*Adoptive Family*

  In my adoptive family.  I am the youngest.  I am also the only adopted one. The others are natural children.. I have 4 brothers and 1 sister.

 1. Oldest brother, "G" (to again protect his privacy).  He is approx. 19 years older than me. He had a large family.  His ex wife was always accepting of me. I loved her like another mother.  I spent many summers at their house with their kids.  I was never really close with this brother and never really got to know him.  But his wife and kids are/were awesome. His boys were close to my age and like little brothers to me.  We went camping, swimming, had bonfires, and I loved being part of his family.

2.2nd To Oldest Brother, "Eric" (to protect his privacy).  I also grew up  with this brother.  I loved him to pieces. I used to babysit for his 2 kids often.  I didn't always get along with this brother, because he was the only one not afraid to tell me like it is.  I respect him and loved him very much for that. He is the one that told me, "Amanda, the decisions you make now will affect you the rest of your life." I wish I would have listened. We are not that close anymore, sadly.  There was a family feud over who was adopting ILM. He never knew why I didn't pick him to adopt her.  I finally had that talk with him about a year or so ago. He had horrible luck with women.  Not his fault, but ILM needed stability.

3.3rd to oldest Brother, "Kevin"(privacy).  He lived with us for a while.  When I was little he doted on me and spoiled me rotten.  When I got older, we fought.  He is "mommy's boy" and I am "daddy's girl."  He went through a really rough patch after his divorce and lived with my parents and I.  It was hell to say the least, not all him, but me too. We get along a lot better now that we don't live together.  Well I get upset that him and his new wife keep asking to adopted Ranee', like don't any of you people have a conscience?  Is it okay to just ask me for my kids?  Its rude and distasteful.  How about we try supporting family, not using them for our own selfish gain.  That would be a new one....

 4.Baby brother, "Teddy"(privacy).  I never really got to know him.  He is approx. 16 years older than me. His kids are very well behaved and his wife doesn't take any guff.  She always appears better than everyone and a bit snobbish, but under there somewhere is a sweet lady.  These two were high school sweet hearts and never going to divorce.  They adopted ILM.

 5.Sister, "Tessa" (privacy).  We had an on and off relationship.  Never really like I would have liked. She adopted my son. She had 3 girls and really wanted a boy. Her and my mother, instead of helping and supporting me, kind of convinced me to give her to him.  Gabrian is happy and he does have a good life.

6.Mom.  Well, in order not to hurt her feelings...she is sensitive and I have made her cry enough over the years.  I am not sure if she loves me.  She isn't the huggable snuggable mommy.  I think by the time she got to raising me she was done raising kids. I was the little person she adopted to maybe show off at church.  I am not sure. My mom makes the best home made crafts.  She is an excellent baker. She never taught me how to cook, she liked us kids staying out of her kitchen. She tried her best. But she never accepted me as her child. Example, my sister, her husband, and kids lived with us a great deal of my childhood and my mom helped them raise their children while they worked. I asked my mom to live with her and pay rent at 17 when my hours at work got cut.  She said no..then said if you don't let your sister adopt him, you are young, the state will take him away, and you will never see him again.  I always hoped that was a bad memory I had made up or something.  But when I recently had to sleep on her couch she kept saying, "Your sister deserved a son..."

7.Daddy.  I am his little princess. I have no doubts in my mind that my daddy loved/loves me.  He is quiet, keeps to himself and reads, a lot.  He worked at the same place all his life and retired the year I graduated high school.  He enjoys going to the kids sporting events, volleyball, t-ball, and stuff.

8.Grandma. My daddy's mom also accepted me, no matter what.  She was the grandma who loved everyone. Sweet and feisty sometimes.  She always had m and m's. She took care of my aunt, who was blind her whole life. She passed away last year, sadly. She was a darling woman. I loved her to pieces.