I've never done this before.  It's hard, but the outcome would be a blessing to many.  Those of you who know Nate and I well know that the last 10 years of our lives, the entirety of our marriage, has been full of both great sweetness and great pain.  I know we are not alone in this.   Many of you out there have experienced much worse than we have, but this is a part our story.

Nate and I met in Mississippi doing Hurricane Katrina clean up.  He proposed exactly one year from the date that we met and we were married four months later.  He is a wonderful man and God has given us a beautiful love story.  I wish I could share it all with you.  I feel blessed beyond measure with the husband I have been given.  I can't imagine a better man to go through the joys and the trials of life with.  Nate does not yet know that I am sending out this plea for help.  I know in my heart that he will greatly appreciate it.   I long to do something to take part of the current burden off of him, so I'm reaching out to you all.

One month after getting married, we started trying to have children.   OUR PLAN was to pop out as many babies as we could naturally (I was already 29 when we married) and THEN we hoped to adopt a few and THEN maybe when we were old we would provide temporary foster care to children who needed it.  We both adore children and hoped for a large family.  GOD's PLAN has been a different one.  We trust Him and that He knows what is best.  Almost 10 years later, we have had 8 miscarriages.  After years of testing and treating, our infertility remains undiagnosed.  Our heart to care for children who need it, has stopped us from jumping into the more expensive fertility options.  We've longed to adopt and have had a few potential private adoptions fall through for various reasons.  

We are hard workers.  Nate is an incredibly hard working man.  He is a carpenter and I have been a nanny for 16 years now.  As life would have it,  and as most of you will understand, we've had a few financial set backs.  We've spent the last two years taking care of catching up and we are now just in the place of starting to get ahead.  However, we were not quite prepared for what God has in store for us right now...like RIGHT NOW.

I'm not free to share all of the details yet, but it's looking like we will (hopefully very soon) be the parents of two precious children!!  A sibling pair.   As only an incredibly loving, all knowing God could do, He has orchestrated circumstance after circumstance to bring us to this point and to bring these children into our lives.  So many of you have prayed for and loved us through the last 10 years.  For quite a few years, so many others have also been praying for these children, who are currently being cared for by their Great Grandparents.  It has been such a joy to get to know the extraordinary Great Grandparents who have sacrificed so much for the safety and well being of these children.  I wish we could sit with each of you and share all of the wonderful details.  I hope for the time to do that.  

Legally, this adoption will most likely have to go through the foster-to-adopt route.  In order for this adoption to move forward, the lawyer has said that we must immediately move into a larger home with at least 3 bedrooms.  God so awesomely and very quickly (the day after the lawyer let us know that we needed to move ASAP) provided an unbelievably perfect home in just the right area for the older child's school.  It is the fixer upper that we hoped for.  The big back yard is what we have dreamed of, little bubbling creek and all.   The home owner offered us an incredible lease to own deal at a GREAT price.  It was JUST what we needed except that it is only a 2 bedroom.  Nate needs to and can realatively easily close in one of the two porches to make the third bedroom.  Nate (and his brothers :) have the skills to do this.  However, due to spending a lot to secure the home, we don't have the money needed to purchase all of the materials needed.  There are a few other things in the home that MUST be done  immediately to make it a safe, healthy place to raise children.  We are also anticipating legal and court fees.  Please be assured that this request for help is for real, immediate needs only.  The amount that we need in the next few weeks is overwhelming to us.   We know that we will be able to provide well for the children moving forward, but these huge, unexpected expenses have come on very suddenly.

We are taking a leap of faith here.  Things are not finalized yet with this adoption.  It can not move forward at all until we have the appropriate space for these children.  We are convinced that this particular home is an incredible blessing of the Lord and we can't pass it up.   Did I mention that we are moving in less than 2 weeks from now?  The home owner really wanted us in by September 1.  We are hoping to complete as much construction as we can before moving all of our stuff in.  

These sweet children have had some really tough stuff happen in their short lives.  We are beyond humbled and honored at the opportunity to care for them. The 9 year knows what he is missing in a family.  He longs for one.  We are blown away at after years of waiting, what has happened in just the last few weeks of our lives.   We have a long road ahead.  We know it will be wonderful and most likely so hard at the same time.  We will need your prayers, but are confident that God has prepared us for this and that He has surrounded us with incredible family and friends.  We love you and appreciated you all so much for who you are and the love that you have shown us over the years.  We can not wait to  fully rejoice with you all at what the Lord has done in our lives and the lives of these children.  They have a lot of wonderful people in their lives who will be rejoicing right along with us.  Early this morning, I was stressed out about money and praying about all of this.  I  kept hearing the verse, "you have not, because you ask not".   So I humbly ask...

Please do not feel pressured to give, but know that if you are able, it will be life changing to Nate and I and to two little ones who need it.