We have some BIG news to share!
As you can see from the picture, we are currently in the adoption process! This has been a BIG dream of ours and a long journey for Ryan and I’s entire relationship! We felt called to do this a long time ago and this is the time the Lord has set for it to finally happen! Gracie is excited, Eli has no clue, and we are in for a longer journey ahead, one that I am excited for the kids to go through with us.
De ja vue?
Um yes, we started the adoption process back in 2014. We had our home study paperwork turned in, had completed a training weekend, and were waiting to start the home study visits and interview process when we found out we were going to have Eli! After his arrival we were told not to start again until after his first birthday, and then we waited two more years after that. Why did we wait SO LONG? because babies/toddlers are exhausting and so is the adoption process. It also gave us a lot of time to save up a huge chunk of the overall price of this adoption so that we could get through most of it before we thought about fundraising. We know that this is the right time for us to start again, and we are further this time than when we started in 2014.
We are in the domestic infant program through Bethany Christian Services. There are many reasons we chose Bethany, the biggest one being how they care for the expectant mother. She will have all medical expenses paid for, counseling for the rest of her life, and proper legal help.
I am constantly asking my kids “why do we love others?” and the answer they are supposed to give is “because Jesus first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Most of the time this leads to a conversation on how we practically love others, but the bigger conversation is how exactly did Jesus love us, and how can we be like him. Ryan and I believe that we were fatherless and broken in our sin, and that Jesus paid the price on the cross for that sin so that we can believe and we can have a relationship with our father in heaven.
Galatians 4:1-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
We believe that adoption honors God, displays the Gospel through our family to ourselves and the world, and cares for the orphan and oppressed as we are called to do in scripture. Deuteronomy 10:18, Galatians 1:1-5, Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 82:3
Doesn’t Adoption Cost a Ton?
Yes, yes it does. Ours will cost about $28,000. When we started the first time around we had started saving through my photography business and I did a big round of mini sessions. That money is still in our adoption bank account and being used for this round. We saved a good bit but not enough, so we will be looking to do some fundraising in the near future. We have some ideas, but right now we want to focus on getting our home study completed. We will need at least $15,000 more to complete this adoption. Are there cheaper ways to adopt? Yes, but we chose this path because we believe the expectant mother is the biggest role in this process and she deserves the best, and we know Bethany can provide that. For us it is not as much about getting a new baby, it is about living out the Gospel of Jesus.
Doesn’t Adoption Take a Long Time?
We expect for this to last 1.5-2 years once we are on the “waiting list,” which we expect to be mid-January. In Virginia (and many other states) the expectant mother chooses the family. We will have a profile where she can see pictures of us and get to know who we are so that she can make the best decision for her baby. There are many families ahead of us (this is a GOOD problem) and they may be shown first. Every mother is different and every situation is different. I have heard so many stories and not one is the same. We don’t know what to expect and we cannot predict anything.
We would love for you to be praying for us as we go through this journey. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We are so excited to welcome another brother or sister, daughter or son to our family!
