Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Fifteen years ago my son was born to a young girl who felt she wasn't ready to take care of a child, no matter how much she loved him. She had already decided to place him with another family to raise and had chosen us from a book of prospective families. Three days after that he went home with a wonderful foster mother. He was her 100th baby and her children bought her a license plate to celebrate that fact.

Six weeks later we were told about Ryan on a Friday evening. We couldn't believe that they finally had a baby for us, 5 years after our name had gone on the list, and not only did they have a baby, but it was already born! We had the weekend to chose a name and get ready to bring him home.

This was taken the day we brought him home - October 28, 1994.


Fast forward to now and we have a 15 year old son. He's amazing. He's full of surprises. He has an outrageous sense of humor and always has us laughing.

Remember this?








He has Aspergers so there are certainly his trying moments, too. Believe me. Lately he has been helping me and around the house without needing to be asked so much and when I do ask him to do something he does it without complaining. (He says he doesn't mind doing housework if he can wear his headphones and listen to music!) He loves old people and little children and is great with them. He has nice manners. We have quite a good and open relationship so that we can discuss what is important in a girl, where to draw the line, what makes a good husband/father, what God expects from his heart, and so on.

I feel very fortunate to call this 15 year old my son.