We have BIG news!
We are adopting a child!
It feels like our journey to get here has been long, and yet we know the road ahead may be just as long.
In 2017 Jon and I started the process to become licensed foster parents in Pennsylvania and in September 2018 we were fully licensed. Two months later we welcomed the sweetest Little Lady into our home. Little Lady taught us so much about trauma, hope and family. She helped us grow up and taught us so much about the world around us. Little Lady stayed with us for 16 months and we were heartbroken when she left in March 2020.
As Jon and I re-adjusted to life as a family of two, we were presented with the chance to relocate to North Carolina. Since our move, God has provided us with lessons on courage, faith, and grace. It is with these lessons in mind that we have decided to follow the call to grow our family through adoption.
We spent weeks discussing the "pros" and "cons" of adoption. We analyzed the financial implications of growing our family this way, and we talked about the challenges of raising a child so far from our loved ones. We talked endlessly about trauma, about birth families, and about how adoption would change our lives. At the end of the day, none of the risks could to compare to the opportunity to let our story intertwine with another family's in hopes of raising a child to know that he/she can change the world.
We are nervous, overwhelmed, and very excited to see what God does in our lives over the next several months as we walk down this path towards adoption. There are so many things that must happen before we say "hello baby", and each step of the process includes a variety of expenses. It may surprise you to hear that adoption related costs can easily total up to $55,000 or more. As a result, we have started a crowdfunding campaign. The initial goal will help ease the financial burden of the adoption process.
We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see yourself as part of the community we hope to build around our family as it continues to grow. We look forward to providing you with updates as we move through the process and to having join us on the journey to say "hello baby"!
