© Aditya Kok | Dreamstime.com
If you’ve read this blog for very long at all, you know that Michael and I have had a difficult journey to parenthood, and we aren’t there yet!
Recently I have started to jot down the steps that are leading us to becoming parents. I’m sure I will want to remember our journey, and I’m also sure I will forget!
Here is where we have been and where we are right now:
June 2004 :: I had emergency surgery and learned that it will be difficult to become pregnant
June 4, 2005 :: Michael and I got married
January 1, 2006 :: We decided to start “trying” to become pregnant
January 2008 :: Signed up to become foster parents with our County
March 2008 :: Michael lost his job and we stopped the adoption process
January 2009 :: Learned of two four year girls that we could adopt
February 2009 :: We found out that my fallopian tube is completely closed and we will not be able to become pregnant or sustain life inside my body without divine intervention
March 2009 :: The girl’s placement falls through, one week before we are supposed to get them
Late March 2009 :: Decided to start the process of adoption with our county child protective services
June 2009 :: Started the training to adopt through foster care in Ohio
September 2009 :: Became licensed! Now we are waiting on a phone call for a placement
…waited, waited, waited…
March 2010 :: Decided to move to KY for Michael to start Seminary, decided to put adopting on hold
May 2010 :: Moved to KY into a one bedroom apartment
June 2010 :: Started feeling like we should not put our adoption on hold. We are going back and forth trying to decide whether to continue our journey of adoption right now or not.
July 2010 :: Decided to start the process of becoming licensed (We knew we wouldn’t be able to officially get licensed until we moved into a bigger home, but we figured we would do as much as we could before we moved)
August 2010 :: Started our training to become foster/adoptive parents with a local private foster care agency
September 2010 :: Finished the training for our licensing (Much, much sooner than we thought! Now waiting on a new home to house our expectant blessings)
…waited, waited, waited (and searched for a house)…
August 15, 2011 :: Moved to a house that will provide us with the space we need to adopt
September 2011 :: Michael took a training to get a better job and we decided to wait until after he found a new job to finish all of our paperwork
November 2011 :: Michael got a new job, praise the Lord!
January 2012 :: Worked on finishing our paperwork
February 2012 :: Had our case worker inspect our house and turned in all of our paperwork
March 2012 :: Waiting for all our paperwork to be processed and become licensed, everything is out of our hands now…
March-April 2012 :: Overcame several setbacks and hurdles to the “process” of getting licensed; small, annoy, red tape type of hurdles that just added time
April 19, 2012 :: Finally got licensed!
April 20, 2012 :: Accepted our first temporary weekend respite placement for a sibling group of three (7 yr old boy, 4 yr old boy, 3 yr old girl), stayed through April 23
I will continue updating the time-line on this page as our journey continues!
Hi Ashley,
I just read your testimony on Pursuing Titus 2. I just wanted to write and encourage you in your journey.
My husband and I adopted a sibling group of 3 in 1997. They were 10 months, 3 and 4 when we got them and they have been one of the greatest blessings in our lives. When we started down this path, this is the verse God gave us:
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. Isaiah 54:1.
In fact, the entire 54th chapter has blessed us.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of further encouragement.
Susan
Thank you so much for sharing Susan! It is extremely encouraging to hear your testimony and for your to comment here to me!!!