This photo was taken of my children on Easter Sunday. Lynn was home from college for the day and I wanted to make sure we got a photo where everyone was included, so we went to the park for family photos. Caleb really needed to see himself in a family picture to cement in his mind that he belongs here and isn't going anywhere. He was so thrilled when we put our new family picture with him included up on the wall.

As I look at this photo of my children, I'm grateful for children who have opened... more

In my previous post on family nights, I shared with you how disastrous some of our family nights can be. This is no reason to give up on the idea, however. If you are worried that your family members don't spend enough time together and are constantly being pulled in different directions, you might want to think about establishing a family night of your own.

Our family celebrates Family Home Evening on Mondays, although we have... more

My blood pressure in Wal-Mart today must have been about 200/100. It’s normally 110/70. Why the increase? I stood in line behind a woman who was determined not to pick up her screaming child from her cart. He wasn’t more than 12 or 13 months old and yet when it was time to go and she finished paying, he paused for a second in his screaming as if he thought, ‘Yes, she will finally pick me up.” Instead, as my mouth gaped open, she put him on the floor and made him awkwardly toddle out of the store holding her hand all... more

Children who have had less than desirable experiences as babies and young children will probably have missed many important experiences that aid in attachment to their caregivers. The baby who cries and is not picked up soon learns that crying doesn't merit a response. For those who have volunteered in or visited orphanages, the almost eerie silence is something that is often mentioned. I have had opportunities to visit orphanages in China and volunteer in orphanages in Haiti, and the silence for the number of babies present is almost... more

Should you adopt out of birth order? Often people want to be told yes or no to such a question, but like any parenting decision, the issue is not black or white. A variety of factors are involved, with the dynamics and personalities of the children already in your home being a major factor.

Some adoption specialists will tell you that the safest route to take is to bring home a child who will be the youngest in the family. After all, if you gave birth, that is how it would be, and that way you... more

Do you have a child who struggles with attachment? Whether an infant or an older child, is eye contact too difficult for him or her? When Ben arrived home as a four year old, eye contact was way too intense and intimate for him to handle. He loved to be rocked when he was having a hard time, and even regressed for a short time where he wanted to be held and drink from a sippy cup while I rocked him, but would he make eye contact during those times? No way.

How do you encourage children to make eye... more

part 2

It was finally time to get on the airplane and we were seated in the middle rows with Alyssa, Micheline and I in one row, and Jeff, Taylor, Ben and Caleb directly behind us. Thankfully, not every seat on the plane was full, so when it came time to sack out for some sleep, the other person in our row moved and Micheline and Alyssa were able to spread out a bit more.

Due to tail winds, the flight coming home is about 3 hours shorter than the... more

part 1

We had a 3 hour layover in Guangzhou before our plane left for the United States. That may sound like a long time to some, but as you can see, my family kept themselves occupied.

We bought a few snacks, and I had to laugh because we bought a few Haagen-Daz ice cream cups and Caleb instantly turned up his nose because they were chocolate. How I managed to find two Chinese boys in a country of over 1 billion people who... more

January 13,2007

When we left Wuhan for the first time with Ben back in October 2000, the tears started flowing and wouldn't stop as we went through security at the airport. All I could think of was that I was taking my son from everything he had ever known.

Seeing how he had no language opportunities in the orphanage being deaf, and obviously had no family, I knew he had a brighter future ahead, but a part of me still felt as if I was wrongfully taking him... more

part 1 part 2 part 3

By this point I was fretting that we would never get back, but our driver then pulled to the side of the road, studied the map and street names again, then hung a u-turn, came to the entrance of the alley type street our hotel was on and told us to get out.... more