Our Wonderful Life: November 2008

We are sending out Christmas cards and REALLY want to send you one, will you please email me your address at adowensby@hotmail.com
Then I will be mailing you some Christmas cheer!!

Steve & Angie

Steve and I were married in August of 1995 in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple. We had a wonderfully happy marriage but longed to be parents. After 13 ½ years we were blessed with the adoption of our 1st baby in February 2009. Z came to us through the miracle of his birth mom Norma. We have loved having her and her family become a part of ours through our open adoption with them, something we never imagined we would enjoy so much. In June 2010, Ike was born and placed with us by Hannah and Robert, who we keep up with regularly. We didn’t anticipate our life would be quite like this all those years ago but adoption has made our dreams come true and now that we’re here we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our Adoption Timeline

August 1995 - Steve and Angie married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa Temple

December 1995-December 2000 - Several attempts made to become pregnant both without and with medical help

December 2000 - Decide to take a break and focus on school

September 2005 - Renewed effort and ideas as to how to become pregnant

November 2006 - Decide we will adopt whether or not we ever conceive;
Angie has surgery that reveals pregnancy is impossible without extensive reconstructive surgery;
We decide adoption is the best option for our family and begin to literally dream of our children

April 2007 - Meet with LDS Family Services for initial adoption interview

January 2008 - Finally turn in our adoption papers

February 2008 - Homestudy happens and we are approved to adopt!
We post our online profile and wait for the offers to pour in! :)

June 2008 - We receive our first (and only) email while at Lake Powell and anxiously and excitedly answer their questions on our friend's BlackBerry sitting around a campfire....we never hear from them again.

January 30, 2009 - We get a call from our caseworker that a birthmom wants to meet us, that night! We meet Norma, her family and baby Z for the 1st time!

January 31, 2009 - Norma and her mom come with Z to meet our family. She chooses US!

February 2, 2009 - Z is passed from his mother to his parents; never has one day felt so bittersweet.

September 5, 2009 - Z is sealed to his family for time and all eternity in the Mesa Temple.

December 16, 2009 - Angie and Hannah meet

January 6, 2010 - Steve and Angie meet with Hannah again

January 8, 2010 - Hannah chooses us!

June 2010 - Ike is born and placed with us! We love you Hannah and Robert.

Our Wonderful Life

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Christmas Cards