THE WALLS IN MY OFFICE

Happy Tuesday,

I am sitting in my office, looking at it's 4 walls. The walls are painted pale yellow...but the wallpaper is one of a kind. Several hundred breathtaking pictures are everywhere. They are of newborns and toddlers and 8 year olds. There are babies that have huge bows in their hair, Mickey Mouse ears, pumpkin suits, crazy, silly, wild  hats, Spiderman costumes and some are in their "birthday suits". Some are bald, some some have "happy hair" sticking up all over their head, there are pigtails and fuzzy little Afros. I see snow white skin, mocha skin, milk chocolate and dark chocolate skin. One baby is eating a crayon, one is examining the inside of her refrigerator, 2 are holding their "4 month old sign", one is wearing a strand of pearls, a little guy has stickers all over his face and there is even a SCARY lion! Birthday cake is smeared all over one's face, one is playing in the sand and one is sticking her tongue out at me! One is in a white wicker basket, one in a swing, one in a field of cotton and one in a funny car. Santa is holding a beautiful baby girl, a proud big brother is holding his new baby brother, and Rick and I are holding the newest "legal" member of a family. There is a mother, just back from Afghanistan, holding her daughter, a picture of a beautiful birth mother and me and a daddy with a smile bigger than the 4x6 photo paper. There a picture of our daughter Hannah, her birth mother Molly, our beautiful granddaughter Finley and me taken at Finley's first birthday party. There is a picture of my sister, her son she placed for adoption over fifty years ago and his Mother.

I can name every baby and every baby's nickname...Elmo, Handy Manny, Jiminy Cricket, Miss Bubbles, Woody, Tigger & Roo, Easter Lily, Miss Peaches, Rugby, Elvis, Miss Pumpkin, Sweetie, Boo, Tweety Bird, Miss Violet, Glo Worm, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan, Little Lamb, Ladybug, Sweet Pea, Miss Garnet, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Miss Butter Bean, Valley Girl, Miss Valentine, Moose, Byrdman, June Bug, Miss Buttercup, Skooter, Winnie the Pooh, Lil G, Frosty, Baby Noel, Linus, Jingle Bells, Charlie Brown and Peter Rabbit.

The pictures remind me EVERY day of the amazing birth parents who have been in our lives and have lovingly & selflessly chosen adoption of their children. They remind me of some of the birth mother's who will be my heart friends....forever!
They remind me of the wonderful people who have come to Family Adoption Services....hoping to fulfill their heart's desire.... to be Mommys and Daddys and what a privilege & honor it was to have been part of their journey.

My breathtaking wallpaper...hundreds of photographs of beautiful children....and in their eyes....the face God.

 

AMAZING GIFT OF LOVE

Good Morning,
I wanted to share a beautiful story with you about one of our "forever families" and their loving and grateful hearts. From the very beginning, this family has shown so much love and respect for their birth mother. They have regularly shared pictures and updates of their amazing child with her. Our couples sign an agreement, as part of their adoption contract, that they will send pictures and updates to the birth parents at their request. This family however has gone above and beyond their commitment. It is not unusual to receive something in the mail from them to be sent to their birth mother and her child without even being asked.

Three weeks ago, we received a letter, several pictures of the baby and beautiful crosses for the birth mother and her daughter. What an amazing gift of love!
I wanted to share this with you as an example of two people who love the woman who gave birth to their child. They are not afraid or intimated by her, but honor her for the selfless gift she gave to them. They want her to know and see that the baby is happy and healthy and well adjusted.

Our goal at Family Adoption Services is to help birth parents understand that placing their child for adoption is a GIFT. That there is no shame in what they are doing. We understand the sacrifice they are making. Our goal is to work with a birth mother or birth parents, helping them make their decision peacefully, knowing that what they are doing is in the best interest of their child, perhaps other children they might have and also for themselves.

If pictures, letters, cards and gifts of love allow a birth parent the peace of mind that adoption is not the end...but allows them a loving connection with the child they share, then loss and grief can turn to joy and pride.
Each time I see a picture of this beautiful child...his smile that lights up a room...I remember the woman who gave him life and will always love him and the family who adores their son and is now a forever family through the

AMAZING GIFT OF LOVE

A Thrilled Forever Family of Three Years

We are adoptive parents of three years now of an absolutely amazing boy. God answered our prayers beyond what we could ever hope. We are blessed by the selfless compassion and strength of our birthmother and finding an agency with such integrity and kindness as Family Adoption Services to help us become a forever family.

Blessings,

From a FAS Family

 

DUCK DYNASTY

Good Morning!
I want to share the following link that I just received on Facebook. I really don't need to write a lot, Willie says it all. http://www.godvine.com/Ducky-Dynasty-Star-Adoption-fb-gv-3091.html

Willie is right, Family Adoption Services is hearing the same thing as Willie said. A lot of judgement about interracial adoption...adoption in general...COMES FROM THE CHURCH. Not only are young girls who become pregnant being expelled from their Christian Schools, some churches are anti-adoption altogether. Fortunately, we see these adopted children changing families, churches and communities.

It seems to me that international adoption is more accepted than adopting a child of a different race from the United States. Why are we not supporting our pregnant women in the United States? Women who have chosen LIFE for their unborn child are then being shamed by their families into keeping them.

I cannot tell you how many times FAS has had a homeless, pregnant woman, with no place to live. I can't tell you how many times Rick and I have said, "If we only had a home where these women could stay".

There are three choices a woman has when she finds out she is pregnant, abortion, parenting or adoption. I believe  God creates every life. I am an adoptive parent...Rick and I own Family Adoption Services...you know my choice.

Family Adoption Services sees EVERY DAY that families adopting children of color are CHANGING THE WORLD.  LOVE DOES NOT HAVE A COLOR.

Love,
Susan

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT FAMILY ADOPTION SERVICES

Hi,
I had hoped I would be flooded by questions and comments after my first blog post...perhaps I need to make the first move. I am going to begin by answering some frequently asked questions when someone calls to inquire about the adoption journey and what is different about Family Adoption Services. If you have read our web site...you know some basic information about us, but my goal is to share with you what makes us different. Please note that when I use the words "birth mother" the words "birth parents", also apply in some circumstances.  

1. First of all, we are cute, funny, helpful, open, friendly, easy to work with, supportive, loving, cheerful, thrifty, kind and brave. When you call our office you will speak with either Rick, Susan, Jason, Mandy or Bekah.
2. Family Adoption Services has two in-house attorneys on staff with over 37 years of combined experience.
3. We are available to talk with you 24 hours a day...7 days a week. Please do not call  in the middle of the night unless you are in labor.  :o)
4. There are three adoption fees with our agency; an application fee to process your paperwork, a home study fee and the adoption fee, due after the placement of a child. These fees include all legal costs. We do not discuss our fee schedule on our web site or on this blog.
5. Our agency operates under a system of guidelines, not rules. We treat each birth mother and each "forever family" on an individual basis.
6. Family Adoption Services' objective is to work with couples who are childless, due to infertility, or who only have one other child, either biological or adopted.
7. Written "Dear Birth Mother Letters" are presented to our birth mother to allow her to choose the "forever family" for her child. We do not use picture albums of adoptive parents.
8. In an effort to protect our "forever families", they are not told when their "Dear Birth Mother Letter" is being shown.
9. A "forever family" will not know about the birth of a baby or a child being placed with them until after the birth mother's legal five day waiting period has run. There may be minor exceptions.
10. Since we are  licensed to do business in the State of Alabama, we only work with birth mothers in Alabama.

Ok, that should be enough for you to digest today.

Fondly,
Susan