Trying to get kids out the door on time while wearing appropriate attire should be an Olympic event. Every morning I clutch my coffee mug in desperation as I battle every unforeseen challenge that comes my way. No matter how prepared I am, something will without a doubt go wrong. One kid will have wet tennis shoes (and, of course, they have PE that day) from running through the neighbor’s lawn sprinkler the night before. Another kid will ask where their homework is and you ha

If you ask Brielle where she’s from, she’ll excitedly shout… “Wuhan!” When you ask her where Wuhan is, she’ll even more excitedly shout… “China!” She even loves to tell people her Chinese name. I love this about her. I love that she loves China and knows that’s where she was born. I know it’s healthy for her to learn tidbits about her past naturally as she grows so that there isn’t a shocking adoption reveal in her lifetime. I also know that hard questions are coming. Questio

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 One of the best ways to fight through our fears is friendship. I strive to surround myself with other moms, Christian writers, and adoptive mommas because I need people who “get it.” Friendship is a gift and reminder that we aren’t alone, that our thoughts and fears ar

My plans for maternity leave included learning conversational French and teaching myself how to play the guitar. Let that sink in for a moment. As a new mom, I honestly believed that I might get bored because caring for a newborn might not fully occupy my time. This is insanity. This is me. My Plans I did not grow up counting down the days until I could be a mommy. Don’t get me wrong, I loved baby dolls and Barbie dolls just as much as the next girl. I was not opposed to moth

I took my kids swimming the other day and actually swam with them. I didn’t sit on the edge and count heads like I normally do. I didn’t sit in my chair reading a book even though that would’ve been really nice. I got in the water and played alongside them, and guess what? I had fun. Maybe it’s because the years are flying by, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my own thoughts and perceptions of motherhood. I don’t want to simply survive motherhood or see this as a sea

I currently have eight unfinished blog posts about adoption, faith, and motherhood in a file on my computer. (Let's not even discuss my unedited book.) Eight! I could share two or three of them with you right now, but there's something that makes me pause sometimes when I am writing and sharing my heart with you. I always want my writing to be helpful and point you towards Jesus. That can mean not sharing until it is helpful. Sometimes we can wrestle through it together, but