Steve & Amy – Hoping to Adopt

A few weeks ago, we took some of our nieces and nephews to the movies. We took five of them so it was quite an adventure (five kids at once is a lot for us)! We went to see Hotel for Dogs. Since the kids live really close to the theaters, we walked there. We had quite an interesting time at the movie. Dylan, our youngest nephew didn’t really like the movie–he was crying quite a bit. So I walked him home and left Steve with the other kids. Unfortunately when we got to their house, I realized that Steve had the keys. I was panicked, because the movie wouldn’t be over for quite awhile. So I looked around and luckily I was able to climb over the fence (with the baby)! Then I was really blessed, because the back door was opened! Meanwhile, Steve was at the theater with the rest of the kids. He was a little stressed because one of our nieces had to go to the bathroom. He didn’t want her to go by herself, but he couldn’t leave the other three kids alone. He finally sent Jimmy, our oldest nephew with her. The rest of the time they enjoyed the movie and Steve made it home with all of them. Jimmy was quite a helper! We couldn’t have done it without him! So it was a bit of a crazy night, but we had a good time with the kids!

A couple of weeks ago, Steve and I took our niece and nephew to the Museum of Natural History. It was quite an adventure to get there, because it we had to go around a marathon. It seemed like every street we turned on was blocked off because of the marathon. When we finally got there, we had so much fun! They were so excited about seeing all the exhibits. Some of our favorites were the frog and toad exhibits (we got to watch them be fed), digging for dinosaur bones, and the bug collections.



After we finished with the museum we took them on a picnic outside the museum.


We have really enjoyed our adventures with our nieces and nephews! We’re looking forward to our next outing!

Yesterday was Hot Rod Hundley’s last day as the radio voice of the Utah Jazz. Happy retirement to him!! Although most people didn’t expect the Jazz/Lakers series to go beyond five games, I think we all had increased hopes after game 3. Even though they ended up winning by only 2 points, I think they played a great game! Last night they gave us some last minute hope when they came back from like a 20 point deficit to a 6 point deficit with about 3 minutes to play. Then of course the Lakers had to bring their big 5 back into the game, and our hopes were quickly dashed. The Lakers have a great team and kudos to them for winning the series! Hopefully next year the Jazz can get a better position in the playoffs!

This weekend Amy and I went to an Adoption Education Class. It went from 9:00am-9:00pm yesterday (Friday, so we both had to take work off) and 9:30am-4:00pm today. There was a lot of information presented and it was emotionally draining at times. The presenters were amazing, and shared real stories that brought the whole process to life. We loved everything about it.

One of the highlights, for us, was the birth parent panel. They had a birth Father and a birth Mother (not of the same baby) that presented their stories. We were stunned by the courage that they had and have. I was surprised that in most cases, the birth Father doesn’t want to play a significant role in the plans of the baby, so it is usually the birth Mother that faces these decisions. Many times the birth Mother has opposition to her decisions from family and friends who quickly offer their advice. We’ve always had respect for these types of parents, but after seeing, hearing, and feeling what they went through to get to the point of placing their babies, that level of respect increased dramatically. These are some of the finest, most self-less, and honorable people in our opinion. There are many myths about adoption, such as thinking that birth mothers place their babies for adoption because it’s the “easy way out”. I can understand this thought process, but I would argue that it is completely erroneous. Many birth mothers begin with a plan that includes them parenting the baby. Often times, for various reasons, they reach a point when they understand that this plan is not realistic and that the baby’s needs would be best met through adoption. Even after reaching this point, it is very difficult for them to follow-through, because many of them really want to be the baby’s parent, but they are willing to place the baby’s needs ahead of their hopes and desires.

There was also an adoptive parent panel. Two couples that have recently adopted babies shared their stories of the process. It was a relief to hear that they had many of the same concerns and fears as us. We loved how open and honest they were. It reaffirmed to us that many times these babies are meant to be adopted into specific families and that God directs this process for the birth parents, the adopting parents, and the many other people involved.

There were so many other parts that we loved as well! Going to the class helped us better understand the adoption process and the various roles people have in that process. We loved hearing examples of the adoption process from both the birth parents point of view and adopting parents point of view. We also made a few friends that are in a similar situation as us, and it was nice to be able to relate to each other.

We are so grateful for adoption and are excited for the day when that miracle will take place in our lives.

Thank you for looking at our profile. We can only imagine that this is a time filled with difficult decisions for you. We are amazed by your strength as you seek to know the best option for you and your baby. We pray for the Lord’s blessings to be with you as you go through this process.

About Us
We have been married for a little over three years. We fell in love at a singles dance and have enjoyed life together ever since. We have a lot of fun spending time with each other. Each year we go on a vacation together. Some of our favorites have been on the beaches of California and Oregon. While we’re at home, we love to play board games, card games, and the Nintendo Wii. Also, we enjoy taking walks and hiking. Sometimes we love just cuddling up on the couch watching TV or movies.

Our families play a big part in our lives. Most of our family lives close by, so we can spend a lot of time with them. Both of our families get together for dinner every month. Our families also have a tradition of going on a campout each year. We’ve had many fun and crazy adventures on those trips. We also have a lot of fun spending time with our nieces and nephews. Our newest tradition is to take a few of them at a time to do a special activity. Visits to the zoo, swimming at a recreation center, and playing at the park are some of our favorite things to do with them.

About Steve
I was born and raised in Utah. I served an LDS mission in Independence Missouri and loved it! When I was little, I knew I wanted my career to include computers. I recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Computer Science. I currently work for the LDS Church creating computer programs and couldn’t be happier with my career at this time. My career is also my hobby and I love that!

In my free time, I enjoy creating my own computer programs. Aside from computers, I also really like snowboarding, hiking, going on walks with Amy, playing board games and card games, and watching the TV Series “Lost” and “The Office”. I love to go four-wheeling, and I’m excited to take our future children with me someday! When I have family or a group of friends over, I love to play Guitar Hero World Tour, especially the drums.

About Steve (by Amy)
Steve is the best husband I could possibly ask for! He is so thoughtful, kind, and romantic. He’ll often write me notes and tell me how much he loves me. On special occasions, he always has something romantic planned. He is also a wonderful listener. I know that anytime I need to talk about something, Steve is there to listen. Life is fun with Steve! He always knows how to make me laugh! Steve is also good with managing money. He keeps our budget perfectly organized each month. I love to see Steve with all of his nieces and nephews. Each time I see them playing with “Uncle Steve,” it helps me imagine what a wonderful father he will be.

About Amy
I was also born and raised in Utah. In high school I volunteered for a few weeks in an elementary classroom and loved it! I realized how much I enjoyed teaching and working with kids. I graduated from BYU in elementary education. While I was a student at BYU, I spent 6 months in Washington DC teaching at an inner-city school. It was a really neat experience. After I graduated, I served an LDS mission in Brazil. I loved the people there and hope to go back and visit someday. After returning home, I started teaching. I’ve now been teaching for four years. I have a lot of fun teaching, although I’m really excited to be a stay-at-home mom!

I love to do scrapbooking on the computer every chance I get. I also like to walk for exercise and I go over to my mom’s house each morning to go walking with her. I love watching movies, TV, and listening to country music. I also love to read. Often I can be found curled up with a good book. I love traveling and taking vacations with Steve, especially to the beach.

About Amy (by Steve)
Amy is my dream come true and I love being married to her. She makes me happier than I ever imagined. She has a fun laugh, and I love when I can get her to laugh uncontrollably. Amy works hard to make a home cooked dinner for us almost every night. She is very supportive and helps me grow and become a better person. Amy is always thinking of others and putting them ahead of herself. She will be a wonderful mother. I’m so excited for the day, when she will have a little one to love. Children absolutely love her and warm up to her very quickly. She is a natural.

Our Feelings about Adoption
We have both always wanted to have children. When we were married, it wasn’t long before we decided we were ready for children. After we had tried for awhile, we learned that we had some infertility problems. We tried several different infertility treatments, but without success.

After much thought, fasting, and prayer we felt very strongly that we should pursue adoption. We’ve seen many miracles through adoption. Our niece was adopted and she has brought so much joy into our lives. We’ve also seen some of our friend’s lives blessed through adoption.

We hope to have an open adoption. We would like to share letters, e-mails, and phone calls. We’d also like to explore the possibility of visits, and we’re open to other suggestions as well. We are humbled at the chance to become parents through the miracle of adoption. Having a family is a blessing we have wanted all our lives. This blessing is something we will not take lightly. If given the opportunity, we will love your child with all our hearts and always express your love to him/her.

Thank you for taking the time to look at our profile. Again, we pray that you will feel strength and comfort during this time of difficult choices. We hope to hear from you soon!

Love,
Steve and Amy