The road to parenthood has had many twists and turns for me and my husband. I look back on all the miracles we’ve witnessed along the way and am amazed at the beautiful story God has woven together.
Kurk and I were married in 2013. He had two children of his own but had ended his ability to have more after his second child was born. I went into marriage knowing that we would need help to grow our family and fulfill my heart’s desire to be a mother. In 2016, we had an unsuccessful vasectomy reversal surgery that left us devastated. As the years passed, we wondered if we would ever have any future children. Traditional adoption had always been on our hearts. We also pursued IVF for a time. But when we learned about the miracle of embryo adoption, our hearts lit up again with hope. It was the beautiful merging of both desires of our hearts: adoption and giving birth to our own children. Snowflakes Adoption Agency was the first agency we reached out to and instantly knew they were the right fit. So, as a global pandemic was rocking the world in early 2020, we began our adoption journey!
Snowflakes’ staff was incredibly caring and compassionate as they helped us navigate the phases of the adoption process. 8 months in, we reached the matching phase – the part I was most anxious about. Who would this family be? What would they look like? Would it feel right? All these questions swirled around in my head, but I trusted knowing how much prayer went into the matches that Snowflakes makes. Little did we know how incredible of a match God had waiting for us!
In November 2020, the words “We have a Match” popped up in my inbox." With butterflies in our stomachs, we read that a family had chosen us for their 8 remaining embryos! I was so nervous to look at their profile that I asked my husband to read it first. I’ll never forget the look on his face after he read their letter. “I know them!” he said. I was in disbelief as Kurk explained that he knew this wonderful couple from years ago. As an added curveball, they lived one town over from us! Worlds were colliding. Out of all the families across the US, this was the family we were matched with. We knew in our hearts this was God-orchestrated, one that we could have never made ourselves but only by His divine plan. The placing mom said it best, “it must be God!”
We officially became adoptive parents to our 8 little embryos in December 2020. Soon after, we got to meet our placing family in person! They welcomed us into their lovely home with open arms, as if we’d been a part of their family for years. We hugged, we cried, and we all shared in the awe of what God was doing in all our lives. I got to hold their little boy who was turning one at the time. His little face gave me a glimpse of what my future children might look like. My heart was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.
Then came the time to schedule our first transfer! It felt surreal to finally get the chance to become pregnant after all these years of waiting. We were hopeful, nervous and everything in-between. In February 2021, our first try was successful, and our embryo attached! But this little one was only with us for 8 short weeks before Jesus chose to take him home. We gave him the name Kaleb, meaning “wholehearted devotion to God”. Our placing family surrounded us with prayers and support. They even made a plaque for him in our flower garden where he is buried. We took the time to grieve and celebrate his beautiful life.
In October 2021 we were ready to try for a second transfer. This try was also successful and in June of this year we welcomed our darling daughter, Kaydance Liberty. She is the answer to so many prayers! Our placing family came to meet her at the hospital when she arrived. It was an incredible moment seeing them hold her for the first time. Through all the years of heartache, disappointments, failed surgeries/transfers, and losses for both families, we all now get to hold the promised children God gave us. He is faithful. Our story was always meant to be bigger than just us.