WELCOME!

kori & jared

photography

Shoot Straight – Authentic Conversations about Adoption {Featuring the Boone Family}

1/21/13

Welcome!!! I am so excited to share some incredible adoptions stories with you! This blog series is something that has been growing in my heart for some time! And I believe that the time to start it and share it is now. In this adoption series we will feature the stories adoption workers and families who have adopted. We are hoping to bring you stories that are real and authentic. The heart for me behind this series comes from a couple of different places… first, we have been getting so many questions about adoption and I feel like there are so many ways to answer their questions and our story is just one way… With sharing the stories of others we will be able to cover more options and hopefully inspire more people.

Secondly… when we first started the process… there were so many people who immediately want to tell you the horror stories and speak yuckiness about what “could” happen and I feel like it is so important for the good stories… the stories of healing… the stories of God’s faithfulness to be shared so that others can be encouraged and challenged and open up the adoption conversation for more families.

And honestly, the last reason for me moving forward to share these stories… is this whole process really has been stinking hard and I think it’s easy to feel defeated and discouraged but yet there is something about the stories of families who are on the other side of this process… the ones that have made it through…  those are the ones that keep me encouraged. I want the series to post on Mondays… Mondays are the days that Jax has had visits with his birth momma and those days are stinking hardest for us so it seemed like the perfect day to seek out some inspiration and share it with others.  I feel like we are still in the midst of the beautiful heartache of foster adoption and we still have a lot of story left to write in our adventure but I began thinking about who inspired us to learn more about adoption for our family and I believe there are so many incredible adoption stories and I can’t help but want to be the one to share the good stuff… the stories of families radically changed forever by the blessing of adoption. I want you to find those stories here!

 I have the extra special blessing of blogging right now with our sweet Keagan laying on my chest as I type 🙂 You can read more about our story by clicking here…
Yay! This week we get to share the story of the Boone family and their sweet sweet girl… Joel and Sarah have been friends of ours for years now! Seems like just yesterday they only had their first two boys and they were teaching Jared and I how to play settlers of catan… (that was even before Jared and I tied the knot) We have been thankful for them and their family and Jared had the awesome opportunity to serve under Joel & Sarah in the high school group at Big Valley for a bit too. I love how intentional their sweet family is about loving others and  investing into the hearts of lots of high school students. Their adoption story is such a beautiful story and I reread their story just at the right time! It has been a hard week for us with a few set backs in the paper work process for us and when Sarah talks about how she felt the moment their adoption was official seriously encourages my heart… and brought lots of big tears to my eyes! I am so thankful for their willingness to share their story… and encourage our hearts! Enjoy!
My name is Sarah and The Lord has blessed my husband  and I with 5 kids. We have 4 biological boys and 1 girl who we were given the gift to adopt.
Ten years ago, Joel and I realized that God had laid on both of our hearts to pursue adoption.  We contacted a private agency in town and the process began.  After a couple months of classes, paper work and prayer , the lord made it very clear that the timing wasn’t right.  However Over the next several years our desire to adopt and our desire for a little girl continued.
In August of 2009, God called us to start the adoption process again and we felt led to pursue this journey with the agency  Koinonia. This time God continued us through all the paper work and all the classes and 1 year later on August 11, 2010 we officially became an adoption certified family.  As we reflected on that past year we were in awh of all the love and support from our family and friends.  Here is just one example: we had a Yard Sale of all donated items to help off set some of the adoption expenses for our future daughter. When it was all over we were blown away!  We had raised enough money to cover all our expenses as well as completely furnish and decorate her future bedroom. It was such a blessing!! Though the tedious part of our journey had been completed we knew the  hardest part began.. waiting for our little girl!
On August 12 (just one day after being certified) we received our first phone call.  We were asked to consider two children, a 2 year old boy and a 1 year old girl.  They were part of a sibling set of 4 and they were struggling to find a home so they were going to place them 2 and 2.  We said yes and our profile was submitted, but two days later we received a call back that they had found a family to take all 4.  What a blessing for those sweet kids and
so our wait began again.
On September 23  we received a second call.  This time for a 4 month old little girl named “M” and we said yes.  Our profile was submitted and 5 days later we received a phone call that we had been selected as possible family.  Our next step was to interview with the placement team and then they would make their final decision on which family was the best fit.
Our meeting was set for October 6 and what an interesting experience it was…
It felt awkward sharing about yourself and your family as this team quietly listened, took notes and highlighted various things we said.  Though we had meet  with numerous people over the past year and had answered hundreds of questions about our family, nothing compared to this experience. However, the best part was we were given a beautiful opportunity to share our faith with these ladies and to give God the glory for the work He is doing in our family.  We were also able to receive more information about  “M” and  ask a lot of questions.  The meeting ended and then we were told two possible relatives had come forth  so they would now have to assess them first. after all the assessments, meeting with us and meeting with the other families then they would make their final decision.  They estimated it would take them about 3 weeks.
So The wait continued…
The morning of october 12 We received an email that we were indeed the chosen family  for  “M”  “IF” the relatives did not work out.  We were Excited and anxious, but
Again we had to wait
Then Just as I finished reading the email about  “M”  my phone rang and it was our agency with another call. This time about a  2 year old little girl named  Savannah. My husbands first response to the news was “Can we take both?” I loved his heart as he waited for his daughter.  So we said yes to having our home study submitted for her too.  We knew little information about Savannah, but we were excited to hear more.
Though we had been chosen for “M”  , the relatives were still pending so their was no guarantee… we decided we would continue to walk through any doors the Lord opened up for us.
We knew it wasn’t going to be possible to get both girls  So we began praying that the Lord would make it clear on which girl he had created for our family and that it wouldn’t come down to us having to choose.  He seemed to answer our prayer as we never ended up getting anymore information on Savannah and our social worker informed us that  “M”  placement was moving forward and they hoped to have her in our home with in the next couple weeks.  More waiting and more praying!
A week later We received an email that   “M” placement was being delayed due to the assessment of the relatives, so now they hoped to get back to us in a couple more weeks with information.  My heart was disappointed and sad.  I began to journal and pour my heart out to the Lord.  Asking Him to give me His peace and to remind me He is in absolute control.   I prayed I would be filled completely with His joy and not allow circumstances to take that away.  It was definitely a tough morning.
About an hour later we received another email, this time from the case workers for Savannah. Attached was a general profile about her and that they were hoping to have her placed with a family by mid November.  We had finally received more information about her but we still had no idea if we had been chosen or if we still needed to go through the interview process.  Our social worker commented in the email she would call us later in the day.  I again spent time with the Lord praying for direction.  My mind was everywhere.
That evening our social worker called and asked what we thought as we read the additional information on Savannah  I shared we were excited and trusting that God would show us the path in which He would call us to pursue (M or Savannah). I then asked her what does it all mean.  She said that’s why I called and she began to share that our family had been chosen for Savannah and that they were ready to place her in our home!  Then she asked the question we had been dreaming of… Are you ready?  My mind wanted to explode… she continued to share with me more details, but to sum it all up, we said Yes!  We had prayed and asked the Lord to make it clear and He was faithful to do so.
My heart was filled with every possible emotion from… pure excitement… to pure fear… what if for some unforeseen reason it doesn’t happen.
There were still so many unanswered questions, but we continued to trust in the Lord.  He had been faithful and would continue to be so as we moved ahead on our adoption journey.
The next 48 hours in our home was special.
We decided it was time to share with the boys that sister was coming home.  Their faces were priceless. They were so excited that God had finally answered their prayers. (They had prayed faithfully for over a year for their baby sister. It was a very special moment.  All we could tell them though was her age and name and that next week we would get her picture and find out when we got to meet her.
However The next day we got a surprise…
I went to check my email and there was savannahs picture… Joel and I got to see our daughter for the very first time on october 22. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted the whole world to see her!!!  She was absolutely precious!!!  We called the boys up to see their sister and smiles filled everyone’s face. It was An unforgettable moment like when you see your baby born for the very first time.
We printed Her picture framed it and then printed copies for all of our family.  Needless to say, We were just a tad bit excited!
The following week we meet with Savannah’s social worker and she told us that on Monday  Joel and I would get meet our daughter!!!!  So On November 1, 2010 nervous and scared we held our daughter for the first time. It was a moment we will always remember! We were able to stay the week where she was, visiting her at the foster families home as well as at her preschool.  Each day we spent more and more time with her, beginning our new relationship. 5 days later on november 5 she came home with us, forever. It was an emotional time for me as we drove her away from everything familiar and comfortable. I prayed asking The Lord to give her little heart peace and that she would just know that our family was different.. We were her forever family and she would never have to move again.
Our boys were so  excited to meet her and when they saw her for the first time the smiles on their faces were precious.  Finally, the sister they had prayed faithfully for was home to play.
On December 13, just a month later parental rights were terminated and savannah was officially freed for adoption. we were told it would take about 6 months to finalize however God wanted to teach me more patience.
Our special day finally came.. on nov 18 2011 we signed for adoptive placement. then just a few hours later we left for pacific grove to be apart of  ATletes for adoption running team for the first time.
A special moment was standing at the starting line of the race surrounded by 17 family members that were there with us, my eyes filled with tears.  That Day our family joined with us in our passion for adoption and our daughter’s journey. They booked hotels, paid race registration fees, drove hours and set aside time in their schedules to be there with us.  I had never felt so supported and loved.  It was overwhelming!
(adoption day photos captured by Amber Grover www.groverstylephotography.com)
December was another roller coaster of emotions for me. We were told we would have a court date in the first week but that didn’t happened
I found myself extremely anxious, frustrated, discouraged and bitter. We were waiting on one paper to be released.  I didn’t want to wait anymore. i had a plan and it wasn’t happening.  I didn’t like that and I didn’t understand why. I am thankful for my sweet hubby, friends and family that listened to me, prayed for me and reminded me that the Lord was in control and that His plan was the greatest even if I couldn’t see it.  Each morning I would ask the Lord for patience, some days were better then others and some days I had to ask a 100 times. I began to feel His peace and release my plans.
 finally we received our court date
Our 2-1/2 year adoption journey was coming to an end and what a journey it had been..
from Day 1 till Day 887 we experienced every possible emotion, but through it all we experienced the Lord’s perfect plan in bringing our daughter home.
On jan 9 2012 all 6 of us sat in court together, surrounded by family and friends as we signed our final paper and heard the greatest words come from the judge’s mouth,
Savannah is officially yours
We no longer had to write two names, show documentation We had legal care of her, call the social workers when we left town, only leave her with a babysitter for less then 4 hours, fax medical check-ups, document any medicine she took, keep her picture off the internet, or answer any questions, . The Lord had given us the most incredible gift, we were now officially her Dad and Mom.
As I walked out of the courtroom, I held my daughter’s hand tighter then ever!  The fears were gone, the what ifs disappeared and I looked her in her eyes and with absolute certainty I told her.. I am your FOREVER Mommy and you are FOREVER my Savannah Joy Boone!
The Lord’s plan is not ALWAYS EASY, but it is ALWAYS RIGHT!  He called us to adopt and He was faithful to carry us through. In every moment of joy, laughter, fun, sadness, tears, struggles and questions and every moment that comes… We will forever be a family!
These beautiful family photos were captured by Ashley Blake  http://www.ablakephotography.com/
We are thankful for opportunities to share our journey  so that Savannah knows her story is important to us and that we are committed as a family to help other children come home to their forever families.
  Boon Family Adoption Blog

We are looking to share more stories about adoption… If you have adopted, are adopted or work with adoption and are willing to inspire others with your story… Pretty Please email me at koriandjared@gmail.com

And if you are looking for more stories from other families… you can check those out here:  http://koriandjaredblog.com/category/authentic-conversations-about-adoption/

Comments

Little Notes

Powered by Facebook Comments

LEAVE US A NOTE!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

forever kind of love.

WE BELIEVE IN kitchen dance parties, endless exploration and the

FOLLOW     koriandjared

Content Copyright Kori & Jared Photography 2017