Spring in Minnesota

Spring has finally sprung here in Minnesota. Mother's Day is just around the corner. Each year the Adoption Agency that I place my children through invites me to a dinner to celebrate and honor Birthmothers. This is a wonderful place to meet with and have conversations with other women that have placed a child for adoption. Every year I bring along my mom. Many of the women do the same, some bring a spouse or a friend, some bring the adoptive mother. This event also provides my mom time to talk with other birth grandma's, someone that really understands. For many birth grandma's these children that were placed for adoption would be there first grand child, this can be very difficult... our mothers know what it is to be a mom and for some of them, they can not imagine placing their own child into the arms of another. Grandmothers are often very affected by their grandchildren no longer being "their" grandchildren, this dinner provides a great outlet for birthgrandmas to meet and chat. Along those lines my mother used to run a support group for birth grandmothers and all other family members effected by the adoption process, if you find yourself in that position she or I would be happy to meet with you. The group she led did not have much demand but we are always happy to meet one on one. I'm looking forward to Mother's Day! What a blessing it is for me to be a birth mother, as well as a parenting mother. All of my children bring great joy to my heart, a day and time set apart to celebrate Mothers of all kinds is wonderful. If you are a mother and you are reading this. Please take a moment to honor yourself, you made the choice of life for your child, you have made many sacrifices along the way if you are parenting or have placed your child for adoption. God Bless all you mothers, it is hard work and thank you for doing it.

The Well Life Group is starting up again.

It has been heavy on my heart to start meeting again as the life group THE WELL The next meeting will be April 22nd at the Brooklyn Center Library in the Creekside room 6:30-8:30. Currently we do not have childcare available. Please let me know if you plan to attend. 763-232-0487 or joybtaxprep@hotmail.com The Well is a life group for Birthmothers with any life story. We want to join with you on your adoption journey as well as recognize that your story does not end on the day you placed your child, this is only the beginning of your journey. Please check back for the next meeting. I am hoping to hear from you about when is a good time to meet and location. So I will post the next meeting here when location and time is determined. We have also started a Facebook page so please take a moment to check it out and line or join if you feel comfortable doing so.

2012 Summer Hangout

It has been a long while. I couldn't figure out how to use the new Blogger then I forgot my password. So finally here I am. The last hang out with my boys was last summer. My daughter and I met the boys and their parents at a waterpark. It was so much fun. After we played my daughter sweet talked their dad into going to dinner with us. NO one wanted the day to end. Before we left one of the boys gave us hugs and said, "see you tomorrow" we laughed and secretly wished it was true. It was a super fun day! We are looking forward to seeing them again this summer.

The House of Bounce

I did mean to sign in and update you on my last visit with the boys. It was at the end of winter break. My daughter, now 6, and I met the boys (now 10 and 8) and their parents about an hour south of the cities at a place called House of Bounce. This place was great, they had 6-7 bouncy slides, and jumping things it was really fun for the kids. First we had lunch together at the Golden Arches. It always amazes me how easily my daughter and the boys get along, it's like they see each other every day. My daughter and I talk about the boys and hanging out with them pretty often, she just loves to be with them. Not only do they play well together but they wrestle and argue well too. I really had a great time talking to the adoptive mom and dad and learning more about the boys and their family. I feel like we are back at a good place in our relationship now. It's always a huge blessing to my heart to see them all, to know that they are well and just to watch them all interact together. Seeing the love flowing through the family just makes my heart glow with peace and reassurance. I am looking forward to seeing them again.

It's Tax Season

Busy Busy Busy, I was looking at the schedule and we are going to try meeting at the Church Location again in order that we might provide childcare for those that need it, the libraries do not allow for us to provide childcare. The Well will now meet at Cornerstone Church in Crystal in the Coffee Corner on the third Thursday of the odd numbered months from 7-9pm. Please give Joy a call if you will be attending and if you are going to use the childcare. The Well is a great place to meet other birthmothers who have gone through similar feelings, emotions, events of the adoption journey, so please join us and your story may the be one that helps another woman this month. There are women from all walks of life that attend the group. We have women that come just when they need a pick up, or we have a few that come to every meeting, it's for you as you need or want to be here. As far as Tax season goes I work for a non-profit organization called AccountAbility Mn - this is a place where we prepare taxes at no cost for single people earning less than $30,000 and families earning less than $50,000 a year. I enjoy this work very much and if this service could help you please either look up a location online or give me a call and I can help you find one of the sites.
Cornerstone Church
3415 Louisiana Ave N
Crystal, MN 55427

New meeting Place and Times

The Well and The Wellstone will now be meeting at the Hennepin County Libriaies. June 1st we will be meeting at the Rockford Road location from 7-9pm. Please join us as we talk about our journeies as birthmothers.
In July and August we will be meeting on the first Tuesdays of the month at the Plymouth Hennepin County Library, it is the new one located off of Vicksburg Lane in Plymouth. Please contact me if you would like to request a location for future meetings. I can set it up at most any Hennepin County Library, and I would like to be conveinient to everyone that would like to attend. I am also available to meet one-on-one with anyone that would like to talk. I would be happy to meet for "coffee" and just hear your story or what you have been experienceing lately if that is more comfortable for you.
I look forward to meeting you.

Mid January 2010

Wow another year is begining.... I have been thinking of the boys everyday. I can not beleive that they are 9 and 7 already. I'm so happy that they have, seemingly, the greatest parents ever. It's been proven time and time again, that is the decision that I made for them was the best decisions I have made in my life. I've been questioning Nurture and Nature alot.... I really wonder what we have to do with molding our offspring... if we really have much impact at all on who they turn out to be.... decisions that they will make and ultimately what they will do in their life. It seems that many of us waste so much of our lives not serving God with all that we are. We are spending time trying to impress others, live up to what society wants, while ignoring what really matters..... which is Loving God and loving all those people that we encounter each and everyday..... I guess I have moved on to a soap box when really I wanted to take a moment out of my life and talk about what I have been thinking about the boys. Most of all I wonder what they are doing the very moment that I am thinking about them.... sometimes I think that they may be at recess or lunch, or after school doing homework or making cookies with their mom, playing in the snow--- making a snow fort like I used to with my brother every winter. All my thoughts lately are just lovely. I wish that I could hang out with them once in a while - like go to a movie or just play outside but I know they are having a fantastic life where they are and if that does not include me that is ok as long as things are great with them... That was heartfelt honesty for you. I have to get going, and attend to my little blessing on the couch watching a pippy longstocking show. :)
blessing to all you birthmothers.