Seven weeks ago today, our lives changed as we welcomed four children into our home. On very short notice, we sold furniture, stored furniture, bought new furniture, assembled said furniture, and child-proofed our home. Seven weeks ago today, four beautiful, intelligent, funny, charismatic children unpacked their bags in their new bedrooms. Seven weeks ago today, …
You might have heard the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” These are words that Gretchen and I have held onto tightly these past few years while trying to grow our family. Except, in our case, it has been more like “it takes a village to hope for a child, to …
Today is National Adoption Day. We celebrated by enjoying delicious food with friends at Bap & Chicken, a Korean fusion restaurant recently opened by a fellow Korean adoptee. What’s especially fun about this place is that it has an “Adoption Wall of Fame” where all adoptees (not just those of Korean descent) can have their …
This week, Gretchen and I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. On the hottest day of August in 2013, in an un-airconditioned, but beautiful church sanctuary filled with our friends and family, Gretchen and I joyfully exclaimed “we do!” While many couples choose to write their own promises to each other, we chose to …
“Tell me again, mommy. Where did I come from?” “You came from a country named South Korea. An airplane flew hiiiiigh in the sky and brought you to live with us – daddy, mommy, and your two brothers.” “And why did I come here?” “Your birth mom loved you sooooooo much that she wanted to …
© 2019 Jill and Gretchen Rode