As 2011 comes to a close, it seems the year was a little tougher than usual for many families across the country. Many of the incredibly touching nominations for our holiday giveaway mentioned unemployment, illness, and trepidation for what lies ahead in the new year. Truthfully, though, there is much hope to be had, and the winners of our holiday giveaway, the Adams-Lambert family, are a reminder of just that. They were gracious enough to share their story with us, and now we’re sharing it with you.

Tisha and Jason combined their families three years ago and now have 8 children: Max, 5, Ella, 6, Jason Jr., 9, Kendra, 10, Morgan, 10, Brady, 12, Adam, 14, and Torie, 16.

Morgan and Jason Jr., Jason’s two children, are special-needs students. Both receive extra help in school and at home for ADHD, and Morgan is currently working through counseling for Reactive Attachment Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which she developed after she was kidnapped by her mother for six months and molested by her mother’s boyfriends. Thanks to her new, loving home and supportive step-siblings and step-mother, Morgan received excellent grades this year, joined the Girl Scouts, became a cheerleader, and attended her first sleepover.

Braden has Asperger’s Syndrome, which initially made adjusting to new family members difficult. Lots of support at home helped Braden do better than ever this year. He was even able to tell step-dad Jason he loves him for the first time.

Keeping up with eight kids — three of them having special needs — is no easy task, but Tisha and Jason work hard to support their family. Jason found work quickly as the head of maintenance for the family’s church after he lost his job as a weatherization technician due to government cutbacks. He works 70 to 80 hours a week, picking up extra construction jobs on the weekends, to keep food on his large family table. Tisha worked as a substance abuse counselor through early 2011 but has been unemployed since August, when her position was also cut from her company’s budget.

Through all their emotional and financial ups and downs, the Adams-Lambert family strives to help others, which includes, from time to time, taking in homeless teens who have nowhere else to go. They teach their children that though money is tight and resources are slim, the most important thing in life is to live in a way that affects others positively. We at Babble are so happy to be able to send a little holiday joy to a family who is already bringing lots to the world around them!

— Rebecca Bohanan

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