November is Adoption Awareness Month, a month set aside to raise awareness about adopting children from foster care. Matt and I have talked seriously about adoption, but with every conversation we stumble a bit over whether we feel like we'd adopt a baby or whether adopting might look a bit differently. We have many friends who have amazing stories and beautiful children through adopting a baby, but we also have at least one person who is near and dear to us with a bit of a different adoption story to share. My little sister Nikki (now 16) was adopted as a teenager by my parents after having lived with them as foster parents for 3 years. While her complete story, unable to be fully told here, would absolutely blow you away...I asked her to write a short comment from her experience:
"I was adopted after living with them approximately three years. During those three years, I felt very insecure, not knowing what my future would be. Being adopted has given me a brand new life, new opportunities, and a really great family. When I first learned that I was going to be removed from my old home, I was devastated! I blamed God for doing such a cruel thing to me. Now I realize that this has been the best thing that's ever happened to me! This has been so amazing to me that God loved me so much that he gave me a new life. I am so grateful to my new parents, family, and friends that have made me who I am today."
![Cool Mom Picks Back to School Guide](http://<a href="http://www.coolmompicks.com/backtoschool08"><img src="http://coolmompicks.com/images/CMP_bts.gif" alt="Cool Mom Picks Back to School Guide"/></a>)
wanted to adopt since I was barely a teenager and while my husband and I are still considering how this might be an option for our family at some point, I would want to be sure that I am creating a hope-filled, needed family for a child, instead of ripping them away from the one they truly belong to and who wants them. These issues regarding Guatemalan adoption are not just scandalous, but truly heart-wrenching. 
