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Adopting a child is something you do with great excitement and overwhelming fear and hesitation not knowing what lies ahead, but isn’t that true with any of our children? But the attitude with which you adopt is critical. If your overall thought is to do it for yourself and what you will get from it, you may be disappointed, because reality can be very different from imagination. However, if you adopt because you truly want to save a child from its circumstances and allow that child to come in to your heart and your home, then you’re on the right track. Ultimately, you are saving a child but receiving countless numbers of blessings along the way.

These are the two oldest boys waiting for the plane when we brought Elizabeth home. They were excited about a baby sister, but they were determined to have blue balloons!

Honestly, when we adopted our daughter, it was because we wanted to add a girl to the three boys we already had. When I think back about it, it was about us and what we wanted, but we also felt God was nudging us in that direction. 

Ryan was only 3, so he didn't meet us at the airport, but Eric and Cory did!

After being an adoptive parent for about 16 years, we’ve done a 180! It’s not about us at all. It’s about what we can give this wonderful girl (young woman) of ours that she wouldn’t otherwise have had, and I’m not talking about material things. I mean unconditional love and acceptance, self-worth and self-esteem, a sense of belonging, a trust that squelches fear, a confidence that she matters, that God created her for a purpose, and He has a plan for her life.

I’ve always said that God knows exactly which kids belong in which families, and I still believe that. All we asked for was a newborn female. We received a precious girl who looks just like us and fits into our family like the missing piece of a puzzle that with her makes it complete. 

We learn as much from her as she learns from us. We are better people because of what she has brought into our family. It’s not always easy. There are things in an adopted child’s DNA that you don’t understand. Especially if it is a closed adoption, you may know nothing about the birth parents, so there’s a bit of a guessing game. But like everything else in life, you work through it and walk by faith one step at a time. As we all know, the rough patches in the road bring about the best lessons learned and the biggest blessings.

Elizabeth has become such an integral part of our lives that sometimes I forget she is adopted.I feel like I gave birth to her just like I did with the boys. When I look back at the pictures of Elizabeth growing up, I can’t believe how blessed we have been, and it’s humbling to wonder why God chose us to be her family. 

Her daddy, Mark, is so in love with his baby girl that he would go to the ends of the earth for her. It’s amazing how the family cord binds people together tighter than anything else.

She has a beautiful smile, long legs I never had, a giving heart for the underdogs in life and a special relationship with horses that I never imagined! Our sons love and adore her, try to protect her and always want the very best for her. 

Her name, Elizabeth, is taken from Mark’s mother’s middle name and my middle name.  And it definitely didn’t take long to decide on her middle name, Grace. "Grace" is a gift from God that we don’t deserve, and that said it all!

Counting our blessings,

Mary Beth Roe