First Blog Post From Jeremy

Early on in our adoption process I encouraged Kate to start a blog so she could share her thoughts and feelings about this monumental step in our life. With pregnancy, random strangers will ask about how you are doing, whether it's a boy or a girl and what names you have picked out. But, with adoption, there are no physical signs that you are about to be parents and I wanted Kate to be able to share what was going on in our hearts, even though there wasn't a physical change in her appearance.

Several months later, we are hours away from sending off all of our paperwork, our adoption books for the birth moms and all of the other loose odds and ends and I have yet to write a post. I have never blogged before but, seeing as the preparation is coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate for me to write about how this process has been for me, where we are at and where we see the Lord leading us. I've never been one to stay within the page limits on papers so I apologize if this post is a little lengthy.

Over two years ago, Kate and I got married and we immediately started trying to have kids. I'm not sure if I was ready for the weight that raising a child brings but I knew I wanted to be a father. I always have. I love kids. In a lot of ways, I feel I relate to them more than adults. I love to eat, sleep and poop and I usually cry when I don't get my way so the thought of having another like mind in the house just seemed right. What I wasn't ready for was infertility.

Month after month, getting false test after false test, praying that the Lord would hear our prayers, we often felt abandoned. We knew that we were called to be parents and with each month that passed, I had a deeper and deeper desire to have a baby but it just wasn't happening. We did all the tests and everything came back normal (actually, my test came back RECORD BREAKING, but that's another story for another day). It seemed almost daily, friends would be praying for us and asking us how we were doing and the truth was, the Lord was good and was sustaining us but the hurt remained. We became a statistic of unexplained infertility; the 14% of the population who have all the ingredients but an empty cake pan.

There's no sugarcoating it. It was hard. It still is. You see so many morons breeding like rabbits and a couple who earnestly wants to love and care for a child can't have one. I remember having a conversation with our children's minister at church. Kate had just found out we weren't pregnant again and stayed home from church. Telling Charity this, she looked me with her eyes glistening and said, "But God is good. He is loving and He gives good gifts to his children." It's funny how all the theology in the world can't comfort you at times but hearing the simple words, God is good, He is loving, He gives good gifts to his children, can uplift your spirit.

From our first date, Kate and I had both expressed a desire for adoption. It was never going to be an if but a when. Unfortunately, for a while, I was so focused on what we didn't have that I forgot to listen to the Lord's gentle whispers that He had called us to adoption as well. I was so wrapped up in fitting it into our plan (have three or four kids of our own then we'll move on to adoption) that I never thought about starting our family with adoption. But what a great wife Kate is.

Kate would continually bring up adoption. And I've always had a heart for adoption but I always saw it in the future. She would mention it in love here and there and, after praying about it together, last summer we decided to pursue adoption.

This was not a replacement or a cure for our infertility. That's not the picture of adoption we see in the Word. Our Father lovingly called us to Himself, not because of what we have done or because we deserved it rather because of Christ. God the Son came down and humbled himself as a man, lived the life we were supposed to, died the death we all deserve, defeated death by raising again three days later and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father. Through this along are we able to be adopted as sons and daughters to our Heavenly Father. There is nothing we can do to lose our position as a son or daughter because it was purchased by Christ. In the same light, adoption is a reflection of this reality.

Again, we are not trying to forget our infertility by adopting a child. We are overwhelmed with joy that Christ would purchase our redemption with his blood so that we could be adopted as sons and daughters to God and we cannot wait to share that love with our adopted child.

I cannot express how excited we are. To know that we are less than 24 hours away from submitting what has been four months of hard work and will soon be waiting to receive that phone call saying we have been selected to be parents makes me tear up. Kate swears she won't cry when she finds out. I know I won't be able to keep it together.

We want to thank everyone who has been so supportive through this entire process. So many of you have been lifting us up in prayer, generously donating and have loved us so well through our adoption. We cannot wait to bring home a little baby Houghton to show everyone. Thank you.

-Jeremy

Nearly 1/3 Raised!

What an amazing weekend.  

On Friday alone, we raised over 

$1,265 and that sets us at $9,618! 

Guys that means we are nearly 1/3 of the way to our total! We are so humbled by your generosity!

Lately we have been able to purchase of a few necessary items such as a crib, a few minimal clothes, and diaper bags.  We've been blessed with donated formula and some diapers. We are still gathering more, and if you have any unused formula sitting around, please feel free and pass it our way.  Additionally we received word from our consultant that most placements are happening within a month!! WE are THRILLED!!! We also have talked with her and confirmed that we need to have all of our paper work submitted by April 1st, as she will be leaving town on the 3rd.

We are...

• fundraising
• finishing our portfolio
• gathering necessary supplies
• slowing beginning our nursery
• PREPARING TO BECOME PARENTS!!!

Feel free and visit our Fundraising website!!!

April?

YouCaring

What an amazing journey this has been. I cannot say that it has always been easy.  Suffice it to say, adoption can never be plan "B". It is an entire different element.  The process is overwhelming, the raising of support is daunting, the lack of specific answers to questions is discouraging, but the result? Unbelievably amazing!

We have been humbled every step of the way.  Thank you for your support, both financially and in praying for us.  I have found that the excitement only builds with each new opportunity I have of sharing our story.  It seems like the story of adoption is everywhere!

Currently we have $8,183 brought in by 28 amazing supporters.  How incredible is that?!  Thank you so much for your generosity!!!

We have finished up the paper work, are gathering up the last minute supplies, and finalizing our portfolio to show the sweet birth mothers.  We will be submitting our application in April, and as soon FAC (Faithful Adoption Consultants) receives it and sends it out to the 5 agencies we will be ACTIVE!  Once we are active, we are OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!

To give you a bit of perspective on how things could go: There was a family who adopted through FAC, and the day that they became active, they were selected by a birth mom and the baby was born that very same day.  Another family had the same story.  I've heard of one family who had 2 months notice and another that had about 6 weeks.  We are excited to see the story that God unfolds for our family! It could be April that we get our little one, or it could be a month or so.

Once we are selected, the money is due.  We will have to leave town (as all the agencies are out of state) whenever we get the call.  We will fly out that day and stay in a hotel for two weeks as we wait for the arrival of our miracle baby.

We are more then confident that the Lord will provide! It is both scary and yet so comforting to sit in his embrace.  Faith. That is the key. Faith.

Please continue to pray with us, especially as we gear up to submit our paperwork.

We love and appreciate each and every one of you!!!

Photos curtesy of Kelsey Keys (Love you girl!!)

Home study: CHECK!

We are so excited to announce that we are home study approved! Seriously this is a huge check, because it means that we can move forward with applying for grants and it really moves things into the final stages.  

Now the next steps. Honestly we're kinda "putting off" submitting our application, because once you do so, you are "free game".  FAC (Faithful Adoption Consultants) also does not let you turn down a birth mother who selects you (since they work with you for only a year). And since we are open to any race, gender, or honestly the first child who is in need, it could happen rather quickly.  One family adopting through FAC was selected by a birth mom that morning and the baby was born that evening. It could be that quick.  And once that baby is born, the money is due!

Money.  Well, we are also ecstatic to announce that we have raised over 1/5 of our funds!! Guys, isn't that incredible! We seriously could not have done this without you guys.  

Thank you so much for your continual prayers and support!!!