Why Adopt? Why Foster Care?

Adoption is always an emotionally labor intensive battle.  We have many friends who have adopted many different ways, the common denominator is that it was hard, there were curve balls... and it was totally worth it.

In all honesty, we didn't chose foster care to build our family, it chose us.  But now that our family has been built through "the system" our hearts have been broken for these kids, "these" kids which are now our kids.

Each and every step of the process has had its share of hurdles...as far as Cash's adoption goes we're still jumping them.

And when it comes to raising our kids, juggling birth parents and visits and helping our kids overcome trials of the past it often feels as if we're trying to tread water in some super thick mud.

But the reward is so great!  We are honored to be the ones chosen to raise these boys.

And hope that in doing so we are able to pass on a legacy, a strong legacy that breaks a cycle of violence that their little lives were caught up in long before they were born.

But, as much as it hurts, no matter how hard the battle, adoption has changed our family and fulfilled our lives in ways that we couldn't have even imagined.

These boys truly are the greatest gift we could have ever been given. They have blessed us beyond measure and we only pray that we can bless them in the same way.

Adoption through foster care, and foster care are an uphill battle, but it's a battle worth fighting.  A battle I'm happy to fight...

...because the joy at the end of the battle?  That's real joy and a dance I'm happy to go through again and again!

This post is part of a blog hop on Foster2Forever.  I encourage you to go and read others stories of foster care and adoption.  There are currently more than 424,000 children in foster care in the United States with 114,000 waiting for their forever families.  These children aren't just statistics, two of them are mine.





All photos from this post are from Heath's recent Warrior Dash run.  And what a warrior he was!