SEARCH RESULT
We met at a Christian Club that Rick had started with a friend at a local college. We dated for four years and then got married and it was the best decision we could have made. We are perfect for each other.
About Paige (from Rick’s perspective)
Paige is the love of my life. I feel that she is the most generous, caring, loving, and thoughtful person I know. She continually motivates and encourages me to be the best version of myself. Paige is an amazing mom to our two boys and is always investing love and time into their lives. She loves to bake with them and read to them. She loves making special moments and memories in each day. For every holiday that comes around, Paige plans exciting projects for the kids to bring as much anticipation for that holiday as possible. Tea parties and fun educational games are a common occurrence in her homeschool days. She loves to take the kids outside to explore and she has the best way of bringing whatever she is teaching them to life. More than my wife, Paige is my best friend. When we are together, we are always laughing, and sharing with each other all the amazing things God is doing in our lives. I feel infinitely blessed to be married to her and to have her in my life. I look forward to the years ahead knowing that we have each other for the rest of time.
About Rick (from Paige’s perspective)
Rick is a wonderful husband to me and Father to my boys. We work, play, and laugh together daily. He is the most loyal and patient man I know and he never ceases to amaze me with his dedication to our family. He is compassionate yet strong. He is honest and trustworthy. If I ever doubt myself or get discouraged, he is always there with a hug and a listening ear. When I have an idea to try, Rick is always supportive and gives his all to help me achieve it. He embodies all the qualities I dreamed of finding in the man I would marry. As the years go by, I find myself more and more in love with him as we live this life as purposefully as possible. We hope that our children remember us most for bringing joy to others and making a difference wherever we go. Watching Rick with our two boys is a gift. He can make them laugh like no one else can. They love to spend every waking moment with him. We are thankful that Rick works from home often which gives him the ability to have more time with us than most. He knows how to make life fun and memorable even on the most mundane days. I love this man and cannot imagine my life without him. The bond we share is truly a gift from God.
We are incredibly grateful that you have taken the time to learn about our lives. It is truly an honor to introduce ourselves, and we hope this gives you a small glimpse into who we are.
We are Beau and Erin, and we were both born and raised in Washington State. We have been married for almost 20 years and have desired to grow our family for more than 15 of those years. We met in high school at a summer Bible camp in 1998. We started dating later that summer and quickly realized we were meant to be together. After six years of dating and once Erin completed her bachelor’s degree, Beau proposed, and we were married on August 13, 2005.
From the very beginning of our relationship, we have wanted children but faced challenges conceiving. Our doctor informed us that it was unlikely for us to get pregnant without medical intervention. At that time, we were devastated; however, we strongly felt that the Lord was calling us to welcome a child into our home through adoption, and we found peace in that decision.
Both of us come from medium-sized families and grew up with siblings. We understand how special sibling relationships can be, and we believe that family is one of the most important aspects of life. In addition to our immediate family, we have an extended community of friends who are also very important to us.
In our home, we emphasize love and respect for one another, striving to demonstrate a love similar to that of God. We have always hoped and prayed for children. Adoption has been on our hearts for a long time, and we are very excited about the prospect of adding a child to our loving family.
If you choose us, know that you will always be an important part of your child's story, and your child will grow up knowing just how very loved they are and we would love for you to continue to be a part of their life as well if that is something you would like.
Together Andrew and Hailey are known as the fun couple – always making each other laugh, willing to take a spontaneous trip, or go to a hockey game with friends. We love hanging out with our friends and family – but also value our time at home together. That is a core value in our family – spending time together. We want to show up for the school play, or the sporting event – as a family. We both feel very blessed to have been raised by incredible parents who were there for us and we want to be able to give that to our kids as well.
We first met online eleven years ago through an app, and for our first date, we chose Starbucks, thinking it would be a quick cup of coffee. Four hours later, we were still engrossed in conversation, so we decided to grab dinner. What started as a short outing turned into a nine-hour adventure! From the very beginning, we felt God’s presence in our relationship, and we knew He had brought us together. After dating for over two years, we got engaged and married exactly one year later. Our journey has been filled with love, faith, and unforgettable moments. We have now been married for 8 years. Our love for each other is strong and continues to grow. We look forward to sharing that love with our child, helping them to thrive and reach their full potential. We want to share all of our passions and help our kiddo develop passions of their own.
We are truly honored and humbled that you are considering our family in your adoption plan. The strength, and sheer courage that it takes to walk through, and stand in this adoption journey is inspiring and remarkable.
We are Paul and Stacie. We were high school sweethearts, that met in church youth group. We married in 2004. Stacie miscarried in 2008 and was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure that eventually lead to a full hysterectomy. We never thought that adoption would be part of our story, but the Lord has blessed us with this beautiful path. We adopted our son, Samuel, in 2017, when he was four months old. We would not change one minute of our loss and hardships, knowing now that Jesus was piecing together His rich and glorious plan for our lives.
Samuel is so excited to be a big brother!! He prompts us to pray almost daily over his future sibling and asks where they are. We are ready to love and cherish a new little one. Our plan is for Stacie to stay home with our newest child. Paul owns his own business, and mainly works from home. We have a lot of flexibility and time to devote to our children. Samuel attends a Christian private school and so will his future sibling. He will be thrilled to teach his sibling all about “his” school!
We are committed and excited about all ethnicities, and backgrounds. We value honoring each other in our family. We celebrate our differences, and family backgrounds that make life so rich and enjoyable. We are looking forward to exploring another open adoption. We have been so blessed with Samuel’s birth family. We are excited to explore what this will look like with you.
Hosea 2:14-16 says, “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give back her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of Egypt.” The desert often represents unsafety and uncertainty in the Bible. The “Valley of Achor”, translates to the Valley of Trouble. The Lord promises as we walk and trust Him through our hardships, and uncertainties, that He will make a way and a path of hope, of restoration, and joy for us. You are deeply loved, and fully known by the Creator and Lover of your soul.
Sincerely, Paul and Stacie
We first met at a Salsa Dancing Social. After months of dancing and getting to know each other, we had our first date. As we learned more about each other, we realized how we felt at home with one another. It was the Halloween season, so we enjoyed getting dressed up and attending Halloween salsa socials and family friend Halloween parties. We were falling in Love.
At Thanksgiving time, Reena began talking about Joel with her other family members with so much excitement. Reena introduced Joel to her brother, and they hit it off immediately. When Reena invited Joel to meet her parents, Mom gave Reena the Thumbs up. It was Christmas time and there is a cute little ornament with Reena’s picture that Reena had made at school in the first grade. We were decorating our Christmas tree, and Joel took that ornament and placed it at the very top of the tree. Reena’s heart melted and her family invited Joel to our larger family Christmas party where he was immediately welcomed with open arms.
That same Christmas, Joel had invited Reena to his family’s church for their annual Simbang Gabi Mass. This is a Christmas tradition within the Filipino community where Joel’s whole family was present. It was so wonderful to meet Joel’s family in such a beautiful setting. Shortly after, Joel and Reena would attend Joel’s family church on Sunday’s after Dance class, and then meet at his parent’s home for Sunday Dinners.
The following Easter, Joel took Reena to the Easter Vigil, which is the Saturday before Easter Sunday. She learned about the RCIA process where she could learn about the Catholic Faith and be confirmed as a Catholic. That fall, she enrolled in the program and Joel sponsored her. As they went through this beautiful journey together, Joel proposed that following Fall. The following Easter, Reena was confirmed as a Catholic, and Reena and Joel were married that Summer.
It is our prayer, that you would consider our family worthy of your trust. We love with all of our hearts and want nothing more than to grow our family through adoption.
We were married in 2017 and made our home in southcentral Minnesota. We were SO excited to start a family! God led us on a challenging journey with the loss of our boy before birth. After the losss of Samuel, doors were further closed as we pursued infertility treatments. We knew we were meant to be parents with God leading us to adoption. During this growing time, we realized more deeply how blessed it is to be given the opportunity to adopt. God has made us stronger as a couple through the challenges we have faced, and we have learned the importance of self-sacrificial love. We have come to believe that families are created, not born. God is the Master Designer of all families, and we trust his architectural plans for our family.
As a couple, we enjoy spending time outdoors and engaging in activities like hiking, camping, skiing, walking our dog Maverick, going to the lake and biking. We also have a love for Friday movie night, playing games and watching Minnesota sports. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to go on many travel adventures over the years, as we both love experiencing different cultures, visiting family and exploring the many beautiful places around our world.
We are potential parents who love living life and want to share that love with your child. We have love in our hearts for God, first - family, next and from there it extends into our community. Marriage, to us, means working hard daily showing our love to each other. It helps that we both share a deep faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We exist with Him at the center of our lives. One of the things for which we pray daily is that God would bless us with a child. It does not look like this will happen biologically but, with God’s help, it may through adoption. We look forward to pouring our love out to a baby boy or girl, sharing all that we have with them. We especially look forward to helping them grow up knowing how much God loves them and the wonderful things He has in store for their lives.
We want to grow as a family through adoption. We respect all children’s uniqueness and believe that each has been created intentionally by Our Lord. The two of us often find ourselves in lively interaction with the children of our extended family and in our circle of friends. During these conversations, we both learn from the youngsters as well as share lessons we have learned in life..
Hi we are Jim and Melissa and we live in Colorado. We moved here 3 years ago (from Texas) to be closer to family.
We met on a camping trip. Being the only people who could leave early to head to the campsite, we carpooled. Jim, although introverted, decided he needed to be as talkative as possible so Melissa wasn't bored, and Melissa had a headache and just wanted him to stop talking! But through all that, we both realized we had a lot of common interests and after a few months, we started dating at the beginning of 2015. We've been married for 8 years now!
Adoption was always our plan to grow our family, and we adopted our son, Elliot, in 2019. He is 4.5 years old now! We have a wonderful open adoption with his birthmom and we get to see her twice a year (she lives out of state) and also exchange pictures and texts. He is very excited to become a big brother and tells us how he will help "new baby" grow and learn to play.
Jim is a structural engineer and works with a company in Denver. He grew up as a missionary kid in Argentina and is fluent in Spanish and speaks it to our son, who is now bilingual. He loves working on projects around our home (recently re-doing our back deck!), backpacking, ultimate frisbee, watching soccer, and playing strategic board games.
Melissa is an aerospace engineer turned stay at home mom. She enjoys gardening, quilting, hiking, reading, and researching all the great childrens books and activities to encourage our son to have a lifelong love of learning and exploring.
As a family we love to be outside - hiking, camping, exploring. Elliot has recently started playing board games with us (Ticket to Ride!) and that's been a great way to spend time together as a family. We like going to zoo and the Children's Garden at the Botanical Gardens.
Thank you for stopping to learn about us and please reach out if you have any questions!
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Several myths related to adoption often interfere with birth mothers, birth families, and prospective parents pursuing adoption. It is essential to learn about adoption from various perspectives and understand the challenges and blessings available to those going through adoption. Here are some myths along with the truths that should be explored:
The birth mother will regret her decision for the rest of her life: Adoption is so painful that most women regret the choice all their lives. A birth mother who chooses adoption will have serious emotional problems; adoption is a more traumatic experience for a woman than abortion.
For the birth mother facing an unplanned pregnancy, making an adoption plan can be a very positive choice. Adoption does involve a significant loss for her, and it will probably be accompanied by sorrow. However, any option she chooses involves some gain and some loss. For some, the decision is more challenging than expected, and for others, they know it is the right thing all along. Counseling, adoption support groups, and supportive family members often make the grieving process much easier to manage.
Overall, women who have placed a child in adoption do very well, moving on to good jobs, continued education, marriage, and having children within that marriage. When the adoption experience is handled properly, most birth mothers feel good about their decision years later.
Birth mothers are uncaring and soon forget about their babies. A birth mother who cares about her child would not think of adoption; adoption is an irresponsible solution. Pregnant women who choose adoption take the easy way out. A birth mother will eventually forget about the child she placed in adoption.
Birth parents are making loving parenting decisions when they plan adoptions. Birth parents who make adoption plans fulfill their parenting responsibilities to ensure their child’s long-term needs are met in the best possible way. To do this, they must put their child’s needs above their own – a sign of maturity, responsibility, and selflessness. Adoption is by no means taking the easy way out. It is a difficult decision, and women, especially, need to be supported in this decision by those around them.
Some young women facing unplanned pregnancies have found it helpful to learn about adoption firsthand through a birth parent who has been through the process. Birth mothers never forget their children. They always hold a special place in their hearts.
Adoption damages the child. Adopted children are not well-adjusted; have mental health problems; are damaged by the experience; grow up to have serious psychological problems; feel bitter or rejected.
Most adopted children do well in life. Numerous studies have been undertaken on adopted children, teens, and adults. What these studies have shown is that adoptees:
Most adoptive parents are unfit. Adoptive parents are not as fit to raise a child as their biological parents; no one can love a child as much as a birth parent; God is punishing childless couples, or He is sending a message that they should not be parents; adoptive parents are abusive.
Adoptive parents are as fit and capable as any cross-section of biological parents. TV shows have often portrayed adoptive parents as cruel and unfeeling, and abusive adoptive parents seem to make headlines in the newspapers.
Actually, adoptive parents are screened more carefully and are more mature (usually older) on the whole than parents who have children biologically. They really want to be parents, or they would not be willing to go through the many things necessary to adopt. Research shows that their children turn out just as well as non-adopted children.
While we must not downplay the tragedy of child abuse, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that it occurs particularly or even frequently in adoptive families. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary. Biological children face as much or more abuse than adopted children. Abuse due to adoption is a dangerous myth that needlessly perpetuates birth parents’ worries and often deters them from considering adoption at all.
There are many examples of parents who have built their families through adoption. The overwhelming majority cannot imagine loving a child or children more than the ones God has given them through adoption.
The adoption process is secretive. A birth mother will never know anything about her child and his or her adoptive parents; adoptive parents know very little about their child’s background; birth parents have no say in the choice of adoptive parents.
Today’s adoption process seeks to share information on a level that will benefit all involved – birth parents, adoptive parents, and most importantly, the child. Virtually all agencies today consult with birth parents to determine what type of family they would select. Many agencies provide the birth parents with family profiles from which to choose. A birth mother can request pictures, letters, and mementos to be shared for a time after the placement of their child occurs. Adoption today is very open, and the amount of contact between the birth parents and the adoptive parents and their child is worked out individually.
Today it is rare for a child not to be aware of how he came into his family. The agonizing over “telling a child he is adopted” of days past seems to have led to the myth that adoption was something bad to talk about. Today, details of how a child came into a family are shared from day one in age-appropriate ways that stress love, permanence, and respect for birth parents who made such a difficult and loving choice to give their child a family.
Adapted from Pierson, Anne and Ring, June, “Five Myths About Adoption,” Loving & Caring