Our China Adoption Journey
Our story of international adoption from ChinaWe met our daughter in China for the first time in August 2017. But our international adoption journey didn’t begin or end there. Read more about the process, travel, and parenting after coming home here.
If you are currently funding an adoption, don’t miss my list of 101 Adoption Fundraising Ideas.
8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Our Adoption
We are quickly approaching the fourth anniversary of my daughter’s adoption from China. She has changed so much since then! She’s a walking, talking, eat-as-much-as-a man, slobbery-kiss-giver, silly girl. As I look back at all the progress she has made, I also realize...
What Life Looks Like 3 Years After International Adoption – Part 2
Welcome to the second half of my reflection on three years after international adoption. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 here. There I talked about medical needs, developmental milestones, and education since adopting from China. Read on for several other aspects...
What Life Looks Like 3 Years After International Adoption – Part 1
It has been three years since we first met our daughter in a nondescript municipal building in China. While anniversaries like this bring adoption to the forefront of my mind, most days I don’t think about the different ways my kids arrived in our family. I pray for,...
How to Celebrate the Beauty and Embrace the Trauma of Adoption
Grownups come back! That little song is repeated over and over in an episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Since the show is one of my daughter’s favorites, we have used it to ease anxiety when dropping her off at school, church, or for a visit with the...
What My China Adoption Taught Me About the Love of God
Two years ago this month I met my daughter for the first time. As is in the case of a China adoption, the meeting was without fanfare. But from the moment that spunky 18 month old was placed in my arms, my family would never be the same. As I reflect on how far we've...
My Experience with Special Needs Parenting
Our daughter was adopted from China's Special Needs Program in 2017. As soon as she was placed in my arms, I entered the world of special needs parenting. (Read more about our China adoption journey.) There is a wide spectrum of medical, developmental, and...
What to Expect in the First Year After International Adoption – Part 2
Jump into part two of this one-year post-adoption post! Though L was 18 months old when we met her, the orphanage primarily fed her formula from a bottle. They would…
What to Expect in the First Year After International Adoption – Part 1
One year ago, my husband, son, and I were ushered into a plain room in the equivalent of a Chinese DMV office for a meeting that would forever change all our lives. Along with another family on the same journey as us and our English-speaking guide, we met our daughter...
What Happens on Gotcha Day for China Adoptions?
I am writing this post on a bed in a five-star Marriott hotel with my brand-new daughter asleep on me. It is completely surreal. Today, L Goodpaster was legally adopted as a member of our family. Read about more our adoption match here. China Adoption Gotcha Day...
A Baby Girl in China: What You Need to Know About Our Adoption Match
Our adoption process just took a huge step forward. We’ve been matched with a baby girl from China! After 14 months of waiting, we received the phone call on May 3 telling us a beautiful 15-month-old girl is waiting for us in southern China! It is completely surreal...
How I Know God Works Things for Good – An Adoption Story
When applying for the Lifesong for Orphans grant, we were required to prepare an adoption testimony. While I knew God directed us on this path to expand our family, it wasn’t until our adoption story was put to paper that I saw all the ways he worked together to lead...
Logged In and Waiting to be Matched with a Child – Our China Adoption Journey
Our dossier (official paperwork that we worked on for months demonstrating that we are fit to adopt) has officially arrived in China! We have a log in date (LID) of October 18, 2016. This means we are now able to be matched…
But Even If He Doesn’t – Our Leap of Faith into International Adoption
One of my favorite Bible stories is that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (If you aren’t familiar, you should read the whole story in Daniel 3. It is a really good one.) Basically, Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar built a
Why Our Family Decided to Adopt from China
We’re paper pregnant! Today we are announcing to our family and friends that we are in the process of adopting a child from China! At some point, I will go into more detail about how we got to this point. Until then, know that we feel that God has called us to take this step.
Meet Jessica
Hi! I'm Jessica! I help people fund adoptions, navigate parenting, save money, and enjoy the good things in life. Read more about me here. 
