HOOPESTON — When people learn that Jeremy and Becky Lane of Hoopeston have adopted four children and are waiting to adopt another, they often comment on the children’s good fortune.

Becky is always quick to respond, "We’re really the lucky ones — just being their parents. We feel very blessed to have such a large family of our own."

The Lane family includes Savannah, 11, and Macey, 5, who are biological sisters, and Jaide, 10, and Haley, 9, who also are sisters. The Lanes also took in a 5-month-old old boy who is now 2 — and they hope to adopt him soon.

"We are willing to take in more children on a respite basis to help out," Becky said, "but right now having five is a nice number for us."

The hardest part of foster parenting for the Lanes is living in constant fear that a child will be placed in another foster home or sent back to his or her parent.

"We fostered a newborn baby until she was a month old, and she was taken away for placement with her sibling," Becky said. "That experience just about tore our hearts out. It’s so easy to become attached to these children. They are so lovable."

Becky is from Hammond, Ind., and Jeremy grew up in Hoopeston. They met on a blind date at a dirt track car race, and they’ve been together ever since.

After the couple married in 2001, they hoped to start a family right away. When that didn’t happen naturally they tried fertility treatments for two years, with no success.

"Of course we were disappointed, but that’s when we decided to become foster parents and eventually adoptive parents," Becky said. "We learned from some of Jeremy’s family members that good foster parents can do children so much good, and also that children can fill a void in a couple’s life."

Becky and Jeremy received the required training, home inspections, background checks, and finally licensure through Catholic Charities of Danville before they could become foster parents.

They had their first two foster girls for three years before the adoption was completed, and it took about 18 months to adopt the second set of girls.

"Agencies usually try to keep siblings together in one foster family," Becky said, but sometimes it’s impractical for one family to make a home for all those children. So we arrange for our children to meet with their siblings on a regular basis. We want them to know their other brothers and sisters."

Jeremy admitted that raising four girls so close together in age is both "fulfilling and frustrating." After having the latest foster child with them for two years he realized that raising a boy is a lot different from raising a girl. "Not better or worse, but just different," Jeremy said, smiling.

Even though the Lane household is dominated by females, the whole family enjoys fishing and camping in Kickapoo Park, and swimming in outdoor pools. They also take long bicycle rides around the neighborhood.

Walking into the Lane home is like visiting a well-managed day care, and it’s obvious that this couple centers their lives around the children.

In their two largest rooms there’s a train table, board games, and books and puzzles for all ages. There are cars and trucks, and a Winnie the Pooh chair. Everything is neatly stacked and organized. There are childproof latch gates for the stairways, and coverings on the electrical outlets.

To accommodate their expanding family, the Lanes had to make some upgrades recently. Last year they moved into a two-story home that’s more than double the size of their previous house. They also purchased a minivan with seven seats to replace their compact car.

Becky had worked at Quaker Oats for more than nine years before she decided two years ago to stay home with her growing family. Jeremy has worked for the Grant Township Highway Department for more than three years now. The family attends church together at Antioch Church of Christ.

Becky and Jeremy do spend one evening out each week so they can bowl on a co-ed team, and Jeremy enjoys attending NASCAR races. Becky’s favorite pastime is to read books before she falls asleep.

"But I do this only after the kids are in bed and the house is cleaned," she said, laughing.

All four girls are in dance classes, the three older girls play softball, and Macey plays T-ball. Haley is a Girl Scout and Jaide is a cheerleader. Right now the girls happen to be attending three different schools, based on their grade levels.

The Lanes agreed anyone who is considering becoming a foster parent should think about their decision carefully.

"First of all, you have to love children," Becky said, "and you have to be a very patient person. It’s important to show foster children extra love to make up for their unsettled past.

"It’s well worth it," Becky added. "The most thrilling sound to your ears is when your foster child calls you Mommy or Daddy for the very first time."

Jeremy said, "We can’t imagine a life without kids now. If we had never adopted these children, we would never realize what we were missing."