Today is the day!

Today is my birthday.  Is it coincidence that today is the day we decided to officially get started on the amazing journey called adoption?  I am sure it's not.  We didn't really consider the fact that it was my birthday when Friday, after a VERY long day, we were talking before sleep and agreed it was time.  Before I drifted off, I said "I'll file the paperwork Monday".  It didn't occur to me till the next morning that Monday...today... is my birthday.  Kind of perfect though :)

So today is the day!  The day that has felt like it's been coming for a lifetime.  Truly I suppose it has.  I am creating this blog to keep all my family and friends updated on our progress, and to share with them this experience that is certain to be life-altering.  I figure I will start off by explaining how we got here. 

I personally don't EVER remember not wanting to adopt.  My family could all tell you that I was talking about it since...forever.  There is no reason, I just have ALWAYS felt that I was supposed to.  When Brian and I met we discussed family, kids, and yes, adoption.  We wanted children.  I wanted lots of children, he was open to see where life led us.  When we had been married about a year, we found out we were going to have Trent.  Then came Caleb.  The pregnancies were difficult.  A few years later, encouraged by my doctor, we opted to give it one more go, and I became pregnant with Isaiah.  It was an excruciatingly complicated pregnancy.  Both mine and his health were jeopardized, and he was born at 31 weeks, needing significant medical intervention.  No more babies for us.  The risk was too great.

We had talked about whether adoption was still in our future during that last pregnancy and agreed to leave the door open.  Then when he was still a little bitty guy, we discussed again and decided when he started school we would revisit that possibility.  Time moved on......  Isaiah started school.  We broached the subject, decided we were enjoying where we were at, and dismissed the idea.  God had other plans.

I can look back now and see that this journey actually began well before I had any idea where we were headed.  In the fall of 2011, a new couple at our church opened the idea of starting an adoption/foster support group.  I jumped right in, knowing where it could lead, by then finding all the gradual changes of the past year as beacons pointing down this road.  We discussed the why's and why not's trying to be logical.  We discussed the how's as there are many choices to consider.  And we discussed the when's which was a year or two down the road.  God had other plans. 

March 28th.  That was the day.  That was the day we meet at church for Wednesday Night Alive and both KNEW it was time.  We started off looking at one program.  I feel God let us that direction first because of the agency it caused me to speak with.  That agency, while not the one for us, brought to light some factors we needed to consider.  I will forever be grateful that is where we started.  It quickly became apparent that program was not the right road for our family.  On to option #2.    After much research with option #2 and talking to COUNTLESS agencies, some of them excellent, it still just didn't seem "right".  Then while surfing the net after the boys went to bed, we stumbled on Haiti.  We both thought "this is it!"  When less than 2 weeks later Haiti ratified the Hague Convention, I was devastated.  It's a GREAT thing for Haiti, but makes the program currently unstable.  So... I prayed.

I prayed for patience (I am lacking in patience when it comes to time).  I prayed for peace (the stress was making me crazy).  And then I prayed that if there was a program that for whatever reason seemed impossible, but was the right one, that God make it known.  I have read and researched countless programs, and had no idea what else we could consider.  On Monday, June 18th I was cleaning out my inbox when I came across an article.  I had found it online, emailed it to myself, and forwarded it on to a good friend a month or so ago.  I had even forwarded it to Brian with a note that the program looked amazing.... too bad it didn't suit our family.  I had not considered it further.  It really wasn't a good fit for multiple reasons.  When I found it in my inbox the only thought that came to mind was "why not?"  It never hurts to ask, right?  That same friend whom I had forwarded the article to had mentioned a specific agency.  I googled them, sent an email, and waited. 

On Wednesday, June 20th I got an email back.  I emailed her my concerns with the program.  She asked me to call her.  I did.  The conversation was AMAZING.  All those concerns, doubts, uncertainties?  Gone.  The reasons the program didn't work for us?  It works perfectly.  God had it covered.   Prayers answered :)

So.... today is the day.  We are taking a leap of faith.  We are going to have to fund raise like crazy, file for grants and other adoption support, and pray!  I'm not worried.  I KNOW that God is ready, even if we aren't.  I also know that somewhere in Columbia our child or children will be waiting for us. 

If you want to help us on our journey, PLEASE PRAY FOR US!  If you want to help in other ways please contact me.  God bless!