My cousin Jenny and her family who live in Austin are faithful supporters of pro-life activities. For the last several years, they have invited us to join their table at the annual Texas Alliance for Life dinner and program. This year, everything worked out and we were able to finally go!

We finally found a babysitter we LOVE, so we left Hannah in her capable hands, dressed up and hit the town. The dinner was at the downtown Hilton, very nice. We were surprised how many people were there – almost 1500! We enjoyed meeting the others at the table, and the basil butter for the rolls was seriously tasty.

There were many politicians there who all got introduced by name (with a special note if they are up for re-election). I was kind of interested in possibly seeing Rick Perry, but apparently he was off doing a debate or something.

The speaker for the event was Lila Rose who is only 23 and started Live Action, a pro-life group geared toward teens and college students. As she said, with a growing national interest in social justice and human rights, more teens are identifying themselves as pro-life because they want to protect and speak out for the most vulnerable humans, the voiceless unborn. Lila Rose was introduced by Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director who became pro-life after watching an abortion on an ultrasound and having no doubt that was a baby fighting for its life.

Texas was one of the first states to de-fund Planned Parenthood by prioritizing funding for groups that offer a wider range of medical services such as community health centers. They also announced a pro-life, pro-adoption license plate that will be released in November – you’ll be seeing one on my car, for sure!

The pro-life “movement” is close to my heart because I am in a family of adoptees. My husband and my daughter, as unplanned pregnancies, would have been labeled by many as inconvenient, unwanted and disposable. I am thankful each day that their courageous birthmothers opted against what is culturally acceptable and chose life for the babies that are now my family.