Name is Joel.  Joel Higgens.  I live with my partner, Isaac Pertinatude, in Walla Walla, Washington.  We have been together over 20 years; I love Isaac so much!

Eventually we will get married, but right now we have too much going on.  That will come later; as of now, we are getting used to having a child around the house.

We adopted a 4-year-old boy from Taiwan.  We started the whole adoption process over a year ago and last week we got the call that our adoption had been approved and that our son to be was about to fly to America.  We had just finished getting the last of his room done, too; boy, talk about perfect timing!  Two days later, we brought little Matthias home.

He is gorgeous.  Petite in nature, looking more like two than four.  Straight jet-black hair with bangs fringing a round-cheeked, olive-colored face.  Perfect bow lips, a long straight nose, huge round obsidian eyes that don't miss nothing.  Ten little fingers and toes.  Perfect in health; no sign of defect or disability ...

Matthias's biggest issue right now is to get used to us and his new home, let alone, his new life here in America.  He doesn't speak English, which is where our friend, Lee Po, comes in.  He has been over just about every day, helping translate what Matthias says to us in Taiwanese to English.  It has been a joy ... NOT! LOL

I don't know what we would do without Lee Po.  He has been a huge help.

I know that in the future, people will have questions about how we live or if it is feasible for us to adopt a child.  I see no problem in it: if we wanted to adopt, then we should have the right to be able TO adopt, just like any other couple who happens to be straight!  Being gay or lesbian should NOT matter ONE iota, yet people (particularly evangelical Christians) tend to wrongly judge us!

It drives both Isaac and myself CRAZY!!

Anyway, we are so glad that Matthias is here.  He is a cute little stinker and has already managed to capture our hearts, event hough he has been with us for only a little less than a week now.  As time goes on, we will learn what his nuances, interests, etc. are, and we will learn what he likes (or dislike).  It will be a day-to-day adventure with us and we will learn first-hand just what it is like to be parents to a very small child.

It is an adventure we are looking forward to, if the past few days are any indication!

~To be continued.~