Who We Are:

John, Lauren, Superman, Batman,  Wonder Woman, and The Flash (don’t worry, those aren’t my kids’ names, but for the sake of their privacy in this public format they will heretofore be referred to by their alter egos).

We are a family of 6 + 2 dogs. I (Lauren) am a stay-at-home mom and a lover of coffee. My husband, John, is a solider and a lover of bacon and donuts (preferably together). Superman is a rambunctious 6 year old who loves superheroes and video games. Batman is a crazy 4 year old who loves Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, running/climbing, and making lots of noise. Wonder Woman is our precious daughter who loves big brothers and music. The Flash is our baby who loves to be involved in whatever is happening and has hardcore FOMO (fear of missing out). Our dogs, Maya and Penny, are 12 years old; they like to bark in the back yard, take naps on the couch (which they’re technically not allowed on), and steal our food.

Our Story- The condensed version

In the fall of 2015 our family felt called by God to adopt and we began the process. We paid our first bill in November, submitted our paperwork in December, began our home study in March of 2016, and were approved for domestic adoption in May of that year. During the home study process we felt God calling us to be open to all forms of adoption, open or closed, transracial (adopting any race other than your own), and/or special needs, to include severe special needs. During the months that followed our completed home study we were called multiple times by our social worker to discuss possible adoptions. All of the cases were special needs for some reason or other, and each time was different than the last. Every time she called us my husband and I prayed, we struggled with what life with xx condition or xx needs would look like, and every single time God made it clear that we were to say yes. We came to trust that God would bring us to the right baby at the right time, and when He did, He would also equip us to handle their needs. Despite our fear, we did not allow it to reflect in our decision to adopt. God reminded us that He is greater than our circumstances, and His promises to equip and sustain us remains, whatever we face.

The day before Thanksgiving of 2016 we were contacted about a possible placement, a baby girl with severe special needs, a condition called hydranencephaly, who was born in another state. The life expectancy of a child with her condition is statistically less than a year. We spent a busy weekend distracted by the holiday, but when we stopped to pray about her and make our decision, God quickly reminded us that we were to say yes to all placements. The Monday after Thanksgiving I got the call from our social worker, the baby was ours. Within 24 hours we were on the road to meet our baby girl.

December 1, 2016 we became a family of 5, the whole adoption process took us about a year. It’s crazy to think that this was God’s plan for us all along. Had we understood at the beginning what He was calling us to, we probably would have chickened out. Fortunately, God called us to obedience one step at a time, and in His perfect time He brought us to our baby girl.

In July of 2018, we welcomed our 4th child to the family. Our baby girl became a big sister, and she has taken to the role beautifully.

Being a family of 6 with a special needs baby can be overwhelming. But more than being overwhelmed by the difficult stuff, we’ve been overwhelmed by love. From the moment we announced our adoption to the moment we brought home our sweet baby and introduced her to our friends and family, we’ve been overwhelmed by love and support. God didn’t call us to walk this journey alone, He’s given us the most wonderful support system and encouragement and we’ve been happy to share the ups and downs of this process through our blog. We hope to continue sharing our lives here and my promise is to always be honest with the good, the bad, and the in-between, which is typically where we reside.

Photographs courtesy of Cute E’s Photography

http://www.cuteesphotography.com