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When couples decide to adopt, most want an infant. Thousands of parents end up waiting a long time. Yet, many Utah children in foster care eagerly await new homes. Tonight, we'll show you a couple that went from zero to six kids in less than a year.
When Dan and Jennifer Minnick looked into adoption a few years ago, they had siblings in mind -- but nothing like this!
Kristian, Alex and Aaron, ages 7 to 10, joined Dan and Jennifer a year ago. Santiago and Corbin, ages 12 and 11, blended in back in August. And along the way, Jennifer got pregnant with Clayton, who was born four months ago.
"[It's] not anything that we had envisioned at all. But I'm glad for the change and the way that it is," Dan said.
Zero to six in less than a year: not a subtle family transition. "Every now and again, I'd call Dan and say, ‘When are you coming home?' And go sit on the front porch; take a breather from the kids," Jennifer said.
"It's kind of fun. We wrestle and other stuff and play games with each other," Alex said.
There certainly is a lot of wrestling, and no shortage of friends. "We're definitely not a normal family, but we are a family. We may not be perfect, but we're perfect for each other," Dan said.
The children are never lonely. They feel safe and respected.
"It was hard to trust people, and to get along with people," Santiago said.
Both sets of brothers spent plenty of time split up in different foster homes. Now they're united again for good.
"It was very difficult to be able to stay together," Kristian said.
Dan says that to call their new lifestyle an adjustment would be an understatement. All of the boys went through their fair share of trials in foster care.
"It is chaotic. It's different. But we've dealt with every kind of abuse, and we've dealt with many, many difficult issues," Dan said.
The kids have seen an ugly side of life, but they emerge as a family. "We've had to cry a lot, thank a lot, give a lot, get a lot of counseling," Dan said.
It's national adoption month, and 155 foster kids await adoption in Utah. Nationally, 130,000 children hope for a permanent home. "There's a lot of kids out there with a lot of love to give, and all they want is a family," Jennifer said.
The Minnicks are thankful for the help of friends, neighbors and family, without which, you can only imagine. "I've actually forgotten what life was like without the kids, and I can't imagine life without them," Dan said.
Now, the family looks forward to their first Thanksgiving together as a full house.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
