Thanks to the donor sibling registry our family has grown and reshaped our own definition of family in ways we had never imagined.

It took a year to find our first match and I will never forget the awkward, exciting, and just overwhelming emotions that flooded me the instant I read that there was someone out there raising my daughter's half brother. There was someone else who shared with her a part of herself I just couldn't. Over the course of that year we exchanged many e-mails, photos, and updates. I began to view their family as an extension of my own. Then to my wonderment we discovered via the DSR that there was also a sister out there, and shortly behind that sister came another brother (ironically, with the same name). It's still amazing to me to see the resemblances, to read some of the ways they are similar and yet totally unique.

We had the great privilege of spending Thanksgiving with our daughter's donor sister and we thoroughly enjoyed her and her parents. It was truly a special time and the pictures are absolutely priceless. I am anxious to meet the boys and their families in person as well. We are all quite spread out, but somehow the world seems smaller now that we've all become connected.

I think we all agree that if there was anything we would want more than anything to say to our donor, it would be, THANK YOU. You have brought us more joy, blessing, and meaningful moments than any human could give a complete stranger. We have chosen to label our donor an 'angel dad' and our little girl understands that concept. To us he is an angel. We may not be able to see him or know him, but he made our family possible and we are so lucky because of him.

Just recently it came to my attention that there is another sister out there and I am anxiously awaiting contact.

Our story is only beginning, I plan on savoring each chapter.

Thank you Wendy and Ryan for making it all possible.