HR1120 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Parenthood is a remarkable adventure, an incredible responsibility, and a constant challenge; adopting a child is one of the most transformative, selfless, and rewarding acts of parenthood, which is magnified when adopting 3 children at the same time; and

WHEREAS, In the summer of 2013, out of their desire to share their home and their love with children and understanding that countless children around the world are in need of a family, Will and Macy Cousineau made the life-changing decision to adopt 3 young sisters from Latvia: 8-year-old Sindija, 7-year-old Linda, and 4-year-old Ieva; and

WHEREAS, As part of the months-long, involved, and exhaustive adoption process, in December of 2013, Will and Macy opened their home and their hearts to Sindija and Linda by hosting them for 4 weeks; though the girls spoke very little English, they were immediately kind, well-behaved, and loving and Will and Macy bonded with them instantly; and

WHEREAS, During the girls' visit, Will and Macy took to parenthood naturally and embraced the girls as their own; they got to know as much as possible about Sindija and Linda and their lives, took family trips to Chicago and St. Louis, and taught the girls how to translate on an iPad; the 4 weeks passed all too quickly and Will and Macy struggled to say goodbye when the girls had to return to Latvia, unable even to tell them they would be together again in a short time; and

WHEREAS, In April of 2014, Will and Macy got the call they had been waiting months to receive, that, in just days, they would reunite with Sindija and Linda and meet Ieva for the first time; and

WHEREAS, Will and Macy made the nearly 20-hour journey to Latvia to spend 3 weeks with the girls, the first of 3 trips to the country as part of the adoption process; they spent time with the girls' loving grandmother, traveled from their orphanage to the Latvian capital of Riga, where they visited Riga's old town, spent several days at the park, went to the zoo and the Riga Circus, ate lunch at Cathedral Square, waded in the Baltic Sea, climbed Gaizinkalns Hill, the highest point in Latvia, and attended Easter service at St. Peter's Church, one of the oldest monuments of medieval architectural in the Baltic which was first mentioned in written documents in 1209; and

WHEREAS, The girls could not wait to arrive in their new home, asking Will and Macy every morning how many "good mornings" until their arrival in America; and

WHEREAS, The Cousineau family, now 5 strong, returned to the United States on May 1, 2014, just beginning their new life together as a family; Will and Macy are learning more about their new daughters and the girls' homeland and culture; and

WHEREAS, Sindija, Linda, and Ieva have seamlessly adapted to their new surroundings and lives; Sindija's favorite color is red and Linda's and Ieva's favorite color is violet; the girls enjoy riding their new bicycles in Washington Park and will soon begin a summer school program; and

WHEREAS, New parents Will and Macy Cousineau have forever changed the lives of 3 young sisters from Latvia and made sure the sisters remain together as a family; where language and cultural differences may often create barriers, Will and Macy have made their devotion to their new daughters unquestionably clear through their unconditional love; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Will and Macy Cousineau in bringing Sindija, Linda, and Ieva into their lives and wish them all the best as they continue their amazing journey as a family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Cousineau family as an expression of our esteem and respect.