Really hard decision.

It has been a difficult last few days for our family, but we are doing a lot better now.  We received a lot of information Monday on the children who were sort-of referred (they were working on the official referral) to us from Colombia.  I am really impressed and grateful for all the details and  reports that ICBF puts together and gives to the prospective adoptive parents for review.  We received 30 pages of information in one report and in another there were 60 pages!

This part is going to be pretty vague on our reasons, but we did have to let our agency know that we felt this particular group of children would not be a good match for our family - and for the sibling group themselves.  We knew when our hearts were opened to adoption that any child we brought into our home would likely have a past filled with turmoil and hurt.  In this case, we felt we would not be able to provide the best type of attention the children would need, especially with already having our other four.

I was just about to write how difficult the adoption process can be at times for some adoptive parents, but then I remembered the children.  The trials we go through in having delayed paperwork, the complaints we may have in needing to notarize one more piece of paper, or even having to make the difficult decision that our family isn't the best one to provide for the specific needs of a certain child during the adoption process are nothing compared to those trials and difficulties that an orphan is often forced to experience:

The loss of a mother and a father
No kisses or cuddles
Malnutrition
Forced child labor
Parasites
Sexual abuse
Mental abuse
Physical abuse
Abandonment

These are all real.

I haven't had to experience any of them in my life -
and I am 37 years old.

The children we were referred have.

The oldest child is only 9 years old.  Within the 9 short years of his life, he had experienced not just one of these "difficulties", not just two of these "difficulties", but he had to experience almost ALL of them.  Please, consider welcoming a child into your home and into your family and give a child the gift of:


A mother and a father
Kisses and cuddles
Food
A time to play
A healthy body
Safety
Kind words
A gentle hand
The comfort of knowing you will be there for them when they need you

These are all real.

Please help us in the Kohl's Love to Give Contest! We need your vote!

Our family has an entry in the Kohl's Love to Give Contest and we need your vote!  If you are on Facebook or would like to join up, you can vote for us each day until November 28th.  If we are one of 200 entrants to be chosen, we could go on to the Finalist Contest!  Votes count for 10% of the judges decisions.  If we make it to the Finals, I think the number of votes each entry has is how they determine the winners.

Here is a link to our page: Her belly wasn't full.

Just follow the link, sign in to facebook, "like" Kohl's, and click the big "vote" button.  Really simple!  Oh - and please share the link with others.  That will help a lot!

This is pretty much what our entry looks like:

Her belly wasn't full.

At 3 yrs old, Lyric didn't know how to feel full & kept eating & eating, not knowing how to stop. She’s better now, but it took about a year before she knew that food was always available and that she wouldn’t go hungry. We adopted Lyric in Dec. 2010, and she is one of the inspirations for our family of 6. On our own, we can't provide for all the orphans, but we can provide for a few. We have been approved to adopt a sibling group of 4 – I can’t wait to shower them with love, hugs – and food!

Thank you for helping us!