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Happy Mother's Day!
I just wanted to send a pic and say happy Mother’s Day to everyone!
Every day is special with Elena in our lives, but this Mother’s Day is particularly special to me because it is my first! I remember last year because I was a little bit sad and already anxious to bring our child home. Lifetime sent a Mother’s Day card and that helped me more than anything to remember that everything is in God’s hands, and that there was a wonderful team of people working to help us see our dream of becoming a family. Elena’s birth mother and I talked on Saturday, and I even let her cheat and open her gift, a photo book of Elena’s first three months, a day early. I even received email Mother’s Day wishes from three of Elena’s birth mother’s sisters! It is truly awesome for me, to celebrate this year with my daughter, and our new extended family. Thank you!!
Chad, Erin and Elena |
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Children Put the Magic in Life
Hi Diane and Veronica:
Brecklyn is officially ours forever! We just finalized her adoption on Tuesday and what a happy day it was. Almost 8 months ago we saw our new little daughter in the hospital and now she is getting her second tooth and learning new things every day.
You may have noticed a little boy in the picture. His name is Justin and we are foster to adopting him. Brecklyn loves having Justin for a big brother. Every time he walks into the room, she lights up and has a smile for him. It's truly amazing and we feel so blessed.
Thanks so much for all your work and we hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day; I know that I will.
Take Care,
Lance, Mandy, Brecklyn & Justin
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Lifetime Helped Our Dream Come True
WOW, what a ride waiting for our perfect angel!!! But she has arrived and is perfect!!! We are so in love with our little girl and she has made our home complete!! We are so glad God directed us to Lifetime who helped us make our dream come true of being a Mommy and Daddy!!!
We are so excited to have our first Mother's Day for Kim with Jessa, (Daddy has been helping her shop for Mommy). We now enjoy playing on her new playground in her sand box and her playhouse that Daddy just finished for her. It even has a porch she can sit on and call to the doggies. Jessa is the happiest little girl we know and is constantly giving us hugs and kisses; just this week she looked up to Kim and said "Mommy Jessa Happy" and that made our world.
Jessa loves going to church with us now and has already started her singing career and gets up with a little boy there and sings "Jesus Loves Me." We have so many plans and dreams for her and look forward to living life with our forever daughter.
Thanks again Lori and Lifetime!!!
-Nick & Kim
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Proud Mother of Two!
Dear Lifetime,
With Mother's day quickly approaching, we can't help but think of Lifetime and how they made our dreams of becoming parents a reality. There are many days that we can't believe how blessed we are. Now even more with the birth of Emily's sister Shelby! We check the Lifetime website often and pray for those couples still waiting. We know how painful and trying it can be. We now know it's truly in God's hands.
We keep in touch with Emily's birthmother and her birth grandparents as well. We love them all. Emily's birthmother actually came to visit us when Shelby was born. Shelby is named after the birthmother's best friend whom we fell in love with at Emily's delivery. We can't believe how lucky we are to have such a great birthmother to share Emily's and our lives with. We hope to always have her in our lives.
As you can probably tell by the picture, Emily is so healthy and happy now. It's hard to believe she is 9 months old! It's been a long road but we know it makes us feel even more blessed and lucky to have her.
Shelby is a little piglet and already weighs almost as much as her big sister!!
Please have a wonderful Mother's Day! We know ours will be so special this year.
Thanks for making me a mom!!!
Warmly,
Barry, Kande, Emily and Shelby |
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Strike a Pose
We wanted to share Hayden's latest pictures with you. Can't believe how fast these nine months have gone! Soon we'll have a birthday. The staff at Lifetime are always in our prayers.
-Stephen & Lori |
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Sweet, Sweet Emaline!
Emaline's beauty is clearly seen inside and out! She had a ball today when I put on her little Birthday TuTu. You'll notice her beginning to play the part when she turned on her music on her play piano. I've never seen her dance like this before. She twirled and gracefully swayed to the music!
-Chad & Sarah
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Our Little Diva
Hi Veronica and Libby,
Yesterday, I was getting my nails done (a rare treat!) and the women in the salon were all talking about their children and I remembered how I used to dread being in those situations because I wanted so desperately to be a mommy and brag about MY child. It still is such a thrill that the dream finally came true for me and I am so incredibly grateful to all of you for your help and encouragement. The woman next to me started talking about her friend who is thinking about adoption and I of course started raving on and on (and on and on and on!!) about Lifetime and the amazing experience we had. By the time I left the salon, I had given your number out to 3 different women who each wanted to share the information with a friend, or a sister, or a co-worker. I should have t-shirts made that say "Ask me about Lifetime!" I just cannot say enough wonderful things about you ladies!
-Kelli, Michael, and Leilani
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Our Little Sprout
Maricela is getting bigger and heavier every day. Mommy is actually getting bicep muscles from toting her around. This month she enjoyed sitting in her swing & bouncy, meeting new friends, going to daddy’s promotion, meeting Tia Nieves, sleeping & eating.
-Henry & Anna |
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She's a Miracle!
It’s hard to believe that twelve weeks ago this little angel wasn’t in our lives. Elena’s a very happy, healthy baby, and so alert. Since we’ve been home, friends and family have blessed us with visits, well wishes, and gifts for our baby girl. Our experience with Lifetime was wonderful, and Elena’s birth mother was the answer to our prayers. We have continuously been in contact, and feel that our family has grown to more than just the three of us! Thank you all at Lifetime for helping us to build our family.
-Chad, Erin and Elena
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Guess Who's Walking?
My little Alexis just took her first steps!
I am so proud!
Love,
Pamela
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Too Cute for Words
Here is busy Bryleigh enjoying a slide at the park. Thanks again Lifetime!
-Glen & Elaine |
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God Brought Us Together
We are enjoying our new family! Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. It was wonderful and encouraging to hear from everyone each day. Our life has changed forever!
Love,
Robyn, Bill, Joey and Jesse
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| Our Hearts Are Full of Joy!
Hello Diane,
How are you? We are wonderful, thank God. Here is a picture of our beautiful baby girl, Jayani! She was born 7.8 lbs. and 18 inches, but today after our doctor's appointment. she is at 7.11 and 20 inches. She is a wonderful baby, she has a set of lungs and a different cry for her moods. Jayani has a head of jet black hair and a very strong grip. Jacob is so in love, he does everything, I barely have a chance to attend to her, because he is always there, which is great. Our hearts are so full of joy. Thank you so much.
Jayani's birthmother is fine; I spoke with her today. She is a wonderful person, her entire family are great, very, very nice people.
Thank you Lifetime!
God Bless you all,
Jacob, Susan, and Jayani |
 The Ties That Bind Our
Family Together
Hi Diane,
Hope all is going well! Things are GREAT here. We have a great relationship with Aiden's birthmother and her family; she is a part of ours. Aiden is such a blessing, we cannot even describe!
Hi Diane,
I just wanted to let you know how we were doing and tell you that God is so good. Danny and Michelle look so happy in this picture and I can't even begin to tell you how much they have touched my heart.
Thanks again for everything!
Love,
Aiden's birthmother
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 What a Joy
Hi Veronica,
Hope all is well with Lifetime. Jakeb is 19 months old now. He isn't talking very much but he is very verbal and expressive. He's a very happy little guy who is constantly climbing, falling, bouncing off of walls. He's just a joy!
Tina & Tracey |
 Every Minute is Precious!
Hi Diane,
I thought you might enjoy a new picture of Robby-I finally caught a smile on camera. It's hard to believe he's already two months old! (and 12 pounds!) Time seemed to crawl when we were waiting, but it goes so fast now! Every minute with him is so precious. Thank you for all the support and encouragement you gave while we were waiting. You always knew just what to say to keep us focused and positive. And you were right-the wait was worth it! We can't imagine life without him now, or any other child as ours. He is a daily reminder that God's plans aren't our plans-they're better.
Blessings,
Mark, Kristen, and Robby
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How Time Flies!
Hi! Here is an updated picture of Danica! She is now 21 months old. How time flies! Hope to talk to all of you or see you soon.
Love,
Dana, Tom and Danica |
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Growing by Leaps & Bounds
Hi Diane,
Corey is now two! Although he is growing fast and talking up a whirlwind, we are in constant reminder of day we came to California to get him!
Corey and his older sister Colleen have a beautiful relationship and she is so very loving towards him. Again, we are humbled by the blessings and gifts we receive. Thank you for your continued support of families and birthmothers. Let all your families who are feeling distant and frustrated to keep the faith and thank the Lord for all blessings He provides.
With our Love,
Jill, Jay, Colleen and Corey
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A Blessing
Hello Lifetime Family,
We are so blessed to have our beautiful baby girl in our family! This journey has been one that we had almost given up on at times. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement along the way.
Libby, Diane, and Veronica encouraged us and they were right. When the child that God had for us came along things worked out like they should. We are also thankful to add our birthmom and her other children to our forever family as well. She is the sister I wish I had grown up with.
May God continue to bless you all!
Thanks,
Reg and Karen |
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Legoland Visit!
Hello Everyone!
We went to Legoland on April 13th, and had a wonderful time. Here's the boys at Legoland!
Love,
Mike, Janice, Lucas, and Craig
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On the Move...
Sarah has gotten so fast! By the time the camera has clicked, she is out of the frame.
Anyways, I finally captured her in mid-morning romp, proving once again that Cheerios are still living up to their name around here...
-Adam & Heather |
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Thank You Lifetime!
Dear Lifetime and Diane,
Thank you for being part of God's plan to bring Evan to our family. We appreciate the encouragement we received from when we submitted our application to the profile process to the match with our birthmother. Everyone at Lifetime was professional and gracious at all times.
Karen provided support at the beginning of our journey. Libby and Heidi provided feedback on our profile and pictures, to ensure the right information in our profile to communicate our desire for a child. Lori's monthly check-in allowed us to keep in touch while we waited for a match. Diane provided day-to-day support when we were matched with Evan's birthmother.
Two months have passed since his birth with changes in Evan each day. We thank God every day for Evan, his birthmother, and Lifetime. The wait for Evan was a reminder that everything happens according to God's plan.
All the best,
Stan & Michelle |
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God Has Heard
Our Prayers!
Hi Lori,
We have been very busy, but are enjoying every moment! Here are the stats on Makenzie: 6 pounds, 0 ounces, 18 1/4 inches.
We are so delighted to finally have her! Makenzie is such a blessing. God heard our prayers and gave us the desires of our heart.
-Timothy & D'Etta |
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Brotherly Love
Hello! Here's a photo to keep you smiling until next week. Lucas is doing great! He is almost two and a half and just loves to talk, go outside ride his bike, find his big brother, and absolutely loves doing puzzles. He is a very happy little boy!
-Mike & Janice |
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Announcing the Arrival of Evan Michael!
6 pounds, 9 oz
18 inches
We are enjoy every moment we have with this miracle!
-Stan & Michelle
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A Sister's Love
Its official!
The finalization date in court was today so Courtney is now Ainsley's forever sister!
Thanks!
-Pegg, Darin, Ainsley and Courtney |
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Inseparable Siblings
Dear Diane,
Thank you for all you have done for our family! We are complete! Brodie and Amy are just great. Their eyes just light when they see each other, then I tear up. We are doing great. Brodie is trying to crawl and has two teeth. He has come so far from his three pounds, ten ounces!
Thanks again,
Lance, Jamie, Amy & Brodie
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She is a Constant Reminder of God's Goodness!
Hi Diane,
I hope you're doing well. I just wanted to update you and the rest of the wonderful staff at Lifetime. We've been busy with our new addition--we're still overjoyed to have Haley Ann. She's four and a half months old already and is a constant reminder of God's goodness. We feel so blessed. We love her more than I can say!
-Mike & Amy
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Congratulations
Tony & Libby!
Thank you for visiting Lifetime! We enjoyed meeting baby Jennifer! |
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Scrambling for Eggs
Hello Libby and Diane,
We hope you had a nice Easter with your families - we did - Courtney enjoyed finding eggs with her big sis and trying to get the cheerios and puffs out of them! She had all the cheerios eaten in no time as they are currently her favorite thing and she thinks she always needs more of them to eat.
We have her finalization date in court with the judge on the 27th and look forward to that special day. Ainsley went out with me to buy a special dress for her baby sister to wear that day and is excited herself to go since she doesn't remember her adoption day (she was six months old at the time).
We hope you all are having a lovely spring!
Take care!
Pegg, Darin, Ainsley and Courtney |
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He is Our Sunshine!
Hello Libby-
We are all doing great. Little Noah is growing up so fast, we cannot believe it! He loves being outside. He talks all of the time; he now says "I love you" and it makes our hearts melt. He is the sunshine in our family and the love of our lives.
He is truly a blessing. Everywhere we go, people are always saying how cute and adorable he is it always makes me smile because I think of how he was truly a gift from God.
Love,
Paul & Michele |
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Pure Bliss
Hi Lori,
Hope this letter finds you well. We are doing wonderful! Matthias will be seven months very soon. Can you believe that?! He is an amazing blessing to our family.
Our adoption journey was a quick one; we started May and Matthias was in our arms in August. Working with lifetime was the best decision we made. Lori, thank you for always listening and your extended support. To the whole Lifetime family, THANK YOU!
God Bless and Happy Easter,
Desiree, Curtis, Matthias |
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Our Family is Complete!
It all happened so fast! We were notified from Lifetime two weeks ago about a birthmom who was interested in us. Within just over a week, we were driving in the middle of the night to meet her at the hospital. She had delivered him just after arriving and we got there about 5am Sunday. Davis Malcolm was born at 12:04 am, 9 lbs 10 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. We got home with him Tuesday evening. He is a very good baby and likes to eat. Everything is going great, we can't believe how beautiful he is and are so in love with him. It was a very long wait for him, but once we saw him it was a reminder that God knows exactly what He is doing.
Our sleepless nights are well worth it. I look at him and think how beautiful he is and how God made him with us in mind, knowing that we needed him and he needed us.
Our family is now complete! His big sister Cambrie thinks he is great and loves him very much. She is very upset that we haven't let her change a poopy diaper yet. I suppose we should take advantage of that one!
We thank God every day for him and for Cambrie. We were just talking on Easter about how blessed we were with our family. For families who are waiting for that phone call and long for the chance to meet their son or daughter, keep trusting God and know that your time is already planned. It is in the works and when that time comes, it couldn't be more perfect!
-Steve & Amy
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First Easter!
Hello Lifetime,
Our family would like to wish you a Happy Easter from Japan! We celebrated today by going to the Base Easter Egg Hunt! I know he is too young to remember or even participate, but I just couldn't resist celebrating his first Easter. Our family would like to wish you a wonderful and peaceful Easter Sunday!
May God Bless You,
Scott, Rebecca, & Liam |
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Hoppy Easter!
I wanted to send you warm Spring wishes! As you can tell, I went to see the Easter bunny this year. It was a different experience for me last year-apparently I ran away! This year, I have seen the Easter bunny several times and love giving him high-fives!
I have been very busy learning to ride by tricycle. I can now reach my peddles, I just need to "perfect" the whole peddling motion. Spending time on my scooter or playing at the park is still what I like best.
All my love,
Ty
P.S. Mommy and daddy send their wishes too!
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Oh, How They Grow!
Hi Veronica,
Just wanted to say "hi" to you and everyone at Lifetime and we hope that you all have a great Easter. Samantha and Jacob are doing great, Sammi is 20 pounds and has 3 teeth and Jake is 17 pounds and has 7 teeth. They now 10 months old, and are both starting to crawl!
God Bless,
John & Lonni
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Believe in Miracles
Dear Lifetime,
We appreciate all you have done to make this dream come true for us! We are having the times of our lives and we are in awe of God's provision in our lives!
Joseph is such a sweet baby. God answered our prayers!!!
Thanks again,
Melissa, Robert and Joseph Casey
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A New Baby Brother!
Hello all,
We are proud to announce the arrival of our baby boy, Ty Noah! He was born at 6lbs, 2 ozs and was 19 inches long. We are home and doing well!
Love,
David, Traci, Thies, Trista & Ty
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A Double Blessing!
Dear Lifetime friends,
Thank you so much for everything you have done for us...all of the care and concern, phone calls, and support throughout our adoption journey. We are so happy and blessed to have Christian and Katherine in our life!
Thanks again!
Ross & Jane
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Sweet Beginnings
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. Please welcome Maricela
Elise! She was born on March 6, at 9:40 p.m.
She weighs 6 pounds, 9 1/2 ounces and is 19 inches long.
-Henry, Anna, and Maricela
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A Bundle of Joy
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers! Our little miracle was born, weighing in at 7lbs, 4oz and 20" long. Medical staff and everyone involved has been wonderful.
We are home and doing very well! We were able to come home late Thursday night after the interstate compact was approved. Kiersten is settling in and her brothers are really enjoying feeding and taking care of her. Brent and I are, of course, completely wrapped around her little finger! Our extended family has all come to visit and they are totally in love, too.
Thanks again for everything. Please keep our birthmom in your thoughts. The road was long but I wouldn't trade Kiersten for anything!
Sincerely,
Tina and Brent
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She Is Our Little
Ray of Sunshine!
Hi! Just thought we'd send you an update since Arianna turned one today!
Her adoption was finalized in November! Everything went great. A few days later, we had a big party to celebrate - it was awesome.
She has eight teeth now, is starting to walk, and LOVES Elmo. She loves to give kisses, especially to her Elmo doll. She really does have a smile on her face so often - she brightens everyone's day.
We feel so blessed to have her in our life. We are so spoiled because she is a good sleeper, eater, and happy all the time - even when tired or sick. She truly is our little ray of sunshine.
We can't believe it's been a year already. We've been reminiscing for a week about how it all happened so fast after we got the call from you. We've thought about how much help you were to us - and how thankful we are that you and Lifetime were there to guide us through it all. Words can't express how much we appreciate all that you do. We've had the opportunity to be a reference for others to go to Lifetime - and we're happy to do so.
We still are sending pictures, letters, and videos to Arianna's birthmother. Hopefully she's getting them. We haven't tried calling her - but think we will try soon.
Love,
Tim, Tisha, and Arianna |
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A Gift From Above
Hello Lori,
All our families, friends and co-workers are so happy for us! Briana is doing great! She is a good eater and sleeps pretty well. The boys (the dogs) are so good with her. They just lay down besides me or Ray when we are cuddling her. They do not bother her. They can of sense how careful we are with her.
Everyone at the hospital, hotels, Ronald McDonald House and everywhere we went were so nice. Everyone got so happy when we told they we were adopting her.
We are not getting anything done in the house yet. We are just enjoying her. She cries and we jump very quickly to check on her. We have a bassinet downstairs and one in our room.
It is amazing how God has a plan for our future. We were wondering why things were not working for us. We needed to understand the reason. We just did with Briana. "We can ask, but he will give us what we need; not when we want it but when it is the right time."
Talk to you soon,
Warmly,
Ana and Ray |
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A Living Doll
Hi Lifetime,
We just wanted to share Hayden's six month pictures. The photographer did a wonderful job in capturing her personality!
-Stephen & Lori |
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A Sister is a Special
Gift of Love!
Hi Libby,
How are things at Lifetime? We are doing good here; can't wait for spring to arrive! We've had over 65 inches of snow this winter! We have snow piled everywhere. We also have had a few ice storms, they were not fun. Emma loves all the snow. Ella is not sure what to make of it. Next year will be different I'm sure. As you can see, Ella is ever so changing. She's catching up to her big sister in a hurry.
She's trying to talk, says a few things. Is becoming very independent, especially when it comes to feeding herself. Wants no more help with the silverware. Tries doing everything big sis is doing.
We talk to Ella's birthmom about once a month. She seems very happy with her new husband and son. She even sent us pictures of new baby. I was glad to have them for Ella. She also loves when I sent her pictures of Ella yet. She hasn't visited yet, but says she'd like to and bring the baby with so we can meet him.
Just want to drop a quick update and hello!
-Daryl, Dawn, Emma, and Ella |
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She is the Sweetest Thing Ever Created!
Hello Veronica,
I can't believe that Talan is already six months old! She is the sweetest thing ever created. She always has a smile on her face and loves playing with her older brothers. She is sitting all by herself and even likes to stand by herself if she has something to hang on to. We still talk to Talan's birthmom and are so lucky to have her in our lives. Thanks again for helping to make our dreams come true!
Love,
Gomin and Jennifer
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Thank You Lifetime!
Dear Lifetime,
Thank you for all of your assistance in finding a birth mom for me. Madison's birth mom and I hit it off from the very beginning. I can't believe how our personalities are so in sync. You made this experience as comfortable as possible. I have other friends in the same situation as I was and I recommend no other adoption center than Lifetime! You were also kind enough to connect me with other single moms like myself so not only have I gained a new child and birth family but I also gained a network of friends to reach out to. Madison and I are so blessed and you were the catalyst to make it happen. Thank you again and be blessed.
Wendy and Madison Grace |
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Happy First Birthday Bryleigh!
-from your friends at Lifetime |
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His Smile Lights
Up a Room!
Hello,
Can you believe Liam is almost two months old? He is getting bigger and changing every day.
His new favorite thing to do is smile and I finally caught it on camera. I wanted to share it will all of you. His smile lights up a room, and look at those dimples!!! We just feel so blessed!!!
Love,
Scott and Rebecca |
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Our Perfect Little Blessing
Hello Diane and The Lifetime Family,
Well, while we finally take a moment to catch our breath and send thank you's those who prayed and sent such thoughtful notes of encouragement, we couldn't possibly have forgotten you and everyone at Lifetime.
We're certain that each and every adoption process is a totally unique experience and we must say that it's certainly all for a higher purpose. Our adoption experience certainly allowed our family to take a moment and truly count our many blessings.
We send Mia's birthmother pictures and update letters to let her know Mia is coming along wonderfully.
Please be sure to tell everyone "thank you" for the awesome onesie set and frame, it was so thoughtful!
Mia just had her 2-month shots today and was such a trooper! We couldn't have handpicked a more perfect little blessing.
Thanks again and God Bless you all!
Cheritta & Kenneth |
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What a Ham!
Good morning!
Just wanted to send a recent picture of our little ham. Never have seen such a happy baby in my life! Love you all!
Bob & Dee Dee |
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God is Good!
Robert Mark arrived, nearly two weeks early, at 4:36 am on February 13. He was 5 lbs 15 ounces (funny how that one ounce shy of six pounds makes him seem so very small!) and 19 1/4 inches long. We actually made it down for his birth, and got to see him just minutes after he was born. God is good!
The original plan called for us to drive down to Texas and meet his birth parents, and then spend the next week or two waiting for him to be born. Instead, I got a call from his birth mother, about mid-morning on Tuesday saying "I don't think we're going to have time to hang out before he's born - they're sending me to labor and delivery right now. Can you come today?" At 5:30 that evening we were on a plane, and we got to the hospital a little before midnight. His birth father met us there and took us up to her room where we got to meet her briefly. We had dinner with Robert's birth father (he and Mark are amazingly alike!), then tried to get some sleep. About 4:25 we got a call from his birth mother's sister saying "we're having a baby right now. Come over."
The hospital staff were wonderful - we were allowed unlimited access to him in the hospital nursery. We also got to spend time with his birth mother, getting to know each other a little better, which was a blessing. He was released from the hospital into our arms yesterday afternoon. We are enjoying every minute with him, and can't wait to get home to show him off!
Kristen and Mark |
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Happy Valentine's Day!
Dear Lifetime,
It is hard to believe it's been two years already! Simon is doing great and parenthood just keeps getting better! We made a Valentine for Daddy and this is what he saw when he got home and opened the door!
We can't thank all of you at Lifetime enough! He astounds us all the time!
He's saying new words every day and now knows his letters and can count to five. He's such a blessing and every time I look at him I am just amazed!
Thank you again for helping to bring us together!
Love,
Kevin, Jennifer & Simon |
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Praise God Through Whom All Blessings Flow!
It was a true faith walk, but God answered His promise and brought Charles Stemplar into our lives! Please continue to pray for his birth family, and we thank God for the awesome sacrifice that they made, which allowed us to become parents.
-John & DeNise |
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Happy Valentine's Day
from Ty!
Lifetime would like to thank Ty for visiting us and bringing us Valentine's sweets! |
Update from Jeff & Janet
Dear Friends at Lifetime,
Kristianna will be four in May. We ask her, "Kristianna, would you like to be a pastor when you grow up?" She responds, "No, I want to be a lion." (or a horse, or Cinderella, or a soccer player, or a soldier!)
Emma is in 2nd grade home school and loves history, art, and science. She is our cruise director and fun-captain and is very proud to have hiked 14 miles last summer with her cousins.
Janet is also in 2nd grade home school-as the teacher and principal! She relies on Jeff for frequent substitute teaching and continues her ministry as a Spiritual Director and her career as a nurse. We all love her secret popcorn recipe as we enjoy family movie night watching The Walton's old TV shows.
Jeff is in Israel with 20 other pastors. He is still pastoring and his church is now in its seventh year. He never had a tie-dye t-shirt until the family made him his first one!
Love,
Jeff, Janet, Emma, and Kristianna |
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Happy Valentine's Day!
A Very Happy Valentine's Day to you! We're sending you our love from afar!
Much love,
Dustin, Tami, & Colin
(P.S....if you look close enough at Colin's pic you'll notice 2 small teeth coming in!)
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She Is Our Dream
Come True!
Hey Brie:
Every morning we read a book "My Very Wanted Child" and it reminds me of how very blessed we are. Jennifer is most certainly our dream come true and I hope you know how thankful we are to you for your (ongoing) support. I have always known that I could count on you to advise me and many times remind me to just breathe.
Always,
Tony, Libby and Jennifer too!
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We Couldn't Be Happier!
Hello, Veronica!
Robby just turned 3 months and it felt like too much time
has passed since we've communicated. Once this
weather mellows out, we will visit so that you can meet him.
We are literally enjoying every second with him and taking hundreds of
pictures. I have a theory that adoptive parents are very trigger happy when
it comes to the camera. When you've wanted something so badly and then you
get it, you want to capture every moment because you can't believe it's
true. Not one second is taken for granted. All of the twists and turns
that we went through to get him were worth it. We couldn't be happier if we
tried. It's amazing how he has taken over the family. Even the dogs have
taken on their roles as second fiddles with much dignity!
One last thing, to all of the families that don't have a baby yet, they're
in our prayers. Our faith, family, friends, and Lifetime
gave us the support that helped us realize our baby just wasn't ready. When
your baby is ready, they'll let you know and all the stress of waiting and
wanting will disappear and be replaced with the most indescribable joy!
Love,
Robin and Todd
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Life is Good!
Today was a very special day for our family! The paperwork is done, the process is completed, today the State of California has signed the order creating our forever family.
Of course, nothing has really changed, we were just as much a family on Monday, but it feels as if a weight has been lifted from our shoulders. Today we feel free, free to focus on our family, free to focus on Sarah.
That is why we believe today should be called Super Tuesday.
Life is good!
-Adam & Heather |
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I'm Enjoying
Every Moment!
Hello Lifetime,
I wanted to let you know that everything is going well. We are waiting for our court date to finalize the adoption and hopefully by March everything will be final. I am still in contact with both his birthparents.
I love being with him and he is just the love of the college campus. He is trying to pull and walk now, he's holding his bottle and will engage in babble with just about anyone that will listen. The experience of having him has just taught me to slow down and enjoy every moment.
Thank you again and again for all the work you do. The Lifetime staff has more than just a job...you are our dream makers!
-Carmen
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The Blessings of God
Will Be Upon Us
We will soon celebrate the final court date of the adoption of our beautiful son Christian Rafael!
As with so many things in life, "the journey" is where the lesson was, and most of all where the preparations were taking place.
Christian is our "golden child," our "chosen one." He has been such a blessing to us, as I'm sure that all of you who are parents understand. We want to thank everyone. There were so many emotional times, so many prayers, and so much loyalty and faithfulness.
With all of our love,
Ralph, Diana, and Christian
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What a Happy Baby!
We've caught Sydney's first real smiles on film!
-Shane & Polly |
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He Is Already One!
Hi Diane,
We hope that you had a happy and healthy holiday season. I can't believe that Noah is already one year old. He's running everywhere and talking up a storm.
His favorite phrase is "uh-oh" and he loves to drop things just so that he can use it!
We are amazed and feel incredibly blessed to be parents to such a wonderful little boy. We are eternally thankful to you and everyone at Lifetime for making us a family. In fact, we are planning to start our adoption journey again in the coming months to complete our family. We hope to work with you again soon!
Love,
Tony, Stephanie, and Noah
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Birthday Girl!
Sarah had a great party with her friends from the baby group, happily demonstrating her newly acquired bipedal skills. The bigger kids
(parents) had great fun watching the toddlers interacting, who would have thought that sharing is harder to learn than walking? Sarah enjoyed her first taste of sugar, (literally the icing on the cake)!
We cannot believe that it has been a year already! Our little girl is growing up so fast! Isn't life grand?
-Adam & Heather
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He Brings Love & Laughter to Our Lives!
Hi Veronica-
I just wanted to give you an update on Samuel, he's doing great! He turned four and is already talking about his next birthday! He brings love and happiness to our lives every minute of every day and being his mama is my greatest joy-truly beyond measure.
We moved to Texas late last year and it has been a tremendous blessing for our family. With my new job, Virgil is able to be a stay-at-home daddy and is loving every minute of it. My brother and his family also moved out here and "Nana" is on her way.
Our new goal is to add to our family with the help of Lifetime, I can't wait to call you and let you know..."We're ready!!!"
I keep in touch with Sam's birthmom and she's doing wonderful. She got married recently and is really happy.
Take care, we think of you often.
Love,
Tralisa, Virgil and Samuel |
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We Both Got Our Wish!
Dear Lifetime,
In November, we were discussing Christmas and what was on our Christmas list. Mike's one thing he wanted was a child. Mine was to not be home for Christmas, to be somewhere awaiting the birth of our child. Well, Christmas wishes do come true! We both got our wish! We spent Christmas day at the hospital awaiting the birth of, then bonding with, our newly adopted son Mark Garrett! He is an absolute joy, and we are absolutely in love with him.
One of his nicknames is "Bright Eyes." Another is "Smiles." It's because he tends to stay awake and alert looking at the world with his bright eyes. And he is always smiling, even when he sleeps.
Mike and I both love to travel, and Mark has already shown us that he's going to be an excellent traveler too. He loves to go on car rides, and just looks around or falls asleep while in the car seat. And when we put him in the Moby wrap, he typically looks around, then falls asleep.
 We've set up a private website, email and PO box for our birthfamily, and they are doing well. Before they left the hospital we took two pictures of them, one with Mark and one by themselves. They now sit in a special frame on a shelf in his room.
We want to thank the staff of Lifetime for everything they have done for us. In the year and a half from when we first applied and were contracted with Lifetime, we have learned so much. And we've been so appreciative of the support and encouragement that we have received. We always kept faith, attended teleconferences, and knew with our whole hearts that our little one was out there, it was just a matter of time. Thank you for your help and encouragement, it meant the world to us!
-Mike, Elizabeth and Mark
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Our Lifetime Football Heroes
Future quarterbacks for the
Lifetime team!
-Dave & Lori |
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He's Growing So Quickly!
Hi Veronica,
Happy New Year! We had a wonderful Christmas with Evan, filled with many happy family gatherings. He's growing quickly and starting to show his personality. His big sister loves him so much!
It was about 18 months from the time we contracted with Lifetime until we were blessed with Evan's birth this past December. Thanks for your help and support during that long waiting time.
-Roger & Suzanne |
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We Are Forever Grateful!
Hi Veronica & Diane!
Here is a picture of Brecklyn in her new glider chair. She loves just to sit back and rock (with mom and dad's help, of course). It's crazy to think back when we walked into the NICU to meet our new daughter and now she is 4 months old, how time flies by!
We truly feel blessed to have her in our lives, and thank God for her birthparents and the wonderful gift they have given us.
We are forever grateful,
Lance, Mandy & Brecklyn
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We Are So Blessed!
Wow, time really flies with 2 now! We are so thankful and blessed to have these little girls in our life and we cannot picture life without them in it. Thanks to all of you at Lifetime for making a miracle happen, not once but twice. Hope this upcoming year will bring other people the joy and love that we have. If they are working with Lifetime, I'm sure that they will be blessed too.
Much love,
Archie, Lori, Jazlyn & Ashlee
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Scott & Rebecca
Adopted a Baby Boy!
Liam Scott-7 pounds, 2 ozs., 19" long
Congratulations from your
friends at Lifetime! |
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Wendy
Adopted a Baby Girl!
Congratulations from your
friends at Lifetime! |
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He is Three!
Hi girls at Lifetime,
How are you doing? I wanted to send you a note to let you know that Morgan is doing great and getting big! We had a wonderful Christmas and birthday with Morgan.
Take Care,
Joey, Emily, Michael and Morgan |
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Happy Holidays!
Hi Libby,
I hope you had a wonderful holiday! Ours was fantastic! Jake had so much fun! He loved opening presents! And at two years old he was quite the scene stealer during our family parties. Geno's parent's live on three acres of woods, so we went for a hike too. Jake wanted to walk all by himself! "I do myself!" is his usual comment these days. Mr. Independent! Enjoy and as always thoughts and prayers are with all of you!
Geno & Mary |
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Thank You!
Hi Diane,
Wow what a year we have had! We have finalized!!! Thank you for your part in our new family!
Amy and Brodie are doing great together. They have have such a wonderful bond.
Thank you again!
-Lance, Jamie, Amy & Brodie
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Happy New Year from Clinton, Chanti, and Clint!
Hi Everyone,
Here's wishing you a Blessed and wonderful new year!
Chanti, Clint II & Clint III
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They Love Eachother!
Hello Libby-
Alli so adores her little brother and he loves her so much! He always is saying "Alli"...he wakes up saying it and says it all day long. I hope your Christmas was great and you have a happy New Year!
- Paul & Michele |
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Merry Christmas!
May the birth of our Savior bring you lasting joy and peace!
-Tim, Tisha, and Arianna |
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She Has Richly
Blessed
Our Lives!
Hello! We hope this note finds you doing well. All of us are doing well and enjoying life together. It is so much fun to watch Miley interact with us. We are so thankful to God and to you and your team at Lifetime in helping us become a mom and dad. Miley has richly blessed our lives.
Merry Christmas and God bless! With love,
Nathan, Sara, and Miley |
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He is a Miracle!
Hi Veronica,
We all really bonded with Evan's birthmother during our time in the hospital. Today Evan was discharged from the hospital to our care! Tomorrow we will meet with the lawyer in the morning to sign the final paperwork. So then we'll just be waiting and taking care of
the baby here in the hotel.
Thanks and we'll talk later,
Suzanne, Roger, Liana, and Evan |
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Season's Greetings!
From David, Arjuna, and Acacia
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Fred and Lori
Adopted a Baby Girl!
Congratulations from your
friends at Lifetime!
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Happy New Year!
Hi Lifetime,
Hope this finds you well. We are all doing wonderfully, Sydney is growing like a weed! She has been such an amazing blessing. Please wish everyone there at Lifetime a very Happy New Year!
Shane & Polly
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Happy Holidays!
Hello all. Had to take a few moments from this special day to wish you all a very happy and blessed holiday season. Joshua is doing wonderfully and doing something new every day. He's enjoying his Christmas and is having a ball with all the wrapping paper and bows! He's been excited the entire day and we've had a fun time watching him on his first Christmas. We are looking forward to many more to come. We couldn't let this Christmas go by without wishing you God's blessings and extending our thanks again to the Lifetime family!
God bless!
Nikki and Joshua |
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Six Tiny Steps,
Rocks Our World...
This just in, at almost 11 months of age, Sarah takes six steps! She was standing up by the chair, and then she pivoted and took a step to the ottoman. As if this wasn't amazing enough, she then turned and carefully took five cautious steps to the couch.
We know it is silly, after all billions of other children have made this developmental milestone, but WOW! We are so proud we might burst, so we had to share. Life is good!
She just loves to push her little cart around.
But I am worried that it is a sign, after Mommy took her shopping with some friends, I found Sarah talking the credit cards out of my wallet. Mommy just smiled, apparently Sarah learns really, really fast...
Oh what a year!
Adam & Heather
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Merry Christmas!
Libby,
I want to THANK YOU & everyone at Lifetime for helping this precious little boy find his way to us. I know that ultimately it was his tummy Mommy's decision, but I truly believe that God sent us all to Lifetime at the same time.
We are and will forever be grateful for all that you have done to help make our family what it is today.
I still have the hope of a little sister for this house of boys to love. I see her running the show. I hope that special someone someday will be able to see us as the perfect family for her little girl.
I wish you and your family nothing but the best for this holiday season! Please give my best wishes to everyone there at Lifetime. We have so much love for each and every one of you. Have a blessed new year!
Maybe Eli's birthmother will actually look this year to see what a precious thing that she did.
Thoughts & Prayers,
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Merry Christmas!
Hi Veronica,
We just wanted to wish you and everyone at Lifetime Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our Christmas came in May this year when you called and said "go to Reno now, your birthmom is going to have the babies!" It was 7 months ago today. I will never forget that phone call!
We thank God everyday for our birthmom and for Lifetime. Merry Christmas!
God Bless,
John, Lonni, Samantha and Jacob |
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Thank You!
Dear Libby,
Thank you for the birthday card. It's really great!
Love,
Jake
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Have a Blessed Christmas!
Diane,
We are hoping to make a trip to Lifetime!
Can't wait to finally get to meet you and the for the kids to have such a special memory too!
Wishing you a beautiful holiday season and a New Year filled with happiness,
Chad, Sarah, Connor, and Emaline |
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Happy Holidays
from Jeff and Meg! |
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He is Such a Blessing!
Hello Lifetime,
I hope all is great. We are definitely in the holiday spirit this year with our new addition to the family. Life with Will is incredible. He is such a blessing!
Merry Christmas!
Shannon, Abbrom and Will
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Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays,
Diane!
It's been a while since we've updated you on both Ryan and Makenna, so we thought we'd shoot you an update - you know how time flies, I'm sure! Makenna is now almost 10 months old...can you believe it?? She's a very happy baby -- quick with her smiles, and always enjoys the spotlight being on her. She's a BIG girl -- already weighs 24 pounds and is 2 1/2 feet tall at last check a couple of weeks ago. She's almost catching up with her big brother - who is tall (about 3 1/2 feet) but a slender 29 pounds. Makenna is working on crawling -- has the rocking back and forth on her hands and knees down - and is quite talkative with her "Makenna-speak." She has beautiful blue eyes that truly sparkle and smile. SO cute. Our handsome Ryan started toddler preschool this past fall and is thoroughly enjoying it. He LOVES animals and is absolutely obsessed with trains (especially Thomas!). He's a sweet little guy that's quick to give hugs and kisses...especially with his baby sister. He's really excited about Christmas this year (which is so much fun!) and we're looking forward to spending plenty of time with our extended family over the holidays.
We've truly been blessed to be able to be mom and dad to these two adorable kids.
Wishing you and your families a very happy holiday season, and all the best to you in the new year.
Warmest wishes from us all...
Kelli, Alan, Ryan and Makenna |
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Wishing You Bright
Holiday Memories!
Libby and Lifetime staff,
Thank you so much for making our Christmas so very special this year! We feel so blessed to have Emily in our lives and we can't wait for all of the Christmases to come.
Love,
Barry, Kande, and Emily
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Hope Your Holidays
Are the Best!
Love,
Adam, Heather, and Sarah |
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We Are Excited for Christmas!
Dear Lifetime,
It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since Matthew completed our family. Our sweet baby has turned into a toddler, almost over night. He is into everything! He loves playing with his trucks, the computer, the kitchen cabinets and sharing his Cheerios with the dogs.
We are so excited for Christmas and watching his face light up with the gifts that Santa will deliver!
We can't thank you enough for all you did to make our dreams come true.
Charley, Kim and Matthew |
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Update from Wesley and Mary Ann
Here's Matthew and Thomas with their big sister Sarah. Both boys are growing and learning a lot. They wil |
