Welcome to my circus.

March 29, 2022
by Maralee
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Some Thoughts on Our (Maybe/Hopefully/Probably) Last Homestudy

I should definitely be cleaning right now. In less than two hours a woman will be coming to judge my home (very literally) and I’m sure I should go take the clean laundry out of the dryer and get it … Continue reading

December 2, 2021
by Maralee
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Adoption is Not the Happy Ending. It’s the Beginning.

*These were my remarks to honor the Nebraska Governor’s proclamation of National Adoption Awareness Month at our state capital.*  When we first pursued adoption, it was because we wanted to be parents and that was not working out in the … Continue reading

May 28, 2020
by Maralee
2 Comments

Privacy for Children in The Age of “Influencers”

I’ve been reading the story of a family that just breaks my heart. They very publicly crowdsourced funds for the international adoption of a child. They very publicly brought him home and talked in detail about his history. They very … Continue reading

September 26, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment

Miracle Babies Throw Tantrums Too

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

My Adopted Kids Don’t Need to be Grateful

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
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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