Meet Our Family

I figured you would want to know a little about my family and how adoption has fit into our lives. First, I will introduce you to myself.  My name is Katie.  I am 37 years young and a mom of 6!  I have worked in Early Childhood Development for the last 20 years.  I currently work as a curriculum manager for 4 childcare centers.  I am very passionate about Early Childhood Education and even more so since adopting our son.  It is absolutely fascinating to me how much of a child's development is completed by the age of 5.  Having said that, I work very hard every day making sure to positively impact development for every child in my care.  Besides kids, I spend my time writing, painting and, whenever possible, catching up on reality TV madness {hope this doesn't take away all of my credibility!}.  

I can’t start telling you about the rugrats, until I tell you about my husband, Shawn.  Shawn is the best thing to ever happen to me.  I met Shawn 20 years ago when I worked with his mom at a day care center.  I like to say the day I met him I knew I was going to marry him, I just didn’t think it would take me 2 years to get him to tak  e me on our first date. 

Me and My Bae

Our first date was to see the movie Armageddon and that night was the first night I thought “I might marry this guy”.  Exactly one year later, to the date, we were married.  I was 9 months pregnant with our first child when we took our vows.  How scandilicious! It was a very unconventional way to begin our lives together, and one that I would not recommend, but it worked out magically for us.  Of course, it worked out because that was God’s plan all along.

Shawn works crazy long hours providing for our family.  He also is a stand up comedian.  He performs clean comedy and does it all to bring smiles to people’s faces.  He started an organization called, Stand Up for KY which puts on comedy shows for local families in need.  He even put on a comedy show at a homeless center during the holidays.  He works this hard so that I can work only part time and be home to be a super hands on mom {“super” is a far reach but, you know, a little embellishing never hurt anyone}.  Even with all of these hours, he still is the most present father to all of our kids.  He makes sure every one of them feels they are loved, special and the most important person in the world.  I am not saying the guy is a saint but I pretty much am going to assert that he is by far, the best husband and father a girl could ever wish for.

Our firstborn is our son Shawn Matthew- I call him Shawnie.  He was born on the first football Sunday and Shawn still likes to remind me that I was lucky he came to the birth.  Lol!  Shawnie is honestly one of the greatest human beings I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  I am so grateful to be his mom and so thankful to God for giving me this blessing.  Shawn is currently in his senior year of high school and will most likely end up at the University of Kentucky.  He wants to be a famous rock n’ roll star and if that doesn’t work he will be a teacher.  I am crossing my fingers that he becomes a monk, but that’s just me.

2 years after the “Golden Child” arrived, we welcomed our sweet Emma Rachel into the world.  She is the kindest and most gentle soul I have ever known.  She cares deeply about other people and is intent on changing the world.   She is beautiful inside and out.  Everyone she comes in contact with, leaves a little bit better for knowing her.  Emma is currently in her sophomore year of high school.  No telling where her future will take her!

3 years later we welcomed our Kiley Grace.  This girl came into the world calm as a cucumber, her eyes wide open to take in all the sights and sound of her new world.  That is how she has continued living her life.  She is my spitfire full of sass, charm and an extraordinary amount of empathy.  She is a born leader and brings kindness to all who meet her.  Kiley has just started middle school and is already making a name for herself.  I don’t know what she will do in the future but if I had to guess, she would become a teacher. 

4 years after Kiley Grace, we went to Bonnaroo.  9 months later Dylan was born!  He is almost prophetically, a little rockstar.  He is the definition of charming.  Everyone who meets Dylan falls in love with him.  He is the very best cuddler and still asks to snuggle in the big bed.  He has a devious streak that can get him into trouble and his energy is hard to keep up with.   He was one of the best little gifts we have received.  He is in 2^nd grade this year.

2 years later, I met Keegan.  Keegan would become our 5^th addition to our family.  But, I had no idea at the time.  Keegan enrolled at the Daycare Center that I was a director at when he was 2 years old.  I knew him for about a year before he came to live permanently with us.  There has never been a doubt in our minds that God did some wily trickery to place him with us.  His adoption was truly divinely inspired… but, more about that later.

Our very last addition {and will most likely be our very last J} is our Lucy Kate.  She was our very big surprise.  She was unexpected but never unwanted.  She was born last April and has brought more joy than we could have ever imagined into our family.  Throughout my pregnancy I was very worried, mostly how Keegan would deal with this change.  As I will share in our blog, he has been diagnosed with RAD, and the thought that we were bringing a tiny, vulnerable baby into our home, scared me to death.  Not surprisingly, God had his almighty finger on our lives yet again.  Keegan is her favorite sibling.  He is so gentle and loving with her.  She has been a bandaid to some of his pain.  That has been the most unexpected and most beautiful miracle of our little Lucy.

So, there you have it.  I have introduced you to everyone of my crazy family members.  Throughout the reading of this blog, I will introduce you to other characters, but these are the most important.  These are the reasons for every breath I take each morning.  They are the reason I rise to greet the day.  They are the very reason I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God exists.  He has seen fit to bless me with these angels.  I will never know why, but I will always be so very thankful.  I am unworthy to be their mother but I work everyday to make sure each of them knows that they are loved more than they can possibly imagine.

Here Goes Nothing...

Our Adoption Story and the Reason for My Blog

I decided to begin writing a blog about being an adoptive mom for a variety of reasons.  The first reason is to remind my readers that if you are truly pro life you must be open to life in all forms.  I believe every family should discern if you are capable of adopting a child in need of a family.  If there are children on this earth who are living without love, it is everyone’s responsibility to find ways to be the change. 

I have found that the biggest pro life advocates are often times the least christian among us.  These people have no problem throwing stones at teenage mothers, unwed mothers, single mothers, mothers addicted to drugs or mothers living in an abusive environment.  But, their judgment creates little change.  These same people will throw the stones but will refuse to offer a helping hand.  If you are truly pro life you need to examine how you are called to help all stages of life.  Perhaps you will find that you are meant to raise a child you haven’t even met yet.  Hopefully this blog will remind you of those pro life issues and how you can be a catalyst for true change… even if it means extending yourself to offer mercy and compassion to ALL walks of life.

The second reason is to encourage everyone to consider adoption.  Not just adoption of those precious, little newborn angels of Jesus but to consider how you may be able to change the life of an older child or a special needs child through adoption.  Currently, there are over 400,000 children in the foster care system.  These children not only need stable and loving homes, they are also craving forever families. 

Once a child becomes the age of 8 the likelihood they will be adopted drops dramatically.  These are the children most in need of “saving”.  45% of children who “age out” of foster care will not complete high school.  If these children do not find forever families they are 66% more likely to end up homeless, end up in jail or die one year out of foster care.  Over 80% of our prison population has been in the foster care system.  Much more importantly and transforming is that these children who never find a forever family will likely grow up to never really know love.  They will become parents to children that they will not be capable of showing real love to.  The cycle continues and affects us all.  These staggering statistics demands that each of us sit with the idea of adoption and consider if you are being called to this gift.  And, even though it is daunting and difficult… it is a gift.

The third reason is to tell you how hard it is.  How unbelievably, undeniably hard it is.  It takes true commitment and dedication to stick with the adoption plan.  While you are in the process of adoption, your life will be split open for others to look in, observe and judge.  You will be faced with the past, and most likely trauma, of the child you will be loving as your own.  This past creates a very unknown and scary future.  This future you must embrace and no matter what, never give up. 

This is not an easy calling.  In the beginning, while the idea is just a blip on your radar, you will feel like you have superhero powers.  Maybe a part of you will feel, like we did, that you are “saving” a child. Those fairy tale feelings will quickly fade into the reality of raising an adoptive child or, like in our case, blending a new family. 

Even though it will break your heart, drop you to your knees and make you question “what in the world were we thinking?”, it will also bring you immeasurable joy.  For those adopting due to infertility, it will be a blessing you may never have known.  For those adding to their existing family, you will learn how to love in ways you could never imagine.  And, while you started off thinking you were “saving” your child, you will quickly find that the life you save will be your own.  At the end of the day you will grow your family in love.  And there is no greater reward.

The final reason for writing this blog is to help bring healing, comfort or peace to other families who are walking the path of adoption.  I hope that those who have never adopted may learn a little about this process and will be able to be a better support to people in your lives who have adopted.  I am sure they may not have experienced all of our stories but I can bet we have a lot in common. 

Maybe you have adopted and have found some of the same pitfalls we have found.  Perhaps you also have a child from a traumatic background and like us have never been able to find the right kind of help for the questions you have.  Or maybe you just need an encouraging voice, whispering to you through this blog, that you are making a difference.  You matter and the adoption leap you took will be worth every tear, every worry and every heartbreak.  Whatever you find while you read this blog, I sincerely hope you will see what God is calling you to see.   

I want my readers to know that before I write each blog, I pray to the Holy Spirit to guide my writing to give the glory to God and help show others God’s will in their lives.  I ask the Holy Spirit to give me the gift of humility, compassion and wisdom as I share my stories.  These are not easy fruits for me.  I pray that the telling of our story will never be at the risk of exploiting my child or my family.  This may get tricky as I plan on being very open.  I pray hard for the wisdom to know when my words may negatively affect my son or my family. After that, I end my pep talk with the Holy Spirit with the St. Michael prayer to ensure that my writing comes from a place of light and love. 

If you ever feel I am failing at this, feel free to let me know by commenting or messaging me.  I will promise to hear you out and try to do better.  If you are lifted up by what I share, please share this with me too.  I need that so much.  Consider sharing if you feel I have written something of worth.  The more people I can reach, the more I will feel I am putting good out in the world.

"Be The Change You Wish To See In The World"