# Back to court... 3rd time's a charm...



## chadk (Nov 19, 2010)

Started with the twins over a year ago. Had them since birth. Fully adopted when they turned 2.

Then this summer we adopted the teen girls.

Now we have the biological brother of the twin sisters. 

I think we are done adopting for a while. With our original 3 biological boys, then 5 adopted kids, our house is officially beyond full....  


Here we are today celebrating national adoption day, as we officially adopted our new son, at the snohomish court house.


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## Marty333 (Nov 19, 2010)

Congratulations what a nice big happy family!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Balboa (Nov 19, 2010)

WOW
I can't handle the 4 I have, you are amazing.


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## Angi (Nov 19, 2010)

What a beautiful family you have! I have a ballfield and facebook friend that has 3 babies she has adopted or is in the process of adopting. It is stressful for her worrying about if the mothers are going to try to get custody of her babies, They didn't want them but sometime change there minds. I admire people that give kids a second chance at a family when the one they were born to didn't work. I also admire mothers that give unwanted children up so they can have a better life.


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## Torty Mom (Nov 19, 2010)

Congrats!! You have an beautiful and wonderful family! How truly, truly amazing you and your wife are!


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## onarock (Nov 19, 2010)

What do you say about this story. I cant find the words.........still cant.


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## jensgotfaith (Nov 19, 2010)

I can only think of one word to describe your family....BLESSED! What a blessing you are to all of your children. You inspire me.


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## harris (Nov 20, 2010)

Jen hit it on the nose. YOU are the reason for THEIR Season. Which is every beautiful day, rain or sunshine.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Nov 20, 2010)

chadk said:


> Started with the twins over a year ago. Had them since birth. Fully adopted when they turned 2.
> 
> Then this summer we adopted the teen girls.
> 
> ...



A fine looking family!


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## Nay (Nov 20, 2010)

Chad, I do applaud you and your wife for having(making) the time and energy to take all these beautiful children and make their lives have something more than where they were probably headed. I have a wonderful husband and we waited a long time to have a child, just to make sure we could handle the stress a kid is in all the ways, and also, because I was worried,(Dad dying when I was 14 and left mom with 4 kids youngest was 2) makes you a little gun shy of what she went through.
Can I ask a truly personal question? We don't give our son everything(we didn't have) but we try and both of us work and yes I do have other critters that take time and money. HOW can you do it?? On so many levels? Money, time, carting here and there? Drs appts? I know I don't know you except your posts and from them you seem so together and smart. But I am asking seriously. I know one friend who had her kids way before me, at a time when they were living in apartments, no settled jobs etc. But I waited! We have a lovely home,decent jobs, heads on straight and its hard with one! Trying not to get too personal here,and I know everyone is so different and can handle different levels of things. But this has always amazed me. 
Ok maybe an easier question if that makes you feel uncomfortable,(although my word you posted pictures of your entire family!!)
Whats your average day like?
Thanks Nay

I.m glad I was able to get back to this post before someone else did. I want to make it VERY clear, my previous post could be taken wrong and I want to say to Chad, I am not doubting anyone's ability to properly take care of many children. I know some people have it in them to do it and LOVE it. My best buddy teaches 1st graders. (or kindergarten) Slice my wrists. I deal with animals. She LOVES it!! It's her calling. 
So Please Chad I meant absolutely no disrespect or questioning your care or ability!.Reading my post hopefully does not sound like that, but I want to be very clear! I have just found it fantasizing that some folks have this gift, and I am in awe!!
Nay


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## Neal (Nov 20, 2010)

Chad, you're a good man. I have a lot of respect for what you do, thanks for sharing this.


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## Candy (Nov 20, 2010)

Congratulations to you and your wife. Those children are very lucky to belong to such a wonderful family as yours Chad.  I love the pictures they are very nice of all of you.


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## Maggie Cummings (Nov 20, 2010)

Guess I missed the adoption of the twins brother, but he is just as cute as ****! He makes a person want to hug him. Your family is very full now...are you about done? Guess I'll have to take a trip one day soon and drive up to visit you and your torts and all your kids. They are beautiful...


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## ChiKat (Nov 20, 2010)

Candy said:


> Congratulations to you and your wife. Those children are very lucky to belong to such a wonderful family as yours Chad.  I love the pictures they are very nice of all of you.



Yep, what she said! You have a beautiful family.


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## terryo (Nov 20, 2010)

You are very lucky and blessed Chad. Congratulations to you and your beautiful wife on your latest adoption. 

Nay...sometimes the more you have the easier it is. I raised 5 sons, and the big one's always helped the little ones get dressed, do homework etc. Plus, everyone had their chores to do on Saturday....so I always had a clean house. Every night one kid washed the dishes, one dried and one put away......I did the cooking, but the little one's helped with that. All of my sons can cook, clean , and take care of their own kids...my daughter-in-laws always thank me for that.


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## toxodon1 (Nov 20, 2010)

That is wonderful.


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## RV's mom (Nov 20, 2010)

What a beautiful family! Congrats! Big hugs all around from Phoenix, AZ


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## Madortoise (Nov 21, 2010)

You have a beautiful family. Congratulations!


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## froghaven5 (Nov 21, 2010)

Congratulations! What a beautiful and happy looking family.


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## Isa (Nov 21, 2010)

Congratulations Chad  You have a beautiful family!


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## chadk (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone!



maggie3fan said:


> Guess I missed the adoption of the twins brother, but he is just as cute as ****! He makes a person want to hug him. Your family is very full now...are you about done? Guess I'll have to take a trip one day soon and drive up to visit you and your torts and all your kids. They are beautiful...



You are welcome any time. 

He is pretty darned cute!






And about the happiest little 2yr old you'll ever meet!






As part of my work's yearly "Giving Campaign", I worked with them on an article helping raise awarness for foster kids and adoption.

Hard to copy it here, but I'll give it a shot:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Keller Family Doubles in Size in Three Years 

After having three boys, Microsoft employee Chad Keller and his wife, Rebecca, decided to adopt a daughterÃ¢â‚¬â€a decision that would lead to dramatic changes for their family.

Editor's note: This is the fourth story in an MSW series about giving at Microsoft.


By Jennifer Warnick
October 26, 2010



Ã¢â‚¬â€¹


Chad Keller and his wife had three sons in three years, and despite having back-to-back boys, the couple still thought about a daughter.


"Our thought was that if we wanted to have another one, and if we survived having three kids that close together, we would adopt a girl instead of rolling the dice and ending up with another boy," Keller said.


In spring 2007, they decided to adopt a baby girl through the state and became foster parents. Although they didn't roll the dice, they ended up going double or nothingÃ¢â‚¬â€and now, a few years later, their family of five has become a family of 10.


"It's been kind of a crazy ride," said Keller, who works in human resources IT. "You start out thinking, almost selfishly, 'We just want a little girl.' The next thing you know, one thing leads to another, and your heart is opened up to all of these kids who just need a home."


The decision to become a foster family was somewhat familiar. Keller's mother and father were foster parents when he was young. Before long, the Keller family had children living with them temporarily and even some longer term. All the while, they kept an eye out for baby girls available for adoption.


One day they got a callÃ¢â‚¬â€twin boys, born that day, needed a home. 


"More boys?" they said, laughing. "But, then, we know boys." The family talked about it and decided to go for it. When they called back with their answer, they found out the twins had already been taken home by a nurse. But they also found out that on that same night, a different mother in a different hospital had given birth to twin girls. They were likely available for adoption.


When they first saw the twins, they were tinyÃ¢â‚¬â€three pounds eachÃ¢â‚¬â€and had tubes sticking out of them. The were born premature and addicted to drugs.


"It was a huge gut check for us," Keller said. "We kind of went in there confident and excited, and when we saw the reality and what it could mean, our selfish side came out. We thought about time, and money, and how this could impact our family in negative ways. We were thinking of worst case scenarios, and we really got kind of scared."



Ã¢â‚¬â€¹

Keller said that night they went home, prayed about it, talked about it, and decided that the right decision should be based on love, not fear.


"We went back the next day and had the completely opposite experience," Keller said. "We fell in love with those girls right then. We got to pick out their names. We brought them home four days later, these dinky, tiny little things."


Because Halle and Hope initially had trouble eating and breathing, the Kellers had to closely monitor and record everything the twins did for weeksÃ¢â‚¬â€meals, diaper changes, everything. Although it was intense, it brought the family closer together, and the twins are now "healthy, happy, super cute, smart girls," he said.


Aidan, Ethan, and Ryland finally had not one, but two sisters. But there was no stopping there. The family's floodgates, and their hearts, had already opened wide. Keller and his wife heard the story of a girl who was in foster care and whose family had promised to adopt her but at the last minute decided not toÃ¢â‚¬â€and didn't tell her until the day she had to leave.


"We had been trying to avoid teenagers, but we just really sympathized with her story," Keller said. "We decided to take her in and see what happened. If nothing else we at least won't lie to her."


That is how Annah, now 15, came to live with them. She quickly developed a bond with the boys and particularly with the twinsÃ¢â‚¬â€frequently jumping in to take care of them. Then the Keller family learned that Annah's older sister, Viktoriya, 16, had experienced the same broken promise of adoption from her foster family.


"We'd met her before, and we got along with her, and we thought, 'You know what, maybe she should come, too,'" Keller said.


They had extensive talks to make sure everyone was ready for what was about to happen. Money would be tight. Parental attention would be spread further. The teenagers would have to share a room, as would all the boys.


"We always loop everyone in on these choices and talk it through with everyone," Keller said. "We told them that it would mean less for them in many ways, but also more. A bigger family, more love, more funÃ¢â‚¬â€it would be more of lots of things, but material-things-wise, it would mean a lot less."


The family decided on more, and their numbers grew to nine. As the family grew, they bought a 15-passenger van. The office in their "technically three-bedroom" house was converted into a nursery for the twins, the boys moved into a large bedroom, and the sisters shared a room.


Then they found out that Halle and Hope's biological mother had another baby, and his foster family had decided not to adopt him. Although the state had picked out another family for Brendan, the Kellers fought for the boy, arguing that the siblings deserved to grow up knowing each other. The 2-year-old moved in with the Kellers this month.


To make room for Brendan, the kids agreed to give up the TV room, and the family shifted all the bedrooms around again. The family room was now a giant room for all the boys, including Brendan.
"They're loving it," Keller said. "They all fight over who gets to be the one who takes care of him when he wakes up."


Keller said he knows the scary stories about the foster care system and adoption, but the family hasn't had any bad experiences. They feel blessed, he said, and that includes his job at Microsoft, where he's worked for more than a decade. The company does a lot to help support its employees interested in adopting or fostering children, he said, explaining that working here makes it possible for his wife to stay home with the children and for the family to get by on a single income.



Ã¢â‚¬â€¹
There have been some challenges and growing pains in doubling the size of their family in a few years, but Keller said the family members have become closer and more inventive to make it all work.


He and his wife make a special point of turning daily moments into focused quality time, like stopping at Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a chat on the way to the grocery store, with a couple of their kids at a time.


"I like seeing what it's done for my familyÃ¢â‚¬â€the way that we've been able to pull together, be stronger, have a less selfish outlook, be more giving and sharing, and realize that life is bigger than your possessions," Keller said. "Sharing isn't a loss; it just makes our relationships even deeper."


Contact Chad Keller with questions about adoption and foster care, or email the Microsoft Adoption distribution list.


Donate to the Giving Campaign, which includes the following adoption-related causes: Camp To Belong, Olive Crest, Antioch Adoptions, and Bethany Christian Services.


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## Isa (Nov 21, 2010)

That is an amazing article Chad, you must be very proud


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## terryo (Nov 21, 2010)

Absolutely beautiful Chad. Your story should be a Hallmark Christmas Story. I just went through a box of tissues reading it.


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## Laura (Nov 21, 2010)

Cheers to you!!! and a Hot mug of starbucks mocha!!!
I think since you mentioned them in the article they should give you a Free supply or lots of Gift cards!!!


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## chadk (Nov 22, 2010)

Nay said:


> because I was worried,(Dad dying when I was 14 and left mom with 4 kids youngest was 2) makes you a little gun shy of what she went through.



Understandable. My wife and I both had rough childhoods. Especially my wife. We chose to learn from the lessons instead of allowing them to hold us hostage and maybe even repeat the same mistakes. And we both try not to live and make choices based on fear and 'what ifs'...



Nay said:


> Can I ask a truly personal question? We don't give our son everything(we didn't have) but we try and both of us work and yes I do have other critters that take time and money. HOW can you do it?? On so many levels? Money, time, carting here and there? Drs appts? I know I don't know you except your posts and from them you seem so together and smart. But I am asking seriously. I know one friend who had her kids way before me, at a time when they were living in apartments, no settled jobs etc. But I waited! We have a lovely home,decent jobs, heads on straight and its hard with one! Trying not to get too personal here,and I know everyone is so different and can handle different levels of things. But this has always amazed me.


It isn't easy, that's for sure. We are a team. We both bring something to the table and back eachother up. We also have an extended team - close friends (not much family) who are so helpful and supportive. But ultimately we draw our strength from God who gave us this passion and heart for kids. My wife stays home with the kids after 'retiring' from what was looking like a nice long career with the city of Seattle (she also had offers to work with me here at Microsoft). But she chose to stay home and raise the kids. She homeschools as well. She is an amazing person. But even still, it is a lot of hard work and dedication.

We also raise our kids to be respectful and honoring of eachother and their parents. This is a daily focus and one that takes years to build and only seconds to inflict serious damage to that progress. The work pays off in having kids that are helpful and actually fun to be around.



Nay said:


> Whats your average day like?


We call it "beautiful chaos" 
We are always tweaking things, but we have a daily routine we try to follow. Chores, homeschool activities, freetime, etc. We try to have regular family time at the dinner table. We don't have TV or video games (other than some on the computer - just no consule games) and just watch DVDs and stream stuff from netflix. We are always up for an adventure - heading out for a hike or just some time at one of the parks.



Nay said:


> I.m glad I was able to get back to this post before someone else did. I want to make it VERY clear, my previous post could be taken wrong and I want to say to Chad, I am not doubting anyone's ability to properly take care of many children. I know some people have it in them to do it and LOVE it. My best buddy teaches 1st graders. (or kindergarten) Slice my wrists. I deal with animals. She LOVES it!! It's her calling.
> So Please Chad I meant absolutely no disrespect or questioning your care or ability!.Reading my post hopefully does not sound like that, but I want to be very clear! I have just found it fantasizing that some folks have this gift, and I am in awe!!
> Nay



Didn't take it as disrepectful at all. We get the "how do you do it" question all the time


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## jensgotfaith (Nov 22, 2010)

What an amazing article Chad. I cried reading it. God has truly blesses you and your family. Your family is so inspiring.


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