Hello!

Welcome!  Hopefully this blog will be helpful to keep our friends and family informed about our journey through the adoption process.
It is a long journey.  It is not an easy path to travel no matter which options a family chooses to take.   I know that our family will need support along the way.  There will be difficult times.  There will be joyful times.  I truly hope to have you all take this journey with us.

Who are we:
We are Charlie and Leslie (Alle) Hughes.  We have four children.  Our older boys are 18 and 19.  They are wonderful young men who will each make some young lady very lucky to have them.  They currently live with their mother in Minnesota.  Our younger children are Magdalena, 3 1/2, and Mordecai, 20 months.
We live in Alabama, on a little piece of land with lots of trees, a creek, a pond, and a few animals.  My sister and her family live right next door.  She has a little farm with donkeys, goats, rabbits and chickens.  The kids love it!
My parents are also part of our household.  Our day wouldn't be complete without a little chat with Grandma and Grandpa each day.  Magda and Mordecai like to watch Grandpa work with his backhoe and bush-hog.  

Charlie and I met a long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away.  We met online.  We were engaged for a little over a year before we were married in 2001.  Charlie served in the military until 2002.   For a few years, we were blessed to be able to be Foster Parents.  I still think about each of the children who we were able to be a part of their lives.  We closed our home in 2006 with heavy hearts but we needed to spend time focused on our oldest son and our relationship with him.  Fostering is a blessing but also an emotional whirlwind. In 2007, we moved in with my parents to be available to them any hour of every day.  They do not necessarily need 24/7 care but it makes them (and me!) feel more secure to have us here.  Our lives are much fuller having a multi-generational household.

In December of 2008, our beautiful daughter, Magda, was born.  She is beauty and grace and funny and honesty rolled into this lively child.  Her opinions are made well known.  She is me in miniature, some days.  Other days, I wonder where she gets her spunk and sass. =)   She is calm and laid back most of the time.  Magda can go with the flow but she can assert herself when she feels the need to.  For two long years, She was our baby and then Mordecai made his entrance.

He was born during the 3 o'clock hour of a stormy new years morning.  Jan 1st, 2011.  We had an exciting birth experience with him and he is worth every moment.  He is devout, loyal, playful and so eager to communicate.  He thinks he is hilarious.  He is "all boy" and we are informed of this every day.  He is handsome with blue eyes and a mischievous grin that can charm any person we meet.   Mordecai loves people fiercely.  He is pure excitement and joy when he sees someone he loves.

He also loves his Linus blanket, too. Fiercely.  And he seems to find it no matter where Mommy hides it. (But Mommy doesn't try too very hard to keep it hidden. hehe)  He has named it, simply, "B" and I am sure that B is his favorite sidekick.

Charlie works locally.  He has a job that he enjoys that is only minuets from the house.  He works the afternoon shift, so that means our day is structured a little differently than most families but we manage it just fine. Lunch is our Family Meal instead of Dinner.  Mornings are our Together Time instead of Evenings.
He also affords me the ability to stay home.  I love spending the day with the kids.  I am able to dedicate so much time to them.  I am able to keep better care of my parents.  I am able to do crafts and fun activities with the kids.  Oh, and I do my chores sometimes, too. ;)

Why adoption?

It sounds so cliche but I've had the desire to adopt since I was a very young girl.  Our time spent Fostering only encouraged this desire.  We have been waiting, hoping that our lives would reach a calm happy place where adding a child to our family through adoption would easily fit into our schedules.  That's just not how life works.  Charlie says there is never a good time to have children so I am beginning to believe that there is never a good time to pursue adoption, either.  We are hoping that Now will just be the time.  Our family is no longer going to grow through birth and we feel that we have enough love, time, and space in our lives to grow our family through adoption.

We are just beginning on the journey.  We are letting our family know our intentions.  We are exploring agencies.  We are discovering our options.   We are eager to dive in but we know that each choice that we make is very important and weighted.

It is so very early on.  We are still so very excited to be starting down this path.
I do not expect for God to make this journey easy for us.  Adoption is wrought with unknowns, uncertainties, and heartbreak.  However, I do know that God will be with us through this journey.  I have faith in Him.  I have faith in His plan.  I have Faith in the face of Uncertainty.

I look forward to sharing our journey with you.  I will try to fill in more details as the process continues. If you have any questions, words of advice or encouragement, please feel free to comment! Thank You!

-Leslie (Alle)