I thought we could celebrate on the blog with adoption-related posts and a book giveaway for my upcoming middle grade novel, RED BUTTERFLY (which releases in Feb, 2015 ... just a few months away!)
This last month marked a very important anniversary in our family: Olivia's Gotcha Day!
What is a Gotcha Day?
A Gotcha Day is a little like a birthday, but it marks the day when an adoptive family GOT their adopted child. Some families celebrate on the day their adoption was made official, but most families celebrate the day their child was placed in their arms or in their custody.
Since our adoption was unorthodox, the day we brought Olivia home was six and a half years before we completed her adoption, so we celebrate the day I brought her home from the orphanage. She was six weeks old.
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| This is the first picture I took of Olivia at six weeks, from her baby album. |
How do families celebrate Gotcha Days?
Every family is different. We have one main tradition in our family, and that is the making (and consuming) of Whoopie Pies. A delicious tradition, let me tell you. We decided not to make the Gotcha Day exactly like a birthday -- for instance, we don't give gifts. But sometimes we do have family come to join us for the Whoopie Pie dessert. And we always tell Olivia's adoption story, usually over dinner or Whoopie Pie-eating. We make sure Olivia knows how thankful we are that God placed her in our family!
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| Olivia's thirteenth Gotcha Day! |
If you do spread the word on social media, leave me an extra comment and I'll give you an extra entry. Thank you!
Quick & Easy Tweets:
Enter @alsonnichsen's #RedButterfly giveaway to celebrate #Adoption Month in November! http://tinyurl.com/nvg4gp7
It's #Adoption Month! Celebrate by entering @alsonnichsen's #RedButterfly giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/nvg4gp7
I LOVE the "Gotcha Day" idea, and the whoopie pies! I am beyond excited to read your book. Happy Adoption Month!
ReplyDeleteI remember reading your emails from China when Olivia was just a baby. God is so good!
ReplyDeleteThose are no ordinary whoopie pies! Extra big for a special celebration. Happy Adoption Month!
ReplyDeletelove how you love
ReplyDeleteHi Amy - great thoughts .. and Sophie is so lucky, and so are you having her ... enjoy all the Whoopie pie celebratory days .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHmm, don't see my other comment yet but am putting this on the Daraja facebook site. Love it! Mike P
ReplyDeleteThanks for spreading the word, Michael! :D
DeleteI've never heard of Gotcha Day. That's pretty cool. And those whoopie pies look pretty good too.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the quick and easy tweets all ready for us lazy people. I will copy yours over and use that. :)
Looks like my other comment disappeared into the ether, so I just want to thank you for sharing, "hi" to Olivia and the crew, and say that for our Anna, she wants to celebrate both 'gotcha' days- the one where she came to live with us just before Thanksgiving, and the day that her letter arrived saying she was our 'forever girl' just before Easter, many prayers and 3 months before it was 'possible'. I think we might have to add Whoopie pies! :) Blessings.- We will make sure Anna gets a copy of your book!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful girl! I love the way you celebrate her Gotcha Day. :o)
ReplyDeleteI love hearing Gotcha Day stories. For sure I tweeted and would love to win a copy of your book....I remember when she was just a manuscript.
ReplyDeleteGotcha Day--such a great way to celebrate you and your daughter coming together! Beautiful!
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