In this episode of Stay Planted, Lo and Em catch up on real life, sharing cozy snow memories, laughing through motherhood moments, and opening up about Lo’s most recent adoption update. From the funny, everyday realities of parenting to what we’re currently learning in life and faith, this conversation is honest, relatable, and rooted in growth. If you enjoy heartfelt chats about motherhood, adoption journeys, faith, and finding joy in the everyday, this episode is for you.

This week’s Stay Planted episode is a special one. We’re sitting down with Jonae Steinman — someone who has been part of our lives for years — to talk about motherhood, adoption, and the unexpected paths that shape our stories.

Jonae is a domestic adoption mom to two girls, and both adoption stories are nothing short of incredible. We talk about how Em knows Jonae from her time as a Young Life leader in high school, what life looks like for Jonae and her husband now, and the twists, turns, and faith-filled moments that led them to their daughters.

It’s a conversation about surrender, timing, and staying planted when life doesn’t unfold the way you expect.

In this bonus episode of Stay Planted, hosts Lo & Em share hopeful news: adoptions are now explicitly exempt from the U.S. presidential proclamation on immigration.

We released our previous podcast on the day Lo found out that adoptions were exempt! We thought we needed to do a bonus episode to update our listeners and avoid any confusion.

Lo walks listeners through how she first learned about the exemption, the rapid timeline of events, and why the quick turnaround matters deeply to waiting and hopeful adoptive families. The episode also includes Lo reading the official communication from the U.S. State Department, which clarifies that adoptions are explicitly exempt and offers much-needed reassurance during an uncertain season.

This episode is both informational and celebratory, capturing the relief, gratitude, and hope that many adoptive families are feeling right now. If you’ve been following immigration-related adoption updates, waiting for clarity, or advocating alongside the adoption community, this bonus episode provides timely information straight from official sources and real-life experience.

Whether you’re currently pursuing international adoption, supporting an adopting family, or trying to stay informed on immigration policy and adoption, this episode marks an important and encouraging update.

Lo updated her blog as well. Visit the link to see what details she shared. The Carter LoDown

In this episode of Stay Planted: Life, Faith, and Adoption, hosts Lo & Em share important international adoption updates based on information Lo received directly from her adoption agency regarding recent U.S. immigration changes and how they are being applied in practice.

Rather than simply reading policy language, Lo explains what agencies are currently communicating to waiting families, specifically around fully restricted and partially restricted countries, how cases may be affected, and what families are being told to expect right now. This episode offers real-time insight for hopeful, waiting adoptive families seeking clarity during an evolving, uncertain season.

Before diving into the heavier conversation, Lo & Em kick off the episode with a lighthearted (and unforgettable) high school dance story, bringing humor into an otherwise weighty topic. Emilee also shares a hopeful update on receiving her son’s Social Security number after adoption, offering encouragement for families navigating post-adoption paperwork.

We also discuss how listeners can let their voices be heard. For families and advocates looking for constructive ways to engage, we share ways to reach out to organizations like the National Council for Adoption (NCFA) and the White House to help raise awareness around how current immigration changes are impacting adoptive families.

Click here to advocate for adoptions to be explicitly exempt under the new proclamation.

In this episode of Stay Planted, we share real-life updates from the world of adoption, parenting, and backyard farming—equal parts practical, reflective, and a little unhinged (in the best way).

We discuss adoption logistics, including the process of obtaining a Social Security number for an adopted child and how missing paperwork can impact health insurance coverage. Lauren shares an update on international adoption from Malawi and discusses how the president’s recent immigration proclamation may impact adoption timelines, visas, and waiting families.

From there, the conversation shifts to everyday life lately—raising kids, juggling projects, and managing animals. We catch up on our backyard farms: chickens that stopped laying, roosters that crow very incorrectly, ducks in deep snow, automated coop doors that don’t always cooperate, and an honest confession about dealing with a rat infestation in the chicken coop. We discuss what worked, what didn’t, and how overwhelming farm chores can be in the midst of parenting young kids.

This episode is a relaxed, unscripted conversation about adoption paperwork, international policy, insurance headaches, chickens, rats, snow chores, and learning to pivot when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Visit Lo's blog, The Carter LoDown, for all your Backyard Farming needs, encouragement, and a little peek inside Lo's life.

What does it really look like to say yes to domestic adoption? In this episode of Stay Planted: Life, Faith, and Adoption, we sit down with Hank and Miranda to hear their powerful story of domestic adoption. They share the calling that led them to adoption, the challenges and joys they encountered along the way, and how their faith anchored them through uncertainty.

This conversation is honest, hope-filled, and deeply encouraging for anyone considering adoption, walking through infertility, or trusting God with an unexpected path to parenthood. Hank and Miranda remind us what it means to stay planted in faith while building a family through adoption.

Whether you’re exploring domestic adoption, already in the process, or want to hear a real-life adoption testimony grounded in faith, this episode will encourage and inspire you.

In this special episode of Stay Planted, Em and I sit down with two very important guests, our husbands! We’ve spent numerous episodes exploring the emotional, practical, and spiritual aspects of adoption from our own perspectives, so today we wanted to flip the script and hear from the men who walk this journey alongside us.

We discuss what “staying planted” means from their perspective, how they’ve navigated the ups and downs of the adoption process, and the moments that have both stretched and surprised them along the way. They open up about finances, navigating the unknowns, and how they practically and emotionally support us — their wives — throughout the process.

It’s honest, heartfelt, and sometimes pretty funny. Whether you’re in the adoption world or love honest conversations about partnership and family, this episode is such a good one.

Shine Bright, Little Light by Lauren Carter

In this episode of Stay Planted, we share a heartfelt update on Lo’s adoption journey and open up about the emotional weight of negative adoption narratives. We talk about how easily fear can creep in, how those stories—though real—can sometimes distort your own path, and how to stay grounded in wisdom, discernment, and truth. If you’re navigating adoption or supporting someone who is, this conversation will help you stay planted and protect your peace.

As always, enjoy our banter, laughter, stories, and our not-so-life-changing, life-changing things we share.

In this heartwarming catch-up episode of Stay Planted, Lo and Em reconnect and share life updates, starting with a hilariously unexpected pedicure story from Lo that’ll have you laughing out loud.

Lo and Em share adoption updates, where Lo shares what she's learning about savoring time, and Em shares that they received her son's birth certificate.

Then, we take a meaningful turn, exploring the importance of honoring birth parents and celebrating the cultural roots of adoptive kids. From personal reflections to thoughtful practices, we explore staying grounded in love, respect, and authenticity.

Whether you're here for the laughs, the learning, or a little of both — this one’s for you.

Lo and Em are back on the mic this week, catching up on everything from the cozy start of fall to setting the record straight that Em's Conrad is not named after THE Conrad on The Summer I Turned Pretty. There’s LOTS of laughter, a few tangents, and the kind of heart-level girl talk you’ve come to expect from us.

We wrap up with a more serious (but beautiful) conversation about two unexpected God moments that showed up in our week because He’s always showing up, even in the little, unexpected things of life.

Grab a warm drink, cozy up, and stay planted with us. 🌿