National Adoption Awareness Month

November is THE month- National Adoption Awareness month!

Now it is the last day of the month, and I am posting about adoption.

Not because it isn't important.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.

Each time I sat down to gather my thoughts and write something, I felt like whatever I had to say just didn't do justice to the topic.

How do I adequately express my feelings about something this important to me?

I can't, so to put it plain and simple. . .

We LOVE adoption.

Adoption is the pathway that crowned us with parenthood.

These angels made it possible. . .

 We are still in awe, and so full of gratitude when we think about it (which is often).

Next to the Atonement, can you think of a greater gift? 

The gift of a child?

It's amazing, and humbling to think about how these two loved their child enough to do the impossible.

We saw how much pain they felt, yet at the same time the overwhelming courage that they possessed.

They knew it was right.

They followed their hearts.

For this we are eternally grateful.

 There are those who criticize adoption and say "if you loved your child, why did you give him away?"

The answer is, a birth parent loves her child so incredibly much that she is willing to put her selfish desires aside, put her baby first, and place him in a loving home with two parents who promise to provide the life she dreams of for her baby.

Some say "adoption is the easy way out."

Wrong again.

I remember the day of placement as if it were yesterday.

I also remember the mix of emotions we felt.  We felt incredible joy- that our son was here, and coming home, mixed with pain as we watched the agony Brody's birth families were going through.

The easier choice would've been for them to keep him.

But it wasn't the best choice, and they wanted the best choice for him

The easier choice would've been abortion heaven forbid--which thankfully was never an option in Kourtney's mind.

I can't imagine this world without our little boy in it.

But for many this is the option.

I don't mean to stand on my soapbox. But the statistics are horrible.

60% of unplanned pregnancies end in abortion, nearly 40% choose to single parent, and less than 2% consider adoption.  Why?  When there are so many adoptive couples longing to be parents?

It does my heart good to think of all those amazing birth parents who chose adoption.

Thank you. We love you.

This was taken in the first few days as a new family.

We love this child.

He is our own.

I've heard people say,  "you probably love him just as much as if he were your own."

I know they mean well,

but he IS our own.  We know Brody is our son, he just had to get to us another way.

Biology doesn't matter, and pre-adoption we heard other adoptive parents talk about this.

We always knew we would love an adopted child, but we never comprehended just how much. 

We can't imagine loving him more if he were our biological child.

The most amazing part is that this love is forever.

We are an eternal family, and we were sealed together in the temple when Brody was less than two months old. 

We hope that Brody will feel lucky, and special to be adopted.  We realize that some kids struggle with the idea. But with an open adoption (which we have) there are no secrets, no mysteries, and we plan to be open and honest with our son. He won't have to wonder who he looks like, and where he came from. He will get to hear about his amazing story, and how much he is loved by his forever family, AND his birth families. 

"I feel that adopted kids have a leg up, emotionally. Because the truth is that we chose this child, and who wouldn't like to know THAT about themselves."  Quoted from The R House.com.

Yes Brody, we chose you.

Your birth parents were guided to us

by our Heavenly Father, and possibly by you.

"Families are one of God's greatest masterpieces."

Each family is unique, but beautiful.

Our family means everything to us,

and we are so grateful for the gift of adoption. Grateful for Brody's birth families, and to our Heavenly Father.

We had almost given up,

but then this little boy happened. . .

 And he's the best thing that's happened to us.

How can it be that nearly 2 years have passed?!