International Families Picnic - Chippewa Falls

If you have adopted internationally and live in the Western Wisconsin area, we have a wonderful opportunity coming up this summer for you! On Sunday, July 12th from 11:30-2:30 at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, we will be holding an International Families Picnic at the main pavilion. We will provide hot dogs, drinks, and utensils -- families can just bring themselves and a dish to share. We will plan to eat lunch right around 12:30.

There are many activities to enjoy at Irvine - a playground right by the pavilion, a small zoo, and a fun water fountain perfect for kids to cool off in! Not to mention the camaraderie of getting to know other families who share the international adoption experience.

If your family plans to attend OR if you have any questions, please email me (Christy) at creppe@cclse or call 715-832-6644 ext. 19. This will help us know how many hot dogs we need to plan on!

As an added bonus, we have Jen Schultz from Genesis Photography (who happens to also be an international adoptive mom) offering a WONDERFUL deal for Friends of Adoption families with a mini photo shoot! The details are below. Please check out her website for a taste of her photography, and call her at the number listed below to reserve a time slot for your child or family! I can not say enough good things about her work -- it is really extraordinary, and I hope many of you will take this opportunity to experience it for yourself.

Save the Dates for Spring

We know...it's not even Christmas yet and here we are telling you to mark your calendars for spring! There are two events taking place the weekend of April 24 -25. These will be well worth saving the dates...

The first is our annual Friends of Adoption Spring Retreat! This will take place on Saturday at the Lodge at Cedar Creek Resort & Waterpark in Wausau, WI (you can arrive and stay over night on Friday). Those of you who have attended in the past know what a fun time this is for kids and adults alike. If you can make it, you will be glad you did.

If you only have one day to work with, mark Saturday the 25th on your calendar for a one-day seminar in Eau Claire entitled "The 7 Wonders of the World of Adoption." This seminar is put on bi-annually by Western Wisconsin Advocates for Adoption.

More details on both events will be coming in February!

Childhood Mental Health Seminar

If you are a parent or professional who would like to learn more about how we can best help children with mental health needs, join us in Menomonie on Tuesday, December 16th from 6-9 pm. Mary Paulson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, will be presenting Childhood Mental Health Disorders and Medications: Is It Any of the Foster/Adoptive Parent's Business? The workshop is free -- click here for event details. Hope to see you there!

"A Home for the Holidays" television special

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Children's Network will present their 10th annual "A Home for the Holidays" CBS network television special on Tuesday, December 23rd at 7:00 pm Central time. The program raises awareness for foster care adoption and features stars such as Faith Hill, Melissa Etheridge, Kristin Chenoweth, and many others!

Plan to tune in with your family and friends to celebrate the joy of having a family - not only for Christmas but for always. You can view or print the flyer here. Let us know what you think!

"A Place In My Heart" one-day conference

Coming up next Saturday, November 15th is a wonderful conference, "A Place In My Heart." Join us at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. The conference will feature Juli Alvarado, who will give two presentations: From Chaos to Calm and Intentional Parenting.

Registration is $40 per person, $80 per twosome. Call Leann at 800-762-8063 to register.

Click here for the event brochure. Hope to see you there!