National Adoption Month

Last month was National Adoption Month. Unfortunately I dropped the ball on doing a tribute to Adoption Awareness so I still want to do it - better late than never :)
I share a post on Adoption Awareness last year HERE and it's so crazy to think how much more we've learned!
We continue to be blown away as we learn more and meet more people that are a part of this adoption world. There are so many amazing people out there and there are endless amounts of support systems!
As we look back on this last year in our adoption journey we can't help but feel incredibly blessed and fortunate. It was August of last year that we learned the best (only) way for us to start our family was through the miracle of adoption. By October, we attended an orientation meeting with LDS Family Services and decided it felt right to wait until January to really start working with LDS services. We are and have been "hoping to adopt" since last September and feel working with an agency has only solidified the possibility of us to becoming parents someday soon. By March we had been approved to start our profile and paid the upfront fees. By middle of June we had finally finished the hours and hours of paper work and our home study. After it was reviewed and approved, we were published this last July. I remember crying tears of joy when we learned our profile was finally published. We feel so blessed to have come this far and know we could not have done it on our own. We have so much support from friends, family, the church, and even strangers! We have a Father in Heaven who loves us dearly and knows the righteous desires of our hearts. We know that the Lord will bless us with these righteous desires in His time - the BEST time - that will bring us the most joy.
At this time - we are playing the "waiting game" of the adoption process. Adoption truly is a process - there are steps that must be taken, timelines that need to be followed, and expectations that need to be met. Sometimes it can be discouraging, knowing the "process" you have to go through to have a family - when it seems to come so easily to others. BUT we know that this is the Lord's plan for us. This is the plan the we happily agreed to and looked forward to before this life. We knew that even though we would face trials - it would all be worth it and that this plan would ultimately bring us eternal happiness. As Brad and I talk more about us going through this adoption journey - we no longer see it as a trial or challenge. We have been blessed to see this as an opportunity and a blessing to be a part of the adoption experience. We have met so many amazing, inspiring people and heard so many fabulous stories. The strength of a potential birth mother is beyond my greatest strength. I have never met women with more love for their babies and these birth mothers. They are truly better than me, in so many ways. We can't help but feel fortunate as we enjoy the journey and wait in anticipation for the opportunity to become parents.
The miracle of adoption is truly a gift from God. It all makes sense. Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone and everything, in every situation. I'm so grateful for the inspired idea of adoption and the opportunity it will provide for us to be parents in this life. 



Ashley Morgan Photography