Our family of 5

Our family of 5

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Adoption Talk Thursdays: The Book

I have not been the best at keeping up with my blog lately.  I am not concerned though.............there are definitely more important priorities in my life.  It has been fun to share my experiences and the things I am learning and I really enjoying writing when I am able. 

I am getting very excited because next month we are approaching Little A's "gotcha day", a term that I have heard people use when referring to the adoption finalization day.  I am not sure what we are going to call that special day yet, but we have decided it is definitely something we want to celebrate as a family.  She officially became our daughter forever on April 20, 2010 (although she was our daughter from the moment we saw her).  In the future, I would really like to celebrate this day by letting Little A choose a place she wants our family to go out out to eat, followed by a small gift (maybe a meaningful book), and then I would like to tell her the story of her life. 

K-lady and W-man really enjoy the nights when we tell them their own "stories".......about my pregnancy with them, how they were born, what they were like.  I haven't started telling Little A her story yet, but I know the time is coming soon.  To assist in telling her story, I thought it would be helpful to make a little book with pictures, some words, etc. to show her how much she is loved, special, and has her own unique story, just as her older siblings do. I have been thinking about this book for the past year, but finally sat down and made a book on Shutterfly this week.  I LOVE how it turned out.  I wish I could share a link on here, but if you want to see the book, you will just have to come over for a cup of coffee sometime :)   I am planning to read this book to her each year on her special day. My desire is to share a simple story when she is little, and add in more detail as she grows older.  There are some special pictures in this book that I have never shared with anyone before (i.e. never before seen footage) :)  I think she is going to appreciate having this book and these pictures someday.  I was even able to get several pictures of her birthmom, her half sister,  and one of her birthfather.   And of course the book is filled with beautiful pictures of her first year of life!  I won't lie, I was in tears by the time I finished making the book.

If you have a special day for your adopted child, what do you call it?  What do you do to celebrate?  I feel like this is almost like a birthday for her.  I am very excited, can you tell??? 

Grateful to the Lord for what He has orchestrated,
Sarah

8 comments:

  1. Sarah, I was hoping you would post today. I look forward to Thursdays Adoption topic. I am having trouble with B's book and would love to see A's sometime. I have tried shutterfly but never finish. maybe you can inspire me with some ideas.

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  2. So exciting that A's special day is coming up! (I just left you a long comment and my computer disconnected and I lost it :(....so I'll try again). Can't wait to see A's book....and would love to visit over coffee sometime :) We have celebrated Beckett's special day each year and have yet to settle on what we're calling it....we've referred to it as "gotcha day", "forever family day", and "B's special day". We have celebrated it in multiple ways. Some years we go out for mexican/hispanic food and then do a little celebration with cupcakes etc. at home....we usually give him a book with some sort of adoption or hispanic meaning. The 1st anniversary of him being home I stayed up super late the night before making a big Guatemalan meal and none of it turned out tasting very good :( Oh well, I tried! We have a photo album of all the pics his foster mom took when he was in Guat. and also the pics we took on our two trips to Guat. We always spend time looking at that and of course pray for his birthmom that day and throughout the rest of the year as well. One of my very best friends from college was adopted as a baby from Korea and her parents made a very big deal out of celebrating her "special day". Even in college, her mom would send money for all of our close friends to take her out to dinner on her day....she loved how much her family honored that day. I'm sure whatever you do will be a wonderful testimony to God's faithfulness in A's life!

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  3. Okay....both Jenny and Jeni.....I will have to have you guys over next month after tax season is over and we get the book :):). Or maybe we can go out for coffee/dessert or something. :):). I almost cried a couple of times when I was reading your post, Jenny....those are some super special and great ideas, but most of all I love how you said whatever I do will be a testimony of God's faithfulness in her life.

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  4. Sarah your posts always leave me feeling tearful, but not because of sadness, on the contrary, they are full of hope and LOVE! None of us are super human and we will never be able to do all the things we would like to do for our children as they grow up. The one thing I know for sure is that Little "A" already knows the depth of love your family has for her. She will never depart from it, no matter what may come. I can only imagine the face of Jesus that you were willing to care for His child in that circumstance. I pray God fill you with all joy in this journey.

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  5. Hey Sarah!
    I have enjoyed reading your blog and seeing what you guys are up too! My stepdad adopted my sister and I when he married my mom, and from that day on we celebrate it as our "birthday" so it was always fun having 2 birthdays and when we were in elementary school we would bring cupcakes for the class and then we would go to dinner and then get a present! We still do that tradition to this day and it has always been a special day! I bet Little A is going to love her book you have made her and cherish it forever! We miss you guys!

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  6. I would SO love to come over and have a cup of coffee and read her precious book!! Wish we lived closer. You're a wonderful mom Sarah and an inspiration to me.

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  7. Love this! What a blessing little "A" is ;) I just may call when i know I'm headed that way as you know I love your coffee, your company, and all three of your beauties. ....and you know I would love to see A's book. We don't really have a clear "gotcha day" as our legal process was a bit different and there was not a big court celebration. We do recount her story every year before bed on her birthday and it's a sweet special time. We also bring it up whenever there is a big snow fall as she was born on the first snow of the year and we call her our snow baby. It's always a time to reflect on how many people love her and on God's generous amazing provision for her and for us. ;) You are such a good Mama Sarah! I am so enjoying your blog.

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  8. My 'gotcha day' happens to be my birthday...only one set of cupcakes for me. :) I think it's great that you make the time to tell A, W, & K their own, individual stories. Precious.

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