Why are we adopting again? (part 2)

(Part 2 of 2)
Just before we traveled to get Rachael, Dan's mother passed away after a struggle with bone cancer. As we were sitting in the ICU waiting room, we talked with good friends of our family. They remarked that, when they had their little "surprise" 13 years after they thought they were done having kids, their mother encouraged them to have yet another, so their child wouldn't be lonely.

To make a long story short, that story made an impact. We realized that Rachael, having grown up in a crowded, noisy orphanage with dozens of friends, and the noisy Houser household, would find herself an effective "only child" at the age of 5. We realized that it was best for our family, and her, to have a sibling, hopefully a brother.

After soul searching, and lots of prayer, we decided to adopt from China again. We adopted a special needs child because we think we can handle another special needs child (our oldest, Emily, is also special needs). Also, it's about the only way you can get a boy from China, and we liked the idea of Rachael having a brother with a similar heritage. Even more to the point, we didn't want an infant due to our biological clocks, and decided a 3-5 year old was a better fit for us.