The Brewer Family:

Parents Gary and Alta with Adopted Children William, Joey and Matthew

It took a matter of seconds and one phone call for Gary and Alta Brewer to decide they were going to adopt three brothers, William, Joey and Matthew. Having no children of their own, the Brewers felt the house was too quiet and had already considered adoption but was turned off by a private agency that previously cheated them. Nonetheless, the Brewers were determined to fill their house with life and laughter and turned to Florida's domestic adoption program for help.

"About two weeks before Christmas 2006, my husband Gary received a call from our adoption caseworker, Kelly Danaher," said Alta. "Kelly told him about three brothers that were looking for a forever family and wanted to know if we were interested. He called me, told me about the boys, and asked if we wanted all three of them. My reply was, 'Yes of course!'"

The process started immediately. Within two weeks the Brewers were having their first park visit with the boys. They anxiously sat wondering which car the bothers would arrive in. After introductions, Alta and Gary watched the boys play around the park. Their simple interactions were all the confirmation the Brewers needed to know they met their match. They decided to move forward with the adoption, but as the adoption progressed, some obstacles were harder to overcome than others.

"Joseph was in a different foster home than William and Matthew," said Alta. "We began having problems when his foster mother restricted his phone privileges due to any misbehavior and later tried to take away his weekend visitations."

Gary and Alta refused to let anything get in their way. The family motto became "a failed adoption is not an option." The Brewers knew they could provide the love and care these children needed. Although the road was long, Alta and Gary knew the rough patches paid off when their adoption was finalized in July 2007.

"Peace and quiet of our once tranquil home is forever lost and we love it," said Alta. Now laughter and giggles can be heard throughout the house as the boys parents tell jokes and make funny faces. After almost a year with the Brewers, William, Joey and Matthew have made amazing progress. "Our boys are better communicators now, and I learn from them everyday. We couldn't imagine life without them," added Alta.

"Our advice to any potential adoptive parent is to just do it," grinned Alta. "Sure, it wasn't all a bed of roses, and it still isn't, but our family has experienced many wonderful and joyous moments. We have celebrated three birthdays and a Christmas with three boys who had never decorated a real Christmas tree. Did we video tape it? You bet we did, every single minute!"

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