Becoming a Family

The Weavers: Becoming a Family

Roselyn and Brandon Weaver always knew they wanted to adopt a child. When they heard about Arms Wide Adoption Services from one of Brandon’s coworkers, they decided to attend an Arms Wide information meeting. After that meeting, they began their long journey of becoming a family of four—with not just one, but two separate adoptions!

At the information meeting, Roselyn and Brandon learned that one way to adopt from foster care is through emergency placements. Emergency placements are the short-term solution when a child is removed from their home by Child Protective Services and needs a safe place to stay, but they are full of unknowns. While the ultimate goal is to reunite the child with their biological family if it is safe to do so, sometimes it is in the best interest of the child to find permanency with kin or an adoptive family. A child who stays in an emergency placement foster home may end up going back to their biological family, they may move to a relative’s house, or they may be adopted by their emergency foster family—whatever scenario is best for the child.

Welcoming LandonRoselyn Weaver with Landon

Roselyn and Brandon said “yes” to an emergency placement for Landon, despite all the unknowns. “We knew there was a risk he wouldn’t be able to stay with us forever,” Roselyn remembers. Roselyn and Brandon gave him a safe, nurturing foster family, knowing they wanted what was best for Landon. Two years later in November 2019, Roselyn and Brandon adopted 4-year-old Landon into their family.

Open-mindedness and flexibility were key for Roselyn and Brandon throughout the process. Roselyn offers sage advice to other potential adoptive parents: “Keep an open mind. Some go into it thinking they want to adopt a newborn baby, but all these children need homes.”

A Surprise Phone Call

Roselyn and Brandon always knew they wanted Landon to have a sibling. Little did they know that Landon had a biological baby sister in foster care in Oregon! When they got a surprise phone call in December 2019 asking if they would be willing to bring her into their family, they said “yes” again—despite all the unknowns that they would face all over again.

“It was important to us to keep the siblings together.”

Throughout both adoption journeys, Roselyn and Brandon felt constant support from the Arms Wide staff. “I loved working with them because I feel like they were very straightforward on what could happen, including worst case scenarios,” Roselyn said. “We felt prepared when things didn’t go as planned.” After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed their process, Roselyn and Brandon finally brought Camila Rose into their family in 2021.

A Family of Four

Now, Roselyn, Brandon, 6-year-old Landon and 2-year-old Camila Rose are beginning the New Year as a family. “Adoption made our family, and it means everything to us, Roselyn said.

“People become parents in different ways. This is how we became a family.”

The Weavers love spending their family time traveling and organizing play dates with friends. Roselyn and Brandon also just simply love to see their children together, knowing they share that unbreakable bond as siblings.