Adoption: Our story from the Beginning

So, we haven't told everyone yet, but we are expecting! We are more than thrilled. The neatest thing ever is that this time our whole family is 'pregnant' in our hearts, instead of just in my tummy. We are adopting!! We get to feel all the emotions together. We are in the hardest part right now--the waiting. As I am typing, we have not been chosen by a birth mother. So this could be a really short or a really long pregnancy...so different than anything I've ever experienced.

Our journey actually began a little while back, so let me start from the very beginning :)

When I was younger (middle/high school) I always said I wanted to adopt because there were so many kids that were already here that didn't have a family and a home. Well, that was quite my passion for awhile, but, once I was married, my heart changed and I really wanted to go through that process and journey with Jeff and our family. We've been there done that, twice! It was everything it was cracked up to be and more...especially on this side of having delivered :)

A few months ago, Jeff approached me and said that he was being led to pray about adoption. I was completely against even the thought of additional family members for us, as I was a little overwhelmed with two toddlers! But over the course of those months my heartstrings were slowly and tenderly being tugged by the Lord Almighty. He did it in so many ways. Through friends, through the blogging world I am so acquainted with, through His Word. It really came to a peak on a particular day, Monday, June 22nd. Here is what I wrote the next day after God came through in SUCH an unexpected and awesome way:

"The God that we serve is IMMEASURABLY Amazing and has provided in ways that could ONLY be his hand. I am in love with my Savior. He is so good to me. It's just awesome to see HIS timing, HIS provision and HIM. when we come to a place where we stop waiting/wanting for it to happen, and just be at peace with exactly where we are, He shows up huge and blesses us immensely. To Him be the glory...and may we be good stewards of our blessings and open doors.
June 24 at 1:17am"

It was in disguise at the time that God had definitely confirmed in my heart that He was in control, in control of absolutely all of it. I am so grateful for Jeff and that he was at a place to hear and obey the word of the Lord to his heart. What an amazing daddy, husband, friend, leader of our family! (in reverse order of importance)

Anyway, so since June we have been weighing out options. We have been praying, talking, discussing, talking, researching, talking, praying, and more praying. It's just been neat. After all of that, we were led in the direction of partnering with Crisis Pregnancy Outreach in Jenks, OK. I highly recommend anyone to look into this agency if you are even somewhat considering adoption and/or if you just want to help out the agency in any way! It is a solely volunteer agency and so there are many awesome people there that are just amazing giving of their time and their resources to help birth mothers, children, adopters, adoptions, and much more!

We've told some of our close family and friends and were met with mostly positive reactions. We did have several bridges to cross. I must say that although they were very difficult at times, our family, both immediate and other, are better off for them. I know that through those conversations, although heartbreaking and emotional at times, the Lord's hand was in them in so many ways. Our families are with us and going to support us in this journey ahead of us.

So, like I said before, we are in the waiting process and learning process now. We have much to do in the time of waiting though...so hopefully it'll keep us occupied enough as we wait to meet our new little one.

And yes, as much as they can comprehend, Jackson and Creighton are both ecstatic about this!

Not that we owe it to anyone, but one of the main reasons we feel the call to adopt, outside of the obvious theme throughout the Bible of pro-adoption (you are adopted, if you are a believer, just like Jesus Christ, himself, was/is), is the fact that we are Pro-Life. In being pro-life, we cannot be anything other than Pro-adoption, or we are not pro-life. It would be lie, for us, to say otherwise. So, that is where we are. We have love, we have a family, we want to give a child a home that needs one, and in the process make sure that his/her birth mother is cared for and ministered to. What a choice of love she is giving to her birth child!

Please join us in prayer for the rest of our journey and beyond.