American Adoptions -- America's Adoption Agency
 We know that choosing an adoptive family for your child is one of the most difficult decisions that you will ever have to make. It is our desire to shower this child with love and to provide a stable and happy home in which this baby can blossom into the person he/she was created to be. |
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When we began talking about starting a family, adoption was always a part of the discussion. We had no reason to believe we wouldn't get pregnant quickly and easily; after all, we are young and healthy, with no history of infertility in our family. Even then, though, we hoped that someday we could add to our family via adoption. When we were told that we were unlikely to conceive without the help of fertility drugs, our plans for adoption took center stage! We received custody of our daughter, Abbi, when she was three days old and are eternally grateful for the privilege of being her parents. When we decided to add another baby to our family, we once again had to decide what was best for us, fertility drugs or adoption. Again, the choice was very easy. We have seen firsthand how amazing adoption is, and we can't think of anything more wonderful than having two beautiful children through the miracle of adoption. When we told our Papa about our plans to adopt, he said, "There's nothing that comes closer to the meaning of life than children. Our children are the future of our society ... and the future of our family." In our minds, no one could have said it better!
When we chose a name for our daughter, it was something of a leap of faith. We picked a name, hoping that it will fit the personality of the little person we hadn't met yet. We chose the name Abigail Grace, which means "joy and undeserved blessing." As it turns out, we chose the perfect name for her! Over the past two years we have watched her grow from a tiny peanut of a baby into an incredible little girl. She loves books, and brings us one after another, pointing out all her favorite parts. She is creative, and our walls are covered with her coloring and painting handiwork. She is interested in absolutely everything from animals, birds, and fish to cranes, planes, and trains. She loves to be a "helper-helper" with "dumping" (her word for cooking) and helps us in the kitchen almost every single day. She plays beautifully with other kids, is always willing to share her toys, and is invariably gentle. She truly is our joy and a blessing, and there is no doubt in our mind that Abbi will be an incredible big sister.
Diversity is simply a part of our life! We are Americans living in a German neighborhood, and we frequently travel to places where we are in the minority. Beyond that, we are a military family, and the military is made up of people from all walks of life and all ethnicities, united in a common purpose. We were both raised to see people, in the words of Dr. King, "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." As children, we both had good friends who were African American or biracial. To us, the ethnicity of our friends wasn't their defining quality, but it was only one aspect of what made them special. Our family is also becoming increasingly diverse. One of Heidi's cousins adopted a son who is biracial and another cousin married a man who is from Mexico. Most importantly, Abbi, our daughter, is biracial. We are excited that our kids will share, not only the fact that they both will be adopted, but that they both will have a common racial heritage. As one person said to us, "Your family is becoming a rainbow- and aren't rainbows beautiful!"
From Heidi- Eric is an amazing man and an incredible father. He is the most patient individual I have ever met. He literally does not ever get flustered. His philosophy is that worrying never solves anything, so we may as well just relax and take things as they come. We make an awesome team because he helps me to relax, and I help to keep him motivated! We have the best time together because, in addition to being man and wife, we are best friends! He sees the very best in me and treats me as if I am the most important person in the world! He adores our daughter, and she knows it. Abbi and I are the luckiest girls in the world because we are "Eric's Girls."
From Eric- Heidi is the most wonderful woman I have ever known. She never ceases to amaze me with all of her capabilities and talents. In spite of her love of teaching, she always wanted to have the opportunity to stay at home with our children. She uses her fantastic teaching skills to take advantage of every minute that she spends with Abbi, which is probably why she knows nearly the entire alphabet already! But the most important thing about Heidi is that she always puts our family first. She is one of the most caring, loving, compassionate, patient, and genuine people that you could possibly find. Abbi and I are lucky to have her in our lives.
