Adoption Conference 2012

November is Nation Adoption Month. Last weekend we got to attend the annual Adoption Conference put on by FSA (Families Supporting Adoption).  We went last year for the first time and loved it so we were excited to go again this year. On Friday night they have a carnival for the whole family. We get to enjoy some good food, fun games, crafts and a photo booth. They have a face painting booth that we thought Carter would like but by the time it was his turn he wouldn't hold still so that didn't work out so well. But he did enjoy some of the games and loved the popcorn!
On Saturday they have the classes for the adults. Adoptive couples, those hoping to adopt, birth parents and families are all invited to attend the conference. We love the classes. There were classes about how to make open adoption work, talking to your kids about adoption, adoption law, how to avoid adoption scam, surviving infertility (loved this class! Dealing with infertility is HARD and it is nice to be around others who understand what you are going through and knowing that the feelings you have are normal :) ). They also had a birth mother panel where a few birth mothers told their stories of how they came to choose adoption for their babies and how they decided on the families to place those babies with. One thing we hear over and over in this conference is that the Lord really does have a hand in all parts of adoption!
I loved the class on open adoption. It was presented by a girl I went to nursing school with and the birth mom of her oldest son. They have a very open adoption and before I was brought into the adoption world I didn't understand how she could do what she does.  However, after meeting Carter's birth mom I knew and understood how she has an open adoption with the birth moms who have chosen to place with them. I love keeping in contact with Carter's birth mom and have enjoyed the couple of times we have been able to see her in the past couple of years. We love her and she has a very special place in our hearts!
We love that we get to be a part of this wonderful world of adoption! We love Carter and the Miracle of how he came to be ours.  We also hope and pray that we will be able to adopt again!