My whole life I knew I was called to adopt children. In middle and high school I use to cut out articles about adoption and children awaiting parents. Orginally, I thought I would one day adopt overseas since I figured that was were the most need was. However, while doing some research in college I came to realize that there were children who desperately needed a home right here in the good old US of A!
Foster care. It was then that I started meeting people who foster cared, adopted from foster care, and who were adopted from foster care. In fact, my husband's aunts were adopted from foster care at ages 2 and 4. They are wonderful people and I enjoy my time with them. When I married I started doing research on foster care. There are so many children out there who by no fault of their own are taken from their parents. Their stories have touch both my and my husband's hearts.
After four years of marriage and one crazy three old, we decided that now is the time to give children a chance at a normal life. We don't want to do foster care; we just want to do a one time adoption. We feel that a sibling group will be best for our family. We are hoping for girls between the ages birth and 15. Actually, I was ready when we first got married but my husband wasn't. So, I waited for him. We got pregnant with Mira on our honeymoon. I'm glad that we had her first because she has taught both of us what it means to be a parent and how to have patience! She is definitely the strong-willed child, which is of course my husband's fault because she is exactly like him!
Both our families have some apprehensions about adopting foster children but I'm hoping through education they will come around. It is not that they aren't supportive, they just want our family to be happy. There are a lot of "horror" stories floating around. The media is always quick to show the darkside of adoption and foster care, but what about the success stories? I was on http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/Home and I saw one of the promotion videos: "I'm just a kid."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMBTYhToLRA&feature=related
Kids are kids. Yes, there will be baggage from the tramua these precious children recieved. But in the end kids are kids. And every child deserves a lovely family.
We are not going to start the whole process till November. My hubby wants to wait till school starts and things settle down. In the mean time I am gathing more information both on-line and in person. It will be a long and tedious process but in the end it will be worth it. Mira is very excited about the idea of having siblings.
