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- Mar 19, 2009
- Messages
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Thanks everyone!
You are welcome any time.
He is pretty darned cute!
And about the happiest little 2yr old you'll ever meet!
As part of my work's yearly "Giving Campaign", I worked with them on an article helping raise awarness for foster kids and adoption.
Hard to copy it here, but I'll give it a shot:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Keller Family Doubles in Size in Three Years
After having three boys, Microsoft employee Chad Keller and his wife, Rebecca, decided to adopt a daughterâ€â€a decision that would lead to dramatic changes for their family.
Editor's note: This is the fourth story in an MSW series about giving at Microsoft.
By Jennifer Warnick
October 26, 2010
​
Chad Keller and his wife had three sons in three years, and despite having back-to-back boys, the couple still thought about a daughter.
"Our thought was that if we wanted to have another one, and if we survived having three kids that close together, we would adopt a girl instead of rolling the dice and ending up with another boy," Keller said.
In spring 2007, they decided to adopt a baby girl through the state and became foster parents. Although they didn't roll the dice, they ended up going double or nothingâ€â€and now, a few years later, their family of five has become a family of 10.
"It's been kind of a crazy ride," said Keller, who works in human resources IT. "You start out thinking, almost selfishly, 'We just want a little girl.' The next thing you know, one thing leads to another, and your heart is opened up to all of these kids who just need a home."
The decision to become a foster family was somewhat familiar. Keller's mother and father were foster parents when he was young. Before long, the Keller family had children living with them temporarily and even some longer term. All the while, they kept an eye out for baby girls available for adoption.
One day they got a callâ€â€twin boys, born that day, needed a home.
"More boys?" they said, laughing. "But, then, we know boys." The family talked about it and decided to go for it. When they called back with their answer, they found out the twins had already been taken home by a nurse. But they also found out that on that same night, a different mother in a different hospital had given birth to twin girls. They were likely available for adoption.
When they first saw the twins, they were tinyâ€â€three pounds eachâ€â€and had tubes sticking out of them. The were born premature and addicted to drugs.
"It was a huge gut check for us," Keller said. "We kind of went in there confident and excited, and when we saw the reality and what it could mean, our selfish side came out. We thought about time, and money, and how this could impact our family in negative ways. We were thinking of worst case scenarios, and we really got kind of scared."
​
Keller said that night they went home, prayed about it, talked about it, and decided that the right decision should be based on love, not fear.
"We went back the next day and had the completely opposite experience," Keller said. "We fell in love with those girls right then. We got to pick out their names. We brought them home four days later, these dinky, tiny little things."
Because Halle and Hope initially had trouble eating and breathing, the Kellers had to closely monitor and record everything the twins did for weeksâ€â€meals, diaper changes, everything. Although it was intense, it brought the family closer together, and the twins are now "healthy, happy, super cute, smart girls," he said.
Aidan, Ethan, and Ryland finally had not one, but two sisters. But there was no stopping there. The family's floodgates, and their hearts, had already opened wide. Keller and his wife heard the story of a girl who was in foster care and whose family had promised to adopt her but at the last minute decided not toâ€â€and didn't tell her until the day she had to leave.
"We had been trying to avoid teenagers, but we just really sympathized with her story," Keller said. "We decided to take her in and see what happened. If nothing else we at least won't lie to her."
That is how Annah, now 15, came to live with them. She quickly developed a bond with the boys and particularly with the twinsâ€â€frequently jumping in to take care of them. Then the Keller family learned that Annah's older sister, Viktoriya, 16, had experienced the same broken promise of adoption from her foster family.
"We'd met her before, and we got along with her, and we thought, 'You know what, maybe she should come, too,'" Keller said.
They had extensive talks to make sure everyone was ready for what was about to happen. Money would be tight. Parental attention would be spread further. The teenagers would have to share a room, as would all the boys.
"We always loop everyone in on these choices and talk it through with everyone," Keller said. "We told them that it would mean less for them in many ways, but also more. A bigger family, more love, more funâ€â€it would be more of lots of things, but material-things-wise, it would mean a lot less."
The family decided on more, and their numbers grew to nine. As the family grew, they bought a 15-passenger van. The office in their "technically three-bedroom" house was converted into a nursery for the twins, the boys moved into a large bedroom, and the sisters shared a room.
Then they found out that Halle and Hope's biological mother had another baby, and his foster family had decided not to adopt him. Although the state had picked out another family for Brendan, the Kellers fought for the boy, arguing that the siblings deserved to grow up knowing each other. The 2-year-old moved in with the Kellers this month.
To make room for Brendan, the kids agreed to give up the TV room, and the family shifted all the bedrooms around again. The family room was now a giant room for all the boys, including Brendan.
"They're loving it," Keller said. "They all fight over who gets to be the one who takes care of him when he wakes up."
Keller said he knows the scary stories about the foster care system and adoption, but the family hasn't had any bad experiences. They feel blessed, he said, and that includes his job at Microsoft, where he's worked for more than a decade. The company does a lot to help support its employees interested in adopting or fostering children, he said, explaining that working here makes it possible for his wife to stay home with the children and for the family to get by on a single income.
​
There have been some challenges and growing pains in doubling the size of their family in a few years, but Keller said the family members have become closer and more inventive to make it all work.
He and his wife make a special point of turning daily moments into focused quality time, like stopping at Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a chat on the way to the grocery store, with a couple of their kids at a time.
"I like seeing what it's done for my familyâ€â€the way that we've been able to pull together, be stronger, have a less selfish outlook, be more giving and sharing, and realize that life is bigger than your possessions," Keller said. "Sharing isn't a loss; it just makes our relationships even deeper."
Contact Chad Keller with questions about adoption and foster care, or email the Microsoft Adoption distribution list.
Donate to the Giving Campaign, which includes the following adoption-related causes: Camp To Belong, Olive Crest, Antioch Adoptions, and Bethany Christian Services.
maggie3fan said:
You are welcome any time.
He is pretty darned cute!
And about the happiest little 2yr old you'll ever meet!
As part of my work's yearly "Giving Campaign", I worked with them on an article helping raise awarness for foster kids and adoption.
Hard to copy it here, but I'll give it a shot:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Keller Family Doubles in Size in Three Years
After having three boys, Microsoft employee Chad Keller and his wife, Rebecca, decided to adopt a daughterâ€â€a decision that would lead to dramatic changes for their family.
Editor's note: This is the fourth story in an MSW series about giving at Microsoft.
By Jennifer Warnick
October 26, 2010
​
Chad Keller and his wife had three sons in three years, and despite having back-to-back boys, the couple still thought about a daughter.
"Our thought was that if we wanted to have another one, and if we survived having three kids that close together, we would adopt a girl instead of rolling the dice and ending up with another boy," Keller said.
In spring 2007, they decided to adopt a baby girl through the state and became foster parents. Although they didn't roll the dice, they ended up going double or nothingâ€â€and now, a few years later, their family of five has become a family of 10.
"It's been kind of a crazy ride," said Keller, who works in human resources IT. "You start out thinking, almost selfishly, 'We just want a little girl.' The next thing you know, one thing leads to another, and your heart is opened up to all of these kids who just need a home."
The decision to become a foster family was somewhat familiar. Keller's mother and father were foster parents when he was young. Before long, the Keller family had children living with them temporarily and even some longer term. All the while, they kept an eye out for baby girls available for adoption.
One day they got a callâ€â€twin boys, born that day, needed a home.
"More boys?" they said, laughing. "But, then, we know boys." The family talked about it and decided to go for it. When they called back with their answer, they found out the twins had already been taken home by a nurse. But they also found out that on that same night, a different mother in a different hospital had given birth to twin girls. They were likely available for adoption.
When they first saw the twins, they were tinyâ€â€three pounds eachâ€â€and had tubes sticking out of them. The were born premature and addicted to drugs.
"It was a huge gut check for us," Keller said. "We kind of went in there confident and excited, and when we saw the reality and what it could mean, our selfish side came out. We thought about time, and money, and how this could impact our family in negative ways. We were thinking of worst case scenarios, and we really got kind of scared."
​
Keller said that night they went home, prayed about it, talked about it, and decided that the right decision should be based on love, not fear.
"We went back the next day and had the completely opposite experience," Keller said. "We fell in love with those girls right then. We got to pick out their names. We brought them home four days later, these dinky, tiny little things."
Because Halle and Hope initially had trouble eating and breathing, the Kellers had to closely monitor and record everything the twins did for weeksâ€â€meals, diaper changes, everything. Although it was intense, it brought the family closer together, and the twins are now "healthy, happy, super cute, smart girls," he said.
Aidan, Ethan, and Ryland finally had not one, but two sisters. But there was no stopping there. The family's floodgates, and their hearts, had already opened wide. Keller and his wife heard the story of a girl who was in foster care and whose family had promised to adopt her but at the last minute decided not toâ€â€and didn't tell her until the day she had to leave.
"We had been trying to avoid teenagers, but we just really sympathized with her story," Keller said. "We decided to take her in and see what happened. If nothing else we at least won't lie to her."
That is how Annah, now 15, came to live with them. She quickly developed a bond with the boys and particularly with the twinsâ€â€frequently jumping in to take care of them. Then the Keller family learned that Annah's older sister, Viktoriya, 16, had experienced the same broken promise of adoption from her foster family.
"We'd met her before, and we got along with her, and we thought, 'You know what, maybe she should come, too,'" Keller said.
They had extensive talks to make sure everyone was ready for what was about to happen. Money would be tight. Parental attention would be spread further. The teenagers would have to share a room, as would all the boys.
"We always loop everyone in on these choices and talk it through with everyone," Keller said. "We told them that it would mean less for them in many ways, but also more. A bigger family, more love, more funâ€â€it would be more of lots of things, but material-things-wise, it would mean a lot less."
The family decided on more, and their numbers grew to nine. As the family grew, they bought a 15-passenger van. The office in their "technically three-bedroom" house was converted into a nursery for the twins, the boys moved into a large bedroom, and the sisters shared a room.
Then they found out that Halle and Hope's biological mother had another baby, and his foster family had decided not to adopt him. Although the state had picked out another family for Brendan, the Kellers fought for the boy, arguing that the siblings deserved to grow up knowing each other. The 2-year-old moved in with the Kellers this month.
To make room for Brendan, the kids agreed to give up the TV room, and the family shifted all the bedrooms around again. The family room was now a giant room for all the boys, including Brendan.
"They're loving it," Keller said. "They all fight over who gets to be the one who takes care of him when he wakes up."
Keller said he knows the scary stories about the foster care system and adoption, but the family hasn't had any bad experiences. They feel blessed, he said, and that includes his job at Microsoft, where he's worked for more than a decade. The company does a lot to help support its employees interested in adopting or fostering children, he said, explaining that working here makes it possible for his wife to stay home with the children and for the family to get by on a single income.
​
There have been some challenges and growing pains in doubling the size of their family in a few years, but Keller said the family members have become closer and more inventive to make it all work.
He and his wife make a special point of turning daily moments into focused quality time, like stopping at Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a chat on the way to the grocery store, with a couple of their kids at a time.
"I like seeing what it's done for my familyâ€â€the way that we've been able to pull together, be stronger, have a less selfish outlook, be more giving and sharing, and realize that life is bigger than your possessions," Keller said. "Sharing isn't a loss; it just makes our relationships even deeper."
Contact Chad Keller with questions about adoption and foster care, or email the Microsoft Adoption distribution list.
Donate to the Giving Campaign, which includes the following adoption-related causes: Camp To Belong, Olive Crest, Antioch Adoptions, and Bethany Christian Services.
