There is a new issue coming up for the children that were removed from the polygamy ranch in Texas, and it has the potential to be a rather serious issue.

It seems that there is no documentation readily available that these children have had their normal immunizations.

I know that there is a bunch of controversy over immunizing children because of the potential of mercury in immunizations, but I believe that situation has been taken care of.

Some people may wonder if the children, especially the older children, really need to be immunized and... more

Hot on the heels of the horrible stories out of Wisconsin, I heard a story on the news tonight about a brand new baby found in a dumpster in St. Louis, Missouri.

It seems that a mother dumped her brand new, as in only hours old, into a dumpster. A woman who is believed to be the mother of the baby boy has been found.

The baby was found purely by the grace of God. A man was throwing some lawn clippings into the dumpster when he heard a sound, not knowing that it was a baby.... more

There are three news stories coming out of Wisconsin today that have me angry and sickened.

I have heard all of these stories in the last twelve hours and it makes me wonder about society.

The first story is the most disturbing. A three and a half month old girl was checked into the hospital yesterday and during an exam the doctors discovered two skull fractures. They called the police and social services and the baby’s father was arrested.

Child abuse of any kind is horrible, but child abuse of an infant just really angers me. What is it that... more

Mother’s Day is a week from today. For most of us it will not be a good day. For those who don’t have children yet, it’s a reminder of that fact. For those of us with difficult children, it can be an awful day.

This will be my tenth Mother’s Day as Sammy’s mother and my second as Hannah’s mother. I was fortunate enough to have two Mother’s Days with Kory and one with Mackenzie. I have wonderful memories of the first one with Kory. He was so excited to have a mom and worked very hard to make the day great. He and Sammy each had $10 to spend on a... more

Following is a poem that Sammy wrote for me.

The Sound of Love

Some people say it differently Some people yell Some people scream Some people let out a whole bunch of steam Just to say I love you But my mom knows how She says it just right She always brings light to a dark room. Now I’m not scared of the boom that comes out when I get angry. My mom loves me & I love her.

By Sam I love (drawn with a heart) you mom.

I don’t know what prompted Sammy to... more

There are days when you get a glimpse into the bright side of our kids and you know that what you are doing makes a difference. I had one of those days with Sammy recently. Following is a letter he sent home.

Dear Mom, Dad, Hannah

I really miss you. I am trying really hard to improve on changing my attitude. It has been going very well. I just wanted to write to you because I am feeling depressed with all the stuff happening to me and me being in (placement name) and all. I can’t believe you have stayed with me through all this ruckus.... more

Once you get into the world of foster care and adoption, it becomes difficult to have friends who are not living the same type of life. The type of things that we deal with are so foreign to “normal” parents that you can tend to shy away from friends you used to find great comfort in.

The other night I had dinner with some of my best friends from high school. We have known each other for more than twenty years and have seen each other through the hardest moments of our lives. These friends have seen me through my abuse investigation, my struggles with Sammy,... more

You won’t be hearing from me as much in the next few weeks. Life is absolutely insane here and the thought of trying to write forty-three blogs a month is overwhelming, so I am toning it down a bit.

I will continue to keep you updated on our home study and adoption of Hannah. Right now we are in the hurry up and wait stage. It takes time for all the background checks and other various legal paperwork to come in, so we sit and wait for everything to happen. For us it’s not a big deal since we already have Hannah in our home, but for most waiting parents this... more

A recent study out of Michigan is painting a pretty grim picture, and really it’s not that surprising. For children who leave foster care without having been adopted, life is more than difficult. The statistics show that the children, now young adults:

• Are twice are likely to be unable to pay their rent.

• Are three times more likely to be unemployed or not in school.

• Fewer than half had bank accounts.

• Jail time was served by... more

I’ve watched a few episodes of The Biggest Loser, but I haven’t been a loyal or dedicated watcher. I struggle with weight loss issues myself so some of the things have gotten my interest, but this one really has.

One of the contestants from Season 2 is a former foster child, and that life is partly what lead to his weight gain.

Pete Thomas started the show at 401 pounds, but that was not his heaviest weight. He “maxed out” at 416. He lost 185 pounds on the show. That is a miraculous loss, especially if you have ever tried losing a few pounds.

Pete’s... more