Moving Forward

I don't know if anyone noticed, but I haven't been blogging as much the past few months.  It's not just because I've been slacking though.  I have been busy working on a big project that has taken a lot of my computer time lately. 

Alan and I have decided to apply for ADOPTION!!

We have prayed and prayed about our options in bringing another child into our home for the last five years.  The answer in the past was always to "wait".  It has been a hard lesson in patience and faith for me.  I always felt like I would be ready to accept any answer, as long as it was a concrete answer.  I wanted to KNOW what action I was supposed to take.  Sitting and waiting is hard.

That being said, I thought I would be ecstatic when we finally felt prompted that it was time to act and move forward with our adoption application.  My faith was tested again though as I struggled with wanting to know for sure that we would adopt.  With more prayer and Alan's help, I finally realized faith doesn't work that way.  I don't need to know what the end result will be.  We felt prompted to apply for adoption and that is enough for us to move forward.  So, that's what we have done.

I have spent the last three months answering questions and compiling information about every possible facet of our lives.  I need to give a special thanks to those of you who wrote reference letters for us!  Our case worker is just about finished writing our Home Study and we are almost finished with our on-line profile page.  Once those two things are complete, we will be approved for adoption and ready to go. 

We are applying through LDS Family Services which means that we will most likely be adopting a domestic infant.  Birth mothers will contact us if they are interested after reading our profile.  Because of low birth rates, many birth mothers deciding to parent, and abortion, the number of babies placed for adoption is low.  We might wait a few months or a few years before we are chosen.  It's going to be another lesson in patience and trust in Heavenly Father's plan for our family. 

So, while we are thrilled with the prospect of having another baby in our home, we are realistic about the wait and heartbreak that adoption inevitably involves.  Please remember us in your prayers and thoughts if you come across a possible adoption opportunity.  Our Christmas cards may go out a little late this year as I am waiting to print business cards with the link to our profile to include in the same envelope.  They will be coming though, so watch for them.  And, if I haven't sent you a Christmas card in the past, but you would like to be included this year, you can email your address to us at alanandkristin@yahoo.com.  We feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many supportive and loving friends and family members.  Thank you!