It's not singular for a loaf of bread.

It's not singular for a loaf of bread, a half-gallon of milk and a whole case of cereal to vanish in single sitting. Many of the meals are step quickly like an assembly line and the victuals budget would rival a of the present day airman's monthly paycheck. This is not, however, the eating habits of an Oakland Raiders offensive lineman or Chef Paul Prudhomme's late-night snack.

The logistics are smooth more confounding. Five different academys spread over a 25-mile radius in the Charleston, SC area, and five distinct schooling schedules with varied busing times. There is undivided light-blue 15-passenger van to transport them and just pair people who can drive it. unless this is not the field trip of Mr Pembry's sixth-grade science class or a senior trip to Walt Disney World.

They've managed five military act upons from Alaska to Washington, DC and exhausted more on adoption fees than a certain quantity of people will spend on a abiding-place The constant attention needed by the agency of a growing family, including several children with special stand in want ofs might buckle the knees of one But Chaplain (Maj.) Phillip Guin and his wife, Sandy, asked for this situation more than 15 years ago, when they adopted their son Max, and eight others that followed.

Despite the everyday tribulations, and the heartbreaks that have tried their courage, including the 1995 death of Jessica, the couple's inferior child, the Gums -- all 10 of them -- said each day is better than the last.

And they would live their lives no other way.

Finding focus in fresh ways

Before he became a Methodist minister and a chaplain, 17-year-old Phillip Gum enlisted in the Air Force in 1977 leaving Winfield, Ala., behind. His life at Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., as an aircraft maintenance technician, didn't give the blond-haired, green-ey teen-ager frequently focus. Then he met Sandy's father, Tom Shreve

"He gave me a fortune of direction," Gum recalled, "I was fairly rudderles for about couple and a half years. Then I met Sandy and Tom. He was a mentor and a matchmaker. He introduced me to his daughter Sandy. above time, I felt called to the ministry."

He also had muscular feelings for Sandy, and they married in 1980 In 1981 they left the Air Force. according to then, Sandy said they were to a high degree interested in starting a family.

"We wanted to have our finished little family with two full little kids. But that's not to what degree it happened," she said.

Eventually, the man and wife discovered they could not have their allow children. The Gums were averse to trying the confusing myriad fertility treatments and actions presented to them. Sad however undaunted, the couple eventually decided to adopt in 1984

from then, 24-year-old Phillip was attending seminary at Emory University in Atlanta, and the brace decided to "let their fingers do the walking" to find an adoption agency in the phone book

"We not looked back," the major remembered. "That became the course."

The waiting game

Adoption is a fairly intricate proces in the United States. The Gum faced a mountain of paperwork, visits from professionals and scrutinizing questions about finances, family circle life and background. Since they had chosen a private agency (versus a state agency, where choices, according to Sandy, are fewer), the compensations for completing the adoption proces were digest -- almost $5,000.

Initially frustrated and disheartened through the bureaucracy, the Guins set up themselves wondering when, if at all times they would have a child. Then they attended an orientation meeting with the agency and things changed.

"There was a coupling there with a baby, and all at one time it became very reassuring," Sandy said. "We realized it wouldn't all be paperwork."

After almost a year of domicile inspections, creatively structuring Phillip's $14000 annual salary and waiting, in 1985 the Guins welcomed Max, a healthy Korean baby lad into their home.

shortly after, the couple decided it wanted to adopt another child and discovered Jessica. the same day in 1985, Phillip came to one's home and Sandy showed him a picture of Jessica. Jessica was abandoned in Korea, confined to a wheelchair and had what the Guins' musing was cerebral palsy.

"She not absented it to me thinking I wouldn't be interested in adopting a child with of the like kind severe special needs, but I was immediately captivated," he said. "We didn't have any expectations."

the couple wanted to bring Jessica into their abode but were unfamiliar at best in dealing with a handicapped child. Further, Jessica's then undiagnosed condition brought steeper challenges to them. No matter. In 1986 they welcomed Jessica and raise themselves motivated to adopt others.

betimes after followed Caleb, now 17; Ramon, 16; Josiah, 13; Diana, 13; Megan, 12; Hannah, 10; and Mary, 10 by the agency of 1993, the Guins' home swelled to 11 Phillip was commissioned as a chaplain in the Air Force and life as a large family was in sated swing at March Air Force Base, Calif.

cease friend Naval Reserve Cmdr. clip King watched the family expand from his home in Moreno Valley, Calif. King and his wife had three adopted children of their admit at the time. The commander said the Guins inspired them to adopt more.