Meet the Montelongo Family!
We are a blended family with a total of seven adult children between us. We adopted our 12-year-old son Isaiah this past summer and we are in the process of adopting 6-year-old Savannah, whom we are fostering. *
When Thomas and I met a little over three years ago, we never imagined that we would adopt a child, much less two. However, through a series of random events, the idea to adopt a child and forever change a life was planted in our hearts. Through an internet search we stumbled upon the Colorado Heart Gallery and our son Isaiah. We immediately inquired, and our journey to parenthood (again) began.
Neither one of us had any idea what adopting a child from foster care entailed. After an expensive ten-month long process, we were officially licensed! While we understand that potential foster parents should be vetted thoroughly, the process could be streamlined.
Shortly thereafter we were introduced to our son. After six weekend visits, in November of 2019, we finally brought him home! It was a bittersweet day for Isaiah; he was full of emotion and feared losing yet another placement. (Our home was his ninth placement.) The first few months were difficult for all of us as Isaiah demonstrated both his grief and his anger over past traumatic experiences. It is amazing to see how far Isaiah has come since being placed with us and we attribute it to a lot of love, patience, structure, consistent expectations, an amazing therapist, family support and of course the ever-present guiding hand of God.
One of the most joyful memories for all of us happened when Isaiah turned 12. Having never had a real birthday party before, he looked forward to the event we had planned for him at a local arcade center. Then those plans were cancelled due to COVID. On his birthday, our family arrived to help him celebrate. Shortly after the party began, our local police department drove by in a parade of vehicles arranged by his elementary school resource officer. For those present, the happiness experienced will never be forgotten.
Isaiah’s adoption was finalized in July. When asked what adoption meant to him, Isaiah said, “I have finally found a place where I don’t have to worry about being loved.”
At the same time we were finalizing Isaiah’s adoption, we were searching for a sibling for him. Once again, the Colorado Heart Gallery had a role in the discovery of our precious Savannah. As with Isaiah, the feeling that Savannah was our daughter was instant. Her placement was a six-week whirlwind of activity and Savannah was permanently placed in our home in late July. The adjustment from one to two kids was difficult, but we have established a routine and things have finally settled down to what we like to call “organized chaos.”
So much has changed for us over the last year and a half! We cannot imagine our lives without our children. They have brought our blended family together. We do not know what the future holds for us, but one thing we know for sure is that our lives will never be boring!
*name/age changed
