We are finally offically published on itsaboutlove.org!!! Here is the link:
https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/28109751/ourMessage.jsf
I got the email from our case worker last Thursday. I was pretty excited so I texted family and friends only to get a reply back from my sister Josie that said "What is that?" (Sorry to point you out sis, but if it makes you feel better you weren't the only one who wondered what the heck I was talking about.) So I figured I would take the time to explain how it works and why we were so excited. For the past few months we have been filling out paperwork, answering questionairies, attending classes and picking out pictures that hopefully show people a little more about us. We had to get interviwed, fingerprinted, have a background check completed and our home was inspected for safety. At the end of all this work our profile was reviewed and approved then published! Once your profile is published anyone can see your information on itsaboutlove.org. This website is a resource for young women and men to look at potential couples/families to place their child with. The agency encourages you to tell everyone you know that you are adopting. The best way to get connected is to network. It took awhile to get use to the idea of broadcasting to everyone that we are adopting. It was a hard thing to put ourselves out there in public because we are pretty private people. We kindof struggled through the whole infertility thing without a lot of people knowing what we were going through. But as we talk about our decision the more people we get to know and meet. We've developed so many new friendships along the way, some that wouldn't have happened had we not made the decision to adopt.
I've been asked by many people, "What's the timeline? How long does it take?" There isn't an easy answer to that question. It takes as long as it takes for someone to feel like you guys are the couple that they have been looking for. I've also had people say, "Have you gone online to check out your competition?" (Most are joking when they say it, but kind of curious to know your answer too.) It's hard to read through other couple's profiles and think of them as "competition". I sat and read through every person in Idaho's profile one night while Tyler was out of town. It humbled me to read other people's stories and relate to some of the heartache that they have gone through, and it made me feel connected to them, even though I've never met most of them. There are amazing people out there waiting and hoping to adopt a child, any child would be blessed to enter their homes. Of course we want to be contacted soon and adopt a child we can call our own, but anytime we here of another couple who has successfully adopted a child it warms our heart because we understand how much they want a family of their own. We believe the right child will come to us and fulfill our dreams of starting family. Sorry this was a longer explanation than I planned, but hopefully it will answer some of the questions people are wondering, and of course we will keep you posted on any news we get! Have a great day and enjoy the new fall weather! Love, Jessica
P.S. Here is a link for our friends who are also trying to adopt!
https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/27263540/ourMessage.jsf
