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I am so happy being married and living with my best friend. We adopted our first child, Ari, in 2011 through a domestic adoption and our second, Jude, in 2014.

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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Here We Go

Alright folks, we have finally decided what the heck we're doing, so here it is for you...  We are going to go through the foster care system and foster-to-adopt.  So yes, that does mean that we are becoming foster parents first.  And yes, there's a good chance that some kids who come into our home will eventually return to their biological families.  But one day there will be a child meant for us and that child will never have to leave our home.

Here's how we came to the decision of doing this: The hubs has always wanted to adopt.  He even talked about when we were still just dating.  So when it came time in our marriage that we knew that's the point we were at, he immediately wanted to do it through foster care.  I, on the other hand, was terrified of that and flat out said "no", over and over again.  So we tried to go through agency after agency, but nothing ever seemed to work out for some reason.  We had finally settled on an agency that was looking good and had a phone interview set up with them for 5:00 pm on a Friday.  I, however, woke up that morning with DHS/foster care on my brain like crazy.  I just could not get it out of my head!  It was the strangest thing.  Then 5:15 pm rolled around and we still hadn't received a call from this private adoption agency.  Then 5:30, 5:45, 6:00...  Around 6:30 pm we finally decided that, for whatever reason, they weren't calling.  And to my surprise, I felt extremely relieved that they didn't call us.  That was the final sign I needed.  I finally heard God speaking to me.  He needs us to go through DHS to build our family, so that's exactly what we'll be doing.

We are working with a third party agency that will go through DHS for us.  They will make all the calls necessary and will stay in continual contact with them, making sure everyone is staying on top of our paperwork.  So that is REALLY nice to have.  We meet with them for the first time on Monday, the 6th, at our house to start initial paperwork and they will also do a Home Safety Check at that time (yes, I will be cleaning my house like CRAZY this week!)

So, there you have it.  The hubs and I are going to become foster parents with hopes that we will eventually be able to adopt one of those precious children that comes into our home.  It will not be easy.  I know this.  But these children need love and stability in their lives, and who am I to say no to that just because they may not be with me forever?  Please pray for us as we get started on this new journey.  I will definitely keep you updated along the way!

16 comments:

Justin Reeves said...

thats awesome guys im proud of you cuz and i know it will work out. itll be tough but i know yall can handle. love yall

Jeanne Reeves Priest said...

So proud of you & amazed by your strength & courage!!! I love you so very much & I'm so happy God blessed me with you as my daughter!

Azeneth Rodriguez McCutchen said...

So excited for you guys!! This will be an exciting year for y'all. If you need any help cleaning just let me know.

Unknown said...

I'm so glad to know you have a plan and i'm sure you feel such peace in knowing. I love you guys and am still praying for you and your decision!
Let me help with car seats!!!! ;)

Stephanie Samotis said...

From one foster mommy to another, make sure you have a fire extinguisher when they come to check! A friend told us before our first inspection, too. :) They're pretty cheap at Wal-Mart if you don't already have one. If you have ANY questions on the OKDHS system, let me know! Between us and our (former) support group there, we are here for you. LOVE YOU!

Ryan Hernandez said...

‎:-)

Shirley Thomas said...

Very happy for you and praying for a quick adoption....you guys certainly deserve to have a family. And a fine family it will be!!

Stephanie Samotis said...

So proud of you - let us know if you have any questions regarding OKDHS. Between us and the peeps we met while fostering there, surely we can figure it out. Love you!

Shaunte Place said...

Oh I am so proud of you and Mike! I think your right as to it won't always be easy, but I know that the two of you will bring joy to these childrens lives which will make it worth while! So happy for you, and love you guys!!

Kristi Bowers said...

sounds awesome. I know you guys will be awesome and a huge blessing to many children.

Rebekah Bruce Parker said...

Wow. You guys are going to be such a huge blessing for this child (children). There are so many children in Oklahoma's system that need to be loved by amazing, Christian parents and I KNOW that you and Mike will be just that.

I'm so happy for you all and keep you in my prayers often.

Love you guys.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Vanessa! Such cool news. I hope and pray all the best for your family as you start this journey! - Sterling

Penelope said...

We've been fostering for nearly 3 years. We adopted our very first placement! We will adopt a another this year but have said goodbye to 5 others along the way.

Looking forward to following your journey!

Tammy said...

How awesome is this!!! You guys will make wonderful foster/parents! My prayers go with you thru this journey with the hopes that God provides a permanent addition(s) to your precious family! Love love love you!!!!

Jessica Maras Cowles said...

Instead of blessing one child's life, you both will bless many! We are so happy for you, and we can't wait to see the love and joy that God is going to bring into your lives.

Michelle Heaton said...

This just brought tears to my eyes. So happy for both of you. I hope that wherever this path leads you that you are both blessed! My cousin became a foster parent to two little girls and she adopted them a couple of years later. They are now 5 and 7 years old and thriving in their lives. Good Luck and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for you all. XoXo