Beyond the Home Study

Foster care is beautiful—and heartbreaking.In this Season 2 premiere, Lora Rose & Abbey are back and going deep! In this episode they share personal stories from inside foster care, including the joy of welcoming children in, the reality of reunification, and the grief that comes with letting go.

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📸 Instagram: @beyondthehomestudy

🌐 Website: www.yourehomenetwork.com

In this season finale of Beyond the Home Study, hosts Lora Rose & Abbey share all their favorite things—from the sensory tools they can’t parent without to the coffee, books, apps, and even nail polish that help them feel human on the hard days. If you’re looking for fresh ideas, practical tools, or just a few fun favorites to brighten your week, this episode is for you.

Resources

These are a few of our favorite things! Click here for the products mentioned in this episode.

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Stay tuned for Season 2!!

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose & Abbey talk with Johanna Choate, who shares her powerful story of perseverance through the ups and downs of adoption. From unexpected twists in the process to the emotional toll of waiting, Johanna opens up about what it’s like to hold onto hope when things don’t go as planned.

Memorable Quotes:
 “God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called."

“We just kind of belly flopped into it.”

“Adoption was not our first plan by any stretch of the imagination.”

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In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose & Abbey sit down with Valerie Marble, newly published author & CEO of A Step Ahead Adoption Services, to walk through the first questions every prospective adoptive parent should be asking. Valerie breaks down how to start the adoption journey with clarity and confidence—covering what to consider when looking at your timeline, what finances may look like, how often disruptions really happen, plus so much more! Whether you’re just beginning to explore adoption or already deep in research mode, this episode is full of grounded, practical guidance from someone who’s been on both sides of the process.

Resources

A Step Ahead Adoption Services

Valerie's Book: Living Through the Journey: a journal for hopeful adoptive parents

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If you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram!

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose & Abbey unpack the concept of co-regulation—how parents can help children calm down by first calming themselves. Drawing from personal experiences and real-life parenting moments, they discuss what co-regulation looks like in the context of foster care and adoption, how to respond to meltdowns, and why repair matters after we lose our cool.

Memorable Quotes:
“"I feel like I have a hundred pound weight on my shoulders."

“Mirror neurons, baby!”

Support the ShowIf you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!

Leave a rating and review wherever you listen & don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose & Abbey explore the powerful role of play in building attachment and supporting child development. They unpack how play fosters connection, how trauma can influence a child’s ability to engage, and why movement-based play is key to emotional regulation. 

Memorable Quotes:

"Your best toys are yourself and your creativity."

“Redefine your definition of play and know that it's much broader than you think."

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In this heartfelt episode of Beyond the Home Study, hosts Lora Rose & Abbey sit down with Jessica and Ryan McMichael to share their powerful story of adoption. From the heartbreak of disrupted matches to the joy of welcoming their children home, Jessica and Ryan offer an honest look at the emotional ups and downs of building a family through adoption.

Memorable Quotes:
"Adoption was always Plan A for us."

"Every hardship, every piece of paperwork, it's all worth it."

"There's no playbook for adoption, just start the conversation."

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If you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!
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In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose & Abbey dive into the importance of community for parents, especially those navigating foster care and adoption. They unpack what community really means, from local support systems to online spaces, and discuss the barriers that make connection difficult. The conversation highlights the vulnerability it takes to form relationships, the impact of parenting challenges on social life, and the beauty of finding “your people.”

Memorable Quotes:"Community doesn't have to look the same for everyone; it's about finding what works for you.""Finding your people is about recognizing the pockets of community around you."

Resources

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In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, Lora Rose & Abbey open up about the things they wish they had known before beginning their adoption and foster care journeys. They share the emotional weight of waiting for placements, the complexities of navigating relationships with birth mothers, and the never-ending paperwork that adoption entails.

Memorable Quotes"I wish I understood the emotional weight of waiting.""You really don't know what to expect.""Adoption does not heal infertility."

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In this episode of Beyond the Home Study, hosts Lora Rose and Abbey sit down with author and adoptive mom Kristin Hill Taylor, who shares her three very different adoption stories. While agencies were involved, each connection to her children’s birth moms came through unique personal relationships — a family friend, a lawyer, and even her doctor. Kristin reflects on how these experiences shaped her perspective on adoption and ultimately inspired her writing career. She also opens up about open adoption, navigating work and family, and the importance of community support throughout the journey.

Sound Bites "We fell into it backward."
"I think God built our family."

Resources

Kristin’s Website: www.kristinhilltaylor.com
Kristin’s Books on Amazon:

• Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family

• Bringing Home More Than Groceries: Stories About Gathering & Nourishing People

• Created for Communion: Discovering God’s Design for Biblical Friendship

Support the Show
If you’re loving these conversations, help us keep going!
⭐ Leave a rating and review wherever you listen
☕ Buy us a coffee to support the podcast & don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!