SAN ANTONIO — 'It's the little house we have and running around trying to catch them telling them don't run or jump, but they still do it," said adoptive dad Juan Narvaez. "To me it is just kids," he added. I asked Juan if he has a system of sorts and he said his system is to simply taken them outside to play. He said his wife, Rosa, has a better system! "We call her the warden," he said, laughing.
That's right! We all know what they say! Don't mess with the mom! She's the boss. Juan and Rosa Narvaez will celebrate twenty five years of marriage this summer. They already had eight kids in their blended family, and in the last year plus that number increased plus FIVE. Extended family reached out to them about taking the sibling group into their care. It was an easy decision for the couple despite their age. They see the opportunity as their calling, almost their mission in life. And I'd call that nothing short of AMAZING! They knew years ago that their hearts would be open to adoption. 'I would say the first week when we were getting to know each other we had a conversation at Woodlawn Park and basically just asking each other what do you think about this and that,' Rosa recalled. 'I remember one of the questions I asked him was what do you think about adoption and he said how many do you want?' Rosa loved his perfect answer, and for Juan, it was just as perfect. 'I was meant to do this,' he said. 'They were going to come to us and we were going to have a family.'
Rosa joked that people tell them that they are either crazy or angels. And her response to that was priceless. 'We're neither,' she said. 'We actually might be a little bit crazy,' she said, smiling. 'We actually told the kids that you and here and that you are going to stay here until hopefully you are able to go back home to your parents, but if that is not the case are you okay with where you stay? And we had that conversation with them right away, like the first night that they were here.'
Rosa admitted that she guarded her heart very closely in the beginning with the idea that reunification is always the goal. She was afraid to get to emotionally close to them if they did, in fact, return to their parental home. But as time progressed it became clear that the sibling would stay under the Narvaez roof with their 'Gotcha Day' the first day of November last year, and on the 29th anniversary of the birth of Rosa's first biological child. 'Now they're mine! Don't mess with any of my kids,' she said laughing. 'Don't say anything! Don't look at them wrong! These are all my babies!' I told her this mom means business. 'Yes!'
Juan said he sees the kids smiles. He sees them happy. He knows he and Rosa are doing something good. 'When they grow up they are gonna be somebody,' he said. 'They are gonna come back and tell me, uncle, you have saved my life and I thank you,' he added, choking up. 'I just wish my mom was here. I think she would have been proud of me.'
Juan and Rosa wanted to impress that we have so many children in Bexar County that need foster and adoptive parents. 'I wish I could take them all,' he said. 'If I had a bigger house I'd take more.' And you know, I believe him. 'It's a lot of love with have with these kids.'
Two of their older sons helped the couple add onto their home with all the kiddo additions. Their oldest biological daughter is still in junior high living at home and also offers lots of helping hands! We thank Juan and Rosa! They are heroes for sure!