(Please remember that this is just a piece of my definition of adoption. For my full definition of what adoption is, you can read this whole series of posts here.)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Today for my definition of adoption, I am going to say that to me, adoption is something to be thankful for.

I am thankful that adoption was an adoption for Josh and I as parents, and allowed us to expand our family after having biological children was no longer an option.

I am thankful beyond words that we have been entrusted with the beautiful and incredible children that we have been given. I am thankful to the social workers, adoption agencies and governments that allowed these adoptions to happen and permitted us the opportunity to adopt.

I am eternally thankful to the birth families that chose us to parent their children or gave us their blessings in raising their children.

I look at each one of my kids, and each one is so amazing. I would be blessed beyond measure to have just one of them. When I look at all of their faces together, I know that I am rich where it truly matters, and blessed more than just about anyone I know.

I am thankful for my children's bravery and their acceptance and love. I am thankful for my three birth sons, who have welcomed all of their new siblings into the family with open arms and open hearts. I am thankful for our children that we adopted, and the way in which they allowed us to love them and allowed themselves to love us back. Getting to be their mom is a gift I am thankful for every day.

I am thankful that adoption gave eight of my children a second chance at life. Without the opportunity of adoption, a second family and a second chance at life, my children would be in foster care and orphanages. They would not know the love of a family, the permanence of a home, the benefits of an education, the blessing of quality medical care and the security of having somewhere to belong.

So, this Thanksgiving and every Thanksgiving, I will be thankful for many, many things, but adoption will always be near the top of the list. It is truly something to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!







*If you have not yet participated, make sure you visit this post and enter the fun giveaway for National Adoption Month thanks to Curls.

* Picture from Liquid Library