About ten years ago, I would have never imagined doing something so hurculean, so outrageous, but God had other plans.
Oh, boy, did He ever!!
I am now the mother of twenty-one children. Not one, not two, not five, or even seventeen, but twenty-one. And I love each and every one of them so much; it's gotten to the point to where I cannot imagine my life without any of them!
My name is Mary-Grace Willingham. I live in Yonkers, New York, with my husband, Sandusky, and our twenty-one children, who range in age from twenty on down to six. Most of them have some type of special need, which made them exceptionally hard to place; but Sandusky and myself were willing to give them all a sporting chance and the family/home that they needed.
I am a homemaker/homeschool teacher, by trade; as for Sandusky, he works in real estate, where he is a broker. He's worked for the same company now for over ten years. San makes very good money; he loves what he does.
Our children came to us from both the United States and abroad. Some of them came from Mexico or Latin America. Others came from Europe (Russia, Austria, France) or Asia (India, Vietnam, Cambodia); one came from Africa (Tanzania), and the last one (our six-year-old) arrived from Haiti. We are a mini United Nations.
We wouldn't have it any other way!
Our children are named, from the youngest to the oldest: Enrique' Kendrick (6; spina bifida; Haiti); Briana Josefina (7; autism spectrum disorder; Mexico); Tyler Sandusky (8; asthma; Austria); Shavonne Daniela (9; juvenile diabetes; USA); Marjorie Grace (9; mild cerebral palsy; USA); Randelle Jubari (10; JRA; Tanzania); Hannah Grace-Marie (10; JRA; France); Titan Huynh Derek (11; Vietnam; deaf/mute); Teresa Mariposa (12; Ecuador; albinism/blind); Yolanda Patricia Maria (12; Guatemala; Down syndrome); Gage River (12; asthma; Cambodia); Tommy Aaron (13; retinitis pigmentosa; USA); Rene' Heath (14; brain damaged from abuse as a baby; USA); Rollo Frederick (15; deaf/mute; USA); Cara Beth (16; Down syndrome; USA); Camryn Daniel (16; Asberger's; USA); Tawneishia Hope (17; cerebral palsy; USA); Uniqua Dashae'e' (18; Down syndrome; USA); Jaden Cranston (18; fragile-X syndrome; USA); Huckleberry (Barry) Michael (18; autism; USA); and last (but never least!), Billy (William) Mark (20; deaf/mute; USA).
Kinda impressed that I remembered their names, huh? :)
Sometimes I have to write them down repeatedly to try to remember them or else I call them by a different name, and they get rather annoyed ... LOL
Our kids are all great kids. We don't see their disability or skin tone or their racial background when we look at them: we treat them all as they would want to be treated: with dignity and/or respect. They have to follow our family rules and we let them know that we love them on a daily basis. We have to, or there is apt to be trouble or discord among the family, and we certainly do not want that!
We decided years ago that we wanted a big family, but it turned out that I couldn't have kids, so Sandusky and myself turned to the next best thing: adoption. We haven't regretted it; it turned out to be the best decision we could have ever made! God saw us as parents, so this is how we ended up adopting so many children. We give God all the glory and praise because it was He who brought these kids into our hearts. Our dearest wish to have a family has come true in more ways than we could have ever imagined!
Well, I'd best go: Uniqua, Hucky, Jaden, Tawnee, and Enrique' aer all screaming for their breakfasts, so I'd best get them up and the day started. (*Sigh* A mother's work is never done ... ) I don't want them gnawing on my leg next so I'd best hop to it! LOL
I will write in here again soon; until another time, this is Mary-Grace Willingham signing off! I'd also best take Sandusky a pair of matching socks; turned out he put on mismatched socks prior to going to work; he just called to tell me about it. (How embarrassing; poor Sandusky! LOL) Take care and may God bless you always!
~Sincerely, your new friend in New York, Mary-Grace. :)
~To be continued.~
