We have the exact family we were meant to have....The Boulton Family Adoption

Boulton Adoption Story

My husband and I decided after about two years of trying to have biological children without success what we really wanted was to be parents, regardless of who gave birth to the children. After much deliberation, we decided that Ukraine was the country that had taken care of the children that were meant to be ours and in October 2010, we began the adoption process. We also decided that we wanted an older sibling group.

Having our lives examined, having to get things apostiled, having to worry if Ukraine would change their adoption process while we were in the middle of this, and waiting, waiting, waiting, took its toll. On July 20, 2011 (my husband’s birthday) we got the call telling us our paperwork was accepted and we needed to be in Kiev for an August 1^st appointment at the SDA.

We had heard horror stories about how rude the SDA can be and how they can force you into taking kids you don’t really want. We felt none of that. Everyone was extremely kind and polite, not just at the SDA but in pretty much every step of this process. While we were planning on bringing back two brothers under the age of eight, we saw the profiles and pictures of three brothers Mikola 10, Rustislav 8, and Alexander 6 and fell in love. While my husband was initially worried about the added cost of another child, I knew I had seen my boys. They just looked so happy in their pictures, like even though they were living in an orphanage they were going to make the best of it.

Two days later we met Rustislav (he was at a different orphanage because of an issue with his TB vaccination). He was very shy and wouldn’t even look at us the first two days we visited him.  The following day we met Mikola and Alexander at the summer camp their orphanage was at. Alexander held my hand and took my on a tour of the place while Mikola was off at the beach. We met him later, but he still let Alexander do all the talking.

We were in Ukraine for two months. A lot of it was difficult. I’m being honest when I say that there were a few days when we were living in Odessa with the boys after the court officially made them ours that I really thought we had made the wrong decision. The sweet little boys I had seen at the orphanage had disappeared and were replaced by demon children. It was terrible. I know that they were terrified and really are kind, loving boys who were expressing their fear the only way they knew how.  Since getting them home, however, I have not once thought I should have left them there.

All three boys are doing a wonderful job adjusting to America. Within six weeks of being home their English was good enough to have a conversation with them. Mikola has started to read in English, Rustislav is a math whiz and Alexander is the happiest person I have ever met. They love school, they have friends, they play on sports teams and, while they are still sad about some of their past experiences, tell me all the time how they are “lucky boys to live in America”.  My husband and I know we’re the lucky ones. We have the exact family we were meant to have.

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