A Gift From God.

It has always been said that children are a "gift from God". I was lucky enough to be born unto parents that truly believed that my sister and I were a gift. They had trouble getting pregnant, so when they did, I was their first miracle baby, and my sister was the second. No matter what happened, my parents made sure that my sister and I knew that we were loved.

When my sister and I got a little older, we made a family decision to get an adoption license. It took a while, but we got it and we were placed with a little girl. That is another very long story, but eventually her parent got better and was able to take her home again. For us, it was heartbreaking, but for her, she finally felt loved by her biological mother. A couple years later, we were placed with my other sister. She was ten at the time. When we first asked her if she wanted to be adopted into our family, she said of course. She was so excited to be part of the family. She did come from a loving home where her step mother took care of her. She was just one of the luckier foster kids. We adopted her almost a year and a half later.

When we talked about it as a family again, we agreed that we still had more love in our home that we would love to share. We now have 3 1/2 year old twin girls. They are just in foster care, but I fell in love with them the first time that they came to visit. I want to adopt them more than anything, but I need to let that go, and give that decision making to God. These girls at 3 1/2 went through more trauma than my now 12 year old sister ever did. They are beautiful girls, who brighten up the house. I make sure that I hug and kiss them all the time, and then I follow that up with saying "I Love You". At first, they would just smile when anyone said that, but now they are beginning to say it back.

It is hard to believe that a mother and father who can't handle kids, have them, while people who want kids more than anything don't. I believe though, that God has put these other families here, so that they will take care of God's precious children. I am very lucky and I know that. I know that I am loved, and that I am always welcomed home. God has given my family the opportunity to expand our family, and give love to children who get left behind.