Author * Speaker
If you’ve been here before you probably know that this summer marked the end of one aspect of our adoption: The hope that The Cherubs would consider us their Mom & Dad. Not their only parents, of course, but equally real to the others. We’ve given it four years of solid effort, but alas, no […]
Read MoreThis morning I tried to write the post I promised about what we’d do differently if we adopted again, but I couldn’t make it come together. I realized that I’m still WAY too angry that we weren’t given more accurate preparation to write that sort of advice quite yet. I’ll get there, but it’s a […]
Read MoreIt’s been awhile, huh? It’s been one of those odd seasons when it would be totally possible to sell you the lie that things are entirely wonderful. By social media standards, we have it all going on: Gorgeous Bathroom remodel! #1 Cherub working at his first job and crushing it! #2 Cherub away at expensive […]
Read MoreWe got through the weekend! Father’s Day tends to go better than Mother’s Day here, which I think is pretty typical in adoption. You just don’t have the whole Forced replacement of someone I loved who disappointed me factor with adoptive Dads. Instead, Dads are like unicorns – something kids heard might be real but […]
Read MoreWhen I was in law school, some students thought it was cool to brag about how they’d been up all night studying in their library carrels. A few even brought in pillows. In a moment of wisdom that was pretty rare for me back then, I thought, Wow, that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever […]
Read MoreSome of you reached out to check on us after my spate of candid posts about things we’re struggling with. I get it. It’s not typical to see this sort of honesty on the internet these days, especially in circumstances like ours where it would be possible to create an alternative reality online, painting our […]
Read MoreOne of my goals is to not hate my life. Inspiring, right? (Watch for my motivational stickers & t-shirts, coming soon!) When I’m in a good place, I shift the language and ask God to help me enjoy my life. This requires a significant amount of Divine help…and some cooperation by me. Remember a […]
Read MoreI had a rough trip down memory lane yesterday as I listened to a podcast about another couple’s experience trying to adopt from foster care. It reminded me so much of the pain we went through with our beloved first foster daughter, Princess Peach. I thought I’d take this chance to offer a candid take […]
Read MoreI sat down to write this post 2 hours ago, but ended up making an epic playlist instead. I call it DANCE FUN HAPPINESS…which is redundant, of course. I have no dance-related playlists that aren’t fun or happy (for example, there’s no “BALLET BARRE WITH EXTENDED FRAPPE SECTION” or “POLKA PRACTICE FOR PORTLY PEOPLE”) but […]
Read More#1 Cherub had his PROM. He looked ridiculously handsome, and the weeks leading up to this had some of the highlight moments of my parenting experience. Kudos to #1 – he handled most prom prep on his own. But I got to be there to explain cuff links, consider the merits of bow tie vs. […]
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Trish Ryan 