Team Andie and Jenna will have only met for the third time when they stand at the starting line for the new season of The Amazing Race that is set to premier on Sunday, September 26, 8:30/7:30 CST.

Andie and Jenna are a team-up with an adoption connection - birth mother and biological daughter who were recently reunited. Andie shared in an interview that you can view on the CBS website, that she would get curious about Jenna and Google her name and found her Twitter. Jenna had twittered, "Watching The Amazing Race and I want to do it." Andie shared that it was also her favorite show. Now, the two hope that the time they spend on the reality show will give them the opportunity to truly know each other. I've never been a loyal viewer of The Amazing Race, but I will DVR this season to see how this works out for the new mother/daughter team.

The mother and daughter seem to have a lot in common - love of travel, high adventure sports, and the importance of family. They also noted similarities physically as well as in temperament which they hope will give them an edge in the Race. They also discovered how they pledged the same Sorority in college. When we met our sister Pam, we quickly noted all of our similarities.  The weird, quirky stuff comes out later and is often what is really interesting.  For example - our mother would always keep peacock feathers in a vase. When we visited Pam's home early in our adoption reunion, I visited her bathroom where I was surprised to find a vase full of peacock feathers.

Andie stated on her CBS bio, "I want to get to know the person I brought into the world. I feel the opportunity of being together 24/7 for a while on the Race would give us the chance to know each other in a deeper way than we would if we met under normal circumstances."

While Jenna's profile states, "Since we just met, it will be harder for us to race without knowing one another as well as the other teams do. We have to trust each other way more and have faith in ourselves. I hope to get to know my birth mother through the incredible opportunity. It is my hope that we will be able to spend a lot of time together and become friends."

Adoption reunions can have their ups and downs and go through periods where those in the reunion work out different levels of contact, and comfort throughout the process. I have to wonder if this reality show is a good idea...but on the other hand, maybe it's an awesome idea. What do you think? Is participating on a game show such as The Amazing Race a good idea to form a new relationship and upon reunion?

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Suggested Reading:

• Tips for Better Handling Social Media, Your Teenager and Adoption Reunions
• 10 Things to Do to Help Find Family Separated by Adoption
• Before You Enter Into an Adoption Reunion - for the Adoptee
• My Reunion Story - The Day I Found Out I Had a Big Sister
• Adoption Reunion and the Adoptive Family Social Media and Adoption - Share what social media you utilized, and how it helped or perhaps even caused more harm.

The National Adoption Day Coalition has announced its new celebrity spokesperson for 2010. This award-winning actress/writer/director and adoptive parent, adopted a child from foster care in 2008. Yes. It's Nia Vardalos who served as the National Adoption Day spokesperson last year as well.

"Becoming a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me," Vardalos said. "I am happy to once again be a part of National Adoption Day. We were matched with our daughter through the U.S. foster care system, and my goal is to share information about the more than 120,000 foster care children in this country who are waiting for a family."

Nia Vardalos and her husband Ian Gomez, adopted their daughter from foster care. She has since been very active with the adoption organization, AdoptUSKids which works to find adoptive homes for children waiting in foster homes across the nation.

Suggested Reading:
What Is the National Adoption Day and When Is it in 2010?
How to Complete a Foster Care Adoption?
What Is Adopt Us Kids or AdoptUsKids?
What Is the National Adoption Month?

Grandparents Day is coming up and it's not just a day to celebrate and honor grandparents, but also a day for grandparents to show their love for their grandchildren. I believe that grandparents are a very important part of the childhood experience. How many of us have special memories that surround our grandparents in some manner? I know I do.

Grandma Hobson always kept candy in her purse for her grandchildren. She patiently worked the same Wizard of Oz puzzle with me time and time again, while chomping and smacking away at mint gum.

These are a few of the memories I cherish.

My husband and I are very thankful to our parents and the kind of grandparents they have been to the children we have adopted and fostered. They have provided us respite care when we were burned out and advice when we didn't know what else to do. We enjoyed child-free date nights thanks to both sets of our parents and my dad would take kids to work with him if anyone got suspended from school.

We always felt that our children have been embraced by our parents. Some of our former foster children still receive birthday cards from my step-mother.

Calling Grandparents
How have you worked to form a connection or welcome an adopted child into your family? Share your favorite memory or moment as part of your celebration of Grandparents Day which is September, 12 this year.

If you don't have a moment to share regarding an adoptee being accepted into the extended family - please feel free to share a favorite memory of your own grandparents in the comments section below.

This is my contribution to the September All About Parenting Blog Carnival hosted by About.com Grandparents.

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Suggested Reading:
Grandparents - How to Support Your Foster Parenting Child
10 Ways for a Grandparent to Welcome a Foster Child into the Family
15 Ways to Be a Grandparent to a Foster or Newly Adopted Child
Adoption and Grandparenting - How One Grandmother Tries to Create a Connection

Another year has gone by and it's amazing to me that it has now been 15 years since the adoption reunion with our sister, Pam. I think I remember things because I document almost every major event in my journal.

"Yesterday, August 28, 1995, I met my sister Pam for the first time. My first thought as she stood outside the door is that she is beautiful."

As time has gone by my sisters and I, as well as other members of the family, have pondered many things about Mom's decision to choose adoption. We may never know the answers to all of our questions, and to be honest, many of our questions are probably none of our business. But I do know one thing - I'm very grateful to have met our sister Pam and to have a relationship with her. I wish we lived a bit closer, but we get together when we can and just like our first meeting, it's like we were never separated. We don't seem to miss a beat. Note: Odd senses of humor must be genetic.

Please share your happy adoption reunion stories. I'm sure we would all love to hear them. If your adoption reunion was not as happy we can benefit from those experiences as well. Share how an adoption reunion or even the lack of has had an impact on your life and family.

Our first meeting that August evening in 1995, Chrissy, Charla, Pam, & Carrie.

Photo © Carrie Craft

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Suggested Reading:

Adoption Reunion and the Adoptive Family

Before You Enter Into an Adoption Reunion for Birth Parents

Before You Enter Into an Adoption Reunion for the Adoptee

Before You Help Your Child Enter Into an Adoption Reunion for Adoptive Parents