had to do,
....So, come meet them at Camp Abrazo.....
....."Congrats" to our newest family and the daughter they met, today.
Well, We're not from Idaho, we did attend Orientation, and we are not headed to Camp Abrazo.. All that factored with the fact that we haven't yet matched says "IT'S NOT US"
Congrats to whoever's family just grew in size today
-
Adam, don't forget how great an onsite daycare could be! Some of the things are great, and others not so much. It cracks me up, too how different it can be "across the street." MLK day is not a holiday for us!!
Agreed regarding daycare. Yes, things are a bit different between the streets. I think the IT group over there has a bit more flexible scheduling as I know my buddy in IT over there works 7:30 -4:30. Wish I could do that. My former employer let me work 7-4 which was great.
We just got MLK as a holiday last year. But, the hospital took away our day after Thanksgiving holiday. So, it was a swap. A lot of people are unhappy about it. Not upset at all regarding MLK, but very unhappy that they now have to burn a personal holiday or vacation day to get the day after thanksgiving off which they had off for years.
Yeah, well. We supposedly don't have "flex" time anywhere in our organization, but that's a bunch of bull. I was thinking that you lost the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I wasn't for sure. It is funny, too, because we don't have the same insurance group. Dale's doctor isn't one of the providers for your plan, but he is for ours. When we first changed to my plan from his, the dr office kept telling us they weren't in the plan because all they saw on my card was the hospital name. HELLO! Ours was on there first.
Anyway, I wasn't able to take any sick time during my "maternity leave." I didn't give birth, so I had no note from my doctor saying I wasn't able to work.
Yep, while the two places are codependent upon one another for survival, they are definitely two different entities. I think my friend across the street said he starts with 2 weeks of vacation and gets a third after 3 (or was it 5 years) then he gets 4 weeks of vacation in year 5 or 7 (can't remember). I started at the hospital with 3 weeks and don't quailify for 4 weeks vacation until 10 years of service (yikes!).
There are perks to either place. I know overall I am very happy with the healthcare program.
-
Adam, don't forget how great an onsite daycare could be! Some of the things are great, and others not so much. It cracks me up, too how different it can be "across the street." MLK day is not a holiday for us!!
Agreed regarding daycare. Yes, things are a bit different between the streets. I think the IT group over there has a bit more flexible scheduling as I know my buddy in IT over there works 7:30 -4:30. Wish I could do that. My former employer let me work 7-4 which was great.
We just got MLK as a holiday last year. But, the hospital took away our day after Thanksgiving holiday. So, it was a swap. A lot of people are unhappy about it. Not upset at all regarding MLK, but very unhappy that they now have to burn a personal holiday or vacation day to get the day after thanksgiving off which they had off for years.
-
Anyone else work for a company that offers a big thumbs up for how they treat adoption? Feel free to plug 'em here so we can support companies who have values that matter to us in the adoption community. Thumbs-downs welcome here too
Well, before deciding to adopt we researched my husband's bank (he works for a bank) and found out they cover up to 10,000 for adoption. We were shocked! BUT, since we haven't adopted yet, and haven't seen for sure if this is REALLY true. I am still a little in doubt. Very-what's that catch, you know?
Jen, WOW! Two things :
1) That is awesome the employer will pay that. I have heard of employers paying thousands towards adoption, but that is I think the highest. I've heard stories of $5K and $8K
2) Where do I apply for a job there
(Just kidding).I wish my employer (a Children's Hospital) would contribute towards adoption expenses.
They are great at savings children's lives but unfortunately they don't bend over backwards to help their employees have children (no fertility coverage nor adoption allowance)
That would be SOOOOOOO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$10,000 would be almost the max amount of the Federal Adoption Tax Credit. Granted it doesn't pay for everything, but that kind of money sure makes a difference.
-A
-
The cite is ERISA is Title 29, Chapter 18, Subtitle B, part 6, Section 1169, c, 1
Susan
I'm sorry, but this information is kind of vague as to what it is and where I can find it , could you please be a bit more specific?
I'm Just kidding of course. Excellent information and thanks for the citation.
Thank you Susan.
-A
-
This raises a question. So, even though I may responsible for medical bills if Medicaid is not in effect or if she does not have private insurance, will I be able claim those medical expenses on my tax return for the year since upon the placement the baby becomes my dependent? I would think so, just wondering for those of you who have had experience in this area. I know your medical expenses must be like 6.5% or more of your AGI (adjusted gross income), but a delivery could add a big chunk of expense to your annual medical bills.
Adam -- Let me preface my reply by stating that I am no accountant or tax specialist (just a "retired" labor-and-employment attorney), but I think I can offer some guidance. I do not believe you will be able to claim the birthmother's medical expenses on your tax return (i.e., the labor & delivery charges, etc.). Although you assume responsibility for the birthmother's (and baby's) medical expenses through Abrazo, the birthmother most likely does not meet the IRS' definition of a dependent since she doesn't live with you and hasn't been your financial responsibility for an appropriate amount of time under their guidelines. Again, though, these are just my thoughts ... I'd definitely check with your accountant to be sure.
Thanks.
First, I understand the disclaimer perfectly (and the need for them -- I would do the same thing).
I agree 100%. I am certain you could not deduct the birthmothers medical bills as she is not a dependent. Those fees would be applicable towards adoption expenses that you could file for the adoption tax credit, but the agency fees alone take care of most of that credit amount.
I was mentioning that not only would the baby's expenses be applicable towards the adoption tax credit, but since the baby will be a dependent upon placement, I would think those fees would also be applicable towards your medical expenses that can be claimed should you meet the expense vs AGI requirement.
-A
I think you are correct, Feeling Blessed. Also, the baby would not qualify as your dependent until legal placement, which cannot occur until after the birth. However, the medical expenses would be included in total adoption expenses if you are eligible for the adoption tax credit. As always, check it out with a tax professional.Karen
I see and that makes sense. So, no "double dipping" there regarding medical vs adoption tax credit.
I wasn't thinking it all the way through. I was using the mindset of insurance coverage and retroactive coverage versus when the government determines the baby is your 'dependent'. -
Lisa, first let me say another thank you for consolodating this information. While (IMO) it can still be a bit intimidating or a little hard to follow as these posts have people from different states, different companies, and different insurance providers, it is still very nice to have a single source to gain some good knowledge.
Per my conversations with my medical insurance provider, Methodist Health Care, once I receive the court document for the placement, I have 30 days to file a "Life Event" and the medical coverage will be retroactive to the time of birth. So, matching has no effect on us as those expenses are between us and whatever medical coverage the birthmother has at the time. But upon placement, we should be fully covered.
This raises a question. So, even though I may responsible for medical bills if Medicaid is not in effect or if she does not have private insurance, will I be able claim those medical expenses on my tax return for the year since upon the placement the baby becomes my dependent? I would think so, just wondering for those of you who have had experience in this area. I know your medical expenses must be like 6.5% or more of your AGI (adjusted gross income), but a delivery could add a big chunk of expense to your annual medical bills.
-A
-
Congratulations to all those who have been blessed with children already this year. Looking forward to seeing many more dreams fulfilled.
-
Hello!
My name is Jen and I have been obsessed with this forum for 3 days now. My husband and I have decided to adopt. We are 26 and 27 and I am infertile. We are tired of hearing "wait till your older it will happen"! I am a teacher and I feel that I LOVE so many children from all kinds of families...I have always known I can open my heart to an adopted child who would be my very own. Well I really just wanted to say HI! and that we are planning to attend the March orientation if we get all our ducks in a row. We are sending our pre-app this week and hope to hear back soon. I also am contacting a social worker next week to get a homestudy done. Does anyone know how many visits or how soon this can be done?
Jen (and your husband
) WELCOME!!! It is always great to see new faces, er, profiles, here We are very excited for you and wish you all the best in your adoption pursuit.As you will quickly find out, if you have not already from your 3 days of surfing the boards, there are many incredible people here and there is a vast wealth of knowlege about the adoption process among them.
We look forward to many more posts from you and getting to follow and support you as you grow your family.
ps) Please let you husband know it is totally cool to participate as well
We need more guys posting here as we seem to be highly outnumbered on the guy/girl ratio -Adam
I see you are from Austin. Great city. Only visited once and my wife's best friend lives there. We hope to make it back there soon.
-
Congrats to your sister-in-law! I hope she finds a great job!
Thanks. She had things lined up to work at the hospital as it can pay much better than private practice offices. But, then she figured that you simply can't replace spending time with your daughter so I think she is going to go with private practice since the hours are set and she can be home with Lily (her daughter) in the evenings.
-
My Sister-In-Law is a single mother who has been living with us for the past 6 months. She is moving out this week with our niece. She just passed the HESSIE (sp) which means she has completed everything for her nursing degree and can now get a GOOD JOB as a nurse and it should help out SO much with meeting the demands of a raising a 3 year old as a single mom.
She still has the formal nursing boards in front of her in about a month, but this is a HUGE step in the right direction for her career.
We are so VERY excited for her
(and happy to be getting the house back to just the two of us -- we will be setting up (reestablishing) the nursery soon). -
Mixed thoughts on this one.
I think of it like an organ donor program. Not all organ donation is life/death situations. My old boss had to have corneal transplants because of severe eyesight problem. The catch, someone appoximately his same age with 'good' eyes had to die in order for him to get the transplant. These are more medical necessities.
The uterual transplants are different, in my opinion. It is a new step in the battles with infertility. Insurance will likely never cover it as it is not a necessary medical procedure. As with any transplant situation, there is always the chance for rejection. Have enough studies been done and what effects the anti-rejection drugs would do to a fetus? It is just too extreme for US, but if you have the means, are sure the risks are worth the reward, then it seems okay.
The evolution of modern medicine never ceases to amaze me.
For some adoption is simply not an option and they will do anything than can to have a biological child. It raises the question of "If the process was proven to be safe, effective, and you had the means to do it, would you?"
-
I would like to raise a praise for the Abrazo program.
In a simple whirlwind weekend (Orientation) you managed to pair us with some awesome couples that are not only good people who form an awesome support group in our journey towards parenthood, but also are people that are we can truly call that special word....FRIENDS.
Thank you Abrazo
-
Fantastic news! We wish Brian, Gail, the baby, and the bp's all the best
HAPPY New Year! -
Thanks Adam. That's something to go off of at least. haha, Joe and I have been together 13 + years so that is a LOT to condense down. Should be fun though.
Nichole
I understand COMPLETELY. Beth and I, though celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary this year, have been together for about 14 years. It took us about 16+ hours of actual work putting our profile together as you can only fit so many pics and brief text passages on a page without it looking crazy
. You want to say EVERYTHING, but with a finite amount of space, it was tough. We thought maybe we were doing something wrong, but others in our group spent that much time if not a little more.My personal opinion on it is this, whatever you do, make sure you are Happy with it. That document may likely be your first impression on a birthmother. I don't mean this as any added pressure, I mean, you want your first impression to be something you were happy with, so take your time and make sure you feel good about it.
I was stressed over the amount of time and effort that went in, plus knowing this little booklet is supposed to say who we are, but when it was all said and done, I can honestly say we are very proud of what we put together.
So, don't stress. Take it one step at a time, and in the end, it will be something tangible you can share with those who want to know more about "how the process works". I know we have received many compliments and thanks from our close friends and family with whom we shared our profile. It gave them a better idea of how a birthmother gets started in making contact with potential adoptive parents. In this journey to grow our family, there is not a lot of tangible stuff we can share with others on how this works.
-A
For our Jewish friends
in Abrazo's Chapel Potluck
Posted · Edited by Adam & Beth
Good Thread to start Sandi
Beth is a full time youth worker at our church (Christian denomination). At this past Sunday's youth time, She (and I) performed a mock Seder with the kids to educate and celebrate Passover. It was mock only in the fact that we had some of the basics but did not have all the courses that would be involved with a normal seder. The kids really seemed to enjoy it.
-A