I have seven sweet little ones. Three were born to us, and four joined our family through the miracle of adoption. Two of my adopted children were also born with Trisomy 21, otherwise known as Down syndrome.
Children are blessings. I know I say that a lot, but I believe it with all of my heart. The Bible and the Church tell us so, and my own experience bears that out.
When Kevin and I married in 2002, we never imagined that we would have a larger-than-average-sized family. However, God (as He is often in the business of doing) changed all that up and radically altered our views on contraception and children and marriage. (We love Cormac Burke's Covenanted Happiness for a look at historical Church teaching on this subject.)
It is our belief that God gives us children, in part, to actually strengthen our marriages and to make us into kinder/stronger/more faithful/holier people. Please don't believe the hype that having kids makes for an unhappy, unfulfilling marriage! Or that children should be avoided at all costs. That's just not how God designed it to be. I can tell you that parenting has been the single most exciting adventure that Kevin and I have embarked upon both as individuals and as a married couple. We have grown closer, loved harder, and become more patient with one another with each new addition to our family. This is no coincidence. I believe God designed children to be the supreme gift of marriage and to greatly contribute to the parents' fulfillment, sanctification, and happiness.
And there are millions of precious children around the world and here in the US who are waiting for families. Waiting. You and I are in an amazing position to be able to bring these children into our homes and into our hearts. No, it is not glamorous. Yes, it is a hard road. But it is a blessed road. Adoption involves being open to life in a whole new way.
So when our oldest (biological) daughter Anna was two years old, we brought our sons Yosef and Biniam (16-month-old-twins) home from Ethiopia. Life was crazy with three children ages two and under(!), but mostly it was just amazing. About a year later, our daughter Kaitlyn was born. We gave birth to Mary in October of 2010, and brought our daughters Mekdes and Tigist home from Ethiopia in September 2011...bringing the grand total to seven children. (Just to review, they are: Anna, Yosef, Biniam, Kaitlyn, Mary, Mekdes and Tigist.)
Our home is (obviously) busy, but is also a lot of fun. My children are best friends with one another, and they make me so proud to be their mama. (Even if, on occasion, they embarrass me in public.)
Life with kids is good. We remain open to life. And we are blessed.
