Surviving the holidays on their own can be hard enough, and helping your children with complex trauma can sometimes feel insurmountable. From lack of routine, to sugar everywhere, presents, new environments, and family that doesn't understand; the list just goes on. And, let’s be honest: keeping yourself regulated is hard enough. Fortunately, we had the pleasure of talking with adoption and trauma therapist, Robyn Gobbel, to learn healthy practices in keeping our children regulated (and happy) during the holiday season.

Not only does Robyn give actionable tips to address triggers, she encourages us to take care of ourselves as well.

We know this podcast will help your holidays be more enjoyable and memorable. Please take the time to listen and share it with your friends and family who may also be spending time with your children this holiday season.

“Why do you look different than your parents?”

“Are you black or are you white?”

The questions an adopted child may encounter from peers and even adults might shock you. And these questions, whether mean spirited or just from curiosity, can evoke deep feelings. Thankfully our guest, Kelly Curry, has personal and professional experience to share with us today.

Not only was Kelly adopted as a baby from South Korea and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, but she now works as a child and family therapist at an adoption agency. She shares about the personal success of her own family and areas where there was room for improvement, while also drawing from her experience as a professional. Whether you are adopting, adopted, or in process, Kelly has wisdom for you and your family.

Being a kid and trying to fit in is difficult. Now add being an adopted child from a foreign country and growing up in a town where you are the racial minority… fitting in would seem almost impossible right?

These are just a few of the challenges that Kiana Bosman faced after being adopted from Haiti as a baby. But with the help of her family, Kiana shares ways that her mom, grandpa and two adopted sisters from Haiti have helped her grow up to be confident in her identity and a successful young woman majoring in criminal justice. She has developed wisdom beyond her years and is kind enough to share it with us.

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the cost of adoption? Or questioned how your kids will respond to adding a new child to the mix? Or wondered how to celebrate World Adoption Day when adoption, at its core, is tragic and heartbreaking? Fortunately for us, Hank Fortener has experience in all of these things. Hank grew up with 36 foster siblings, 8 adopted siblings, 2 bio siblings, and is the founder of Adopt Together and world adoption day. His broad experience and unique perspectives will encourage you no matter where you are on your journey.

Welcome back to Around the World with The Archibald Project! My name is Whitney and together with my husband Nick, we started The Archibald Project! At The Archibald Project, we support people caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. Thank you for stopping by to listen to our podcast!

In today’s episode, we interview adoptive parents, Lauren and Adrian Mills. To say what these two have walked through over the past couple years has been challenging would not do their story justice. They began the adoption process from the Democratic Republic of The Congo, only to realize once their adoption was finalized and they were waiting to bring their daughter home that she had been trafficked by a corrupt orphanage director. Following the heart breaking but beautiful journey of working to reunify “their daughter” with her mother, they began a domestic adoption that later failed for unimaginably hard reasons…. This lead them through a wilderness season of absolute surrender, only to land them back in the international adoption process. This time with an ethical organization and a child that truly needed to be adopted.

Through the heart ache, Lauren and Adrian give such profound advice and tips for what flags to look out for when pursuing international adoption. They give hope to those waiting, and provide steps to take to see if the agency you’re working with is a good one or if they are actually trafficking children for money. We hope you come away having a greater awareness of the global orphan crisis and a deeper understanding of how to fight for ethical adoptions.

Welcome back to Around the World with The Archibald Project! My name is Whitney and together with my husband Nick, we started The Archibald Project! Caring for orphaned and vulnerable children is one of the most important jobs in the world, but often people are too overwhelmed to get involved or lack the support they need to keep going. Our podcast is a place where you can easily find answers, encouragement, and support. Because when you thrive, children thrive.

In this weeks episode we sat down with Ebie Hepworth! Ebie is an adoptive mama to two kiddos, Asa and Birdie. Ebie, her husband Zack, and Asa and Birdie have been home together for 2 years, and through all of the joys that come with adoption, their family walks through a very real suffering every day. After being matched with Asa and Birdie, they found out Asa was very sick. Ebie and Zack sold a lot of their things, including their couch, to fundraise for their adoption and move to Liberia to be with their kids until they could travel home. After 4 months of living in Liberia, nothing would prepare them for the news they received when they got back to their home in Boise, Idaho.

We are thankful for Ebie’s vulnerability as she shares with us what it was like finding out her son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a terminal illness. Even in the pain though, Ebie carries with her a hope that is not of this world and is believing in full faith for her son to be healed. Our desire is that you would be filled with hope in the things that seem impossible in your own lives. Enjoy our podcast with Ebie!