September 26, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
I came home late from a work meeting the other night. I snuck into the rooms of my sleeping children and kissed their sweet cheeks. As I tiptoed into the room of my six-year-old it struck me how big he’s … Continue reading
September 12, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
Three of my kids celebrate the anniversaries of their adoptions this month. It’s a time of year we tend to have a lot of big and small conversations about adoption within our family. We talk about what know about their … Continue reading
July 27, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Adoption and The Truth as Best We Knew It
Last night my son brought out the adoption scrapbook I made for him just before we flew across the globe to bring him home. We’ve looked through that book together many times. We’ve wondered at the pictures of the tiny … Continue reading
November 14, 2017
by Maralee
1 Comment
November is National Adoption Awareness Month. I’ve written several half-finished pieces that just feel so incomplete as I try to say something about the importance of adoption in the life of my family. We are a decade into this adoptive … Continue reading
September 18, 2017
by Maralee
6 Comments
Last year there was a fire in an area of the country that is precious to me. We spent five years working in a group home that bordered the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I was glued to my computer … Continue reading
September 1, 2017
by Maralee
Comments Off on The Importance of Support in the Fostering and Adoption Journey (and some retreat info)
When we became foster parents about 9 years ago, we had a very small circle of support. We had a group of people who loved us and encouraged us, but the amount of people we knew who had been down … Continue reading
July 10, 2017
by Maralee
3 Comments
I’ve got a confession. We watched “Moana” as a family for the first time on Saturday. . . and then we watched it four more times over the next three days. This movie clearly resonated with each member of our … Continue reading
May 30, 2017
by Maralee
Comments Off on When it’s Time to Stop Being a Foster Mom
I’m still not okay with calling myself a “former foster mom.” It just doesn’t feel right. My heart is still so in the world of foster care as I support families in the trenches and continue to deal with post … Continue reading
April 17, 2017
by Maralee
3 Comments
*This is my actual testimony from the hearing before the judiciary committee debating LB 411. There were several child advocacy organizations that supported this bill (either in person or by letter) and the only person that opposed it was a … Continue reading
January 17, 2017
by Maralee
7 Comments
Once I took a precious baby I was entirely smitten with to a pediatric neurologist. That neurologist spent a few moments with this infant and then told me “those kids are mean.” He went on to make some dire predictions … Continue reading