Author Archives: Shoshanna Grey

Preparing for a Referral

One of the most exciting things in adoption is waiting for a referral. Depending on the type of adoption you are doing, your referral may come quickly or it may take a year or more. During the wait, you will likely spend a lot of time daydreaming about what your child will look like, what their personality will be and what it will be like to have them in your home. While all of this dreaming is a lot of fun and a natural part of the process, it is also important that you take a careful look at yourself … Continue reading →

Connecting With Other Adoptive Families

One of the most valuable and helpful things I have done during our adoption journey is to connect with other adoptive families. While it is great to have friends who are in our age group and who are also raising children, there are certain issues that come with adoption that “normal” families just don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong, my friends are just wonderful, but they have no idea what it is like to wait while your child grows up in a foreign country, to wonder if they are okay and pray every day that they will come home. When … Continue reading →

Adopting from China

Country Basics China is the largest country in Asia – it is only slightly smaller than the United States. The climate is very diverse, ranging from tropical to the south and subarctic temperatures to the north. The population of China is well over 1.3 Billion. What Are The Children Like? The children are beautiful with olive skin and beautiful almond-shaped eyes. There are children of all ages waiting for homes. There are a number of infants and toddlers and so often the older children are overlooked. Most of the children are girls, but there are also many boys who need … Continue reading →

Are You Ready to Start a Home Business?

Many people have the dream of starting a home business. However, it is not something that should be taken lightly. Running a home business can be a great idea, but it also is something that you should carefully consider before you get started. Here are some of the things to think about before starting your home business: Are you self motivated? Unfortunately, home businesses are not always as easy as they seem. They take a lot of work to get started and they are not for the faint of heart. It is important that you evaluate your ability to motivate … Continue reading →

How Laney Found Us

Sometimes things happen when you don’t expect it. They just appear out of nowhere, but when they do, you wonder how you ever lived before that moment. That’s how it was with Laney. She appeared when we were not looking for her and she stole a piece of our hearts forever. It started in April 2006. We were in the process of adopting our first child, a baby boy who we planned to name Josiah. As the months had passed, my husband and I prepared the nursery and we spent our days dreaming of the arrival of this long-awaited blessing. … Continue reading →

Celebrity Adoption – Helping or Hurting the Adoption Community?

Over the last few years, the idea of celebrities adopting has really taken off. Angelina Jolie has adopted two children from Cambodia and Ethiopia. Meg Ryan just brought home a little girl from China. There are whispers that Jessica Simpson will adopt a child from Mexico. There is a lot of debate in the adoption community about whether these celebrity adoptions are a positive or negative development. Everyone has their own opinion and each argument seems to have its’ merit. So, do celebrity adoptions really hurt the adoption community? We are a nation obsessed by celebrities. People strive to be … Continue reading →

Top 20 Countries for International Adoption

Choosing a country is one of the first decisions that those adopting internationally have to make. There are a number of reasons why you need to decide on a country. First of all, the country you choose determines the agency that you choose. Not all agencies work in all countries. Instead, agencies tend to focus on just a few nations. Secondly, you need to have a country selected in order to have your homestudy done. If you change your mind, you can have the homestudy rewritten, but you will have to pay an extra fee and it will also take … Continue reading →

Adopting from Liberia

Country Basics Liberia is located in Western Africa. The west side of Liberia meets the Atlantic Ocean and the rest of the country boarders Cote d’Ivore, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Liberia has just come out of 15 years of civil war that has left the country in ruins. Once a thriving, developing country, Liberia is now one of the poorest nations in Africa. However, the people are determined and they are rebuilding. The inauguration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in January 2006 brought hope to the nation and she is committed to the strengthening of Liberia. About the Children? The Liberian … Continue reading →

Adopting from Guatemala

This is the beginning of a series on adopting from different countries. For a basic overview of how to select a country for international adoption, please see How Do You Choose A Country? Country Basics Guatemala, about the size of the state of Tennessee, is located in Central America and boarders Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. The climate is tropical and the landscape boasts of mountains with some plateaus and coastal plains. The population is 12,293,545. The distribution of wealth is very uneven with an estimated 75% of the population living below the poverty line. What Are The Children … Continue reading →

Book Review: Our Own

So often when people think of adoption, their minds go straight to babies and maybe toddlers. It is very few people who seriously consider adopting an older child. However, the need for these children to find families is great and the rewards are tremendous. The book “Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child” by Trish Maskew seeks to draw the concept of older child adoption out of the shadows and into the sunlight. In the words of the author, “(Adopted) kids who are preschool-age and older come with histories, fully formed personalities, and anger over what they have lost. … Continue reading →