What an amazing three and a half years. After three years of heartache and loss, the doctors told us that we needed to explore other options for parenthood. When we began researching adoption agencies and foreign programs we were very blessed to have met the Ruppert family who had adopted twin boys through EAC. We attended an EAC seminar in May of 2001; at this time we decided that EAC was the agency for us. The professionalism, the time frame for completing the adoption, the hand holding from the home office (along with the beautiful children we met at the seminar) were the deciding factors.

While we were completing our paperwork we were very fortunate to have dealt with some amazing people. The person we leaned on the most was Claire (she has since passed away but we still think of her as our guardian angel). We intitially requested twin boys, since that had been our dream while undergoing fertility treatments, but we changed our request to one healthy infant boy.

When our Russian dossier was completed we were given a referral of a baby boy -- one of the happiest days of our lives. With any luck, we would have our son, Dylan Paul Dimitry, home before the holidays.

We hit a few bumps in the road, but the EAC staff, and sometimes Margaret Cole herself, were quick to assist us. After September 11, 2001, the staff let us know that our adoption was expected to go as planned, and we could still anticipate traveling around the end of October.

The day before we left for Moscow, Margaret called to let us know that there was a Russian law change going into effect on November 1, 2001: families were going to be required to make two trips in order to complete their adoptions. The staff was doing everything in their power to complete our adoption in one trip. We arrived in Moscow on Halloween, our anniversary, and completed our adoption on November 2, 2001.

The experience we had with EAC was incredible; it actually turned out to be a triple blessing. Seven months after we brought Dylan home we found out that we were going to have TWINS. Yes, twins! On January 10, 2003, Kyle Alexander and Ethan Alexander were born (their middle name is Russian in honor of their big brother).

We never dreamed we would be parents of three incredible little boys, not to mention that we would adopt one from Russia. It just goes to prove that you never know what path is meant for you until you take the first step. If we had not taken the path to Russia, we know in our heart that we would not have these three precious gifts.

Kelly Hooter

Visit the Adoption Storybook to view more adoption stories from people like you.