We have some exciting news! We are officially off of the waiting list which means all the technical details like the homestudy, loads of paperwork, appointments etc are all behind us. We can match with a birthmother. The timing is still in God's hands and this could take many months or God could work quickly. Either way, we are preparing as much as possible in the event something happens sooner rather than later. 

We ask you to continue to pray for us as you can imagine our feelings and emotions are heightened as we now realize this is all happening. Adoption is full of unknowns and most of all, it's a reminder that we have FULLY placed our trust in God. We must let go and trust in His plans not our own ideas. We want to give a baby the love and stability it would not get otherwise. Our daily prayer is that God would place the baby that will fit best in our family right in our path but of course, adoption never comes without its ups and downs.

There will be worries, fears, stress, and exhaustion as we prepare to fly across the country to potentially meet a birthmother, as we contemplate the birth of the baby, as we wait for 48hrs for the birthmother to sign over her rights, and to potentially console a baby that is going through drug withdrawals. There are so many more things that we think about such as leaving our boys when the time comes to meet the baby. We pray they understand and are protected from the roller coaster of emotions as much as possible. We cherish your prayers as we walk into many unknowns and we ask you pray specifically for the birth mother and baby. That the birthmother would make wise decisions, feel at peace with her decision, and that the baby would be protected and safe.

We ask that you continue to pray and if you feel led to financially contribute to bringing our baby home, it would mean the world to us. Your financial contributions will go straight to the amount we pay as soon as we match with a birthmother. That amount is $52,000. Then there are other expenses such as the program fee, the homestudy fees, the baby's medical costs once it's born, and all the travel expenses. The baby has no idea or decision regarding the cost and although it is scary to try to save and spend so much on adoption, we can't think of a better way to use the money God gives us. We want to be as transparent as possible with you about this journey because we feel that adoption is rarely talked about. Our goal is to bring awareness and understanding in any way we can. We are now a step closer and it's all becoming a reality!

I wanted to share this sweet picture of Rick and the boys from Father's Day. It's exciting to think that maybe by next Father's Day there will be a baby in the picture❤️

UPDATE:

We are excited to be done with the home study and loads of paperwork. It was a stressful few months making sure everything was in order to legally be able to adopt. Numerous hours and days went into gathering and filling out paperwork, going to appointments, and attending classes and meetings. There were times when we thought that part would never end but here we are! God is good. We are currently on the agency's waiting list and are waiting to go "active" to match with a birthmother. Pray for patience in this next step, for the birthmother that we will be matched with to make wise decisions regarding her baby during her pregnancy, and for the baby to be safe and healthy. Prayer is such a powerful tool and we are grateful for all of your prayers. We also can't thank those of you enough who have given financially. It encourages us that God knows the needs and is meeting them through your beautiful hearts! We pray He blesses you through you blessing us.

Once we are off the waiting list and "active", we will be be able to match with a birthmother. This could happen fast or take many months. Only God knows the timing. We will be required to pay the agency the entire sum up front upon matching. This is a large amount and we are doing everything we can to save as fast as we can. It is difficult not knowing the timing and making sure we are prepared. Your financial contributions go straight to this payment at the time of matching. Our agency is a solid Christian organization that not only places children into solid Christian homes, they also provide support and counseling for birthmothers for life. This was important to us since some agencies do not value the birthmother as they should and she is treated as a part of the business exchange. We are pursuing an open adoption meaning that the birthmother will receive letters and even a visit occasionally (if she desires). Studies have shown that open adoptions provide more support, stability, and confidence in the child for years to come. They will have the chance to know their history and to know that they were loved so dearly by their birthmother and their adopted parents.

At this time we are preparing the nursery and starting to transition the boys into a shared room! We want to be ready at any time. There is a slight possibility that we could be called for a last minute placement (the agency places around 65 babies a year and out of those 65, 25 are last minute placements). As we prepare our hearts and physical resources for this new addition, we ask you pray for us and that God would work out every detail. We don't know what the future holds or what baby He will bring into our lives but we do know His plans are always perfect and we can trust Him. We humbly ask you would pray about financially contributing to this cause to help give a baby the chance to have a family and life. Many babies that end up adopted, were going to be aborted if it were not for the counseling and love of good adoption agencies. You can make a difference and partner with us today.

Sincerely, Rick and Paige