Adoption is a very big part of my life as well as Vince's. I was legally adopted when I was just over one years old and Vince gave up his first daughter, Alyssa, for adoption when he was just 17 years old. Yes, we come from very different sides of the adoption experience but I think it has really helped to open both of our eyes. I think it has already been about 5 years since I discovered my birth family (met most of them about 4 years ago)and Vince was able to share in the experience and emotions with me in a way that no one else could. We have 3 children of our own right now who are 8,5 and 3 and they keep us hopping! I knew after my third caesarean section delivery that I didn't want to do that again, so I had my tubes tied during Colin's c-section. I was easily able to make that decision because I knew that adoption was an option. I don't know if it is because my last child is off to JK in September but my desire to adopt is getting much stronger... unfortunately Vince doesn't feel the same at this point in our lives... so I am continuing to pray that his heart will change. I would never push him into something like this, I want his heart on fire for it 100%. So for the time being, I'll continue to pray and focus on my 3 beautiful children that God has already entrusted me with. I've had a few people ask me why I wouldn't be happy with 3- my answer to that is simple, it has nothing to do with me not being happy, it has everything to do with my desire to place a lonely child into a loving family and I know that I (we) can give that and more! It is a gigantic sized decision as most children who need to be adopted have special needs visible or invisible that need to be taken care of over and above the basic needs of every child. Since we have 3 children already in our family, I would want all of them to be ALL IN on the decision as well and old enough to understand it. Someday I'll post my whole adoption story but for now here is a snapshot of me in August of 1979 at 9 1/2 months old. At this point I am not adopted yet, I was fostered for a few months by my adoptive parents first.
