Home Study! Are we really the Goodlin's?

We had our first Home Study Interview (part of the adoption process for Norah) yesterday!  For this first interview it was just Brett and I, and we met the social worker at Starbucks.  It went well, it was pretty easy,  there were lots of questions,  questions about all 3 girls and their personalities (not like we could say a ton about Sarah at this point), what kinds of things we did as a family, our hobbies, how our marriage was, how Brett and I are alike/different, how we parent, if we are criminals or do drugs, you know usual questions.  Some of those questions sound easy, but when you have to verbalize them it's not quite the same, like how Brett and I are alike or diffferent (we just haven't thought about it in a while).  However, the most complicated part of the home study is our family and family history (parents, sibilings, medical history, etc)..... Sheesh, I mean most of you who read this blog know my family history is kind of crazy, but then there is Brett's...... Good thing we didn't have to go into the knitty gritty of Brett's family because, well, we would have been there for hours.

So I am going to give you a brief on Brett's family.  First off this may surprise many of you, but Goodlin has not always been Brett's last name.  This sounds normal if you are a girl, and got married, but Brett is not a girl...... 

Let's go way back to before Brett was born......................... is everyone there?

Brett's mom, Fran, was married to her 1st husband and had 2 boys, Tim & Travis.  Unfortunately this marriage did not last.  After this marriage Fran dated and became pregnant with Brett, but did not ever marry Brett's biological father.  So Brett took his half brothers (Tim & Travis) last name (which was still not Goodlin).  Confused yet?

Fran then finds Dan, who is a Goodlin.  Dan has 2 children already, Jacob & Anna.   Fran & Dan get married, and do an amazing job at bringing up a blended family!  

Brett has no full blooded siblings, just 2 half brothers, a step brother and step sister.  Brett did not meet his biological father until he was in Jr. High.  And I have never met his biological father. And somewhere in the mix is a half sister Brett has never met

let's continue....

Dan does such a wonderful job taking on the role of father for Brett, that in high school Brett decided to change his last name to Dan's last name.   So now Brett doesn't have his biological father's last name, or the one given to him at birth, he is now Brett Goodlin, which is his step dads last name (we refer to Dan as "Dad" in real life, I am just saying step-dad in the blog for the purpose of understanding).  Let's just add to the confusion that Brett now has his step brothers and sisters last name, and Brett looks like his step brother Jacob....... I mean I am pretty sure most people don't even know Brett and Jacob are step brothers, they look alike and they act alike and know each other as brothers.

see what I mean?

Sometimes it is weird to think about the last name (his biological fathers) we may have had, and that it is part of our family history.  But I do prefer Goodlin, not just because I like the last name, but because it does identify who our family really is.  I am proud to be a Goodlin.

Oh and not to mention, coming this June Brett will have yet another step brother :O)

Welcome to our crazy family Norah