Naoma here. I was seven years old and in my bedroom in the split level home we lived in at the time when I opened a small publication all about adoption from the middle of the paper. It was then that I knew I needed to be a mom someday, and I would adopt kiddos to get there. I never dreamt of a wedding day, or having bio babies… just adoption days and adoption celebrations. Then I met Blake while we were in grad school and learned that he wanted to adopt as well. And that (plus all the other reasons he’s the best human I know) helped me realize he was an excellent companion and partner for me. We’ve been married 10 years this year and between then and now we have learned and grown so much. We’ve traveled thousands of miles on bicycles together across the west, and pedaled with the middle school kids we taught in after school programs. We’ve invested our hearts and bodies into enriching the soil and growing plentiful gardens in our backyard in southern New Mexico. And in the last year and a half we’ve relocated to establish ourselves financially and ready ourselves for a family. And all this time we’ve gradually worked to build a living, stable, healthy & peaceful life we could bring a child into. So now? We’re on to the next step: sharing this journey with others and working to make it a reality. Thank you for sharing this dream with us. Here’s to expanding our family to include a human little. ❤️
More about us:
Naoma has a BS in Geography and GIS, and an MA in Sociology with a minor in Women's Studies. They have worked in archaeology, for the National Park Service, and as a planner and nonprofit professional. They are a life long artist and photographer who loves the outdoors - especially hiking, camping, swimming and bicycling. They also love volunteering and working with kids - especially those spunky middle-schoolers!
Blake has a BS in Early Childhood Education, and an MA in Agricultural and Extension Education. He has worked in education (Kinder, 7th, 5th, and now 1st and 2nd grade), for the Peace Corps in Vanuatu for five years, and as a home maintenance person. He is a life long hobby gardener, lover of vegetables, and loves the outdoors - especially hiking, camping, bicycling, running, and playing soccer. He also volunteers his efforts to support his community, and works with youth doing bicycle education and running afterschool programs.
We have been married 10 years this year. We met, and were married, in southern New Mexico - and we still live in the state. We have shared images of our life together, some of our lives before we met, and we also shared images of our closest family and friends as well.
We'll be buying a home to create the opportunity for an adoption. So that is something we'll obviously cover ourselves! And theeennn… The fundraising breakdown goes like this–
Home Study Fee, $2,500; Documentation Preparation & Authentication, $1,000; Adoption Agency Application & Program Fees, $25,000; Adoption Consultant Fees, $5,000; Attorney Fees, $15,000; Advertising & Networking, $3,500; Birth Family Counseling, $1,000; Foster Care, $400; Travel Expenses, $5,000; Miscellaneous Expenses, $3,000;
TOTAL, $45,400.00
