I love to share our story! Whether this is sharing my journey with a group of women on a similar road of infertility, talking with couples about adoption, or shouting the worth of individuals with Down syndrome; I feel honored to get to engage with others and hopefully inspire and connect with them on these unique paths. If you have an upcoming event you would like to discuss more, let me know by submitting the form below.

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Choose Joy 2017

Friday, May 5, 2017 2:30 PM 14:30
Saturday, May 6, 2017 3:30 PM 15:30

Crossline Community Church, Laguna Hills, California (map)

Google Calendar ICS

Choose Joy is a two day faith-based conference event geared toward people experiencing infertility and/or desiring to build their family through adoption. I am so excited to be gathering with a tribe of people who "get it" and even more excited to be sharing our story with them. Tickets on sale January 15.

Source:: http://www.choosejoyevent.com/register/

Tagged infertility conference, adoption conference

Jovial State of Mind

Infertility can be a tough and sometimes seemingly lonely road to travel. You are not alone! Our roads may take different twists and turns, but we can come alongside each other whenever possible and yell "keep trekking!' while giving cheesy high fives.

I have been married 10 years to my handsome bald hubs and have been wandering the road of infertility and loss for over 6 years. Our world got wonderfully turned upside down with the adoptions of the two cutest kids who also happen to have Down syndrome. I am crazy passionate about orphan/foster care, orphan prevention and encouraging women struggling with infertility. I work part-time as a Family Nurse Practitioner and am adjunct faculty at a university. Here is my attempt to occasionally shares stories about navigating the waters of infertility, adoption, miscarriage and my frequently encountered awkward moments of life. High Five! Keep Trekking!

TODAY.com Parenting Team Parenting Contributor

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The nurse at check in handed me the mask for him and I immediately thought “there’s no way he will do this”. When I asked him to try he said “no no no” and waved his hands in dismay. Then the nurse asked him to try for 3 seconds and he said “ok” and then, even though he was nervous, he let me help him put it on! He proceeded to wear it for the whole hour we were at his appointment without complaining once! Watched his movies while waiting patiently, went through the exam, talked to the doctor, all with a mask on his face! Guys, this is not to protect him, this is to protect the medical staff and other patients they will see. We do it because we know some (including us) may need a hospital bed or medical resources for non-covid19 related care and right now with the surge of cases in our city these resources are now limited. My child still has to get medical care in the middle of a pandemic and he is willing to do his part but, for some reason, it feels like an infringement to your rights to ask you to wear a mask when you go grocery shopping. If my child is gonna wear a mask for you without complaining, then can y’all please wear one for him. You have the right to choose to be a part of protecting and loving our neighbors, our doctors, our elderly, and specifically, when i see you with a mask on in public, I see some one choosing to show love and respect for my son.

Ummmmm I’m not crying.... it’s allergies. 😭 It lasted like 5 minutes too. Jon and i just watched in awe.

Summer time for these two equals all the sunscreen. Anyone else struggling to feel like it’s summer since it kinda snuck up in the middle of school being closed anyway? Also not really sure what fun summer activities to do to fill up the next two months since we are still semi-quarantined. 👉What are y’all doing this summer? How are you filling up the day besides IPADs and movies? Give me you summer tricks and plans so i can steal them please!! 😎🌞 #cartervadimdoessummer #audiejoydoessummer

Guitar lessons for our star 🌟 #cartervadimplaysguitar

Listening and learning. Elevating the voices of black thought leaders in my stories.

Kindergarten is finished. Two years of kinder was more than enough. 😂 Not sure what 1st grade is gonna have in store for us but ready to move on. #cartervadimdoessummer #cartervadimdoeskindergarten

Dancing our way through quarantine. #cartervadimdoesbigbrother #niyahgracedoesdance #audiejoysurvivingsisterhood

Thankful for our time together as a family and remembering the families of fallen service members. May their homes be filled with peace and strength.

It’s the anniversary week of meeting our Niyah Grace and my heart is exploding. It surreal. Few can understand but I know there are those who can. It seems like she has been with us always and at the same time it seems like this was just yesterday. It was different than it was with Carter. I don’t remember feeling instantly like her mama but I do remember instantly deciding to let my guard down to try to be the best mama I could. And I instantly saw something special and wonderful about her and knew my life was gonna be better with her in it. Then somewhere along the way it shifted from trying to being. I am her mama and I am not sure how got this lucky but being her mama is the greatest honor of my life. Niyah’s connection with us was different and took some time but the incredible part is she feels 100% mine in the same way Carter and Audie do. From the moment I met her, she changed my life! And from what I’m hearing from others she does that frequently with people! 💙 Do you remember the moment you met Niyah? #heartswentpop #niyahgracesayshello #atypicaladoptionstory

I am so lucky to call her mom. Believing with me Through the years on no two pink lines, celebrating the phone call to tell her it was finally positive, grieving with me through the miscarriages, hoping and waiting with me through adoptions, the person looking out for and worried about me during a scary pregnancy when i felt lost and forgotten, cheerleading me through navigating motherhood and then receiving my babes with nothing short of divine love. This whole motherhood journey was made possible because I have had the best mama helping make it possible. Honestly, behind the scenes Carly is a lot to handle sometimes (i know that’s difficult to believe 😉) yet she loves me fiercely and truly truly truly unconditionally and i hope to raise my children to know that same fierce unconditional love. Thanks for showing me what that looks like BB.