[pnewcombe]

I'm a single 62 year old mid level exec who married my career and enjoyed the freedom of a good income and no responsibilities except for choices I wanted to make. However, about three years ago I realized that my work days were winding down and life and retirement were going to be pretty empty. So as a 59 year old man I started to investigate if I could adopt and have some kind of family even if late in life. I did some research, read books, blogs and went to agency seminars and finally at the beginning of 2006 started the process convinced that I would hit some wall, some red flag, and it would end, but I would know that I had tried and it was not to be. But the longer I went, the walls kept falling and by April of 2006 I was in Estonia meeting four teenage boys in order to pick the two I would adopt, and ended up going for all four. In September of 2006, I was in court and by October we were back home and starting life as a family. What a trip the next two years have been, my youngsters are all on the way to becoming great young men and I have learned how much I did not know about being a dad. One son who skipped 23 days of school in a row in 2007, now has a 3.5 GPA and perfect attendance. Another son learning to drive managed to sideswipe one of my cars into the other. A third drove a car into the house for a mere $5k repair. We have worked through all kinds of problems as I have seen their self esteem grow and they have realized that yes I am there for them and I love them no matter what. Even after fender benders, broken furniture, (teenage boys don't know there own strength!) busted windows, and outgrowing clothes faster than I could imagine, I have learned to smile and remind myself that they are just spending their inheritance a little ahead of schedule and as long as their opps'es do not really affect our health and sanity, just keep on cooking and loving and everyone will be happy in the end. I no longer have to fear living out my days in an empty too quiet house. While the usual teenagers can't wait to define their independence from their families, my 4 who were independent in the orphanage for ten years have sworn to me that they are never moving out! (I'm quite sure that the right young ladies will arrive and solve that problem in good time). But in the meantime I am loving the daily pandimonium that greets me after work every day as I have a house full of great kids and their friends to keep my busy.

Pete, pop to four great kids