A Twinkle In My Eye

So here is the crazy thing about adoption.  We are still (at least) a year or two from being matched with a baby.  It is likely that our baby has not even been conceived yet.  That means I think about a baby everyday that does not yet exist.

For now, sweet little baby, you are a twinkle in my eye.

PS- James keeps asking for a girl baby (and we are not specifying).  "Want girl baby, want girl baby, Mommy."

Kindness and Encouragement

Today I went to Wells Fargo to open a savings account for our adoption.  The banker was very kind and asked a lot about our journey.  Very little of our conversation was about the financial aspect of our adoption,  but he did ask how we planned to raise the money.  I told him about our upcoming $20,000 in 20 days campaign (we are shooting for September or October).  He asked me to let him know when we start the campaign and to give him a handout with our story on it.  He wants to share it at their staff meeting and ask the 20 bank employees to each donate $20.

I was floored.  And in tears.  His kindness encouraged me today and reminded me why we plan to do this campaign.  It is so tangible.

I love the photo below.  To me, each balloon symbolizes the encouragement of one person.  When those balloons all come together, there is great power and something great can really take flight!

Adoption Update

Hi friends.

Many of you have been so kind to ask for updates about our adoption.  I realize that it has been ages since I posted anything on the blog.

We are still on a wait list with Lutheran Family Services. We put ourselves on the wait list in December and the average wait to begin the active process is around a year, give or take.  Once we are part of the active process, we will do a six-month home study, create a profile, and then we will be part of a pool of 10-12 families that biologial mothers can choose from.  

God gave us great peace about this agency, so we are at ease with the wait...for the most part.  We know from a practical standpoint we are not ready (fundraising, paying off debt, moving into a different home).  In that regard, I am super thankful that this journey is slow.  But my heart aches for another child.  I yearn for breastfeeding (that may confuse some of you - I will post more info on this soon), skin to skin, and to watch James become a big brother.  As I celebrate along side many of my dear friends as they bring children into the world biologically, I wish we knew the time table for our adoption in the same way that my friends know the time table of their pregnancy.  I wish we had a "due date" (or a "due guess" as I like to call it).  But the Lord is preparing Wes and my hearts, and James' as well.  His timing is perfect, even when the control freak in me wishes he would jot his timeline down in my planner. 

Honestly, at this point, it still feels so surreal.  We both think that it will become more real when we begin fundraising in late summer/early fall.  We are planning on doing a campaign called "$20,000 in 20 days."  The goal is to get 1,000 people to donate $20 in the span of 20 days.  We will reach out to all of our contacts and we will also ask several of our close family and friends to reach out on our behalf.  A dear friend from Wildtree suggested that I also reach out to those in Wildtree that I have a friendship with to see if they will donate their commission from one party.

Want to know a secret? We both really do not like fundraising.  I raised money for missions trips for years and then we raised money for Wes' salary when he was on staff at Park Church.  We feel awkward entering that fundraising realm again.  But here is what we know:

- We feel confident that God has called us to private domestic infant adoption.

- The cost of that we will be around $23,000.

- We don't have a surplus of $23,000.

- With my student loans, it is not wise to take on more debt (an adoption loan).

- Thus, we must fundraise.

I know that people are excited to help us on this journey in many capacities, including financially.  Please pray that the Lord softens our heart to the process.

Recently, we were presented with another adoption option.  Our plan is to adopt in Colorado,  but a new friend has made us aware of a niche of babies in Flordia needing adopted.  In Colorado there is a wait for babies; in Florida, they are in need of more adoptive parents.  This may seem odd and the answer is multi-faceted.  In short, due to racial tension in Florida, it is more difficult to find a suitable placement for these precious babes.  Point of the story: adopting from Florida would likely be quicker.  However, we are staying on the slower Colorado track for now for the following reasons:

1. We have not fundraised yet.

2. We plan to move in with family or friends for 6-12 months starting this fall to pay off debt.

3. The Lord has not told us to reroute our plans.

If at some point the Lord makes clear to both of us to switch tracks and adopt from Florida through an attorney, we would pay Lutheran Family Services to complete our home study and then we would deal directly with an attorney in Florida (recommended by my friend).  Cost would be about the same.

So please pray that the Lord would give us both wisdom and discernment.  We aim to bring him glory and to do what is best for James and our future child.

We will keep you updated as our journey unfolds.

Love,

Wes and Laura