We have 6 children: 2 biological and 4 adopted. All of our adopted children were hard-to-place, special needs children. Our first adopted chid is a girl who is 1/3 Indian. At the time we adopted Our second adopted child is also a girl. For the first 18 months of her life she had high fevers of an unknown origin, coupled with hyperactivity caused by improper medication and food. Because of these problems she was considered hard-to-place. These medical problems are all in the past as they have not returned in the eleven years in which she has been a member of our family. She is an active, lovable, beautiful child who sold over $300 of Girl Scout cookies which took the whole family and friends to deliver. The third adopted child is also a girl. She was born blind. Her blindness was not discovered by her doctors until she was 6 months old. At that time, when her biological mother learned of the blindness (the mother was unmarried and in foster care), kissed the baby good bye and left. This daughter is extremely bright and now at age 51⁄2 she is typing braille, exerts herself in all things (she ice- and roller-skates, climbes ladders, hikes in the Tetons, and is learning to ride a two-wheel bicycle), and has many friends. Our fourth adopted child is a boy, whom we adopted when he was 7 years old. For over 5 years he had been in-and-out of foster homes and lived for a brief time with his biological mother and biological grandparents. He is exceptionally bright and learned to read at age three. None of our four adopted children were wanted by their biological parents. They had a right to live, a right to have their own family. Each of them in their individual and collective way with our biological children have greatly enriched our lives. We love them very much as they are our children just as if they had been born to us for they are children of God. We're grateful to live in Wisconsin where the adoption procedure and availability of children are so great! We view abortion as being next to murder, yet consideration should be given to pregnancy caused by incest, rape, and their related effect on the psychological health of the mother. Abortion on demand is a sin! We know that a fetus has legal rights in a will. After we have sent Christmas Cards telling about our new children, friends and relatives have asked us where we are getting these children. They want to adopt and have been told that there aren't any children availabe for adoption. We know that there would be homes for these children as they are are wanted and needed no matter what their physical or mental condition. Hopefully we will be able to adopt one more child, even with the way the economy is at the present time. One might wonder how our two biological children (2 boys) would interact or accept the adopted siblings. The boys have accepted them with love and caring as their brother and sisters. Prior to adding an adoptive child to the family, a family council was held to discuss the probability of adopting another child. The decision to adopt was always a unanimous decision of the family council. Since our married daughter was not part of the family council when we decided to adopt again (it is to be another boy), she told us she was not in favor of adopting another brother; rather, she wants another sister! As we said earlier, all of the children individually and collectively have brought every member of the family joy and happiness. It is a priviledge to be a parent, to participate in the children's growth, development and nuturing. Abortion is wrong. We are a nation under God. We reap what we sow. Earl & Meriel Monical Earl & Meriel Monical |