Our household has grown since last Christmas. No, I did not have another baby! At the age of 50, that would surely be a Miracle. However, we did adopt another child, a beautiful little boy we have fostered since he was 3 days old. Thankfully, we met all the criteria to adopt again and we left the courthouse on July 1st the proud parents of a 17-month-old we named Aydan Alexander Garner.
In 2005, Arkansas legislators passed a law called Garretts Law, which mandates that newborn babies be drug tested for illegal drugs at birth. If tested positive, the child is placed with Children’s Services and the mother is referred for counseling and other programs deemed necessary to help the mother who is addicted to drugs. Reunification between mother and child are always the goal.
Aydan was one of those infants tested at birth and illegal drugs were discovered in his system. He was placed in foster care. 
However, reunification was not possible in Aydan’s case. My husband and I had come to love him as our own and deciding to keep him was easy. Parting with him would have been extremely difficult.
Aydan is quite a little man and already an outdoors’ little guy. He will no doubt grow up to love the outdoors as much as his dad and I do. Not surprisingly, one of his first words was “buck”… his dad was so proud to hear him say it for the first time. Aydan will turn two years old soon and he has truly taken over control of our household. Our lives, especially mine, have evolved around Aydan’s needs and desires and often I have found myself thinking that my days of fishing and hunting were over. In fact, I almost convinced myself of that very thing! After all, I now have a toddler to tend to and of course, he needs me every minute of every day.
Recently during a radio interview with Brenda Valentine, I asked her how she managed to juggle family life and her busy career in the hunting industry. Of course, her daughters are now grown, but at one time, they were little. Brenda, with her calm southern drawl, matter-of-factly stated, “I took ‘em with me.” I laughed. Isn’t that what I have always done with my other kids? Aydan won’t be any different.
The other night, Aydan was extra fussy and in an attempt to calm him, I remember
ed a book I had bought for him for Christmas that I had not wrapped yet. I retrieved the book, simply titled “Bears” and asked Aydan if he’d like for me to read it to him. Anxiously, he crawled into my lap. I watched in amazement as my little one turned the pages and pointed to the bears. "Hungry,” he stated, as he looked at the big brown bear with the fish in his mouth. The next page showed a momma bear and her cubs. "Babies,” he giggled. We continued through the book with Aydan “reading” the story to Mom. When we came to the last page, a big bear with a face similar to my son’s teddy bear was shown sprawled out across a big log. "Nite-Nite!" said Aydan as he closed the book smiling.
As I tucked my little one into bed a short while later, I thought about how different Aydan’s life could have been if not for Garrett’s Law. I considered the fact that Aydan might not have been raised in a family who loved the outdoors and how much he would have missed out on. Watching him sleep, I made Aydan a promise. I promised that I would give him every opportunity to enjoy
the outdoors, whether it be camping, fishing, hiking, or hunting (and not leave him at home as some would do). I promised to show him how easy it is to get “high” on life and not drugs; to really enjoy nature and life in general. More importantly, I promised to give him a Christian foundation to build his life on and to pray for him daily.
The Christmas season is upon us and when I think of Christmas, I think of miracles. I still believe in miracles and believe that each of us is capable of helping to change the lives of those around us and especially the children’s. I heard my husband say once, “I can’t change the whole world, but I can make a difference, even if it is just one child at a time.”
I challenge each of you to do the same. There are millions of children across our nation who do not have someone in their lives to introduce them to the outdoor sports. There are children living in your neighborhood who have never been camping or on a hike. There are children next door who have no idea what creatures live in his or her backyard. You don’t have to adopt a child to make a difference in their l
ife. Invite a child on your next outdoor adventure. You'll be so glad you did and who knows, you might just find yourself a new huntin' partner!
Christmas morning will be a jolly time at the Garner house. Christmas wrappings will litter the floor as the children discover their goodies and no doubt, squeals of delight and laughter will be heard throughout the day. With the smell of apples and cinnamon in the air and Christmas music playing, I will smile with relief to have survived another Holiday Season. However, as I warm myself by the fireplace, my heart will be elsewhere… a hot summer day sitting on a river bank with my little one sitting close, waiting for that little perch to take his bait. Together we’ll get high on life, one adventure at a time.
Merry Christmas Aydan!
