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A friend came over and we worked together to scrap and stamp her mini album. This album is not an ordinary album, this album goes to the adoption agency to help the birth mother learn more about her and her family. We stamped and put together this lovely little book about her and her family. What touched me so much is that they are adopting their first child on purpose. They haven't even tried to get pregnant on their own. It's something they've always wanted to do. As we completed her album, I made a little matted frame of the mother and baby from Sketches and used the stamp in Chinese that says, "Listen to your heart." from Art Of The Orient, to stamp next to it. I thought it turned out so perfect. The birth mother will be Chinese. So it was appropriate to have something that she could read in her own language at the end.
Anyway, I just feel so good and feel like my stamps did something really good today! It's so funny how many of my stamps worked so well on her pages, as I have never used them for scrapbooking. --Just wanted to share my feel good stamping moment. ;)
__________________ "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright *2 Successful Trades
I did the very same, but for the opposite reason. I was re-united with my birth daughter after 30 years. We are together all the time now, and I wanted to give her a gift of pictures of the family she did not have a chance to know, along with the ones who are here now....so I went back and did a five generation book, titled " The Women who came Before you"
I now have a beautiful grand-daughter Laura-Jane ( which is the name I gave my daughter when I had to place her for adoption) and we added all the pictures of her birth as well....so this will be a very special book to pass on to the future generations!
Wow! "Motormouth" that is a TRUE treasure for your DD and granddaughter!!!!
My two DD's came to us in open adoptions and I've done their stories for them, starting with how DH and I met, worked with the agency and met their birthparents. We then have pix in the hospital and of the first few visits together after that. The focus is on telling them their stories.
I've continued to keep a family scrapbook of each time we get together with birthfamily, but it's the individual girl's story that each wants to always go back to, look at and pour over. They're 8 and 10 now--we still see birthfamily pretty often, but my girls treasure these albums.
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
Wow! "Motormouth" that is a TRUE treasure for your DD and granddaughter!!!!
My two DD's came to us in open adoptions and I've done their stories for them, starting with how DH and I met, worked with the agency and met their birthparents. We then have pix in the hospital and of the first few visits together after that. The focus is on telling them their stories.
I've continued to keep a family scrapbook of each time we get together with birthfamily, but it's the individual girl's story that each wants to always go back to, look at and pour over. They're 8 and 10 now--we still see birthfamily pretty often, but my girls treasure these albums.
How wonderful for your girls that they found you...what a treasure it will be for them......
I am so blessed to have be reconnected with my daughter....and got to meet her Mom before she passed away...a very emotional moment, from from then on we were great friends......she was the same age as MY mother, and they ended up doing road and bus trips together...isn't it funny how life works out sometimes?
That is so awesome. I did the same thing for a friend 3 years ago. Then, when the baby was born, I helped her do a "thank-you" album of his first few days, etc. to give to the birth mother.
__________________ mel mom to carson, cooper, cole, and cammie
Motormouth, I don't want to hijack the thread, but I could go on forever about this! Yes, it *is* interesting how life works out. Our adoptions have expanded our families tremendously, and we now attend familiy get-togethers with our kids' birthfamilies and they with ours. I would have never dreamed it, but we are so much the better because of it and I KNOW our DDs benefit tremendously.
Back to the OP--I'm so glad you took the time to help your friend scrap/stamp this! :-)
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
I too have an open adoption with my DD. Our situation is a little different since we live so far from the birthmother but I do feel that has to be such a good thing for the birthmother's to get pictures and not have to wonder over the years what happened to their child. I talk to my DD's birthmother on the phone and write her letters. I also send her pictures often. What a blessing adoption is!
I'd love to see some pictures! As a birth mom of a 7 yr old DD with an open adotion, I've been wanting to make her something...prob not for now but for later. And I think it's so precious that you guys put so much love into that book...the birthmother will see that! Any family who makes the decision to adopt is very special IMO!
Thank you all for your comments and personal stories. Unfortunately she is under a deadline and has to finish journaling and get it sent off ASAP to the agency, so we won't be able to share a photo of the journal. I think it's so wonderful what you have done for other mom's. I know it has to be so satisfying to actually see photos and take comfort that your child is well. I just feel so good that my stamps worked for such a special life event in my friend's life. Thanks for sharing your stories as well.
__________________ "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright *2 Successful Trades
I did the same thing last year except that it was for my birth mother. I had recently found her and we have been corresponding often. I made the book with pictures of me from the time I was adopted until I graduated from highschool so that I could share my childhood with her. She LOVED it!! She's 76 and I'm 55 now so we still have alot of catching up to do!!
Now I'm crying, I used a SS kit for our birthmother book. I think we made 8 copies for the agency. My upline called me a few weeks after we sent them in and introduced me to an adoption facilitator for a local physician. We met our birthmother a few weeks before convention, the year before last. We found out we were connected to the birthmother in other ways. However, albeit corny, if it weren't for Stampin' Up! and my wonderful upline, I would've never met my wonderful daughter. She is such a blessing.
I've since made a few scrapbooks for our birthmother. It is so great that we are able to use SU in so many creative ways, and you never know how it will touch another's life. Thank you for sharing your touching stories.
Definitely make sure your friend makes plenty of copies to give to her agency and plus sometimes it is good to have your book in more than one spot. You know what they say don't put all your eggs in one basket. Always make sure you keep your original to be able to make more copies and of course for a keepsake. I found it easiest to take my book to Office Max have them make color copies for me then they laminated them and sprial bound them for me.
A wonderful stamping moment
