Merrill and Roberta Simon and Family

Hard as it is to believe, Our "baby" turned 8 years old today. You see, we call him our "baby" because he was our first infant and he was the only baby we ever got to bring home from the hospital. McClain was the 12th child we adopted and he just somehow brought the entire family together as they loved on him, doted on him and we all just downright spoiled him. It is amazing that he has turned out so well :o) McClain loves to play computer games. From the time he was two years old he just seemed to know what to do with them. This has been a blessing and also cause for pain as at first we only allowed learning games, but now he has learned all of those so he is now realy for the "real" game....not sure we are, but we will have to adapt.      McClain makes us all laugh. He loves Grave Digger and has a room full of that Monster Truck. It is hard to believe he is 8 years old. We are so proud of him and the person he is becoming. We are al...

Maverick Winchester-Sloan Simon What a great name!!! It embodies all that I miss about Dallas. More than that, it means unconventional, standing up for what you believe, going against the grain. This much we know, adopting a baby at 50 and 52 is all that and more. We are in love with this happy little man who keeps us beyond busy. He just knocks our socks right off. He makes us all laugh. It is worth it to have him. Getting ready for the ice cream party. Whoohoo , Gary, LisaMarie, Pat and dad taking on the earthquake. They won. LOL A tender moment with dad sharing the ice cream, Sharing our first family photo, with everyone except Mallory. So that is 14 boys and one girl. Such an amazing thing really. I am so proud of them.

Our family was asked to meet with Senator Ensign. I have to say that it was just an unreal visit. He is such a neat person and he took the time to talk to us, to share about his family and his son and to actually play with the kids. It is hard for Merrill and I to fathom why someone of his importance would even want to take the time to meet us and the children. We are still tickled as we think about just how special that day was. Below is a picture, although not that good of the plaque that he presented to the family. We are truly humbled to have received this recognition.

I am not even sure how to write this BLOG. It feels so undeserved and for the most part nearly selfish. I went on a seven day vacation without Merrill or the children. Yes, you read that right, no other members of this family went with me. WOW!!! It all started nearly a year ago with a email sent to my brother and sister. For any of you that follow this blog, you know that our daddy passed away just a bit over two years ago. Our mama has been gone for most of our adult lives. The harsh reality that it is just the three of us, well it was really settling in at that time. Bobby called us, put us on speaker phone and told us that he was going to take Tammy and I anywhere in the United States that we wanted to go. It was our choice. Well, it took a few months, but we decided that we wanted to go to Disney World. On many levels, that is just plain funny, but it turned into a trip of a life time. It was so way over the top that it was nearly unreal. It involved first class airline tickets,...

Press Releases Media September 25, 2009 ENSIGN: CARSON CITY COUPLE TRULY ANGELS IN ADOPTION Washington, D.C. – Senator John Ensign is proud to announce that his nominees for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption Program have been selected to represent the state of Nevada for the extraordinary contributions they have made on behalf of children in need of homes. Roberta and Merrill Simon, of Carson City, have adopted 18 children over the past 30 years—most of whom have been special needs children. “When you come across people like Roberta and Merrill Simon, you see what good there really is in the world,” said Ensign. “Having been adopted by my dad when I was a child, I know what an amazing gift adoption is. For the Simons to open their homes and their hearts to 18 children is beyond extraordinary. There is no better word to describe them than angels.” The Simon’s children range in age from 15 months old to 30 years old. They have adopted children wi...

Photo taken by Cathleen Allison. Nevada Appeal Two years ago, 16-year-old Micah Simon weighed 129 pounds and didn't have the stamina to make it through a shopping trip.So his mother, Roberta, made changes to his diet and worked with Dayton Intermediate School to increase his exercise. Now, he weighs 106 pounds and keeps up with the family on regular outings. “He's like a new kid,” Roberta said. As Micah, who suffers from Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and low-level cerebral palsy, made the transition to Dayton High School, his mother wanted to ensure he remained active. Vice principal Tim Logan approached River Vista Fitness owner Phil Cowee about allowing Micah to use equipment there. As the conversation evolved, Cowee agreed to donate a recumbent exercise bike to the classroom and allow the students access to the gym. “It started as something for Micah and blossomed into something wonderful that be...

Our beautiful little girl, our angel, Miss LisaMarie, born October 8, 1999. Time has flown by as we have had the joy of watching her grow. She has always thought she was born a princess into this home and had had a very hard time accepting she was a mere commoner :o) She loves sports and really loved taking swimming. My guess it was the crush on the teacher that brought her the furthest. She could have been in the Olympics if he had kept it up. It was wonderful. She is our pride and our joy...our Rose amongst the thrones as he daddy says. Yes, today she turns ten and life is passing us by fast. All to soon she will be a lady. We will have to cherish the days and years ahead. We love you LisaMarie. You are one of God's greatest gifts to our family. All our love, Mom and Dad.