BIG NEWS!!!
Ryan and I are beyond excited to announce that we are adopting a baby!
When deciding to start a family, we discovered that we were among the 1 in 8 couples who face infertility. After a lot of soul-searching, Bible study, research, and prayer, Ryan and I decided to take the leap of faith to start the adoption process on January 1st, 2023. We will be married 15 years in June and we are simultaneously ecstatic and terrified about the chance to see each other in a new role: parents.
It’s probably safe to say that most families do not have the funds to pay for an adoption outright. The average cost for just the adoption agency fees is $45,000. Adoption-related costs can easily total up to $60,000 or more, so we are asking for your help toward these costs. These are the estimates our adoption consultant provided us:
Consultant Fee: $4,200 Home Study: $2,000 Profile Book: $800 Agency Application Fees: $3,000 Match/Placement Fees: $45,000 Travel, Room & Board: $3,000 Post Placement Supervision: $2,000 Legal Finalization: $2,500 Total: $62,500
Those numbers seem impossible to us. We hope that by inviting you into this process, you will see God’s faithfulness and provision with us. Would you consider being a part of the answer to our prayers? Your donations through this page will be tax-deductible and go directly towards the adoption fees listed above.
Thank you for your support and for being a part of our family’s story. We can’t wait to celebrate the arrival of Baby Christmas with you!
On February 7th, 2024, we received notification that our case was presented before a judge in Texas, and the adoption was finalized! It was somewhat anticlimactic since we didn't actually appear in court and we found out while we were at work. None of that, however, diminishes the fact that our son is one of the most precious, priceless blessings of our lives. We are so grateful he is a part of our family. He is growing every day and gives us all the smiles and laughs. Thank you so much for walking with us and supporting us through this journey, which has only just begun.
This update is long overdue! It has been a whirlwind the past 4 months since our sweet baby boy arrived in early August! 🩵 In case you didn’t know, we were placed with our son 2 days after he was born. We stayed in a hotel with him in Texas while we were waiting for ICPC (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children) paperwork to be completed. That just means that our home state had to receive clearance from Texas that we had the rights to travel across state lines with him. It’s a protective measure to prevent child trafficking. We came home with him 8 days after his birth and life has never been the same! Nor would we want it to be. 🥰
We can’t thank you enough for your generosity. You helped ease our financial burden in a HUGE way. We are still paying for some adoption expenses. I’m sure some of you are scratching your heads. We have a baby - what else is there!? Even though we’ve had him in our home for four months now (what’s considered “placement”), the adoption is not finalized until 6 months after placement. During this supervisory period, our social worker who completed our home study comes to visit us and see how we’re all adjusting to life together. She writes reports and sends them to our agency. In NC the required number of post placement visits is 2, but Texas requires 5. Since we used a Texas adoption agency, we have to follow their laws. We’ve had 3 visits from our social worker so far. We will have two more and the adoption should be finalized in February! We will keep you posted.
Until then, we are so incredibly grateful for each and every one of you - whether you’re known or anonymous. You played a part in helping us become a family of three, and that is a truly immeasurable gift.
We got matched!!
Hi everyone! This video is a little longer because we wanted to explain what the match process looks like at our agency (Texas Adoption Center) and how it’s going for us. Feel free to ask any questions you have!
Prayer Requests
- continued faith as we wait
- for the expectant mothers and each of their situations
- for grant applications (a “yes” would be amazing!)
- future fundraisers (a yard sale is in the works)
We’re live with TAC! Scroll to find our picture and check out our profile: https://www.texasadoptioncenterfamilies.org/
Prayer Requests:
- Please continue to pray for us, all the expectant moms we come across, and for our baby. Pray that God would go before us and even now be working out all the details for our match.
- Please pray for us to have stamina as we continue to apply for grants and work on fundraising efforts. Pray that we would be awarded a grant!
