When Alicia Rule competed in the Pikes Peak Feis (Irish dance competition) in Monument June 9, unlike previous years, she was dancing for two families: her adoptive parents and her birth family.

Alicia, who will be a Doherty High School sophomore, was adopted in Germany 15 years ago. Last year, she and her parents, Doug and Lura Lee Rule, traveled to Ohio, where her birth mother lives. There she met Carla, her birth mother, and danced for her at the Akron Feis. She also met her half-brothers and sisters. Doug is also from Ohio, only about 20 miles from where Carla grew up.

That first reunion was tearful, but one of joy, as neither the Rules nor Carla knew much about the other, but with little of his own detective work, and a lot of discretion, Doug located Carla and family. The families decided to meet at the Akron Feis, in Tallmadge, Ohio, near where Doug's brother lives in Cuyahoga Falls. Carla lives outside Oberlin, Ohio, not too far away.

As Alicia was preparing to dance, Carla arrived with her sisters, some of their spouses, children Darren, Emilee, Justin and Brookalyn, and stepchildren Jesse and Moriah. Doug, who also does Irish dancing, competed as well. The crew was impressed with seeing Irish dancing live for the first time and there were enough medals earned between Alicia and Doug that everyone had a souvenir of the event.

Two weeks after the Akron Feis, Carla remarried and had Alicia as a bridesmaid. Those two weeks were spent getting to know Carla and her family and visiting with Doug's families in Tennessee and West Virginia.

Since then the families have kept in touch and this year, while she couldn't be in Ohio to celebrate Carla's anniversary, she did dance for them here.

Alicia and Doug started out with St. Brendan's School of Irish Dance (now Celtic Steps), sponsors of the Pikes Peak Feis, and are now taking lessons with the Bennett School of Irish Dance, 1946 S. Quebec St., Denver.