Dear Expectant Parent,

   I have thought about writing this letter a hundred times, and it is really hard to know where to start....

   But let me introduce you to my wonderful family!  We are the Cronin's; Thomas, Sarrah, Porter and Adelaide.

  However partial I may be, I have a pretty amazing little family here.  We are so grateful to have had 2 children of our own, the 'normal' biological way. I consider them heavenly gifts sent straight to our home.  I always wanted to be a Mother, ever since I can remember.  I love the miracle of life, having a teeny tiny little person slowly grow within my belly.  And feeling the magic of each little flutter, each precious hiccup, each stretch and somersault! It is such a wonderful and divine opportunity as women, to experience pregnancy.  And I am so thankful that I did get to experience it twice in my life to full term.  After the birth of our daughter, Adelaide (Addie for short), I had many complications.    Last year a small miracle did happen, I was pregnant, for but a moment, and then miscarried. If you read further in my blog to previous posts, you can read all about it. It is probably one of the most heartbreaking and devastating times of my life.  Since then, we have been unsuccessful to get pregnant again, although we are still trying, still being hopeful.  But, being realistic, which is hard for me to fully accept, I probably won't be able to get pregnant again. And we won't be able to grow our family the 'usual' way.  I know how lucky we are to have 2 healthy, beautiful and amazing children, and to have a boy and a girl even!  But, if there is one thing I know for certain, our family is not yet complete.  I can say that, knowing just as the sun rises every day, it is a fact.  There is a stirring inside me, an unrest, an urgency to continue to grow my family.  We pray every day that our family can have another baby.  I won't stop trying, searching, opening every door I can so that I can complete my family.  I have known for a while now, that a little spirit, whether still in Heaven or on Earth, doesn't want me to give up  on the search to find him or her....or them.

     A few years ago I had a dream.  My family was on a vacation in Puerto Rico (it was a very specific dream :) ). We were leaving the hotel to go on some fun adventure in the rain forest.  Before we left, my son Porter said he needed to use the bathroom.  So, he went into the lobby bathroom.  In the dream, Thomas, Addie and I decided to wait for Porter outside by a big beautiful fountain on a little hill in front of the hotel.  But we had forgotten to tell Porter of this plan.  After a while, Porter came running to us in a complete panic.  We had all been so enchanted by this fountain, and didn't realize just how scared he had become looking for us.  He was frantic and was crying when he had finally found us.  In the dream, he hugged me and said " I couldn't find you! (sobbing) Mom, I don't want to be one of those lost boys..."  I knelt down beside him, wiped some of his tears away and told him "Porter, if you were ever lost, I would never stop looking for you."

      That dream has had such significance to me as the years passed by.  It is true for the  precious children I do have, if they were ever lost, I would never stop looking for them until I found them.  And so it is still, I know that there is a child out there, or maybe (and hopefully) "children" out there.  I will never stop searching, never stop seeking, until I find them.  I don't want any of my children to be "lost" from our family.

       I have been praying and begging my Heavenly Father to direct our family in our quest to have more children.  Everything can feel so daunting and overwhelming and confusing (as maybe you might understand all those emotions).  I pray that he will lead you on your journey, and maybe we will have the same destination, just different endings.  Through my many prayers, that hopefully Heavenly Father hasn't grown weary of, He has lead me, slowly, kindly  and gently.  I was reading in the scriptures, and was lead to a scripture that gave me some peace that I was on the right path.  It was Ephesians 1:4-6 " 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."

 Maybe,  all along adoption has been part of the plan for our family.

     We hope that we can be entrusted with another child to add to our family.  We have so much love to give.  We hope you will honor us with your consideration to be the family you choose to so trustingly give your child to.  We promise to love and cherish the amazing gift and treasure that you can give to our family.  Forever we will be connected with love.

Sincerely,

The Cronin's

Thomas, Sarrah, Porter & Adelaide

Family is Forever

About Us

About Porter.....

   Porter is 10 years old.  He is our outdoor explorer.  He loves to be outside, studying bugs and rocks, catching frogs and climbing trees.  He is very imaginative and creative.  If there was a boy that thinks outside the box, it is him!  He can bombard you with endless "What if" questions, which is both endearing and obnoxious at the same time!  This past summer he went zip-lining and now Porter has a serious love for it.  He even attempted to create his own zip line by tying a rope from tree to tree.  He is one that I definitely keep my eye on!  Porter stays cautious at first, watches to gain understanding.  But once he gets a feel for something he is all hands in!

Porter in his element!

Porter is full of adventure and can keep himself occupied and entertained for hours outside playing.  One of the great things about Mississippi is the outdoors!  So much to explore and find!  Porter loves to play basketball and baseball.  He was on a swim team this summer and did great! Watch out Michael Phelps! ;)

   Porter is a tender spirit.  He pretends he is super tough, but deep down he truly is a sensitive guy.  Soon enough he will be more protective of his little sister , but for now he seems to enjoy teasing her.  But, there are those special moments where you can find them playing together, sharing toys and laughing so loud!  It is truly music to my ears! Porter is in 5th grade and he loves Science and Math!

About Addie.......

     Adelaide is 5 years old, and my little helper! She is always willing and excited to help with chores, just as long as she gets to work alongside someone!  Without necessarily meaning to, Addie (as we mostly call her) says and does some of the funniest things!  She has told me " Mom! When we have a baby, I'll take care of it.  You can just sit and relax on the couch!" Ha ha!  She is such a charmer.  Addie will be a wonderful big sister and definitely a great help to me with a baby!  Addie takes great care of all her dolls and toys.  She names them all, one of her favorites is named "Charlick" :)

Addie wanted me and her to draw our family with a  new baby.

I love her artwork!

     Addie, like her brother and Dad, is a great little artist.  If she is not next to me helping with a project, I can find her with a stack of papers, writing her name and drawing people.  Addie received so many art supplies for her birthday this year, but at her rate she will be through them by Christmas!

     Addie wants to grow up to be a rock star! Apparently she already has a band.  She plans to be the lead singer and I am hoping the piano lessons both her and her brother are taking will give her an edge in the music industry ;)  And I'm sure if her rock band breaks up, she will cling to her back up of Doctor, police woman, and Mommy.

     Addie is our cuddle bug!  Her most favorite thing to do is pop popcorn, cuddle up on the couch and watch a show!  She is easy to please, amidst all her chatter and drama!  She is a Daddy's girls, but always fiercely loyal to her Mommy.  She loves her brother so much and always tries to give him hugs and kisses, he doesn't always accept them, but that doesn't slow her persistence.

   

First Day of Preschool

 

Addie has a late summer birthday, so she is in preschool this year.  She loves school so much, and it is very important to her to be her best and make sure the teacher knows it!  She loves to play with her friends there too!

Addie is our sweet little girl who loves her family so much and prays every night for a little brother or sister.....she told me she doesn't care which!

About Thomas    (as written by   Sarrah)......

    Thomas is the youngest of 3, although he may be the biggest of his siblings, standing 6'5"!  He grew up in Mississippi, with all the thrills of the outdoors; hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, camping, the works!  He still has a great love for the outdoors and the beauty of nature.

Thomas on a fishing trip

We still live in Mississippi and enjoy the wonderful outdoors (minus the bugs, except Porter does!).  There are so many adventures to be had here in the south!

 Thomas served a two year mission to Brazil, which helped him learn to love and serve others and to love and serve the Lord. Living in a third world country taught him just how much he has and just how much he has to give.

     Thomas is a jack of all trades, which truly has blessed our family.  It is nice to have someone so handy to fix all the little things and the ability to handle any task that might need to be done.  We have always felt so secure knowing Thomas is there to take care of our family in all aspects of our lives; home repair, car repair, but more importantly he provides for us, protects us and leads us spiritually.

     Thomas loves to come home from work  and spend time with family.  A lot of Thomas's family lives here in Mississippi, immediate and extended.  So, there is always a lot of family gatherings to attend, and so many cousins for our kids to grow up with.  Porter and Addie love to wrestle with Thomas, ride along with him in his truck, or anything in general.  They can't get enough of play time with Daddy.  They especially enjoy it when Thomas reads to them before they go to bed.

     Thomas is a hard worker.  For a lot of our marriage he had been in school.  We moved around quite a bit to try different careers for Thomas.  From working as a manager at a bottling company, to hurricane clean up, to a police officer.  He finally found his niche in construction.  He owns his own successful construction business that he has built from the ground up with his cousin as his business partner.  He has finally found something that he loves and he works so hard at.  His determination to succeed is driven by his love for his family.

     Thomas is a tender spirit and loves deeply.  He is a great communicator. He is patient and understanding and helps me to be a better wife and mother.  Although I know work stresses him out, he rarely brings that stress home with him.  

Lucky 13 !!!

     We have been married for 13 wonderful years.  We have had our ups and downs, we have had our disappointments and sorrows, and we have had the most wonderful blessings and moments too.  I am so grateful for Thomas, and the man he has become, and the father he is. I love him so much!

About   Sarrah    (as written by Thomas)......

Sarrah and her siblings

Like the spelling of her name Sarrah is cut from a different mold.  There is very little that is ordinary about Sarrah.  While she is a beautiful woman and very much a lady when needs be, Sarrah can let loose and be the life of the party.  She grew up with five brothers, what more need be said. Sarrah also has 2 sisters. A big family, with big personalities! 

      Sarrah grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She served in the Arkansas Little Rock Mission for 18 months.  Part of her mission included areas of Mississippi, which helped give her a flavor of the south.  She is an adopted Southern Belle, so to speak!   
     Sarrah  has a great sense of humor and is a fierce competitor. 

HiiT Girls!

She loves teaching her daily fitness class (HiiT: High Intensity Interval Training) and playing in her weekly soccer league.  Sarrah also has great  organizational skills and has the ability to lead and delegate responsibilities so that things get done; whether planning an event for our Church, or planning a birthday party or social gathering.  She has a very large responsibility of organizing and leading the women in our church.  With this responsibility much sacrifice of time is required.  Simply said, she is a "doer".

This carries over well into our home.  Sarrah is a great mother!  She nurtures our children and helps instill in them principles of hard work, honesty, and personal responsibility.  Like their father, the kids equally love and cherish their time with Sarrah.  Sarrah and I have regular "daddy daughter" and "mother son" ( and vice versa) date nights with our children. 

Due to Sarrah's choice to stay home with the children she is available to them most of the day.  This is very important to our family that our children come home from school to Mom each day.  She works with them on their homework and has them help with household chores.  She has even taught them to wash their own clothes, with a little assistance and encouragement.  She gets them ready and takes them to after school activities.   

One of the greatest attributes that I love about Sarrah is that she is not a "drama queen" or a "gossip".  I know that may sound strange, but it allows us to have balance and steadiness in our home and our marriage.  This is something that I believe is very healthy for our children.  

Although Sarrah has been through a lot with the miscarriage and such, she has never displayed the attitude of a victim.  She never gives up on what she believes in and is unwavering in her faith.  I love Sarrah for her perspective on life and her understanding of the eternal consequences of choices.  It is that attitude which drives her to grow our family and to make the righteous choices she does. 

Thank you!

Thank you so much for taking to the time to meet our family! Please feel free to share our blog and feel free to contact us! Cronin.fam.4@gmail.com

"We may not have it all together, but together we can have it all"