Also our TA pool winner isAmanda Vigale. Amanda you guessed my TA would come on February 24th at 2:45pm! Send me a message and let me know the charity you want to support.
Five of My Own welcomes guest blog posts. If you would like to share your story on any topic related to adoption or orphan care or tell us about a project that supports orphans, please send submissions to fiveofmyown@gmail.com
a girl and her dog.
-
If my husband knew what was going on, he’d be jealous. You see, Poppy has a
new man in her life. She’s kept it on the down-low, though. In fact, it was
jus...
One Less Child Without A Home
-
It's officially official. We have a teenager!
Today was awesome! We arrived in M's region around 2 pm and headed straight
to the orphanage. We went into t...
Red, white, and blue berries
-
Saw variations on these berries quite a few times on Pinterest, and thought they’d be perfect for Memorial Day. They were. *grin* We ended up loosely follow...
Adoption from Africa: Concern over ‘dramatic rise’
-
From BBC News: The number of children from Africa being adopted by foreign
nationals from other continents has risen dramatically, a report has
said.In the...
Beach JOY
-
*I have no greater JOY than to hear that *
*my children are walking in the truth. *
*3 John 1:4*
*Children are a gift from the Lord, a reward from Him. ...
Day After Tomorrow {Prayer Request}
-
I've started this post in my head, but then I just couldn't go there. I
talked to my mom over the weekend, & I think she said it best. When you
have some...
Bringing the Hunan Scandal Into Focus
-
Just up on our Subscription Blog:
Imagine being able to sit down with the Duan family as an adoptive parent
of a child from Hunan Province. What questions ...
Back to work
-
Did everyone have a good Memorial Day? We did, but today’s one of those
days where I feel like I need to go back to work to get some rest. School
is finall...
5 of My Biggest (Yet Completely Insignificant) Fears
-
In this week’s Listable Life, I chose to write about 5 of my biggest fears.
Now I could easily tell you that my biggest fear (hand down!) is something
horr...
Adoption Tuesday - Attachment.10 (Final)
-
*Resources*
I've decided to end this little series on attachment here, with a nice even
10.
That's not to say that I'll not be continuing to post on the t...
Our indescribable gift!
-
Yes, our new daughter is Chinese.
No, she is not in China.
She is here in my arms!!!
At just 3 months old!!!!!
First moments with Mommy.
Indescribable...
Theater Artists Find Depths in Search for Families
-
From the Twin Cities' StarTribune, a profile of two Korean adoptees, each
performing one-woman shows about their experiences:
Twin Cities actor Sun Mee Cho...
1 year ago today......
-
........I sat down at my computer early in the morning with a cup of coffee
to check emails while we were on vacation. I saw this beautiful face for
the ...
Water FUN!!!!!!!
-
It was a water fun MONDAY....and they played hard..and fun..and precious.
Princess Rose Petals first.
we used a sprinkler....
oops right in the eye......
Some Days
-
There are days when things just seem to pile up one after another and you
don’t seem to catch a break. The kids don’t listen. They whine. Getting
thro...
Thank Our Troops (and a “Giveaway”)
-
Photo by Joie de Vivre Photography. Today, for obvious reasons, I’ve got
our troops on the brain. A couple of years ago, I held a “Coming Home”
photography...
Chair love
-
So with the new (to us) leather couch in the living room we needed a chair
to balance the room out. Walked in to my favorite thrift store just two
days lat...
Tomorrow
-
Tomorrow is my first day back to work after nearly 11 weeks of being off.
Jenna is out of school and Steve is staying home with the girls for the
summer. ...
The Wrong Diagnosis
-
Several months ago, I took Evangeline, our adopted daughter from Ukraine,
five years old, diagnosed with Down syndrome, to a developmental
pediatrician. “I...
Great Time with Great Friends
-
We had our dear friends come to visit us today from Florida ( they also
happen to be Grace's Godparents ). We always have such a great time with
them an...
lives be healed
-
I didn't go to church focused on her today.
But I've been praying lately that God would break my heart for what breaks
His.
And as we sang the bridge of...
Glad for the Reminder...
-
I've kind of let (made) myself put "moving to China" on the back burner in
my mind. Not because the passion and need to go there has left
me...actually qui...
Douglas
-
Thirteen years ago on May 23, 1999, we became parents to 7 1/2 pounds of
perfection. Our son had little pearly pink lips that were just *so *kissable.
Hi...
Walking on eggshells...again
-
Our son is home, very unexpectedly. Around 4:30 Thursday afternoon, I
received a call from the CBAT facility telling me that our insurance had
refused to a...
Adoption Tuesday - Attachment.9
-
Oops! Meant to post this on Tues. Oh well. Here it is now.... *Special
Treatment* The topic of today's post is more related to general parenting
than it is...
Taco Dinner Fundraiser for Ned!!
-
Saturday evening we went to a Taco Dinner that was a fundraiser to help
bring Ned (Zane) home. I talked about it all week to Seth and explained
that he wo...
9 Years ago
-
9 years ago today after flying 1/2 way across the world, we arrived at the
Dolton hotel in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Providence. It was arranged
that ...
A longer rope
-
I have found myself these last few weeks at the end of my rope. I had run
out of patience with some of my students, the bureaucracy of school work
was wea...
My Opening to Open Adoption
-
The 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s brought about substantial change and growth in my
personal and professional life. Once again, I broke all the rules. I now
refle...
Dollar Store Rafts.......
-
I am the first to admit that I am easily amused!! So this one got me for
sure, I almost wet my pants!!! John David and I picked up 2 "rafts" the
other day ...
GH² - And the Winners Are....
-
Whew! Did you make it through all of the suspense? I sure hope so because
I have amazing news!!!
Guys, over the past two weeks we raised $660!!! Can y...
In a Year and 3 months…
-
…our little girl has accomplished things people never thought she would.
She has come such a LONG way!! This was Emi right after we brought her
home. Q...
The Land of Tea.
-
When I started the blog, I already had my tagline: Dispatches from the Land
of Coffee & Tea. And yes, I am a caffeine freak, so the label fit me well,
but ...
All About Nathan
-
There is so much to catch up on and I decided it would be best to start
with the newest member of our family – Nathan! Poor Nathan suffers from
“third c...
for the archives...
-
Last week was one to remember...
a week full of momentous days!
It started off with lovely flowers
picked out just for me by mr.t
for Mothers Day..
{he ...
Oddly-Timed Update
-
Last week, we passed the three-month mark since we came home from China
with Xiao Ya. We'd become a family a little more than two weeks before
that. So I...
Tweaking Us
-
Holden successfully completed his first year of college and arrived home
sicker than a dog. His temp spiking as his body sought to recover from the
enormou...
Love My Job
-
Friday was the last day prior to the May long weekend, what we call the
Victoria Day Weekend, when we celebrate the Queen's birthday. I'm not a
monarchist,...
Another Goodbye
-
How do I even write this post? It was just 4 months ago that I was writing
about my beautiful grandmother passing away. Today I have cried rivers as
we lai...
Odds & Ends Pics.....
-
All iphone pics, quick, easy and oh sooooooo fun! Instagram and line
camera for 'retouch'
Mothers Day 2012
At some Diner with the kiddos.....
Pl...
Staring Back
-
I posted a comment on Facebook last night about something that happened,
and it generated a lot of conversation. I thought I'd continue the
conversation h...
It was MAGICAL…
-
Yes…again. Lots of Pixie Dust, laughter, and fun times. We visited with 6
other family members, making our “group” be 12. We filled an entire Kali
River ...
The Birgies! Part 2
-
So the kids (and all of our visitors) love to peek through the curtain and
check out how the baby birdies are doing. Gavi keeps saying "I love my
Birgie...
-
I apologize for the confusion lately of adding and moving blogs. *Major*technical difficulties. If you would like your blog added or changed
groupings, pl...
DOS Adoption Notice - Guatemala Update
-
May 14, 2012
Notice: Guatemala Update
This Adoption Notice is a follow up to the Notice of December 12, 2011.
*Universal List *
In March 2012, after mon...
Mother's Day With My Girls
-
My Mother's Day was one of the best I have had.
I have been blessed by our daughter Brandy by having 4 beautiful
grandchildren and the fact that she go...
Losing It
-
Well, I still haven't found a way to eat artisanal ice cream, watch
television, and lose 20 pounds. I am pretty confident that it can't be
done. Well, it...
What I Want to Say to You on Mother's Day
-
This post is becoming something of an annual tradition here at the blog; I
cannot think of anything I want to say more as May comes around this each
yea...
Waiting...
-
I don't like to wait! Come to think of it... I never have! When I met
Doug, the thought of waiting 3 years to finally be married seemed more like
...
My Little Ballerina
-
The Ladybug is once again getting ready for her ballet recital.
She is so excited and eager to be on the big stage, performing for her
family and all of ...
A few changes to share!
-
Hello Everyone,
It has been a long while since I last wrote and so much has happened.
I turned 50 last June. I'm now mid-way through life. Wow.. How did...
Guest Post- Justin’s thoughts on DBU
-
This post is a scholarship entry that Justin has prepared. For details, if
you want to try for the scholarship also, are in a link at the end. My name
is J...
Jan-April
-
*January* -we saw two members of the Pierce clan get older. *Bert* turned
45 and *Micah *14.
*February-* Sophie lost her first tooth!!!
*March-* saw 2 m...
Team Chenzhou 2012
-
Some have asked for details about the trip this year, so I hope this post
will help. We are still building our team, please pass the word.
*Dates:* Jul...
Paka paka
-
The time has come. For various reasons, I believe it's time to wrap things
up. We're going to turn this blog into a book (for Tyoma to have later)
and sh...
The Past Week
-
*Has been a rough one. Late last week, we found out that Liya's baseline
(20 minute) EEG was normal. Why is that a bad thing? Well, it's not...it's
just th...
Home Tour- Living Room & Dining Room
-
I snapped a few pix of my living room earlier today and I've spotted a few
things could look a bit more organized, but you all know that I live with a
3 an...
Yes...We are Alive
-
I'm so very sorry that it has taken me so long to post. We are alive :O)
Mia is such a treasure and is thriving at home with our family. We are all
in ...
Home for ONE year!
-
It's been one year since they came home... ONE year!! I remember
wondering if I'd be able to stand - I knew God's presence would be so
unreal in that air...
LOI, PA, and home study visits
-
OK, well my cousin Jennifer seems to care what is happening in the world of
Gavin (ZZ) so I will share even if she is my only reader:) Anyway, We sent
in L...
ROG kiddos
-
When we visit the B’s some of our best memories are made with just being
with the kiddos.
I can’t really explain in words how special they are.
How they...
Where do you want to go?
-
As a college student, the number one question people will ask is, "What's
your major?" This is then followed by a series of exchanges in which you
relay ...
Birthday Party at Game Center
-
One of Lukas' friends from after care and the neighborhood had his birthday
party at a game center. Lukas had a blast playing glow in the dark golf,
glow ...
“Memory” for 1,000, please, Alex …
-
A: Every useless bit ever mentally digested pops up even decades later. Q:
What is really fucking annoying? I have a prodigious memory, one that
recalls wi...
We've moved!
-
Please come visit our new (and much improved) website *here*.
And, if you are following us through Google or feedburner, *be sure to* *
resubscribe* so you ...
dress rehearsal
-
Abby had dress rehearsal for dance for her AFFECT group this weekend.
AFFECT is the competition dance group that she is participating in this
year. She is ...
Our latest project
-
We are excited to announce our next big project in Russia! Our goal is to
raise $20,000 for a new playground at the baby orphanage in Volgograd. The
orpha...
New Beginnings = New Blog !
-
With the new year comes new beginnings. So as we start out the year with
lots of excitement as we plan to bring home our sweet baby boy , I thought
it was ...
Thanks
-
Thanks to everybody who has expressed such tender care and concern for our
family in this incredibly challenging time. We are grateful for your
support a...
Rudolph the Semi-Decapitated Reindeer
-
Yesterday, my husband suggested that instead of driving to the nearest
Redbox to return a movie that we had watched on New Year’s Eve (we are
super b...
Elisyn's Surgery Day!
-
My Countdown
We hope that you will continue to follow Elisyn's journey to hope and
healing at our family blog.
http://hopewritten.blogspot.com
*Rej...
Don't Catch These Two Diseases
-
*
*One of my favorite motivational speakers is a guy by the name of Brian
Tracy, who is one of the world's top experts on success psychology and
personal ...
Au Revoir
-
Time to close this blog and move on.
Please join me on Facebook.
I am listed as Colleen Jackson Goodwin.
Thank you so much for all the words of encouragmen...
Restarting something old....
-
[image: Homemakers Challenge]
Not sure if you have heard of 31 Days to Clean but is a ebook/PDF about
"Having a Martha House a Mary Way". This is based o...
School days....3 year old class here we come!
-
I have been horrid about Leeza's blog. With facebook, it's hard to make
time for both, but I need to get better and at least include the
highlights.
...
Boat Vacation 2011
-
Ever since our Mediterranean cruise last summer, the girls have talked nonstop about another "boat vacation". That was our first glimpse into how easy a vaca...
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
-
This is the first book that has moved me in a while. There are times when
you come across a book that you become completely buried in…it is hard to
break ...
Truths
-
So, I've been trying to outline the crazy spiritual journey that's been
taking place in my heart, and Eric's heart, for the past few years. (post 1,
post 2...
Moving the Blog
-
After a lot of thought I have decided to move our blog. My posts now are
mostly for our extended family and for our kids to look back on when they
are olde...
December 2nd part!
-
Maria looking cute in her outfit from aunt Lianro!
Trying out the sled... as you can see it did not go over well with Maria...
she just laid back and scre...
Rylie's First Crush
-
It is official. Rylie has her first crush. And if this is any predictor of
the teen years, well Adam and I are in for it.
Rylie has always been one of thos...
-
2010 was such a whirlwind! We hope to take it a bit slower in 2011 and take
the time to enjoy every moment with Maysen! Time goes so fast! My hope is
for a...
Merry Christmas!
-
Cousin Trey reading me a book.
Now it's Cousin Drew's turn.
Cousin Casey playing with "Cinnamon and Sugar".
Cousin Lauren snuggling with "Sugar and Cinnam...
Introducing Allie and Sam!
-
After waiting 1 1/2 hours for the judge to arrive, we were rewarded for our
patience and nervous stomachs with a short, sweet, no-questions-asked court
ap...
buy valium buy cheap valium online
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Machinery until you on the diet and tranylcypromine parnate even. Povidone,
starch, fd c blue. Almost time you larger dose of drug sucrose synthetic.
#40 a...
SANTA!!
-
Christmas time is here! We love watching Gianna take it all in. She has
really enjoyed the decorating of the tree, the Christmas pajamas and
meeting Santa...
Happy Holidays Indeed
-
Major Loves Latkes!
One year ago, I wrote the following entry.
Just last night I looked at the pile of Hannukah gifts for my kids and
thought, well, I ...
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
-
Yes, it has been insanely long since I've blogged (more about that at the end of this post), but I just HAD to share some exciting news!And by "news" I mean ...
Big News!!
-
I am known to not keep secrets very good. WELLL this time I have a big
secret and a little girsl life hung in the balance. We were to scared to
jeapordize ...
Flounder no more
-
This blog will be ending soon.
Check us out at
http://thetennenfamily.blogspot.com/
And as you'll see on there, we have a new blog:
http://babytennen.blogs...
A Sweet Gift...first photo
-
The earliest photos we have of Emma Lynn are her referral photos likely
taken around her first birthday, November 2008 and after her cleft was
repaired. To...
August already?
-
Garrett starts school in a little over a week and yet this summer seems to
be dragging on forever. Lately everything in my life has been relentless:
the he...
Now Scheduling Appointments
-
Not satisfied with your current hair salon? Mitch & Jake's Barber Shop
offers cheap, fast, and friendly service. Schedule your appointment today.
What a Month......will get ya!!!!
-
Ian has been home for one month and what a wild moth it has been. Here is a
list of first that Little Man has experienced.
1) Plane ride from Hell....what ...
Dare To Love
-
When we adopted our second child from China we were faced with many
challenges that we were not prepared for. The toll of dealing with all
that she needed...
New Photos From Katie’s Foster Sister Lili
-
[image: 035_035]
Today I received some priceless photos from our new friends who adopted
Katie’s foster sister Lili a few weeks ago. They had the came...
Time is flying by!
-
I can not believe that we have been home now for almost 2 months. It seems
like Zoe has always been a part of our lives and I can't believe how fast
time i...
Home
-
We've been back home almost three weeks and life will never be the same as
before we left to get Grace in China. We arrived home to posters and signs
and ...
Really Annoying, I know.
-
This week, we have had MAJOR blog issues that couldn't be resolved, AND I
lost my template, so......
We have moved..... yet again.
happilyeveraftersixkids...
To Do #862: Make Blog Private
-
Well, I thought I was going to have some possibly good news to report but
that may be usurped by the rumors of Russian AND Kaz adoptions shutting
down.
F...
Korean Adult Adoptee Perspective
-
Because Korean adult adoptees are the closest example children with Chinese
origin will experience as they mature, I thought I'd give you a few links
to ...
Need A Blog Makeover???
-
I wanted to share with you a lady that did a blog makeover for one of my
other blogs. I spent many hours trying to add special features without any
luck. Y...
The Orb of Azcera by Tony Van Sant ON SALE NOW
-
It has been a life-long dream of mine to become a published author, and now
that journey is finally complete. My first book, *The Orb of Azcera, *is
now av...
A really loooong day(s)
-
It all started Thursday our time. We had an 2:00 appointment at the U.S.
consulate to pick up Lisi's passport and visa. From there we bussed to the
tr...
Hard to believe, it was 1 year ago
-
We can't believe that one year ago today we left for Kazakhstan. Our lives
were forever changed and the year has flown by. When we started this
process we ...
Packing up....
-
...and moving out!!....
The time has come to move on to a new blog....reasoning is posted on the
NEW home! So for more adventures with Adam as we continue...
Christmas At The Wright House!
-
We had a fantastic Christmas! Logan had so much fun playing in the wrapping
paper and stealing the bows off of the presents. Last year we always said,
" Ne...
3 Weeks and 2 days later...
-
Sorry it has taken me so long to post. The last few weeks feel like a
blur. This post is a bit long...hang in there!
We arrived home at 2:00 AM on Novemb...
November 19th - Final Blog
-
Well we finally have the time to close out our blog. The internet wasn't
working the last two nights in Almaty so we never got to update anything.
Then get...
It's time to go private.
-
Henry say's I think it is time to go private and my mom thinks so too.
After giving this a lot of thought and going back and forth with, should I
or should...
What a wonderful day.....
-
Today Anita came to spend the day with us at our hotel here in Kathmandu.
We had the most wonderful day! She is so precious! We truly feel l...
So Let It Out & Let It In:
-
This is our son, Aila's brother,
*Jude Donald Joseph Robinson**
*Jude: Christ's apostle, espoused piety and fierce devotion;
patron saint of hop...
HUGE OPEN RECORDS NEWS
-
THIS is worth coming out of hibernation for; 9 News out of Denver, Colorado
reports- “LITTLETON – It’s something many of us may take for granted,
knowing y...
Home - and about town
-
Well, I must admit, I was pretty proud of Susanna on her first two plane
trips. While she was not particularly impressed (or even remotely
observant) of ta...
We're Finally Home!
-
It's hard to believe, but we made it home!
I can't believe how amazing Rylan was on the planes. He's definately a
traveller - or he was just so excited ...
Home from China 2012
-
Tamasyn Apr 9
Merry Apr 8
Baby Apr 1
Teresa Mar 19
Janie Mar 12
Autumn Mar 12
Melaina Mar 5
*Lili Mar 5
Brooklyn Mar 5
Autumn Mar 5
Melaina Mar 5
Elo...
Asher is ready to travel home
-
Dad and Asher up in the mountains in Almaty
Asher waiting in the Dr.'s office.....
Asher's first camel ride...There are painted camels all over the cit...