<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5561362023376811473</id><updated>2011-11-27T16:54:53.941-08:00</updated><category term='share'/><category term='miss america'/><category term='education'/><category term='biological'/><category term='miss jacksonville'/><category term='children'/><category term='family'/><category term='miss florida'/><category term='stories'/><category term='pageant'/><category term='links'/><category term='help'/><category term='adoption'/><category term='awareness'/><title type='text'>C.A.R.E.</title><subtitle type='html'>Children's Adoption Resources and Education</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Megan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12534209275586785395</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RhWpbPxY8Xg/SWQNbdsjhbI/AAAAAAAAAAg/7urucKJ_MWM/S220/n1098570008_30262259_9786.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>5</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5561362023376811473.post-5269637545577035632</id><published>2009-01-06T21:44:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-06T21:58:55.295-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='miss jacksonville'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='miss florida'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='education'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='pageant'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='miss america'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='children'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='adoption'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='awareness'/><title type='text'>C.A.R.E.</title><content type='html'>Children's Adoption Resources and Education&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;object width="320" height="266" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-17a5c49cbe9f938e" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"&gt;&lt;param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"&gt;&lt;param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;param name="flashvars" 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bgcolor="#FFFFFF"flashvars="flvurl=http://v1.nonxt6.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D17a5c49cbe9f938e%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1331277416%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4F8AE7263EFA93E04ADA9EFF981D969863B52DBF.312E489685D6B0F0C4579A16DC65EE71EFA45195%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D17a5c49cbe9f938e%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DE7HU75WC9dF7vap95iVwGn3sP_I&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"allowFullScreen="true" /&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5561362023376811473-5269637545577035632?l=careaboutadoption.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='enclosure' type='video/mp4' href='http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=17a5c49cbe9f938e&amp;type=video%2Fmp4' length='0'/><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/feeds/5269637545577035632/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/care.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/5269637545577035632'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/5269637545577035632'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/care.html' title='C.A.R.E.'/><author><name>Megan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12534209275586785395</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RhWpbPxY8Xg/SWQNbdsjhbI/AAAAAAAAAAg/7urucKJ_MWM/S220/n1098570008_30262259_9786.jpg'/></author><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5561362023376811473.post-4084239738871953851</id><published>2009-01-06T20:31:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-06T20:32:31.738-08:00</updated><title type='text'>News In Adoption</title><content type='html'>Here is where I will be posting comments and news that comes up in the world of adoption. If you have any news feel free to update! Thanks!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5561362023376811473-4084239738871953851?l=careaboutadoption.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/feeds/4084239738871953851/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/news-in-adoption.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/4084239738871953851'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/4084239738871953851'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/news-in-adoption.html' title='News In Adoption'/><author><name>Megan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12534209275586785395</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RhWpbPxY8Xg/SWQNbdsjhbI/AAAAAAAAAAg/7urucKJ_MWM/S220/n1098570008_30262259_9786.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5561362023376811473.post-6264533679332973483</id><published>2009-01-06T18:45:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-06T18:48:59.279-08:00</updated><title type='text'>What are your thoughts???</title><content type='html'>Here is the space to get out all your opinions and thoughts on the topic of adoption and all of the other options for moms-to-be. What can we do to raise awareness? Thanks!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5561362023376811473-6264533679332973483?l=careaboutadoption.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/feeds/6264533679332973483/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-are-your-thoughts.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/6264533679332973483'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/6264533679332973483'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-are-your-thoughts.html' title='What are your thoughts???'/><author><name>Megan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12534209275586785395</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RhWpbPxY8Xg/SWQNbdsjhbI/AAAAAAAAAAg/7urucKJ_MWM/S220/n1098570008_30262259_9786.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5561362023376811473.post-5181682177643504432</id><published>2009-01-06T18:41:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-06T20:15:21.747-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='share'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='education'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='stories'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='family'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='adoption'/><title type='text'>What is Your Story?</title><content type='html'>Now that you have heard my story, please comment here about your stories! I would love to hear about your own experience with adoption. Whether you are an adopted child, want to adopt, have adopted, know someone who is or has or will adopt, I WANT TO KNOW!!!!!!! I know that each and every story will touch my heart! Can't wait to hear how God has blessed each and everyone of you :)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5561362023376811473-5181682177643504432?l=careaboutadoption.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/feeds/5181682177643504432/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-your-story.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/5181682177643504432'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/5181682177643504432'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-your-story.html' title='What is Your Story?'/><author><name>Megan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12534209275586785395</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RhWpbPxY8Xg/SWQNbdsjhbI/AAAAAAAAAAg/7urucKJ_MWM/S220/n1098570008_30262259_9786.jpg'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5561362023376811473.post-6839594206807511849</id><published>2009-01-06T18:19:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-06T20:43:48.019-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='share'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='help'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='biological'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='stories'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='family'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='adoption'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='links'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='awareness'/><title type='text'>All About My Story!</title><content type='html'>My name is Megan Montour. I was born on July 8, 1987. Three days later, on July 11, I was adopted and put in the care of my parents, Rita and Gary Montour. I joined the family as the third adopted child! My sister, Erin, is 23. My brother, Ryan, is 22. With me being 21, you can imagine that for my parents, it was like having triplets! My mom loves to remind us that we were all crying at the same time and she constantly needed her own mommy to help her with the enormous task of taking care of three babies. My mom was advised that she shouldn't have children due to a blood clotting disorder. Following doctors orders, my parents immediately knew that they wanted to adopt. They loved the idea of, in a sense, choosing, us as their children. My mom and dad have always loved us as if we were their own flesh and blood. My parents told us from the get go that we were adopted. My mother bought children's books for us to help us understand that although we were not biologically their children, they loved and cared for us just the same. I will always and forever be thankful for their unconditional love for me and my siblings, as well as their selflessness in raising us and giving us the life we might have never had without them.  &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;As for my biological mother, I have never met her. There are reasons why I would consider it. I have asked myself, do I look like her? Does she have any medical information I need to know about? Is she just like me? All of these things and more have come to mind, but I have not actually thought it was necessary at the time to meet her. I know that some may say that having information about her may prepare me for future medical crisis, but as a firm believer in the goodness and protection of my father in heaven, God, I know that He will provide me with the life experiences that I need to undergo in order to grow in faith and in love, with or without meeting her. If I never meet her in my lifetime or hers, I will always keep her in the back of my mind. She made the RIGHT choice. I am alive and well and celebrating life because of her choice. From what I know about her, she was young, and it probably could have been much easier for her to resort to abortion, but thankfully she didn't. I know that my adoptive parents as well as myself will always be indebted to her kindness and ultimate love for me and my future.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;As for me, will I ever adopt? Well let's just say I am nowhere near the point in my life to be financially, emotionally, or mentally prepared enough to take on the huge job of parenting. In the future, I will try to have kids on my own, but I will never forget the option of adoption. If there is a reason that I can't have kids, you better believe I will jump to the occasion of opening my heart to a child in need. I am a huge supporter of international adoptions and could definitely see myself going down that path in the future. We will just have to see :)&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;In closing, here is one of my adoptive mother's favorite sayings that she always tells me when we talk about her decision to accept me into her heart and family: &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Not flesh of my flesh,&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Nor bone of my bone,&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;But still miraculously my own.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Never forget for a single minute&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;You didn't grow under my heart,&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;But in it. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Thanks for C.A.R.E.ing about adoption,&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Megan &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5561362023376811473-6839594206807511849?l=careaboutadoption.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/feeds/6839594206807511849/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/all-about-my-story_06.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/6839594206807511849'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5561362023376811473/posts/default/6839594206807511849'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://careaboutadoption.blogspot.com/2009/01/all-about-my-story_06.html' title='All About My Story!'/><author><name>Megan</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/12534209275586785395</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RhWpbPxY8Xg/SWQNbdsjhbI/AAAAAAAAAAg/7urucKJ_MWM/S220/n1098570008_30262259_9786.jpg'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry></feed>
