Our family isn't exactly the "typical" family. But I do like to think we're really very normal! Michael and I married in July 2001 in our hometown in Florida. We each finished our Bachelor's degrees, Michael's in human resource management and mine in elementary education from UCF in 2003 and 2004.
God made us parents for the first time when Kristopher was born to us in February 2004. What a gift it is to be a mother and father!
In January 2006 Brianna was born and in March of that year she was diagnosed with Down syndrome. God used that diagnosis as a blessing to us and called us into adoption in the fall of 2007.
In February 2008, Emma (5 yrs old) and Micah (18 months old) joined our family through international adoption from Ukraine. Emma is now the oldest in the family (born February 2003) and Micah is 8 months younger than Brianna (born September 2006). Both Emma and Micah have Down syndrome as well.
The Lord blessed us further when we had our next biological baby girl, Lynae, in September 2009! She now is working to keep up with her older siblings and they with her :)
In the first few days of 2010 God asked Michael and I individually to put our 'yes' on the table. Michael was in Africa and I was home with our 5 children. God then burdened our hearts for a 3 year old little boy with Down syndrome in the Florida foster system. We finalized the adoption of James (born August 2006, 1 month older than Micah and 7 months younger than Brianna) in September 2010.
On July 24, 2010, Michael and I answered God's calling to commit to a little boy waiting in Ukraine. Wesley (born February 2005) has cerebral palsy and joined our family in December 2010. We didn't know God would be "filling the gap," but he is exactly a year younger than Kristopher and a year older than Brianna. Seven in seven years...
Then along came our surprise adoption. In January 2008 we met little Aleksa (born October 2002). She was in Ukraine and had been moved to a mental institution by the time we arrived to try to adopt her. When that request was denied, we went on to adopt Emma and Micah during that trip. We were blown away when God brought missionaries into our lives on September 17 of 2010 who had regular interaction with Aleksa at her institution. During our adoption of Wesley we were able to go back to the institution, speak with the director, and adopt Aleksa at the same time! December 17, exactly 3 months after our first interaction with the missionaries, we got custody of Aleksa. She came in as our most recent and is now the oldest child. Aleksa also has Down syndrome.
On July 24, 2010, Michael and I answered God's calling to commit to a little boy waiting in Ukraine. Wesley (born February 2005) has cerebral palsy and joined our family in December 2010. We didn't know God would be "filling the gap," but he is exactly a year younger than Kristopher and a year older than Brianna. Seven in seven years...
Then along came our surprise adoption. In January 2008 we met little Aleksa (born October 2002). She was in Ukraine and had been moved to a mental institution by the time we arrived to try to adopt her. When that request was denied, we went on to adopt Emma and Micah during that trip. We were blown away when God brought missionaries into our lives on September 17 of 2010 who had regular interaction with Aleksa at her institution. During our adoption of Wesley we were able to go back to the institution, speak with the director, and adopt Aleksa at the same time! December 17, exactly 3 months after our first interaction with the missionaries, we got custody of Aleksa. She came in as our most recent and is now the oldest child. Aleksa also has Down syndrome.
Michael and I have left our "yes" on the table, and we continue to answer God's calling. He has blessed us abundantly as we serve Him in every aspect of our lives.
