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I can’t remember the first time I met Kristine and her family. I know it was after she received placement of her daughter. Her little girl Gracie is about the same age as Sean and she invited us over for a playdate. The story of how her family has come to be is amazing and inspiring. Kristine has such a giving heart and I am proud to call her a friend.
Tell us about your family.
There are currently 5 children in our family: boy 23, girl 18, girl 3, girl 2, and girl 1. The 23, 18, and 3 year olds are ours. The 23 year old is my husband’s son from his first marriage. The 18 year old, Kayla (pictured above, far left) is my husband’s from his second marriage. The 3 year old, Gracie (pictured above, second from the right) is our 1st adopted child. Both the 2 year old and the 1 year old are foster children. My husband and I have been married for 12 years. We married in 1998 when his children were 6 and 11 years old. It wasn’t until 2006 that we got Baby Gracie, when she was 5 weeks old. She is Kayla’s half sister. Kayla’s Mother, Darla, asked us if we would adopt Gracie after she had been taken into Child Protective Services. Gracie was born exposed to multiple controlled substances. Although the first six months of her life showed signs of withdrawals, she is now three and currently there are no symptoms of drug exposure. I had wanted children ever since we married, but I have no biological children of my own. My husband and I plan on adopting “several” other children. I do not work, but was a high school English teacher. My husband is a branch manager for a milk company. I have chosen to be a stay at home mom and will hopefully be able to do so throughout the raising of our children. I do plan on homeschooling all of the children we adopt. I homeschooled Kayla and she is currently attending a university on a basketball scholarship. We are currently a licensed Foster Care home with three beds and we are increasing our license to four; we desire to accommodate more children. Not only are we a foster and adoptive home, but we also do back-up receiving—getting children right from the police officer. I can honestly say, We thoroughly enjoy what we are doing!
What is your living structure?
I am a stay at home mom. My husband is a branch manager for a local milk company here in town. Our finances are tight; however, we have very little debt. I find lots of ways to help: shopping at the Salvation Army, getting bread from the local mission, WIC and other local aids. We operate on two credit cards American Express and Master Card. Both credit cards are paid off every month. We recently bought a new/used car, so we have one car payment and insurance. My husband has a company car. All of our needs are met and then some. We feel we are doing what we are called to do….
What is your greatest challenge as a parent?
Putting my marriage first….spending time with my husband.
How do you measure success in regards to parenting?
When my 2 and 3 year old want to pray and talk about Jesus. When my 18 year old tells me she is still a virgin.
What is your SINGLE BEST parenting tip you can share with the readers?
Better to error on the side of LOVE than on anything else.
Do you have any book recommendations?
I LOVE TO READ! 
Here is a list of books I am currently reading:
- Our Daily Bread
- Keys for Kids
- Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child’s Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days
- How to Make Children Mind Without Losing Yours
- Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years
- Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents
- The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
- The Five Love Languages of Children
- The Bible
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What else can you tell our readers that is unique about you?
We actually are thinking of adopting 10 more children.
How can my readers contact you?
I can be contacted at kkbenham5335 {at} yahoo {dot} com
Thank you, Kristine, for sharing!
Stacy
Do you know an interesting parent that I should interview for an upcoming profile? Send me a Message.
Up Tommorrow:
Toolbox: Skill Building at Home
