Sharing Our Journey...

This is something I should have done 6 months ago, but as our lives have been over the past 11 years it's best described as a whirlwind..maybe a TORNADO! Jody and I are high school sweethearts and all the mushy stuff that entails, we got married September 9, 2006 and expected to have a perfect, happy, seamless marriage just like every 22 & 23 year old. Well were we wrong..over the last 6 years we have tested every word in our vows (sickness, health, richer, poorer, good times and bad) we have had them all, but with the love, support and understanding of our amazing family and friends we have come out on the other side and still work everyday in making our lives what we want them to be individually, as a couple and most importantly as a family.


Jody and I always knew we wanted to adopt, but we also knew that we wanted to have our own children, to experience pregnancy, to be able to say he looks like his dad or she has her mom's eyes. We talked about baby names, nursery colors, how many kids we wanted and when we wanted to start having children.


In November of 2006, we were told we would need some help building that dream family. Our team included Ob/Gyns, Fertility Specialists, Allergists, Nutritionist, Urologists and Endocrinologists...5 years, thousands of dollars, hours of research and even more tears, 3 miscarriages brought us to our most important team member... our caseworker from Children and Youth.


In February, 2011 we became Foster Parents. We got the most exciting call just one week later..February 18, 2011 we had our first placement! Milly and amazing 9 month old that was with us for 10 months and then returned to her mother on December 1, 2011. It was an emotional day to say the least. Just when we thought we were cried out. It was a long weekend of relaxation, movie watching and still some tears. Jody and I had a long conversation about whether or not we could remain foster parents, or would it just be too much for us, emotionally. I will be sure to add pictures later as I play "catch up" but on December 6, 2011 before work we decided that I was going to call our caseworker, Joy, now known as "the stork" and put us "on-hold" that we just needed sometime to sort through what we were feeling. The universe had another plan for us..around 10:00am we received another phone call. "Dawn, it's Joy from Dauphin County" I went numb..was Milly okay, is she coming home...Joy must have known that was my first thought as she said "this is not about Milly, I haven't heard anything." BUT...she had a new placement opportunity for us. A newborn baby, baby boy who was born in a different county and would if we said "yes" make a long 5 hour journey to Lancaster, PA.


After a "Family Discussion" Jody and I decided let's go for it. I didn't get a chance to call Joy for a reason...we decided to let go and "TRUST OUR JOURNEY." It has been the most amazing 6 months of our lives. With a lot of ups and downs, but overall the "black cloud" that has been our lives has lifted. 

We are now doing our best to "ENJOY THE JOURNEY"