Our Story

 <Note: This is the beginning of our adoption story-5 YEARS AGO.  Much has changed since then.  Check out the updated epilogue for what is happening currently!>

So it sounds like a joke: What happens when a Social Worker and a part-time Librarian try to adopt a baby from Africa?  No really, what happens?

Well since you asked, the answer is-we are about to find out!

Here’s the thing: David and I have been interested in adding to our family in “non-traditional” ways for awhile.  Even when we were dating and the prospect of putting “us” and “family” in the same sentence freaked me out--David was already talking about his dream of having a farmhouse full of foster kids.  Those social workers, such big hearts :).

Fast forward 10+ years and here we are.  A little family unit of 3.  David: the aforementioned social worker, Myself (Laura): the part-time librarian, and Elijah: our funny blessing boy, who is already 5 (which is halfway to 10--a fact that is extremely disturbing to me).

The "nice" family picture...

...and the more "true to life" family picture.

We had been married about 4 years when we had Elijah.  He was an absolute gift.  A screaming, sleepless, dirty-diapered gift, but a gift just the same.  Through his addition to our family, we learned SO much.  But mostly we learned that after the time and endless expenditure of energy put into this little bundle of a person, we still grew somehow.  Grew as parents.  Grew in our marriage.  Grew crazy amounts of love for this tiny dictator running our lives.

A really adorable dictator!

And so the time came when we wanted a second child in the house.  It took me a little while to come to this place.  David was ready for a second baby the moment Elijah came home from the hospital.  I, however, was a little more hesitant, so we waited.  It was during this time that David and I started to revisit the idea of adding to our family in other ways.  Through Compassion International, we had been sponsoring two children in other countries (Kenya and the Dominican Republic) and had grown in our desire to meet needs in different places around the world.  We started dipping our toe in and getting just a small amount of information from adoption agencies at that point.

Then baby fever hit HARD.  We were both finally on the same page and ready to have another child, a sibling for Elijah.  And nothing happened.  Still nothing happened.  We watched all (okay...maybe it just seemed like all) of our friends get pregnant and have babies and were still unable to conceive.  Two years later, even after medical intervention, we remained a family unit of 3 and David and I were completely wrung out emotionally.

During those 2 years of trying for pregnancy, we had continued to talk in starts and stops about international adoption.  In fact, I had gone back to part-time work and my paychecks were going straight to savings--in the hopes of accumulating enough for a future adoption.  But the reality was (and is)-International adoption is expensive (around 30 thousand dollars expensive).  Even with our savings, the cost seemed insurmountable.

Then a few things happened:  

Number one: David and I agreed that we needed to take a break from the “getting pregnant” process.  Believe me, it was a PROCESS at this point (and all of you who have dealt with infertility can insert your “Amen” here).  We realized that we needed to make peace with the fact that we may never conceive and carry another baby together.  

Number two: In one of my crazier moments (and I have had many), I put out a virtual cry for help in regards to raising money for an adoption.  And we got an amazing answer.  A friend of ours put us in touch with a faith-based foundation who was interested in helping us with our dilemma.  We exchanged some information and specifics and waited for their answer.  They got back in touch with us and said that they would like to match (so, double) any money we receive towards our adoption....up to $15,000!  Wow, wow, wow.  After doing a major happy dance, we started to feel as if this adoption thing could be manageable in the foreseeable future.

HAPPY DANCE!!

Number three: This one just happened a couple of months ago and it involves my son.  If you haven’t met Elijah, you may be missing out on the world’s funniest (and most talkative) kid.  I could be a tad biased here, but moving on :).  Elijah asked me (after nearly a year of praying for us to have a baby), “Mama, why can’t we have a miracle?”.  The question was like a dagger in my heart and it left me dumbstruck.  I know in frustration I had thought it (maybe even screamed it), but never voiced it as simply as my sweet son.  

I’ve been thinking about the answer to that question ever since.  It has been burning a hole in my mind.  And the answer that I have....the one that gives me peace is this: Sometimes you get to participate in the miracle.  God gave us hands, feet, and brains so that we can use them to bless and honor Him and one another.  One of my favorite people, Jesus, said this great thing, “...You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  

The truth is: David and I will have another child, Elijah will have a sibling.  She is not getting here the easy way, but she WILL get here.  We need your willing hands, feet, and hearts for this to happen!  This is a pitch-in, all hands on deck situation.  A miracle by participation.  A journey of a billion steps.  A story waiting to be written.  Please continue on with us, check in, ask questions because this is only the beginning.  And the truth is--we cannot wait to see what happens.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -Lao Tzu

Epilogue: In the beginning of 2017, Ethiopia suspended international adoptions in their country.  After crying and praying our hearts out, we felt India adoption was a good fit for our family.  Currently we are fundraising and in the paperwork process AGAIN ; we finished both our home study and dossier by the beginning of 2018!   Now we eagerly await a match with our Indian princess!!