On my 14th birthday in August 2006, I received a whole new family through adoption. I have been a part of this family through foster care. For me, my
family just got bigger – I have a "new" Mom who is involved with my life, my
Grandma Jill who lives with us, and added four older sisters and one niece
because I'm adopted and still have birth family including one twin sister, one
older sister, and others.
I haven’t been with my birth mom and dad since babyhood. We went to live with
our Great Grandma and stayed there a few years; moving to Colorado to stay with
some of our Mom’s family; back at Great Grandma (Nebraska); and then to live
with our Grandma. We weren’t getting everything we needed and we ran around the
mall, stole food, and were generally out of control. Grandma just could not
handle us and all the things she had going on too. That’s when we went to
foster care. Our family had been shuffling us back and forth, trying to take
care of us and as middle schoolers; we had become quite a handful.
In foster care, we went to separate short term foster homes. My first regular
foster home totally spoiled me. I lived with my Big Sister from the YMCA Big
Brother’s/Big Sister’s Program. She’d known me and my sisters a long time and
been involved with us. They lived on a lake and did everything for me and I did
not appreciate anything – I was not fun to be around. I did not know how to be
a part of a family.
When I moved into the Strong’s I had to learn how to be part of a family and how
to control my temper and attitude. I had to work really hard to be respectful,
responsible, and fun to be around. Mom and Grandma didn’t let me get away with
stuff and I have learned that I can have fun and let other people be in charge
too.
In May, my Mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said maybe some new
jeans – then she asked if I wanted to be ADOPTED! Of course I said “yes.” Mom
has adopted four daughters older than me. My oldest sister is now 21 and her
adoption happened on her 14th birthday in 1999; the next three were adopted in
2001 at 15, 14, and 11 years old. Except for one sister I barely know, I get
along really well with others. We are sisters!!
I am so thankful that I have been adopted and love my family like crazy! What is
totally cool is that I still have my twin sister and my older sister as my
sisters – Mom says that won’t ever change; I still have my Great Grandma (who
just turned 85!) in my life and talk to her every week and stay with her one
weekend a month; I still have other birth family in my life and my former
foster parents, are included in my new family as my Godparents/adoption
sponsors.
A TON of people came to the courthouse and then we went to our church where the
pastor did a blessing ceremony and a reception with friends and family. It made
my birthday extra special!