We used our early entry today and started out the morning with a couple of rounds on Space Mountain. I was feeling exhausted when we got to the park, but a little adrenaline rush did wonders for me. While our husbands were on Space Mountain, we took the kids on the rocket ride and then ventured over to the nearby restaurant for our “Minnie and Friends” character breakfast. It was a little overwhelming to manage 13 kids for the 10 minutes or so until our husbands arrived, but it would have been easier if the people seating us would have realized they were not... more

We ate regular snacks and meals and this seemed to help keep the kids in good spirits. If the prices at the Wild Animal Park were shocking, Disney’s prices were downright scary, but we found most of the food was pretty good and kid friendly. The B family was equipped with lots of treats, too, so everyone was well fed throughout the day. The weather was a little chilly at times – in the low 60’s at the warmest part of the day, but we’d dressed in layers and managed to stay warm even well into the evening. Having a large family definitely forces you to prepare for any eventuality!

Toward the end of the night, Wendy’s husband, her older kids, Jonah, Ethan, Lulu and Zoe and I all finally... more

While at Disneyland, I noticed several multiracial families like ours, but we didn’t get a single question or comment about our family. It was wonderfully refreshing to be able to blend into the crowd as I hoped we’d be able to. Even so, I found myself feeling a real sense of pride and satisfaction about my family and our friends’ family. It was awesome to stand back and see them all together, and to see how they all took to each other like moths to a flame. Within an hour they were holding hands and planning who would sit by whom on each ride. It was great... more

Today started out with breakfast at the hotel and hooking up with Wendy and her family. It’s been about two years since we saw them last, so it was fun to get to see them again. Their kids looked lots bigger than when I saw them last – especially Ezra and Claire!

We caught the shuttle from our hotel to Disneyland and I thought our kids would nearly burst with excitement. Everyone was talking about what rides they would go on and what they wanted to see and do while there. This was when I realized it might have been nice to come up with something of... more

The weather the day of our WAP visit was absolutely perfect and I think it contributed to the positive experience we had overall. The kids were well-behaved and chipper through most of the day, and they really soaked up what they were learning about the different animals we saw on the safari and in the more traditional “zoo” section of the park. Everyone’s favorites seemed to be the lions and the giant bugs. We saw cockroaches the size of credit cards, huge walking sticks and all sorts of big beetles and spiders. We saw a case for a “Haitian centipede”... more

Well, our trip to the San Diego Zoo turned out to be a trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park instead. The lure of the 45-minute train ride was just too enticing, especially since we knew we’d be spending three days on our feet in the next couple of days! For those who haven’t been to the Wild Animal Park, there’s a “safari tour” to see the animals of different continents living out on the “savanna” rather than in cages. We saw Asian and African elephants, Mongolian horses, rhinos and all sorts of deer-like creatures whose names I can’t recall at the moment.... more

Yesterday, we took Lulu to a salon for African Americans and had her hair braided. We started with a trip to Sally’s to buy hair (the bargain of the day at $7 for three packages) and then the stylist started braiding around 11:00. She braided. And braided. And braided. We thought it would never end. The stylist told us we needed to leave Lulu there and just go do our thing, and I felt so badly about not being with her the whole time, but poor Lulu was there for over NINE hours! NINE! We came and went every couple of hours, bringing her lunch and treats... more

Hello from sunny San Diego! We made it here late Wednesday night with all of us arriving in surprisingly chipper moods, to boot. We got up at 4:30 in the morning, got the kids ready and loaded everything into the car, and then drove two hours to our closest large airport. In spite of some snowy conditions, we got there in plenty of time and found no line at the check-in, plus a very helpful and friendly sky cap. We made it through the security gate without being “selectees” – a first for us, at least in recent memory! We’ve been searched so many times... more

When we applied for our first adoption in April of 2001, we went on blind faith that the Lord would provide for our needs as we pursued this righteous desire. As I mentioned in my introductory series of posts, our faith was sorely tested as my husband was laid off from his job just as our dossier went to China. We had already invested a few thousand dollars in our dream (some financed through eBay and yard sale proceeds, and some financed through an adoption loan), and it was a scary time for us. But we had received clear inspiration that adoption was... more

• Pay tithes and offerings. President Joseph F. Smith gave this direction: “One of the best ways that I know of to pay my obligations to my brother, my neighbor, or business associate, is for me first to pay my obligations to the Lord. I can pay more of my debts to my neighbors, if I have contracted them, after I have met my honest obligations with the Lord, than I can by neglecting the latter; and you can do the same” (Gospel Doctrine, 1966, 259–60).

• Live within your means. Avoiding the grasp of unnecessary debt requires that we control... more