The bluebonnets (our State flower) and Indian paintbrushes seem especially abundant this year, probably due to the higher than average amount of rainfall we've received. San Antonio is currently in the midst of celebrating "Fiesta", which, for those of you who aren't already aware, can best be described by saying its kind of our version of "Mardi Gras" (without the beads, and perhaps a bit more family-oriented!). For almost two weeks in April the city is caught up in a flurry of festivals, carnivals, parades, and celebrations. San Antonio's rich cultural heritage is celebrated through music, food, and tradition. Fiesta is such a large event that this coming Friday, April 27th, is a traditional city holiday for the "Battle of Flowers" parade, which winds through downtown San Antonio. Adoption Services Associates will be closed that day and will re-open on Monday the 30th. Of course we'll continue to have on-call staff available for birth mothers having medical emergencies and to receive new intake calls.

Thanks to all of you who've been utilizing e-mail as a way to stay in touch and to check-in from time to time. It seems to be a terrific means of communicating between Parents-in-Waiting and the agency, and I've received lots of feedback from families who've noted that they, too, like having another way to touch base other than using the telephone. One reason it seems to be working well is due to the fact that, because the nature of this work often takes staff out of the office for travel, appointments, etc., it can be difficult for them to be reached by phone. Additionally, because many of you are living outside the United States, e-mail allows us to "converse" without being concerned about time zones, etc.

The last several weeks have been busy ones at the agency…during the past month A.S.A.'s international program, formerly headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, moved to our office in San Antonio. This transition has brought about a few staff changes of which I'd like to make you aware. Nicki McFaddin, formerly the agency's receptionist, has been promoted to Executive Administrative Assistant and will be primarily working with families in the international program. Janice Sanchez joined the A.S.A. staff this month, also in the position of Executive Administrative Assistant, and she and Nicki will be working closely in their endeavors.

We're thrilled to report that A.S.A.'s counseling staff has grown a bit, as well, and we're happy to have had Kirsten Grams join our team last month. Kirsten filled the position of Assistant Counselor formerly held by Jeannie Quintanilla, and Kirsten has already proven to be an invaluable asset to our terrific staff. In the coming months, I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one member of our staff in each newsletter, as I think it would be great for Parents-in-Waiting to know a little bit about each person in the A.S.A. family, and about the specific role they will play in helping you build your family. Since several of you have already had the opportunity to speak with Kirsten during recent weeks, I'll start by introducing you to her…this is what Kirsten would like to share with you about herself…

"Hi…my name is Kirsten Grams. I'm twenty-nine years old and I've lived in San Antonio for most of my life. I graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a background in Psychology. I chose to work in the field of adoption because I have the desire to help women make positive decisions in difficult situations. I know with all of my heart that this is where God wants me to be. I'm here to help, so call on me…"

Late last year we realized the profound need to seek out an assistant to the two Birth Parent Counselors, Nikki Lopez and Yvonne Brown. Because A.S.A. works with birth parents all over the state of Texas, Yvonne and Nikki's work often takes them out of town to counsel clients or to facilitate relinquishments at the time of a baby's birth. One of our priorities is to ensure that birth parents always have a counselor available to them should they call with a question, concern, or crisis. Kirsten's addition to the staff will enable us to continue to provide ongoing services to birth and adoptive families, even during the times Nikki and Yvonne are unavailable. So, if you should need to reach one of them and find they're out of pocket, don't hesitate to ask for Kirsten - I'm confident you'll find her warmth and eagerness to assist you quite comforting. And now, a heartfelt

"CONGRATULATIONS" goes out to the newest A.S.A. families… Since the last newsletter, we've celebrated the births of seven new little ones! "Welcome to the World" to Delaney, Elizabeth, Julia, Raachell, Daniela, Ryan, and Theo!!

I'd like to pass along one more bit of information before I close… It's come to our attention that families are finding that their criminal background check, fingerprints, or child abuse clearances are expiring and sometimes posing a problem when its time to accept the placement of a baby in their home, especially when faced with a "last minute" or "born baby" situation (due to the length of time some states require to process new clearances).. So, if you've been in the program for more than a few months, I recommend that you check with your either your independent social worker or with the agency which prepared your home study to verify the dates of your clearances and find out when they will expire. Kim Paxson, A.S.A.'s Interstate Compact Coordinator, can assist you in verifying this information, as well.

Enjoy the beautiful Spring weather, and don't forget to keep us apprised of your upcoming vacation plans, so that we'll have a way to contact you at all times. In closing, I thought you'd enjoy this poem I recently came across…

Warm Regards,
Denise Y. Garibay,
M.A. Director of Social Services

A Prayer for the Children
We pray for the children Who sneak popsicles before supper,
Who erase holes in math workbooks,
Who can never find their shoes.
And we pray for those Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
Who never "counted potatoes",
Who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
Who never go to the circus, Who live in an X-rated world.
We pray for children Who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.
And we pray for those Who never get dessert,
Who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
Who watch their parents watch them die, Who can't find any bread to steal,
Who don't have any rooms to clean up, Whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, Whose monsters are real.
We pray for children Who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
Who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
Who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed,
Who never rinse out the tub,
Who get visits from the tooth fairy,
Who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
Who squirm in church and scream on the phone,
Whose tears we sometimes laugh at and Whose smiles can make us cry.
And we pray for those Whose nightmares come in the daytime,
Who will eat anything, Who have never seen a dentist,
Who aren't spoiled by anybody,
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
Who live and move, but have no being.
We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
For those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.
For those we smother and…for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

---Anonymous