As the laughter quieted on the other end of the phone my sister in law reported to me that she thought I was a typical soccer mom. 

 “You know the one that you see on T.V. driving the kids to every activity in the family van.”  

 “The one that lives in a house garnished with a white picket fence.”

 “You know that one who is living the American dream.”  

 After the conversation ended I hung up the phone. 

 Those words seemed to echo in my ears and caused my mind to ponder. 

 I thought we are a very typical family.   

A family with a mother, Michelle, that teaches a Life Skills class at a local Elementary for the past seventeen years.

 A father, Paul, who also loves his occupation that he has with the local city office. 

 The oldest child is a daughter, Kersten, who loves to root for the underdog and an infectious outgoing personality. 

 The second daughter, Kelsee, who loves to sing and is the class clown due to her quick wit that keeps people in stitches. 

 Our family also has the company of two boxers, Libby and Asia.  

 So you see the typical family, Right?!

This American family our family had just that a dream. 

  This dream started with a seed of compassion for needy children. 

 After sponsoring a sweet girl from the Philippians for several years, the seed sprouted into having the chance to provide a child a forever home. 

  In 2011 the chance to provide a home for an orphan was looking like a possibility.  

 The chance to say Thank you for allowing the torch of parenthood to be passed. 

 We could see it!  After many hours of filling in blank lines and answering hundreds of questions the paper work was finished. 

 The many days of waiting, working and praying finally paid off. 

 The seedling blossomed into a new plant with the flight of the first trip to meet the little boy who had stolen our hearts.

 We had the opportunity to meet some inspirational people and our boy. 

 We spent a week in his country and feel in love with him and his culture.  

 We signed more paper work to start the next step of a court date. 

 The fragile plant that started could not stand up to the blustery storm that was approaching. 

The winds of discord brought the rain of obstinacy. 

 This caused the thunder and the lightening to clap in an enormous rage across our dream. 

A month and a half passed and the storm raged and ripped the fragile plant of adoption away from us.

 At the end of 2012 the country halted all adoptions. 

The doors that where once opened where now slammed and nailed shut with no glimmer of light to be seen. 

  The past two years have caused us as a family unit to reflect on some core believes. 

        We still have a longing to be a forever family.  

 We still love and long for our little boy, who is physically far off but held so close in our hearts.  

 The climate and soil is ready for a new seedling, a new plant a new gift.  We are in the process of bringing home another child. 

 A sweet little girl this time.  

 We have once again filled in the blank lines and answered hundreds of questions. 

 We are finishing our dossier in order to be officially matched with this little one. 

 Our fragile seedling needs some support. 

  Our typical family still has that dream. 

 A dream to provide a child with

 a home, 

a place of acceptance,

 a place to dance with joy,

 a place to run to when sorrow hits,

 a place filled with people who truly love each other. 

 Would you be willing to help us fulfill this dream?  

 We need people who are in like mind to help us reach this dream. 

 We are in need of financial support. 

 We did not recover any funds from our failed adoption. 

Saying that out loud still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It still stings my eyes with salty tears.

I am asking and pleading! 

        I am asking as a mother who longs to hold her child.

I am asking as a chosen child.  

 I was an orphan. 

  My twin and I where loved so much that we received two sets of parents. 

I am asking as a fellow human being who believes that

 Love, 

compassion

 and forgiveness

 grows the best kind of humans.

  I believe that everyone deserves to have a family.  

  Everyone deserves a place called home.

 Everyone deserves love, second chances and the opportunity to grow into what they are to become. 

Even if you believe in one of these, please help fund our adoption.

We are in need of $35,000 to make this dream come true.

Could you find it in your heart to help a dream come true?!