Introduction

Hi everyone! I am starting this blog in an effort to educate. I am hoping that people will see this and be able to get an accurate look at adoption and life with a RAD. I am also hoping that I will be able to achieve inner peace! I stress so much about so many little things that I end up driving myself crazy! I hope this blog will quiet all the little voices in my head...

My name is Gerri. I am married to a wonderful man named Jeff. We welcomed Alyssa to our family on October 20th, 2006. Our adoption was final on May 11th, 2007. Alyssa had a rough start to life and had been in many homes prior to joining our family. She has suffered much abuse and trauma and her little heart has been broken. We are working with a great therapist and Alyssa's heart is healing! The road has been rough at times, but the journey is worth it! Our home has been filled with more laughter and love than it ever has.

Some of the people you may hear about:

Jeff:
Jeff is the love of my life. He is a quiet man who loves to fish. He is a GREAT Dad who is learning that kids (especially little girls) are LOUD! Jeff has 4 brothers, most of which we are close to. He plays in a dart league and joins his friends for Sheepshead every Thursday night. He is my Hero and without him I would be lost. Jeff is a dedicated husband, father and friend. He is the type of person that everyone trusts and everyone likes. I am PROUD to be his wife.

Alyssa:
Alyssa is a soon to be 9yr old beauty! She is all girl! She loves High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and anything pink. She is my RAD. Alyssa loves to sing and dance. She wants a puppy, we keep saying "When you are ready". She informed us that when she grows up, she wants to be a Teacher, Doctor, Singer, Dancer, Super Model, and a Movie Star. She is going to buy Mom & Dad a big house in Hollywood so that we can live by her 'cause she would miss us too much! YOU GO GIRL!!!

Gerri:
I love being a Mom! I have the most fantastic friends alive! I like to scrapbook, crafts, and read. My biggest fear when we adopted Alyssa was learning how to do her hair. I have 1 sister that lives far away and we are not all that close. I have been informed that I'm weird and I do not disagree. I am loud when I need to be and am a fierce protector to those that I love.


You will hear many more names on this blog, but this is the main act! We are a family of 3 with a large extended family of close friends. We fight, we cry, and we laugh. We are nowhere close to being perfect, nor do we want to be! We have daily struggles as we fight the monster of RAD, but we learn and move on. We believe that God meant for us to be Alyssa's parents, and for Alyssa to be our daughter. He brought us together and He will see us through!