Our story

a little history (OK maybe a lot)...

Our journey as a family started over 10 years ago. Kevin and I met & fell in love almost immediately. We were engaged seven months later and married a year after that, May 23, 1998. Four years flew by and Kevin announced he wanted to start a family. I however wasn't so sure and was terrified! I have never liked kids and didn't really have a desire for them. Kev was praying like mad at this point because he wanted children and wanted me to want them too. His prayers were answered but not necessarily the way he wanted them. My heart changed, I wanted nothing more than to have a baby, but that was after trying for years. Three years went by, watching all of our close friends and family have babies (my baby sister had two babies during this time!! whoa!!), a miscarriage, a failed artificial insemination, my heart had to change.

Kevin's prayers (and mine this time) were finally answered again. He had been gently suggesting adoption for quite some time (a few years actually). I talked with someone in our church, Roberta, about adoption and I felt God saying, look into this see what it's about. We went to an adoption info meeting April 19 and started the process later that week. Five weeks from that meeting we had the homestudy done, our profile submitted and a birthmother had picked us! 10 days later our baby boy was born! Two days before his birth we met our birthmother, Sabrina. She gave us a giftbag, as if she wasn't giving us enough already! She gave us a blanket and the company name on it was Owen, she had no idea that's what we were going to name our boy, God did. We went to the hospital to meet baby, he was precious. We also met Sabrina's brother and his wife. The next day we went back to the hospital and met Sabrina's two children, Te-6, Jaz-7, we also met her mom. We spent time with baby, he felt so good in my arms. Baby had to stay in a host home until the birthparents rights were terminated, it only took seven days! June 3 baby was born, June 10 we brought Owen home! Click here and hereto meet Owen's birthfamily, we see them about once a year, we love them.

We started the adoption process again in August 2007. This time with a different agency primarily because of the cost. It went fast again. Shortly after we turned in our profile a birthmother picked us, she was going to be induced by the end of the week but it didn't happen. We met her and I went to a doctor's appointment with her. I heard the heartbeat, then saw the ultrasound, we were having a baby girl. However after she was born (two weeks after we met), the birthfather changed his mind and wanted them to parent. It broke our hearts.

We continue to wait for God's story to be revealed in our lives daily. Right now it seems as if we are taking a very unusual path (seriously God, what in the world are You thinking?!). We are becoming foster parents. In April 2009 we brought home a 5month old baby girl who has gone through what no one ever should, let alone a baby. It's now mid October and she is still with us, we don't know what will happen. We would like to adopt her at this point and it might be possible but we really don't know.

Now, for even more crazy news, we're expecting in April 2010!! We miscarried once this summer but found out a couple months later we were pregnant again. Crazy!! Getting pregnant had become something I had no desire for anymore, at all, ever. It's so clear to me that God is ever present and at work in my life, my family's life.

**UPDATE**

We adopted our baby girl!! Isla (eye-luh) Rae Beckett, what a girl. What a God.
Maverick Rufner was born April 23, 2010. It's been a year, an amazing year.

Thanks for joining with us in our journey and taking the time to read all this and for any prayers on our behalf.