Our story started again late August of 2012 with shopping
for school supplies. Su and I had previously talked about adoption and the
conversation had really concluded in it wasn’t time yet for a number of
reasons. Then while shopping with our daughter for 1st grade school
supplies she restarted the conversation. Water bottles are a big deal at her
school and Su was letting her pick out whatever water bottle she wanted. She
was taking a long time to pick out the water bottle and finally she inquired
into the cost of the different bottles and showed a lot of concern on which was
the more expensive. After a couple of
questions from Su it came down to the fact that she wanted to try to save some money on the
purchase of the water bottle to help in adopting a brother. She commented on how every other kid in her
small class at school had a sibling and she wanted one too for a number of
reasons.
For Su and I think this grabbed our attention and we started
to have the adoption conversation again.
The conversation progressed into a home study and contacting our friends
Dawn & Jason Wright which serve as adoption consultants. It was great to have people who had been
through adoption and we had trust in. We
registered with about 5 agencies and continued to pray and seek God’s guidance
through the entire process. We were viewing profiles and asking to be presented
by the end of September 2012. It was hard sometimes to read about multiple
opportunities and to try and discern which situation was the best for us.
We presented from September through April of 2013 over 23
times and seemed like many more. There were some presentations that were really
exciting and a couple of times we thought we were pretty close to being
matched, those were probably the toughest when the birthmother either decided
to parent or just dropped off the map.
As the spring of 2013 approached we felt more and more pressure because
of our positions in camp and retreat ministry.
The summer is a really crazy time for us and through conversation Su
& I both decided that adopting during the summer probably wouldn’t be a
situation that we felt would be optimal.
The number of opportunities started to decrease as spring approached,
May arrived and our staff reported for summer training. We sighed and felt like
our opportunity to present was past. On
Memorial Day 2013 about 10am an opportunity for a stork drop came through the
email. Su and I talked about it and decided that this would be the one last
time we would present before summer camp really started.
I was teaching a lifeguarding class at the time and about
1pm our daughter came into my class to let me know that she was going to be a
big sister. We were MATCHED and it was a little boy. We had sought pre-approval
for a loan from the bank and had some in our savings account so it all started
to happen. The bank was closed on Memorial Day so first thing Tuesday morning
Su, our daughter and one of our summer staff prepared to pick-up our new
son. Su and I finished signing paperwork at the bank and they were off. After
about 6 hours of driving they arrived and checked into the hotel. Su wasn’t
able to go meet our new son until Wednesday. This particular situation was a
closed adoption so when she arrived at the previously scheduled time at the
hospital Wednesday morning she had to wait in the car for a little bit as the
attorney finished working with the birth mother.
Wednesday afternoon Su was able to take our new son
back to the hotel. Su, our son, our daughter, and
the nanny spent the next few days getting to know one another and waiting for
paperwork to process. I was able to finish up teaching my lifeguarding class
and went out to meet the rest of the family on Friday. It was so good through
the weekend to bond with Isaac and to thank God numerous times for all the
blessings he was pouring out on us.
Sunday came all too quickly and I had to return to start the
first week of summer camp for the summer. Our daughter, the nanny and I left late Sunday
morning and came back to Iowa. Su and our new son had to stay until paperwork cleared
in the birth state and in Iowa. It was hard to leave them waiting and I think
it was hard for Su to see us leave and return to camp without her. We were praying that things would be processed
quickly and she could return. Our prayers were answered and Monday afternoon
things cleared the birth state and she was cleared to enter Iowa. Su got back
late Monday evening and the family was fully together and HOME.
In the weeks that followed our daughter has grown to have a deep
sisterly love for her brother and tries at every opportunity to snuggle him and
help in any way she can. Su and I have continually been blessed by this happy
little bundle of joy and have found the groove of having an infant in the
house.
Our son is for the most part a really easy going very happy
little guy. He loves to smile and work the people around him for
attention. His hair frequently draw
comment as his sister loves to spike it up.
At just past 4.5 months he loves to eat, is enjoying sweet potatoes and
chews on everything J.
The journey was long and at times very frustrating, but we know that God placed
with us our special son and brother. Isaac’s adoption was finalized September
19th.
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