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F-I-V-E
The winner of the
fourth
Great Giveaway is . . .
Lucky #58 -
Laura M., LID 4-5-07
Congratulations, Laura!! Have fun shopping at
PBK!
I have not yet read
through all the email entries . . . if you asked a
question or made a comment that you want me to see
soon, please email me at
joejen92@yahoo.com
Thank You!
- - -
- -
At long last, Giveaway
#4!
From me, to you
A
$50 pottery barn
kids gift card!
If you love this store as much as I do, then enter
below!
The gift card will be
mailed from PBK right to the winner.
OK,
the details: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Who: This Giveaway is open to anyone . . .
both our myadoptionwebsite families AND
friends! If you regularly follow
myadoptionwebsite, these Giveaways are for you!
When: You can enter
now through
Tuesday, June 8, at midnight EST.
How: Easy! Send an email to our
special address used for Giveaways:
myadoptionwebsite@yahoo.com
-
Put "Giveaway" in the subject line
- If you entered Giveaway #1, 2 or 3 you can just give me
your first name
- If you are entering for the first time, I'd love to
hear a little bit about you!
And that's it! I'll post the winner's first
name here on Wednesday!!
The next Giveaway
will feature several items donated by
generous myadoptionwebsite friends and
families!
- - -
- -
Websites and Blogs:
My thoughts . . .
March 14, 2004
The photo our family and friends had been waiting for
. . .
For our waiting readers, I want to share my thoughts
about having a website or blog. Now obviously, I'm
biased! But I've given this a lot of thought over the
years, and for those of you who are still deciding
what to do, perhaps this will help.
(disclaimer: this is not an
advertisement for myadoptionwebsite! read on .
. . )
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I myself was
reluctant to chronicle our trip to China on a website.
In my opinion, toting one more thing (the laptop)
across the world seemed only to add to everything else
that we had to keep track of. And all I could envision
was Joe spending hours on end trying to manage the
technical aspects of the project,
when all I wanted was for us to focus solely on the
enormous task at hand:
Becoming first-time parents in a foreign country!
And we sure did have our hands full with Adrienne! In
addition, I must admit that I'm a private person.
Share all of this on-line with everybody? It took some
convincing. But oh my, how grateful I am that we
captured it all. And more than that, how very grateful
were our families and friends back home that they were
along for the ride.
For those of us on the journey - the whole process,
really, not just the actual trip - the ins and outs of
adoption become very familiar. There is a community
that you join (usually on-line), mountains of
paperwork to tackle, unique terms you learn and
understand (DTC, LID, PA, LOA), books you read, fears
and worries that only you and this community endure.
But this unique journey to parenthood, both its
preparations and then the actual experience itself,
while familiar to us, is actually quite foreign to
many of the people in our lives who we are closest to.
And there is the beauty of the website or blog.
It provides you with one central place to share. To
explain. To update. To teach.
And then when you board the plane and venture to lands
few Americans have the chance to visit, how much
wonderful it is for parents, siblings, close friends,
church members and co-workers . . . the people in your
lives who care and want to somehow be a part of this
experience . . . to be able to follow this amazing
journey. A website or blog is such a gift to those who
love you, and who will love your new child.
I think that when family and friends "see" firsthand
your adoption
experience (with all its ups AND downs), you arrive
home to a more understanding, educated community.
 Wondering
whether you should do a website or blog? Take time to
read through some of our families guestbook comments.
They are the very definition of love, family and
community! I love the joy and enthusiasm you find
there. Prayers are written, verses are shared,
gentle advice from other adoptive parents is offered.
A recent family in China (Cate)
has just pages and pages of the most loving and
supportive messages. And so many include a "thank
you!" for the website, for giving them the chance to
be part of the adventure.
As I said, this is not intended as an
advertisement! There are many, many ways to
capture and share your adoption journey. There are
other professional website services. The most common
choice is to create your own, free blog. There are
services for having beautiful, professionally designed
blogs. You can even host your own Yahoo group. That is
a very simple and easy way to keep those at
home informed with journals and photos. Concerned
about privacy? All these options offer password
protection. Concerned about cost? Many of these
options are free! Don't have a laptop? With a little
planning ahead you can use a computer at the hotel
business center or internet cafes. And I bet a family
member or friend would gladly lend a laptop for this
wonderful project!
Another aspect of keeping a website or blog is the
gift you have for your child. Capturing your adoption
in words and photos and preserving them for him or her
is, in my opinion, priceless.
 If
you've followed our sites and other adoption blogs for
any length of time, then you know the wide range of
styles families bring to their journals and
photography. Many strike a balance between
highlighting their travel experiences in country with
capturing those first amazing days with their new
child. You read journals that provide the hour
by hour details of the day, while others capture just
the highlights. The sites are as varied as the
families who write them, and I love that about
adoption websites and blogs. Depending on our
own stories, we can all find families who we can
relate to; who will inspire and educate us.
 We've
had the great privilege to host so, so many wonderful,
exciting, emotional and beautiful stories. I
don't think any of us will soon forget
Sienna's
site . . . Diana took some of the most
amazing
in-China photos I've ever seen. And their story
is incredible.
If you've followed the many updates of
SarahPearl,
I know you'll agree that Julia writes some of the most
loving and almost poetic posts. Always
inspiring.
And like me, did you laugh your way through
Will's
updates? That website is sure to put a smile on your
face! (By the way, time for another update, Mike!)
And then there is Dylan.
How I enjoyed this site.
 Take
one darling, strong-willed little boy. Add his
new dad, who not only speaks Mandarin (and therefore
was able to communicate right way with his son) but is
also willing to "write it" like it is. Then
include an amazing mom, a sweet big sister, lots of
love and a big dose of humor and you have one very
compelling website. Theirs is a journey I have
learned so much from.
For anyone adopting an older child, this one will
really give you a lot to think about.
Thank you, Brent and Lisa, for sharing
Dylan's Journey West with us!
You can read their final update update
here.
So,
what do you think?
Convinced to do a website or blog for your own
adoption journey?
I promise, it will be one of the best decisions
you make!
Up Next:
Great Giveaway #4!!!
Oh - and don't forget - if you
enjoy following a family's site, please do take a
minute
and leave a comment on their guestbook . . . I know
each message is so very appreciated!
- - -
- -
The winner of the third
Great Giveaway is . . .
Lucky #12 -
Debbie, mommy to Julianne,
from the Gansu Province
(Debbie's
personal favorite move . . . Ferris Bueller's Day
Off!)
- - -
- -
The Third Great Giveaway!!
I
LOVE movies - I always have. And so does
Adrienne! There's nothing she enjoys more than
snuggling up with a bowl of popcorn under one arm, and
a bowl of m & m's in the other, ready to watch her
latest much-loved movie. So to celebrate this
family-favorite activity, I've teamed up with with a
generous myadoptionwebsite friend (who wants to
remain anonymous) to bring one lucky family:
Movie Night!!
One winner will receive the following:
TWO
movies (from the list of 6 below)
ONE box of microwave popcorn
ONE big bag of m & m's
and ONE bag of candy - - winner chooses!
Here
are the movies you will choose two from . . .
we've included six of our favorites!
(movies that Adrienne and her cousins could watch
again and again!)
 
 
 
The two movies will be
shipped from Amazon, right to the winner.
OK,
the details: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Who: This Giveaway is open to anyone . . .
both our myadoptionwebsite families AND
friends! If you regularly follow
myadoptionwebsite, these Giveaways are for you!
When: You can enter now through this
Saturday, April 24, at midnight EST.
How: Easy! Send an email to our
special address used for Giveaways:
myadoptionwebsite@yahoo.com
-
Put "Giveaway" in the subject line
- If you entered Giveaway #1 and/or #2, you can just give me
your first name
- If you are entering for the first time, I'd love to
hear a little bit about you!
If you
have time, share your favorite movie with me!
And that's it! I'll post the winner's first
name here on Sunday!!
- - -
- -
Thank You,
Joe
The truth is, when you think of myadoptionwebsite,
you must think of Joe.
It really all started with our own adoption journey to
Adrienne. We had decided to create a sort of on-line
announcement, to use as an easy and fast way to share
our wonderful news on referral day. The announcement
grew into a website. Then Joe convinced me that he
should update the site while in China . . . for some
reason I wasn't excited about that idea, but
thankfully, he ignored my protests. Upon our arrival
home from China we heard from so many people
about how much they'd enjoyed following our journey,
how it made them feel a part of it, despite our being
on the other side of the world. Those comments stayed
with Joe, because less than a year later he proposed a
new business venture. Again, I protested, and again,
he wisely went ahead with his plan. Obviously, I came
around and saw the light! But without a doubt, this
was his baby . . .
and in many ways, it still is.
Let's be honest: Joe has created every
single site.
Every single Keepsake CD.
For the first four years he posted every update.
He activates every guestbook. Password protects. You
name it, he does it.
A conservative count puts us at about 425
websites.
So that means he's posted well over 4,0000 in-China
updates . . .
it is probably closer to 5,000!
And that's not counting the Waiting for Referral or
We're Home updates!
On the ferry to
Nantucket
The Places we go: If you've followed MAW
for very long, you know we are often
on the go! And where we go, so goes the laptop, 365
days a year.
Just some of the many Joe places has updated
our families websites . . .
The car (if I'm driving, of course!)
PNC Park
Heinz Field
Countless Starbucks
Countless Paneras
Barnes and Noble
Restaurants too numerous to name
golf courses
Parking lots, shopping malls, airports
Cape May, Sanibel Island,
Nantucket, NYC, Scottsdale
Dedication! Why? Because Joe
always remembers, even after all these years, that
for each family this is THEIR amazing journey . . .
their arrival in China, their Gotcha day, their
child's first smile, their once-in-a-lifetime
experiences, . . . and that their family
and friends at home are anxiously, eagerly awaiting
each and every update.
As
many of you know, myadoptionwebsite is one part
of Joe's larger communications and broadcasting
business. Lately his career has been taking some
exciting twists and turns, and so there's been a kind
of "changing of the guard" here at MAW. Yours
truly is doing more, learning more. I'll wrap up
by saying - - I have some BIG shoes to fill.
Joe - thank you for 5 years of hard work and caring
dedication!
- - -
- -
The winners of the
second Great Giveaway are . . .
Lucky #81 -
Leslie, mommy to Grace and Laurie Alice,
both adopted from China
Leslie shared in
her entry, "I love Stefanie's blog and
she is the reason we choose to adopt SN."
and
Lucky #104 - Janice, grandmother to a baby girl
adopted
domestically, and awaiting another grandchild, LID
10-26-06
Janice
shared in her entry, "I pray for all the children and
families of the world . . .
I love your website and read it every day.."
Congratulations, ladies!!!
As you can see, I switched to a Random Generator at
www.random.org.
While not nearly as cute as Adrienne drawing paper
from a bowl, it is a heck of a lot faster! I'm a bit
bleary-eyed, having spent the week on jury duty.
So needless to say, I'm very behind on answering your
emails . . . So many of you shared such lovely
comments about myadoptionwebsite, about
Stefanie, about the items in the Giveaway - - thank
you!!
I'll be sharing more thoughts, in response to your
messages, a bit later.
In the meantime, I need to take a few days to catch up
on everything, and then
we'll get back to our celebration . . . up next, a
feature on someone very special
(hint: the man who started it all), more
features, and of course, more Giveaways!!!
- - -
- -
The Second Great Giveaway!!
As I
said earlier, this one is special! And it's in
honor of the wonderful, lovely Stefanie!
Myadoptionwebsite mom, Kim, and I have teamed up
to bring you not one, but two prizes, both
celebrating and honoring Stefanie and the work that
she does for orphans in China. Kim, mother to
sweet Sophie, is the owner of a new, gorgeous on-line
boutique (I'm not kidding . . . wait till you see her
website!) where she is selling the most beautiful and
special line of jewelry, each piece crafted with her
own hands. I encourage you to visit
Wheat and Wildflowers
to see her work - you won't be disappointed!
Kim has read myadoptionwebsite from the very
beginning, and remembers following Stefanie's journey
to Isabelle. Kim was kind enough to share the
following with me:
"One day, I decided
to email her, a perfect stranger. Something I had
never done before. While our desire to adopt from
China grew, we also began to seriously question and
fear the unknown. Time passed and after emailing back
and forth a few times, I literally dumped all these
questions and fears in her inbox. As always, she
graciously took the time to respond with such
thoughtful answers and insight. In that email, she
said something very simple, but it completely changed
me. She said, "Step out in faith, and I think
you'll be amazed what God will do". We never
looked back. And our life has been beautifully blessed
and changed because of it. Stefanie may not even
remember those back and forth emails, because it was a
very long time ago.
But, I will never forget it. Sophie Mei
reminds me of it every day."
Sophie Mei
So, in honor of one of the biggest hearts in the
adoption community,
Kim and I offer you the following prizes!
Prize #1 - A $25 gift certificate to Wild
Olive Tees
AND this very special Wheat and Wildflowers
necklace
(retails
for $60)
Stefanie is one of the owners of
Wild Olive Tees
. . . Get Your Verse On!
These tees are not only inspiring, they are beautiful!
(and doesn't Stefanie make a great model?!)
Inspired by Stefanie and the work she does for
An Orphan's Wish,
Kim created the gorgeous necklace (above) and
will donate a portion of the profits to AOW.
And Prize #2 - this beautiful necklace, also
celebrating An Orphan's Wish
(retails
for $38)
OK,
the details: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Who: This Giveaway is open to anyone . . .
both our myadoptionwebsite families AND
friends! If you regularly follow
myadoptionwebsite, these Giveaways are for you!
When: You can enter now through this
Thursday, April 15, at midnight EST.
Yep, not too much time . . . so enter soon!!
How: Easy! Send an email to our
special address used for Giveaways:
myadoptionwebsite@yahoo.com
-
Put "Giveaway" in the subject line
- If you entered Giveaway #1, you can just give me
your first name
- If you are entering for the first time, I'd love to
hear a little bit about you!
And that's it! I'll post the winners first
names here on Friday!!
GOOD
LUCK!! And be sure to visit Stefanie and Kim's
websites!
And click
here to
visit Kim's journey to Sophie Mei!
- - -
- -
"Religion that God
our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress . .
. " James 1:27
When you are the owner
of your own business - big or small - there is
nothing quite like receiving that first order.
For us, it was April 11, 2005.
When the order arrived in our email in-box, I do
believe we just about fell over!
The family? Chris and Stefanie. The child? A precious
little girl they'd named Isabelle. The design? China
Love, Red and Black. Suddenly, we were
officially in business and thought that alone was
cause for celebration. Little did we know how the
adventure would unfold. In other words, little did we
know just exactly who Stefanie and Chris were,
and that the journey they were about to embark on
would not only change
Isabelle's life, but the lives of countless orphans in
China.
Five years - and five adoptions later - I can think of
few women as utterly devoted to the cause as Stefanie.
She advocates, she motivates, she donates. She is
real, she is humble, she is funny, she is lovely. Joe
and I just can't imagine a myadoptionwebsite
without her!
Chris and
Stefanie, five years ago today you took a chance on us
and our
unknown little service. Thank You!!!
We'll be forever grateful
and honored that we had front row seats to your
journeys.
Isabelle
today
Stefanie is a gifted writer and photographer, and
her blog,
Ni
Hao Ya'll is
a must-read!
And
here is
Isabelle's website
Up Next? Another Great Giveaway!
(the second of five . . . and this one is in honor of
Stefanie!!)
- - -
- -
The winner of the first
Great Giveaway is . . .
Lucky #63 -
Lisa, mommy to Dylan and Diana!
Congratulations, Lisa!
And
many, many heartfelt thanks to all of you for
entering. You can't imagine how much I enjoyed hearing
from so many MAW families and friends . . . wow, some
of you have been with us for a long time! If you
asked me a question in your entry, I'll get back to
you soon. For those who inquired about Aunt
Ann's shirts . . . she doesn't have an official
business - not yet, at least! But I've sent all
your inquires on to her!
And a
big Thank You to MAW mom Emily for such a
generous donation to this first Giveaway! And to
Aunt Ann, too!!
Ladies, we've just gotten started - - there are 4 more
Giveaways!
Check
back on Sunday evening for more fun!!
April 11 is a very special day for
myadoptionwebsite!
- - -
- -
The
First Great Giveaway!!
Oooooh, I'm excited about this first prize!
- A $30 Gift
Certificate to
Jamie Rae Hats!
and
- A custom "Initial" shirt made by Adrienne's Aunt
Ann!
Many thanks to
MAW mom Emily, and my sister, for their generosity!
Tia, in a beautiful
Jamie Rae Hat . . . and Adrienne, modeling her Aunt
Ann shirt
First, this is a prize for a girl OR boy - -
Jamie Rae makes really cute hats for boys, and Aunt
Ann can create an initial shirt for a boy as well!
If you have a boy and girl, get a hat for one,
and the shirt for the other! There are countless
hats to choose from, and Ann will work with you to
pick a shirt and fabric for the custom creation!
OK,
the details: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Who: This Giveaway is open to anyone . . .
both our myadoptionwebsite families AND
friends! If you regularly follow
myadoptionwebsite, these Giveaways are for you!
When: You can enter now through this
Friday, April 9, at midnight EST.
Yep, not too much time . . . so enter soon!!
How: Easy! Send an email to our
special address used for Giveaways:
myadoptionwebsite@yahoo.com
Put "Giveaway" in the subject line and then share a
few details
about yourself . . . don't forget to include your
name!
And that's it! I'll post the winner's first
name here on Saturday!!
GOOD
LUCK!!
- - - - -
Exactly five years ago
we posted our very first myadoptionwebsite
update. Our new friends, Brandon and Shawna, had
very, very graciously agreed to let us to
chronicle their adoption journey to China for our new
venture. Blessed with the referral of twin
daughters, they headed off to China not only with bags
fully packed, but with their laptop, digital camera
and a mission - - to journal and photograph each day,
then email us what they could. And despite
having their arms more than full, Brandon and Shawna
managed to pull off this task. Beautifully.
So on March 31st, 2005, Joe posted
this
update.
And myadoptionwebsite was born.
Appropriately, the first words of their journal were
"Ni Hao Everyone"
I'd like to kick off this month-long celebration with
my first of several Thank You's!
Brandon,
Shawna, Anna and Ellie . . . Thank You for
helping to launch myadoptionwebsite, for trusting us
with the idea of sharing your journey, and for
allowing us to show future families just what it was
that we wanted to offer.
We couldn't have done it without you!
Ellie
and Anna today
-
- - - -
Up
Next? What else but a Great Giveaway!
(the first of five!!)
My sister, and myadoptionwebsite mom Emily,
have teamed up
to bring you a very lovely first set of items!!
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Families may purchase a keepsake CD that contains all of
their web pages for $20. Additional CDs may be
purchased for $10 each.