12 years ago…..

…… the week before Christmas, 2002, we received a call from Heidi, Daniel’s birthmom. That was the ‘real’ start of our adoption journey. Yes, we had filled out paperwork several months previously but until that call we were not truly on the road, just waiting by the edge.

Do you realize you the courage it took Heidi to call us? I don’t know about you but cold calling anyone is hard and I don’t like to do it. OK so Lifetime had told us to expect Heidi’s call and Heidi did have our profile in front of her so she knew what we looked like and a little bit about us but that was all. She had to initiate that first conversation with me and I know she was nervous. (So was I!) I don’t remember much about what we talked about but I know the conversation was over an hour and by the time it was over Heidi had decided that we were the ones she wanted to parent/adopt her unborn baby son.

What a Christmas present for us! Yes, we had to wait for Daniel to be born but just getting that call and “match” was very, very special 🙂

We were reading a book the other day to the children and the author was saying how important it is to find your purpose in life, mentioning that so many people never do find theirs and spend their life drifting. Have you found your purpose? We only get one life here on this earth. Don’t miss out! Take some risks! If you fall down, get up, brush your knees off and walk on putting the falling down to a learning experience. Richard and I have taken many risks in our lives. Some have worked, some not but that’s been okay. Each one has taught us something. We know our purpose in life right now is adoption. We didn’t have a clue that that this would be the path we would take 15 years ago but we moved on what we felt was a God given impression. No flashing lights, no writing in the sky. A very good friend put the idea in my head half in jest, half in seriousness. It was several months later that that “seed” began to grow and I voiced the thoughts to Richard. Has the road always been easy? No! Has it been amazing? Absolutely! Our life would not have taken the same road without these children and I can honestly say we would have lacked purpose and definitely been a lot more selfish and inward looking.

Christmas blessings,

Liz

P.S. Thank you for all your notes and prayers for my brother, Richard. He had a rough day today and was in a lot of pain despite the doctors telling him before surgery that he was would not be in any! His chest drain was causing him a lot of discomfort and affecting his breathing. They finally took it out ahead of schedule this evening and he was able to get up and walk, feeling much more comfortable.