An update

Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a really long time. Let me get you all caught up.

Our home study was officially completed the last week on June. We are now officially in the waiting process. Honestly, I have good days and bad days when it comes to my patience level. During the school year it is a lot easier to not focus on the waiting and just enjoy life; however, the holidays are really tough. The holidays this year were no exception! In all honesty, I think this year was the worst because we are justing waiting. There is not much that we can do. The waiting can be almost unbearable some days! However, I do know (even on the bad days) that our time is coming and that God knows the exact moment we will hold our precious baby. So, as it stands today, we have been waiting for 6.5 months and we are praying that 2015 will be the year we become parents.

A positive note in our lives: we have been blessed with the opportunity of hosting an exchange student this school year. Her name is Louise and she is an 18 year old from Belgium. This girl has seriously been such a blessing! Michael and I, and honestly anyone who has met her, have fallen in love with her. She is kind, yet honest. She is beautiful, yet humble. She is outgoing, yet loves her alone time. She is overall an amazing person! I am so glad that we were able to meet her and that she has become a part of our family. Having her here has definitely helped us during the waiting. I all ready dread her having to leave! Hopefully one day we will be able to visit her in Belgium and/or she will come back here to visit.

Now, this is just something that I have to get off my chest. It seems like at least once a week, usually more, I see a new article on Facebook about a baby being abandoned or killed by its parent(s). This is absolutely sickening to begin with, but for any couple who is dealing with infertility whether they are adopting or going through treatments, it is a punch in the gut. We want nothing more than to take in every single one of the abandoned babies. However, our system is so messed up that even though there are numerous families who would be willing to give them a stable home, the babies are put into the foster care system and will likely not be officially adopted until 2-3 years down the road. I just don't understand why a waiting family cannot automatically adopt these poor babies so that they are not put through the issues of growing up in foster care and being fearful of being taken away from the only family they have ever known. It simply makes no sense!

Sorry for this post being all over the place! Thank you for always encouraging us and praying for us and our future child. Please keep us in mind if you hear of anyone who is seriously considering adoption for their unborn child. This is not specific to family and friends in Alabama. We have an adoption lawyer who can work with other states as well. Our agency is run by a lawyer, so therefore we can be on their waiting list AND look into private adoption if the opportunity arises. I will try my best to update with any other news, but right now there just isn't much happening.