Welcome to my circus.

November 16, 2023
by Maralee
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What to be “Aware” of During Adoption Awareness Month

November is Adoption Awareness Month and this year the word “awareness” is really sticking out to me. There have been seasons where I thought of it as “Adoption Positivity Month” and then years later it felt like “Adoption Shame and … Continue reading

January 20, 2022
by Maralee
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How to Make Small Talk with a Large Family Mom

I had an awkward interaction with someone the other day. It wasn’t the first time. It certainly won’t be the last. When people see a large family, it’s kind of tough not to comment on it. In the immortal words … Continue reading

December 2, 2021
by Maralee
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Adoption is Not the Happy Ending. It’s the Beginning.

*These were my remarks to honor the Nebraska Governor’s proclamation of National Adoption Awareness Month at our state capital.*  When we first pursued adoption, it was because we wanted to be parents and that was not working out in the … Continue reading

December 31, 2019
by Maralee
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Teaching Kids to Respect Other Cultures Starts With Understanding Your Own

I remember being about nine years old the first time I realized my family culture was different from the culture I was growing up in. My mom had bought a boxed set of cassette tapes of “The News from Lake … Continue reading

November 22, 2019
by Maralee
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We are an Adoption Success Story. And it’s still Hard.

November is National Adoption Awareness month and over the years we’ve been an adoptive family, my feelings about this month have run the gamut. In the beginning, I just wanted to post beautiful pictures of my beautiful kids and acknowledge … Continue reading