Our Big Decision

Ryan and I have been trying to have a baby for about two years now. We've been to more doctors than we care to remember trying to figure out why we haven't had kids yet and to increase our chances at having a baby. It has been emotional, but also a spiritual journey for us. We have received answers to prayers throughout this journey. At first we explored all our options, including fertility treatments as well as adoption. We have always been open to everything, and just wanted to know what we needed to do to receive the baby that is meant for us. After we first met with a counselor at LDS Family Services (the adoption agency we thought we would likely use) even though we were impressed with them, we didn't feel like it was right for us to adopt at that time. Through a series of priesthood blessings and answers to prayers I have felt strongly, and still do, that we will conceive children some time. At first I thought maybe we should try in vitro, but later felt that we would conceive on our own, but it just wasn't time yet and we just needed to wait patiently - and we have been. We have been enjoying our time together, we've been learning a lot through work and our church callings, and we've been on some pretty amazing trips. Our loving Heavenly Father has helped carry our burden of infertility so we have been spending the majority of our waiting time at peace, though still hoping for a baby. Then a few months ago we were at our preparation meeting before our shift at the temple started and we watched this video on sealings of families. One of the sealings was of a baby being sealed to her parents. As I watched it I felt that we would adopt. I told Ryan about that as we drove home that evening, hoping he had had the same feeling, but he hadn't. We decided to pray about it. Not too long after that Ryan received the answer that we should try to adopt, but by that time my feeling had faded and I hadn't gotten an answer to a prayer that we should adopt, and was confused by my previous answers that we would conceive and that it would just take time. But I continued to pray about it, and Ryan waited patiently for me. At the beginning of last month I again fasted about it, and during this fast, as I was praying, I did receive the answer that we should try to adopt. So that is what we are going to try to do! We started the process that next week. We had no idea it would be so much work, there is a lot required of adoptive parents. We have been working hard at getting all the paper work filled out and are almost done with it, but there are a lot of things we are required to do, like get finger printed and CPR certified, and such, that will take longer to get completed. Once we have completed all this preliminary stuff we can have a profile on the adoption web site so birth mothers can view us. Hopefully we'll get picked soon after that. But if any of you know of a sweet baby that needs a good home, please let us know, we are ready!