District court makes 'forever families'

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Ninth Judicial District Judge Donna Mowrer says National Adoption Day is her favorite day in her job, because everyone leaves happy.

Staff photo: Alisa Boswell

From left, District Judge Donna Mowrer and Kayla and Kerry Ennis smile down at Nathaniel Ennis, 4, as he bangs the gavel to make his and Angelique’s adoptions final Wednesday during National Adoption Day.

That’s not to say there are no tears.

Plenty of tears were shed Wednesday afternoon in the Portales district courtroom as parents shared their stories of how their children had changed their lives.

“What a blessing,” Kerry Ennis of Clovis said through tears as she stood with her wife, Kayla, and their two children, Angelique, 6, and Nathaniel, 4.

Kerry Ennis said the brother and sister had been with her and Kayla for the last two years. The couple married less than a week ago after three and a half years together.

“They are everything we ever needed,” she said.

Angelique had her own words for Mowrer about the adoption.

“For those of you who didn’t hear, she says she wants to be in this family, because she knows that they will love and cherish her and help her with whatever she needs,” Mowrer told those gathered.

“I’ve always been competitive,” Kerry said, adding that she played just about every sport during her years at Portales High School. “This doesn’t compare to a state championship or a track meet. This is the rest of your life. This is a home run.”

A more unusual adoption that took place Wednesday was the adult adoption of 18-year-old Samantha Friend by Joseph and Brenna, who have been her house parents at the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home for the last five years.

“It’s gone a bunch of different directions,” Samantha said of her life, adding that she has been at the children’s home for 11 years but changed houses a few times before being placed with the Friends.

She said before going to the NMCCH, she was bounced around between her parents’ and grandparents’ homes.

“I feel like I have a place that I can go when I need help or when I need advice. I have somebody to go to,” she said of the Friends.

Chance and Terah Sexton of Artesia have a lot of history with adoption with Terah having been adopted by her parents and one of Chance’s siblings having been adopted — and all through the NMCCH.

“There is nothing more powerful than this story of a community of building families,” Mowrer said Wednesday of the Sextons’ story.

The couple was finalizing the adoption of their 5-month-old daughter, Kadence, who they have had since birth.

Terah said she and Chance wanted another child, but she was unable.

She said their two sons, Brooks, 5, and Tripp, 3, have taken to being big brothers and have a special bond with their sister.

“It was more emotional than I thought it would be,” Chance said of the day Kadence was handed to them by her birth mother. “She’s the most happy baby I’ve ever seen. It makes our job as parents of a newborn extremely easy.”

Other adoptions included Daniel and Diana McNair adopting 8-year-old Ayla, who has been with them since she was a baby, and Christopher and Nadine Tedferd adopting 4-year-old Romy.

“Nothing makes me happier than to have this joy of giving forever families,” Mowrer told all the parents.