God's Best-Kept Secret

December 31, 2018 Michelle Cuthrell

We had just returned home from two-plus weeks in China.

We’d fallen in love with the boy we called Superman on Christmas Eve of 2012. And on Christmas Eve of 2013, we were in a hotel in Guangzhou, China, holding that precious superhero in our arms.

It may have taken 12 months for God to officially write this boy into our family’s story, but it took less than 12 seconds for all of us to fall head over heels for the vivacious 2 and a half-year-old who already felt like he’d always been part of the family.

Because I’m slightly obsessive about pictures, announcements and communicating fun news as quickly and loudly as possible, I had scheduled a photo session with our dear friend Sarah the week we returned from China.

I didn’t want Superman to waste one more moment than possible viewing pictures in our home that didn’t include his precious face.

And so, on New Year’s Eve 2013, our new five-person family gathered at a local park in the fog and the rain to capture the beautiful redemption story God had written.

In Superman’s life.

In OUR OWN.

It's a GIRL!

December 11, 2018 Michelle Cuthrell

I thought it might happen after we had two boys in our home.

Or maybe after we brought home the third.

Or maybe after hosting the girl with the sparkly extra chromosome who turned our worlds upside down.

Or maybe when God called us to a fourth and we began yet another adoption journey to China.

But four little boys and one big one in this house later, this girl has so far remained the singular queen of the castle.

Until now.

Because friends, after nearly 15 years of marriage and more poop jokes and toilet seat urine-crashing clean-ups than any one person should ever have to endure in one lifetime, I get the privilege of sharing with you for the first time ever today news so big that we had to tease it on our annual Christmas card.

IT’S A GIRL!

A Black Belt Heart

December 2, 2018 Michelle Cuthrell

He set the goal when he was 5 years old.

He’d attended his very first belt testing as a Tiny Tiger at our local martial arts studio, and Superhero 2 fell in love with the discipline and values and challenge of tae kwon do.

“My goal is to become a black belt by the time I’m 10,” he told us following that first ever belt test where he traded in his white belt for one of yellow color.

For the last four years, this dedicated superhero has attended tae kwon do class after tae kwon do class, training up to seven hours per week this summer in order to meet this goal he set for himself before he could even tie his own shoes. He’s attended seminars and trainings and bo staff classes and local tournaments, and we’ve watched as he’s grown not only in competence, but in character.

And last night, at the age of 9 ½, he traded in the 10 different belts that went before this one and achieved a goal he set almost half his lifetime ago.

Last night, Superhero 2 became a black belt.

A New Perspective: How Adoption Gave Me Mine (by Super-Spouse)

November 30, 2018 Michelle Cuthrell

For National Adoption Awareness Month, we asked adoptees and their families to share with us their thoughts, feelings and experiences regarding adoption. This is one adoptive father’s perspective about what changed HIS.

Written by Super-Spouse, my favorite guest blogger of all time

I am not quite sure how the topic of adoption always seems to come up when I meet new people, but it seems that I have had the same conversation hundreds of times about being an adoptive father.

I never mention that I have adopted sons because I don’t think of them as adopted. They are just my boys, no different than the two biological children we have. But somehow, new conversations frequently turn to them.

Sometimes the conversation starts when I show a picture of the family.

Other times it may begin when I mention our time in China or that we purchased a large van to haul our boys and their medical equipment.

Regardless of how the conversation begins, I always enjoy the opportunity to talk about our family experience with adoption. But when I was thinking about what to write for this post, I started to wonder why the same questions and comments generally come up during each conversation.

The closest thing to an answer I could come up with was PERSPECTIVE.

We Can't Adopt a Child With Special Needs: How Will We Ever Take Our Family to Disney?

November 15, 2018 Michelle Cuthrell

In my time as an orphan advocate, I’ve heard a lot of reasons why extremely blessed and well-equipped-with-medical-care families right here in our state and our country “can’t” adopt a special needs child.

They don’t have the time.

They don’t have the medical knowledge.

They worry that a child with “special needs” will be detrimental to the children already inside their family.

(Want to know what children with adopted siblings whose special needs are just superpowers in disguise really think? Check out our World Adoption Day video HERE.)

My favorite, though, is the line that I’ve been given not just one time in the last five years but TWICE.

“We can’t bring home a child with special needs,” both families told me very seriously. “We love to travel. How will we ever take our other kids to Disneyworld?”

Last week, our family with two “special needs” children learned how.

By getting in the car and driving there.

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