It’s been eleven years since the first time Eddie and I sat in a training. We lived in Florida at the time and were working on getting licensed to adopt a child out of the foster care system. The following year we were matched with Nicholas. He was our first child, so parenting a child who has been through trauma is the first thing we learned. Trauma and attachment-focused parenting is our baseline. 

We do also have two biological children who came along later. I can tell you unequivocally that the love is no different. But, just like when raising any children who have different personalities and needs, sometimes the parenting styles have to be tailored uniquely for each child. I never sugarcoat the fact that parenting children who have been through trauma is hard work. It is also very necessary work. If you’ve been here a while, you know some of our story. I like to say that I might have carried my daughters, but I labored the hardest for my son. 

Recently,  we were licensed again to be foster/adoptive parents in Pennsylvania. We currently have five kids in our care. One is adopted, two are biological, and two are foster children we are hoping to adopt. 

When people find out that we’ve been doing this for a while and we’re choosing to do it again, they have a lot of questions. Often those questions are coming from people who have considered fostering or adopting themselves. 

I tried my best to put most of those questions and answers here in this post. If you have any further questions, it’s a good idea to call a local adoption agency. Every state has slightly different requirements. Someone local to you will be able to guide you through your specific situation much better than I can. I am not a social worker or an attorney, so this post is not intended as legal or professional advice. I’m just a mom with a little bit of experience who can share what I’ve learned with you. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Adoption and Foster Care [Read more…]

My beautiful sister, Charlotte, got married last weekend. We are so excited to welcome her new husband, Chris, into our family! And I’m also excited to share these photos with you. 

Due to some extenuating circumstances, we had to change the location and plan the entire wedding in about eight weeks on a strict budget. We made almost all of the decor ourselves with inspiration from around the web. I think it turned out fabulously! 

The ceremony and reception were both held in The Barn at Grimmel Farms in Jerretsville, Maryland. It is by far the most gorgeous barn venue I’ve ever seen. Charlotte had such cool ideas for personal touches, and we were able to give her the sunflower-themed barn wedding of her dreams. 

Check it out. 

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Looking for a place to eat in Magic Kingdom? 

I told you all about the trip we took to Disney World last month and how they were so great at accommodating Nicholas’ special needs. What I haven’t told you yet is how easy it was to find food for me to eat in Magic Kingdom while we were there. If you have food allergies or sensitivities, then you understand how big of a deal that can be! But don’t worry, even if you are eating at the casual dining areas without making reservations, you will be able to find something that works. Today I want to talk to you all about where to eat in Disney World if you have food allergies or restrictions. 

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