We have BIG news…WE ARE ADOPTING!!!
We are beyond excited to share this news with everyone! This has been a long awaited announcement and we wanted to take a minute to share our story. As some of you know, Bryce and I are high school sweethearts. We started dating our senior year. He had been asking and asking forever, and he finally convinced me to go on a date. He was the funny and cute football player and I was so quiet and shy that I didn't think he was serious. I'm so glad I said yes, because the rest is history! We have been married for 8 years now.
We had always talked about wanting a big family and adoption was part of the conversation from the very beginning. We had big plans of having 2-3 kids and then maybe adopting or fostering a few more later in life, but God had different plans for us. He usually does, we're learning. After a few years of trying to start a family, we were diagnosed with infertility. That word was HARD to hear. I remember being so angry with God and even questioning what we had done to deserve it, but like He always does, God took something awful and used it for good. He used those really difficult years to strengthen our marriage, draw us closer to Him, and He opened our hearts completely to the idea of adoption.
It feels like this is exactly how we were supposed to build our family all along. It is truly a calling. Our plan B was always His plan A, and His plans are always greater. We know that God has handpicked our baby specifically for us, and it is all going to work out in His perfect timing. We feel so blessed to be on this journey and we cannot wait to meet our sweet little one. He/She is so loved already by so many. \<3
The adoption process is a lot. There are interviews, background checks, and oh my goodness the paperwork, but we did it! We have completed our home-study, finished our profile book and are now waiting to be matched with a birth mom. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to be prepared to welcome a new addition into our family. We could get a phone call tomorrow or it could possibly take several months, even years, but we are trusting God in the waiting. We ask each of you to come along side of us and PRAY. Pray for God's will to be done and for strength and patience for us in the midst of the unknown. Pray especially for the precious birth mom, because while this will be such a joyful and exciting time for us, it is going to be one of the hardest things she ever has to do. We are so grateful for these brave mamas that choose life!
We have set up this fundraiser through Pure Charity where those that feel led can help out financially as well. All contributions are tax deductible and will go directly towards our adoption. Most people don't realize that adoption can cost families somewhere around $40,000. We have been saving to make our dreams a reality, and we know that where God guides, He also provides. We realize that times are tough, especially in the middle of a pandemic, so above all we ask you to please, please PRAY. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our story so far. We are beyond blessed to have such an amazing support system and so many wonderful people in our lives to help encourage us along the way. We are grateful for each of your prayers and contributions and we can't wait to see where this journey leads us.
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalms 27:14
-Austin & Bryce
