Why do we share?

Since "going public" about our decision to adopt - we have received SO much support from so many people :)  We are very appreciative of this as this is going to be a journey of ups - as also, big potential downs...

Some people when they adopt - choose not to share the news until the child is in their arms and the paperwork is 100% finalized {no risk of the birth mother taking back her decision}.  If you know me well - you may know that I have a deep love-hate relationship with secrets :)  But don't get me wrong -  I am good at keeping secrets when necessary :D

I love surprises.  I love a good mystery.  I love an appropriate amount of suspense - but when the time came to share the news - for us - the choice was 2 fold.....

1 - Sharing in our journey early on with you MAY shorten our time frame if we are able to find a birth mother outside of the agency through a connection to someone {Dan's reasoning}

2 - I want to remember how I am feeling, thinking and doing life in the season.  If we share the news early, I feel more compelled to write it all down and remember {Me - the one with the bad memory and huge lack of journal-ing skills}

Dan's reasoning is pretty simple.  But for me - it is more than just remembering - it is sharing in this process. I want you to read what we are doing and why so that someday you may consider taking this path too.  I want people to see adoption in a new and different way - I to open your world up to a new way of thinking of how families can look.

Maybe you already do think this way - or maybe you never have.

Life is more than just the "American dream" of living in the suburbs with a white picket fence, one boy one girl and golden retriever named Buddy. {not that that's a bad thing}  Families don't all have to be the same skin color, height, abilities or looks.

This is the family that I knew growing up - okay - just the girls, but I just wanted to show you the beauty that is their family. Although they moved when Britt and I were in between 7th and 8th grade, {so I haven't met the little ones}but they have been such an inspiration in this journey

We don't know what our family will look like down the road, and we don't know what bumps are ahead.

By following this path with us you may laugh, cry or get bored and loose interest.  But we hope that by opening up and sharing our journey, that you may see the way a family may look to you differently.

And that you please bare with us if/when this does get tough.  With adoption there is always a risk of the child going back to it's birth mother.  This is a fear that we don't spend time entertaining and trust that no matter what happens - God's will be done in the end :)

Cheers to a great week :)

xox,
Karin :)