There are a lot of terms we are learning in our adoption process. “Situations”, “presented”, “matched”, “placed”, are all words that are becoming normal lingo in our home. One of the things we’ve been assured that will guarantee us a “match” is our level of openness. We’re willing to accept an infant of any race, gender, the possibility of drug use by the birth mother, a relationship with the birth family, etc. And all of that is really easy to say yes to on paper. But then you get a “situation” and start to consider what that will actually mean in real life. It’s all exciting and wonderful in fuzzy land – but when reality hits – I won’t lie – I’ve been uncomfortable. I realized that I have a preconceived notion about who this baby is we’re waiting for. And I’ve been hit pretty hard with the cold, hard facts. Do I really mean my ideal baby is one that needs a home? (Yes – one application actually asked us to describe our ideal baby) Or am I just a liar? It’s definitely stretching me. One of the things we’ve been praying for is that we’d receive a baby who would otherwise have gone into foster care. That sounds good. But it’s hard. Thing are happening that weren’t in my plan. I didn’t even know I had a plan until it got messed with. On days like today I wonder why in the world we chose to do this in the first place. And then I think of God’s grace. And I can’t say no.

If you bought a t-shirt they should be in within the week! We will work on getting them to you as quickly as possible, and THANK YOU! Your support is helping us bring a baby home!

We are  selling t-shirts (designed by the wonderful Kevin Gautraud) to help with costs for our adoption!  This is what they will look like:

Isn’t it awesome? The shirts are tri-blend (which means they’re super soft and won’t lose their shape) charcoal gray in color and $20 for XS – XL (add$1 for 2X, $3 for 3X, $4 for 4X) and will directly benefit our adoption fund. If you need a shirt sent to you let us know and we’ll figure out the postage required. ALL ORDERS ARE DUE BY MARCH 12!

NOTE: Size SMALL color will be a little lighter gray than the rest…it’s a long story

Scroll down, choose a size, and click add to cart to buy through paypal or send us your order on Facebook.  Directions for ordering multiple shirts are at the bottom.

Directions for ordering multiple shirts:

1.  Click the drop down box and choose the size of first shirt.

2.  This will take you to Paypal website where you can see the first shirt in your cart.

3.  Click on same drop down box and choose size again for each shirt you want to place in cart.

4.  Paypal will place name in box with each shirt and add corresponding price keeping a running total. If you have concerns about your sizes, message us through Facebook!

After years of waiting to see how God would add to our family, the Ashley’s are ready to adopt! How did this all come about? I’m glad you asked…

We first became interested in adoption before we were married and hoped it would be a part of our family story some day. God was faithful to bring us around several different couples who had adopted from places near and far and it was obvious God placed the desire on our hearts as well. We prayed God would give us children in whatever way He would choose and low and behold we had four, beautiful, biological children. Along the way we wondered when the time would come for us to adopt and often we were tempted to begin the process, which was usually followed quickly by a positive pregnancy test!

We started the process of researching and gathering information in September of this year, (believing we were following God’s lead) signed up with a consulting firm in November and then began the home study. Everyone talks about how difficult the home study process can be. And arduous. And long. I will say it is different for everyone and in it I questioned every decision we had made thus far about the adoption. Are we crazy? (yes) Should we  be doing this when we already have four kids? (yes) What about all the unknowns and costs? What will this do to our family? What will I tell him/her when she asks questions? What will other people say? Is this even a good idea? (yes) You see, adoption isn’t our idea. Adoption is God’s idea and He moved Heaven and earth to send His Son here to live and die and live again for us so that we could be adopted. And therein lies our motivation. God loves us so we want to love a little boy or girl who needs a home.

Our home study is now complete after many weeks of learning about patience and providence. We are waiting with hope, again, as we apply to different agencies inside the United States and await a “match”. We covet your prayers for our family for wisdom, discernment, and adjustment as we prepare our home for another child.

If you are reading this blog, chances are you are family, friends, church family, or just plain wonderful. And for that we want to say THANK YOU and WE LOVE YOU!

We can’t wait to introduce you to the next “Ashley baby”!