Thursday, December 4, 2014

Why are they adopting......again?

"Why are they adopting..... again?"
This is one of the most exhausting questions. It is nearly impossible to explain WHY we chose to dedicate our entire lives to children/adults with special needs to those that are blinded by worldly standards. The negative messages relayed through family members and the text messages are not common but they creep into our world just the same. I understand the mentality. I even comprehend the logic. I just find responding exhausting because at the end of my "well practiced" speech I still get "the look". sigh*

Let me first start by saying Marty and I had very successful careers. We both worked extremely hard. I as a Marketing Rep in Healthcare and Marty as a General Manager of a car lot. We had a boat,  motorcycle and vacationed in the Florida Keys or took our older two to Disney on a whim. I shopped constantly for the latest styles and I had more than my share of material things. My daughters prom dress was ridiculously expensive and we bought her car cash for her 16th Birthday. Our son had a four wheeler, a small boat, and an expensive bicycle. Life was good. ..........or so we thought. Our children were getting older and Marty and I were spending more time with our friends. We were eating out, having drinks and enjoying life. .... or so we thought. As time went on. The hangovers got old. The company got stale. The Party Life we had envisioned for so long when we were young and raising babies prematurely..... suddenly seemed stupid. Just stupid. I felt like a fool running around partying at 35! I heard Christ calling me. I would begin speaking about my love for Christ at BBQ's while with our "usual group". They laughed in their drunken haze or started arguments about their own genius agnostic view of the world. It wasn't long before I couldn't stand myself! The revealing clothes. The fight to remain as thin as a twenty year old. The continuous working out. The jealousy. The back talking. The rumors. The gossip. I hated it all!!! I hated myself! I hated work. I hated "The Joneses" and I HATED the Status Quo! It was clear to us this "life" we dreamed about for so long.... new cars and parties and shopping was NOT for us. It left us empty, bored and miserable.

We were both on the same page. We "not so slowly" abandoned our old friends and began staying home. A LOT! We prayed. We watched a lot of TV. and we ate a LOT of Dairy Queen. We became even MORE bored! "I cant do this!" I told Marty. I don't want to party for the next 40 years like a washed up old woman! and I certainly do not want to sit here for 40 years eating Dairy Queen and watching American Idol!!!!!! Ugh!!! That evening I specifically prayed to God to show me my purpose. To reveal it to me. I had wasted so much time! I did NOT want to waste ANY more and I needed to know now! A half hour later I emailed a woman on Craigslist about her "Berkey Water Filter", she was selling. I was surprised to see this particular item on Craigslist because it was so specific. She emailed me back. At the bottom of her message was a link to her Facebook Page and Blog. I clicked on them. I instantly knew I was to meet this woman. The next day while picking up the water filter I met the woman that would change our lives. That woman was ..... Lindy House.

As I approached her front door, it flew open and I was greeted by Levi. He eagerly scaled my body like a monkey. Wrapping his arms and legs around me and smiling from ear to ear. Lindy was right behind him with Kole clinging to her. "I am so so sorry." she said, reaching for Levi. "Oh no!" I said. "I love him!" and I did. I fell madly in love with the House family that day. Their story, every member of their family, their love for Christ! I wanted it! ALL of it! I wanted THAT life!!! I wanted THAT story! I wanted to live without regret, without restraint, without apology!!! I wanted to LIVE!!

That evening I showed Marty Reece's Rainbow. My head was spinning! I was eager to contact Lindy again but didn't want to be stalker-ish! I thought nothing of Marty sitting in his chair with his laptop for hours. Until.... he looked at me and said "I want to do this." "Do what?" I asked. "Adopt." he replied. "Really?" I said. I didn't think in a million years he would agree to adopt!!! Is this the same man that had refused to give me a baby for ten years!?!? I couldn't believe it! He was serious. My husband is either IN or OUT. He is NEVER in-between. So I knew he was dead serious. I was excited, overjoyed, nervous and..................mad? Why am I mad!!??  I realized that his willingness to adopt was a punch in the gut to me because I so desperately wanted to BE pregnant! My daughter had been born when I was 19 and it was a tough experience. Marty had a son we had raised together. But we had no children of our own. I wanted a "good" pregnancy experience with the man I loved! I was soooo confused! Oh but friends!!! Our God gives us far more than we could ever imagine when we are obedient. He had a plan we knew nothing about! A plan to bless us with not only our own biological baby BUT two wonderful amazing adopted sons and THEN to do it again!!!??? I told my husband my desire to be pregnant.

That following summer we gave birth to our son Gage Leland Quinn. Lindy House recorded our Birth Story. Only one month later we committed to Dunham. One month after that.... Edgar. We sold the boat to buy a mini-van. We sold the motorcycle to supplement our bills while traveling and pay for the home study. After much sacrifice we brought our boys home June 7th 2014. Lindy allowed her 14 year old daughter to travel with me for the final trip to Ukraine to bring the boys home. Half a world away with a woman she met on Craigslist! lol! Friends, that is a God thing! That one prayer. The willingness to say yes. Sacrifice and commitment. We have been overwhelmed by the plan our Heavenly Father has for us! So God has once again called us to act. To move. We know it will be hard. We know it will be rough. We also know we will once again receive Gods incredible light, love and life!

So back to the question "Why are they adopting .... again?"

We have
Less money.
Less "things".
Less sleep!
Less free time.
Less energy.
Less regrets.
Less hangovers.
and Less drama.

More laughter.
More love.
More hope.
More joy.
More family.
and More Jesus

If you read this blog post and you still ask the question "Why?" I cannot ever answer enough of your questions or rebuttal enough of your objections to leave you satisfied.
 It is Christ you are seeking. Not answers.



















1 comment:

  1. I follow Growing Up With Downs on facebook. Tonight while researching adoption, I came upon your blog. Thank you for sharing your story. I really enjoyed reading how it all began. I fell in love on RR with a boy from Ukraine with DS. I pray that God moves mountains and allows us to be able to adopt. ~Rain

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