Adoption Story: Derek and Malissa

Derek and Malissa began working with me back in September. They had friends who adopted with the assistance of an adoption consultant and had been praying for a while about when to start their own journey. I remember the first time I spoke with Malissa; I was immediately struck by her heart for God and her desire to follow Him in each step of their adoption process. I remember telling my husband after that phone call, “Whatever happens in their adoption, they are going to handle it well. Their hearts just want to please the Lord."

They were home study ready in November and began applying to agencies right away. Three months later they were matched! They lovingly invested their hearts in the life of the expectant mama, praying for her precious baby and preparing for his arrival. But this little one was not the child God had for them. Through the heartbreak and tears, they clung to one another and the Lord, believing He would bring their baby in His timing.

At almost the same time they were processing their loss, they heard about another woman getting ready to choose a family for her baby. After praying, they decided to put their hearts on the line again and they were chosen! But this time, everything felt different. They had an immediate connection with the expectant mom and dad and a sense of peace flooded their hearts. When they travelled and spent time with the expectant parents, conversation flowed easily and they all felt joined together on the same team for sake of this little one. Derek and Malissa knew there aren’t guarantees during this part of the adoption process, but they just felt the abiding peace of God.

Their little man entered the world at the beginning of June. He is the son they have been praying for all along and he is so very loved by his proud big sisters!

Derek and Malissa, your son is such a picture of God's love and faithfulness. I will never forget the ways that you trusted Him to write your adoption story, even when it wasn't easy.

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Twin Adoption Story: Jesse and Brooke's Babies

When you’re around adoption even just a little bit, you start to notice some similar threads with each unique story. You will start to see God’s fingerprints there each time, declaring that His timing is always perfect and that He is always working for good in all of the details. Check out the wild ways He vibrantly revealed Himself in Brooke and Jesse’s story...

In June of last year, Jesse and Brooke got started with their adoption. They began their home study process right away and then they waited, and waited, and waited some more for it to be finished. They were so ready to start presenting but summer passed and then fall ticked along, and still they waited for their home study to be ready to go. Jesse and Brooke held tight to truth that God’s timing is always perfect and trusted that He was up to good.

Fast forward to the end of October and Jesse and Brooke were finally home study approved. I forwarded them an adoption situation: twins due in the spring. They read it over but hadn’t thought much about adopting multiples and shrugged it off, deciding not to present. Other families presented but as the expectant mama looked at profiles, she just didn’t quite feel like she found what she was looking for. A couple weeks later, I received word that a family still had not been found for these boys and I sent the situation out again. Brooke says,

"I thought, 'Ok Lord, are you trying to tell us something?!' We prayed about it and felt God clearly saying, ‘Yes, present!'  We got to a place of peace knowing that He could open or close the door."

While they were waiting to hear if they were chosen, I got a text from Brooke about God’s timing. She told me that almost exactly four years earlier they had found out that they had lost the twins Brooke was pregnant with. God is such a redemptive God with His timing, even when it comes to dates that hold great sorrow.

The twins’ birthmom knew that Jesse and Brooke were what she was looking for. They formed a tight, fast bond, joined together with a common love for the boys. (If you want a picture of how beautiful open adoption can be, look no further than Jesse and Brooke’s story. They all consider one another family.) Countless details confirmed to all of them that this was God’s doing. Here’s one pretty incredible example that Brooke highlights:

"Prior to being matched God had laid the verse Jeremiah 29:11 on Jesse's heart and kept laying it on his heart.  He woke up one night and journaled it even!  When we had our first visit with our boys’ birth momma we hadn't heard her whole story. As she began to tell us, she included how she started to claim Jeremiah 29:11 for these boys lives!  Jesse teared up and told her to open the small gift and card we brought her.  I had no idea!  In the card he wrote out the verse!  God had so many of these confirmations along the way. It's just crazy.  It was so clear to us and their birthmom."

He truly is in every detail. And God’s perfect timing? Well, on almost the exact day Jesse and Brooke signed up with their consultant and started praying for their birth momma, the twins were conceived. These precious, sweet baby boys were born in March and their story speaks so clearly of God’s hand at work.

Jesse and Brooke, I could look at pictures of your family over and over and never get tired of it. God’s plans really are so perfect, aren’t they?

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Adoption Story: Jimmy and Kylee's Birthday Miracle

I have been waiting to share this adoption story with you for quite a while now. Today is the day! Every time I think of Jimmy and Kylee and the details surrounding them becoming parents, I seriously squeal! Really, it's that amazing! I promise you, I could not make this stuff up.

Jimmy and Kylee got in touch with me on August 9, 2014 after they were pointed in our direction by another adoptive family. I had a long conversation with them on the phone where I could almost picture them on the edge of their seats. They were SO ready for their long wait to be over and could not wait to get started. God did something during our conversation and just like that my heart was connected with theirs; they were fast friends. There was just this energy and almost palpable sense of anticipation between all of us that God was about to do something big. Little did we know what God had in store...

A couple of days after that phone call, Jimmy and Kylee got started with me and I immediately began sending them adoption situations. After a year and a half of waiting at their agency and seeing nothing, they suddenly had hope that God wasn't done with their story. They knew there was a child He would bring to them and they were so thankful for the opportunity to finally start presenting their profile.

Then almost exactly a month later, I got an email about a little baby girl who needed a family; the agency said they needed to know immediately if anyone wanted to present their profile. It was around lunch time and I knew that Kylee was in school teaching. She wouldn't be checking her email until it would be too late to present. Thankfully, a couple days before that Kylee had said, "Katie, call me ANY time at school. Page me if you need to. Don't hesitate. My whole school is cheering us on in our adoption and they can't wait to see us become parents." (How awesome is that?) So, I spoke with the office and they put me through to Kylee. I love imagining her in her classroom filled with little kids, hearing my hyper-excited voice on the line as I shared about the situation. She didn't even need time to think about it. She knew they wanted to present. This was what they had been waiting for and she knew it.

The weekend came and we waited to hear about the birthmama's decision, Kylee emailed me this:
"This is awesome and my birthday is Monday!!!!!! Wouldn't this be a fantastic birthday gift? In fact, I have already taken a personal day to be off with my family that day. Praying for God to give this baby girl exactly what she needs."

Monday arrived and we knew a decision was coming. I was in my car, praying like crazy for Jimmy and Kylee and even my four year old was praying earnestly, "Please, help Miss Kylee have this baby for her birthday!" Kylee and Jimmy were about to go nuts waiting to hear an update. And then the update came. I got a hysterical call from Kylee and could barely even understand her. They had been chosen! Talk about an incredible birthday gift! They rushed to Florida as fast as possible and on September 16, they met their daughter for the first time. It was as if they had known each other forever.

I'm not sure I've ever seen two people more in awe at God for the gift of being parents. Every single time they mention their daughter, they stand amazed at His goodness. They know without a doubt that their daughter is a miracle from Him. This sweet ones adoption was just finalized and that awe has not dwindled even the slightest for Jimmy and Kylee. Only God can write stories like this. He is worthy to be praised!

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Adoption Story: Ryan and Ashleigh

There is much beauty to be found in these gorgeous photos of Ryan and Ashleigh's smiling adorable family. But there is an even greater beauty beyond the cute clothes and wide grins. These photographs whisper a story of faith that is far more stunning than any picture can convey. Here are some small glimpses of the beauty beyond the photos:

Fighting for Faith

Ryan and Ashleigh began their adoption journey in February 2014. In July they applied to agencies and the fight for faith quickly began. Incredibly stressful circumstances popped up out of nowhere and they wondered if they would be able to move forward as planned. It seemed pretty clear that the Enemy was hitting them on multiple sides, trying to shake their faith and halt their adoption. But they stood firm together, knowing that God had led them to adoption and He is victorious and mighty. 

Fighting Together as One

Ryan and Ashleigh sought to honor God as a team throughout the process. It is easy to try and push your emotions and your desires on your spouse when you’re adopting…to make each decision a battleground instead of an opportunity to stand together as one. But Ryan and Ashleigh were committed to wrestling through the hardest parts of the journey as a team. I watched as they prayed together, sought counsel together, talked together, and waited before the Lord together for direction about whether or not to present time and time again. They wanted to love each other even when they didn’t see eye to eye. And God never failed to lead them.

Investing Their Hearts

After 3 months of presenting, the day they had been praying for finally arrived. They were chosen! They built a loving, gracious relationship with their daughter’s birth mama and committed to pouring out love on her. Two months later when it was time for their daughter to be born, Ryan and Ashleigh were awed to see how much their daughter's birthmom loved them, too. She had even made them shirts that said, “Mom” and “Dad” and gave them to Ryan and Ashleigh to wear at the hospital!

The Beauty of A Daddy and Mommy’s Love

One of my favorite aspects of beauty beyond these pictures is found in the depth of emotion Ryan and Ashleigh feel towards their daughter. Ryan shared with me, "When we got home from the hospital she was ours. There was no difference...she felt like our biological children. There was no adjustment or transition phase of getting attached.” Ashleigh agrees, “Ryan is irrevocably beyond in love with her and so am I! It's all worth it. The paperwork, the waiting, the money, time, etc... I could not imagine my life without my daughter."

Ryan and Ashleigh, God has seen the beauty of your faith throughout this journey. And as a side note, I'm so grateful for the encouraging friend you've been to me throughout your adoption. I feel honored to have watched God be victorious in your story! 

**Photo Credits: Esther Bloom Photography and Photos by Kelley Anderson

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Adoption Story: Jared and Christy

Most couples enter marriage starry-eyed, hopeful, and filled with dreams for the future. A part of that dream often includes the hope that a tiny little person will enter the picture one day. Jared and Christy know that dream well, but it remained a dream far longer than they’d expected. 

After trying to have a family, going to the fertility doctor, and even waiting some more, Jared and Christy’s dream to become parents remained just that-a dream. They could have given up when becoming parents didn’t happen quickly. They could have looked at adoption and turned aside knowing the costs and the details and the risks involved. But the longing in their hearts to become a mom and dad far outweighed it all. They knew that their child would be worth every difficulty along the way, though it was far more of a roller coaster of emotions than they ever expected. 

They began their adoption process and after working with their local agency for over a year, became very discouraged about the lack of adoption situations that fit what they were looking for. After hearing about the option to use an adoption consultant from another adoptive family, they decided that a multi-agency approach was what they needed. They got started in June 2014 and after I created their profile, they began presenting to expectant mothers making an adoption plan.

They were encouraged to have more opportunities quickly come their way, but their hard wait was not over. Jared and Christy share:

“Soon thereafter, we were matched with a young expectant mother. Though we walked through all of the steps with her, cared for her, and were ready to meet and take the newborn baby home, we were met with the unexpected-a failed adoption. Though we were greatly disappointed and discouraged, we knew God had a plan and a reason for saying, “No.” 

Again and again Christy would tell me, “We know that God’s timing will be perfect.” They believed He was not done with their story. Christy shares the following:

“We continued to move forward with our adoption plans, though the situations we received just didn’t seem like a good fit for us. We did our best to just trust God and stick to our criteria, despite the discouragement. Finally in April, after two and half years of waiting and trusting, a big surprise came.  We got THE CALL!  With no prior notice, our son had arrived that morning!  As we hurriedly prepared to meet our son, we saw with our own eyes God's good plan!” 

Now their long-awaited dream is a reality, and they are soaking up every moment as a family of three! I’m so glad that they did not give up, and I thank God for their beautiful dream come true!

(Photos courtesy of Herr Photos.)

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Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Happy 4th of July weekend from some of our sweet adoptive families! If these pictures aren't a reminder that our world is filled with beauty, I don't know what is!

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