Last Fall Matthew and I embarked on a journey through part of the Appalachian Trail. To say I had no idea what we were in for would be a gross understatement. We definitely had some funny stores to tell when we returned from our eight mile hike. Let's just say my new motto is "There is no such thing as too much water.". I know there are avid hikers out there where this would be absolutely nothing, and we met some of them! For these novices, this hike was a test of our physical abilities, mental strength, and at times our marriage, LOL! This hike was, for me, an adventure of a life time.
Thinking back on this hike is a great metaphor for our adoption journey. As mentioned previously, I was diagnosed with Turner's Syndrome which is a chromosomal disorder in which a female is born with only one X chromosome leading to infertility, among other symptoms. Due to my diagnosis of infertility, Matthew and I knew as soon as we were married we wanted to work toward adoption one day. Starting out, we were able to purchase our own home within our first year of marriage. Having a home to call our own was important to us, ensuring we had the space to grow our family. We also knew we needed to have a solid home foundation, so in the years that followed we worked to grow and strengthen our relationship and careers.
In 2019, we decided it was time to begin our journey towards adoption. Much like our hike, we had no idea what to expect. We only knew the final destination would make all the struggles worth it. We first wanted to adopt through the State of Arkansas and so we began by attending an informational meeting, which was extremely eye opening. After going through background checks, home studies and parenting classes our home was finally opened to adopt in the Spring of 2019. Throughout that year, we had the opportunity to meet children in the foster system looking for their forever family and even inquired on a few sibling groups. Unfortunately, our inquiries did not lead to a successful adoption and our home study was up for renewal in Spring of 2020. While contemplating whether we wanted to renew our home study with the state, we decided to go another route. After doing some research we found Angel Adoption and placed an application to become an adoptive family.
Matthew and I were so excited to be selected and signed our contract with Angel in July 2020. Signing on with Angel, Matthew and I really began to think about what adoption looked like for us. We took some time and thought about if we were going to be open for a completely open, semi-open, or closed adoption; as well as, race and potential health issues. We feel that most important in the adoption process is making sure the birth mother is comfortable, whether she wants a fully open, completely closed or somewhere in between, we're along for the ride. We also believe that each child is fearfully and wonderfully made and deserving of love, no matter the circumstances! Our main desire through our adoption journey is to support the birth mother while growing our family. Since joining Angel there have been many highs and lows. Over the past two years we've had the opportunity to connect with three birth moms. Again, unfortunately these did not lead to successful adoptions.
We are currently still waiting to reach our destination in our adoption journey. While we navigate this process, we have been encouraged by many who have walked this path before us. Again, much like our hike on the Appalachian Trail, when we were ready to give in and turn back, there would be someone returning from the overlook cheering us on and ensuring us the process is worth it all in the end. We look forward to the day we can be the ones who encourage others along their journey.
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