I have to admit, when I got the invitation to do a blog post here, I was a little uneasy. The adoption world is full of many different kinds of people. Infertility is overwhelmingly at large in the adoption world. And this blog is to provide support with infertility. I have never dealt with infertility. In fact, I have had to take steps so that I wouldn't have another baby. Pregnancy is my mortal enemy.
But this is an opportunity to get our story out there. Or at least to entertain you. So let me start at the beginning. Now I won't be able to tell you in just this post everything you will need to know about me. But you can get to know me on my own blog. Another time. Right now I'd like to just share a few things with you.
Like I said up there, the adoption world is full of many different kinds of people. But we are all doing it for one purpose: to build our eternal families. My path began with a diagnosis at the age of 12 of Type 1 Diabetes. The older I got the better I understood that to have a family, or to just have a baby, would be very difficult. To add to that fire, I didn't meet my husband, Daniel, until I was about to turn 28. As an “older” diabetic, my doctor said I could go ahead and have a baby, but hurry up about it. I got pregnant with Isaac shortly after we got married. I quickly learned that pregnancy was not my forte. But with help from the Lord, both Isaac and I came out well and happy in the end. Then my doctor suggested that if we wanted another baby, we needed to do it quickly and that there would be no guarantee that the second one would be any better. It wasn't. While I was pregnant with Samuel, I found very quickly that I would not be able to do that again. If we survived this one. Obviously we did. But I had to have a tubal ligation so ensure I would not get pregnant again. Daniel and I joke that if I get pregnant again his second wife would have to raise my boys. Hah! But seriously!
We knew when we decided to get married that adoption would be part of our family construction. When Sam was 18 months old we began the process to adopt. After many trying experiences, we chose China. In a very short time, all things considered, we finally had our daughter Ruthann in our arms. We knew that this little girl, born on the other side of the world, in a culture so different from our own, was OUR little girl. If you were to meet my family, you would totally understand that.
In January, 2006, we began the process to adopt from China again. This would turn into a totally different experience than anything we could have ever expected. When our paperwork arrived in Beijing, we figured we would have Sarajune home and sealed to us within 12 months, My in laws made plans to come stay with our three kids. My mom planned to travel with us this time to help and be part of the experience. But things don't always happen the way you think they should.
I have empty arms. We have been waiting this long for our next baby. It would get so painful just 2 years ago that I would go to Heavenly Father again and again and ask, “Is this really where we are supposed to go?” “Are you sure this is what we're supposed to be doing?” “Are you just trying to tell us we are done?” And every time I asked, He would answer, “Be Still.”
It's really hard for me to be still. Seriously. But I knew He was in control and His timing is perfect. So I was still and put my empty arms to work. Then last January His answer changed. I felt it very clearly. A child would be born here. Someone who we hadn't planned on is coming. Quickly. Daniel and I knew that it was time to begin a domestic adoption.
With prayer and fasting and temple attendance, we chose LDSFS. Even though I felt that we would have a better chance at our desire for a trans racial adoption from another agency, we went in to start the process. Heavenly Father had not led us astray before. He would not do it now. In choosing LDSFS, I knew we would have to attend the classes. Yikes. You gotta be kidding me! I'm already a mom. I've already adopted! I know what I'm doing.
Those 5 classes were like water to my thirsty soul. The only thing that bothered me was that among the 5 couples attending, we were the only ones with children. 3 of them. That and we were old. Ancient. Wrinkles. We're close to 40. But that's another post entirely. We all had one thing in common. We all were beginning a journey to build our eternal families.
We have been waiting on this new adoption for 6 months now. I still have moments when I wonder if we should just pull all our paperwork and be done. But I always hear Heavenly Father telling me to Be Still. He has never disappointed me. So we wait. It's one thing I am pretty perfect at. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.
My point in all of this is that no matter what brought each of our families to choose adoption, we all have one thing in common. We are building our eternal families through the powerful and life changing experience of adoption. I love adoption. At any moment, with any opening, I will bring up adoption. I love adoption. I live adoption. I breathe adoption. I know that adoption is part of our Heavenly Father's plan. I know that He will guide our birth mom to us or us to her. We will be an answer to each other's prayers and our lives will be intertwined and ever-changed eternally. And that's why we do all this. Eternity. We are building our eternal families.
Come visit our craziness anytime! http://www.withsixyougeteggroll6.blogspot.com/
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