It's All About ME!

Making a mini scrapbook for your child is a great activity - especially during the holidays - to spotlight the child and his unique, special characteristics. Besides that, it's a fun bonding activity, and great fun for all ages to look at. My baby loves to look at her photos just as much as her older siblings. Making a mini scrapbook is easier for little hands to hold and manipulate, and is a little more economical, too. Some page ideas are:

• People in my family
  
• My favorite toys


• My room


• What makes me special


• I like to eat...


• Books I love


• My favorite games


• My pets


• When I grow up, I want to be...


• Family traditions


• My bed time routine


• My friends


• My school

Select a photo for each page and if your child is old enough, have him/her help with the journaling for the page. Consider laminating the book, too, so little hands will be able to look through it again and again without ruining the pages.

Celebrate your family! Celebrate your child! And celebrate it on paper so the memories are captured for years to come.

SUB FOR SANTA

We are in need of families who would be willing to sponsor birthmothers & their children for Sub for Santas. As an agency, we provide a Sub for Santa for each birthmother family here in Utah. If you could take on this special project, and provide a Christmas to one of these birthmothers, please let us know as soon as possible. The birthmothers fill out a form with sizes for clothing/shoes, as well as "wishes" for Christmas. They are grateful for anything. We do ask for new clothing/toys/items, and ask that they be labeled, wrapped, and delivered to the Heart to Heart office the week before Christmas. We deliver to them birthmothers usually on the 23rd or Christmas Eve.

This is a wonderful project and very rewarding, especially since we have all been touched by the selflessness of a birthmother. Doing a Sub for Santa for a birthmother is a special way of giving back a little, if you will. In the past we have had groups of neighbors, families or extended families, church groups, office groups, etc., provide a Christmas for a birthmother. When you involve more people, it's easier and spreads the love a little more.

Thank you for your generosity, and for more details on birthmothers who we have in need of a Sub for Santa, please leave a comment on this posting and we will get back with you privately. (leave email/phone info)

Thank you...

Minnesota...Texas...West Virginia...

Thanks to Rachel, one of our counselors, for these great photos of two of her placements a few weeks ago.

Sweet birthmom, Melody.

We love our happy families!

We EXPLORED THE MIRACLE!

The Utah Valley Adoption Conference, "Exploring the Miracle", was a great success. We enjoyed seeing so many of you who came to say hello, and the feedback we received on the workshops was so positive. The favorite workshop, for both staff and families, seemed to be Michael McLean's musical workshop, which was a tender tribute to adoption.

Our booth at the conference.

And look! We placed these twins with their family 2 years ago---and they are the Nov/Dec photo contest winners for Adoptive Families magazine!!

Darling mom, Melissa, and her son, Shaffer.

Two great moms, Bev and Stacy. Bev is the mother of the twins featured above, and Stacy is the mom who adopted the little guy posted on our blog a few weeks ago. We love our happy families!Donna, the executive director, stopping by the booth to sign autographs. (kidding, kidding!)

Debi (birth mom coordinator), Melissa (adoptive mom), Patti (case manager), Julie M, (counselor)
Julie S. helping at the booth....

And just a quick note of thanks....Julie S. was with me from before 6am until 6pm at the conference...helping me set up the booth, talking with people at the conference, etc. Thanks to the great staff of Heart who came to support the conference, too. It was a great day full of fun and education. One of the highlights of these type of activities is seeing our families again. We love when you stop by to say hello and give an update. It's all part of exploring the miracle! Isn't adoption the BEST?!

Another Miracle!

We had so many great responses to our posting just a week ago on a little baby boy that we needed to match. Here's how it all unfolded:

I received a phone call Wednesday night from a darling adoptive mom, Deborah, who adopted through us about 8 months ago. She said she knew an amazing family who had been waiting to adopt, and the sooner the better, because they had just been through 2 failed situations through another agency.

I told Deborah that we'd matched the baby, but I appreciated her call, and to have this cute family - Sean and Stacy - get their paperwork to us, and "I am sure we'll have them matched very quickly." I called and introduced myself to Stacy, gave her a little pep talk, and told her we'd look forward to her paperwork.

The next morning, Donna and Debi both called letting me know this sweet baby boy was still looking for his forever family.

Stacy and Sean jumped right in with both feet. We had all their paperwork within hours, and set up a lunch date with the birth parents.

Sweet birthmother, Keesha, holding baby with daughter, Harmony.

Birthfather, Mike, with Adoptive Mom, Stacy. (She has a perma grin and is STILL glowing!)

Keesha, Stacy, and Mike all admiring beautiful Baby West.

Keesha and Mike loved Sean and Stacy....it's a match! (our favorite words here at Heart to Heart). Keesha said as soon as she saw Stacy, she felt good about it. But as she watched Stacy interact with her daughter, she knew it was perfect. Mike also felt Sean and Stacy are the perfect parents for his son.

Now, we haven't let Deborah off the hook yet! Stacy called and told Deborah the good news, and next thing we know, Deborah has loaded her car, her 8 mo. old son, Zac, and they are making the 4 hour drive from their city to Salt Lake. Deborah and Stacy have an incredibly deep and unconditionally loving friendship. It is inspiring to see such a relationship, with the love and support it affords in these life situations.

Baby West's 2 big sisters... biological sister, Symphony, and his new big sister, Quincy! (Stacy and Sean adopted Quincy 18 mos ago) Baby West is going to be surrounded by love.

Needless to say, this was a match made in heaven. Deborah made it into town just in time to meet baby West and be there for the placement. Hope, one of our amazing counselors at Heart, and everyone else involved, met at my house to sign papers later that evening. (Pardon the stacks of dishes in the background....party fallout to be put away!) Yes, signing papers on a vinyl Halloween tablecloth is not quite as professional as signing at the office....but I don't think Sean, Stacy, or Baby West minded. :)

It is always amazing to watch how many miracles occur as a baby finds his family. And as always, it's such a privilege to be part of it. So....HEARTfelt thanks to the many people who respond to help create a miracle...and HEARTfelt congratulations so Sean and Stacy ... and Quincy and West! One big, happy family!

WE FOUND A FAMILY!!

Heartfelt thanks to all of you who helped get the word out on this sweet baby boy. We have found his family. Hurray!! Thank you for all the kind words and for networking with each other. We appreciate all our amazing adoption advocates - because of you, this sweet baby boy has his family!

Finalization....finally!

"Mila, where are you?"

"Here I am! Playing in my basket, of course."

"It's our big day. Finalization!"

Are those tears? Yes! Tears of joy. Congratulations to sweet Leanne and her darling daughter, Mila, on the finalization of Mila's adoption! Watch for a link to Leanne's upcoming blog for single mothers.

In the words of Isaac Asimov...

"The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." — Isaac Asimov

This quote should be permanently inscribed on a wall at Heart to Heart!

The Amazing Staff at Heart to Heart 2009

Back row: Michelle, Megan, Kim, Katie, Patti, Beth, Julie M., Julie S., Donna

Front row: Hope, Lora, Debi, Kathy, Stacy, Lisa, Cindi, Shelly

In our office, things are always changing. Last night, we had a fun staff dinner at Trio to celebrate the exciting changes that are coming our way.

I (Shelly) am leaving my current role at Heart to spend more time at home with my family. I will be a stay home mom for the first time in a few years. I have loved the 3 years I've been with Heart to Heart and appreciate the amazing adoptive families and birthmothers I have had the privilege of knowing. And a big THANKS to the caring, wonderful, FUN staff at Heart to Heart. I love you!

Megan is also leaving Heart to spend more time with her sweet children, Ari and Eli. Megan has done an amazing job developing our Adoptive Family Department. She has brought professionalism and compassion to her work here at Heart, and we are all better for having known and worked with her. We love Megan... she will be missed!

We are excited to announce that Kathy will be helping out in the Adoptive Family Department. Kathy has extensive experience in the adoption field, both as an adoption professional as well as an adoptive mother of 3. She brings warmth to every situation and her organizational skills are an asset to the agency.
The staff at Heart is always great at adapting to change and working as a team. They always keep the best interests of all our clients at the forefront of everything they do. So while changes may occur internally, the adoption work always moves forward in a positive way. As always, we are here for you, so please call or email with questions or concerns. And get ready... not only is Halloween around the corner...but so is National Adoption Month! (November).

Happy Autumn!

Congratulations, Loren and Traci!

Warmest congratulations to Loren and Traci on the birth of their beautiful baby girl!

EXPLORING THE MIRACLE

Utah Valley University will be holding its 2009 Conference on Adoption on November 2, 2009
9am-3pm
Utah Valley University Sorenson Student Center
sponsored by Utah Adoption Council

Keynote Address by MICHAEL McLEAN
Michael McLean released his debut album, "You're Not Alone", in 1983, and with every song that followed, his lyrics have filled voids, encouraged love, and offered hope.

Perhaps his most requested song from Michael McLean is his beloved adoption song, "From God's Arms to My Arms to Yours". Anyone in the adoption process - birthmothers and their families as well as adoptive parents and their families - will treasure his heartfelt insights.

FEATURED PRESENTATIONS
"Raising the Adopted Child: Unique Challenges of Adolescence"
Dr. Rick Meeves, PhD, Executive Director, Outback Therapeutic Expeditions

"Looking At It From Both Sides: Perspectives from a Placing and Adoptive Parent"
Cherie Burton (former Mrs. Utah)

"Observations from the Bench"
Judge Lynn Davis

"Transracial and Transcultural Adoption"
Dr. Cardell Jacobson and Darren Smith

"Building a Miracle Family"
Kathy Kunkel

AND MORE! There will be workshops, concurrent sessions, and panel discussions.
For more information:
Utah Valley University Conference on Adoption 2009
College of Humanities and Social Services
Toni Harris, Assistant Dean for Administration and Development
800 West University Parkway, MS 144
Orem, UT 84058