Our Miracle

As you can probably guess, the reason we have not written for a while is because our dream of adopting finally came true! I think it is about time that we shared our story.  I feel like before I can share the story of adopting our son, I first need to share a little bit of our infertility story, I hope you can bear with me.  Dave and I began trying to start our family after we had been married for almost four years.  We tried for about two years and then did infertility treatments for about a year and a half (I know it seems like we waited a long time before going to the doctor, but we were not consistently trying during those two years.  I kept having random health problems that would keep us from trying, nothing serious, just things that would delay us). The years we went through trying to conceive were incredibly difficult.  It was incredibly painful.  I think that is the best way to describe it, painful.  But although those years were so hard, I would not change a single thing.  I was able to learn and grow so much from this experience.  I have grown so much from going through this that I would not be the person I am today if I had not had to go through these things.  I have truly seen the Lord's hand in my life and I have learned how to let him bear my burdens.  I would like to share just a couple experiences I had that helped me to learn these things.

 One morning I was getting ready for work, rushing around like usual and I felt the strong impression that I needed to read my scriptures.  I almost didn't because I was in a hurry, but I finally sat down and read.  At the time I was reading in the Book of Jacob.  That particular day I read about when Jacob was preaching repentance to the people, telling the men that their bad behavior was causing their wives and children to suffer and how this did not please the Lord.  Later it mentions that the sobbing’s of the women's hearts ascend up to God.  At this point I had the overwhelming feeling that God knew the pain and sadness that I was feeling and that He was sad that I was sad.  That it hurt him to see me hurting. It was a comfort to me to know the Lord was aware of me and that He was sorrowing with me, even if He was not willing to take away the trial.  

About three years after we began trying to have a family I had another amazing experience.  We were up at my parent's watching General Conference and Elder Perry was giving a talk.  In his talk he spoke of how much the church needs good fathers and mothers right now.  Hearing this made me so upset.  I stood up and left the room with tears streaming down my face.  All I could think of was “If this were true and the church needs good mothers and fathers, why couldn’t Dave and I have a baby?”  As soon as I had that thought these words came into my mind “Because of the ways of the world, there will be more children born into families who are not ready for them, they need good parents too.”  I felt so blessed to receive this revelation.  It was a direct answer to my question, and although at the time we were still pursuing infertility treatments it helped open my heart to adoption.  I did not know if this meant that we would not be able to have a child of our own, but I knew that if this was the case the Lord had a bigger plan for me than I had for myself and I was grateful to him for that.

Not long after this experience we decided to discontinue our infertility treatments and begin pursuing adoption.  We attended an adoption meeting where we discovered that because we were building a home, we would not be able to start the adoption process until it was complete because they had to do a home check.  We had just started building and so this was yet again another delay.  During this time we sold our condo and Dave’s grandparents were kind enough to allow us to live in their home while our house was being built.  While living there for that brief time we received a calling to be substitute primary teachers.  As I was being set apart, the Bishop pronounced in my blessing that I would receive the miracle I’d been waiting for.  I immediately started crying.  He did not know us, he had no idea we had been waiting for a child.  I knew that blessing came directly from my Heavenly Father.

Finally we were able to move into our new home and start the adoption process in earnest.  There were a few more delays but finally in November of 2014 we had a live profile and had begun waiting to hear from an expectant mother.  As we waited I prayed that we would be blessed to be able to adopt a baby.  After a few months of praying for this, I received a strong impression that I was praying for the wrong thing.  This absolutely terrified me and I refused to ask the Lord what I should be praying for.  I was afraid I would be told that we would not be able to adopt.  Finally one night as I was praying I was impressed that instead of praying that we would be able to adopt, I should be praying for our birth mother. Specifically, that she would be comforted and that she would have the courage to make the right decision.  This was around the month of March 2015.  I later found out that this was the month our birth mother conceived and she was going through a very difficult time.  I am so grateful the Lord was patient with me and let me know what I should be praying for, even though I didn’t deserve it.  During the next few months we did talk to a few expectant parents, but were finally contacted by Brooke, our birth mother in August of 2015.

We emailed back and forth with Brooke for about a month, during that time we were able to get to know each other a bit better.  At one point Brooke told us that she had gone with some friends to Sandy Beach in Spanish Fork. Dave and I had never heard of Sandy Beach and we lived in Spanish Fork so we thought we should go check it out.  So one Sunday we went for a drive to Sandy Beach.  Soon after we got home, we received an email from Brooke asking if we had been to Sandy Beach that day.  We told her that we had.  She emailed back and told us that she had saw us.  She was in a car that was driving in as we were driving out.  She was so happy that she had seen us, she had been having a hard day and she told us that seeing us had made her feel better.  I know that it was not a coincidence that we saw each other that day, and I feel that experience helped Brooke with all that she was going through.  

After emailing each other for about a month Brooke told us that she would like to meet us.  We set up a day to take her and her Mom out to lunch.  When the day finally arrived I was so incredibly nervous! Everything ended up going really well, we were able to have a good conversation and it was not awkward at all.  We were also able to meet Brooke’s one year old little boy.  He was such a cutie, we knew that the little boy she was carrying would be a cutie too.  Soon after we arrived home from meeting them, we received an email from Brooke saying that she would like to get together with us again soon.  We were so excited!  We hoped that meant she was thinking of choosing us.  We emailed back and decided to go to the chalk art festival at the Riverwoods the very next weekend.  At the chalk art festival we were able to really get to know each other a bit more, it was so nice.  Then at the end, before she left Brooke told us that she was choosing us to adopt her baby boy!  We were so happy and hopeful that our prayers would finally be answered. 

After this, we began getting together with Brooke so that we could get to know her better.  One day we took her to Build A Bear so that she could make a bear for her and for her baby.  When we got to the end of making the bear it asks who the bear is for.  Brooke asked if we had picked out any names.  Prior to this Dave and I had been sitting in a Sunday School class where we were discussing God’s will in our lives.  Later Dave and I were talking and he told me that he had been told through revelation that we were supposed to name him Will.  We both felt very strongly that it was God’s will that this little boy be in our family.  Well, when Brooke asked about the name I was so nervous to tell her.  We knew this was supposed to be his name but I was afraid she might not like it.  When I told her we wanted to name him William and call him Will, she got the biggest smile on her face.  She told me that William was one of the names on her list too!  I know that this may seem small, but this was another example to me of Heavenly Father’s hand in our lives.  Of all the names out there, she had picked the same one we did.  What are the odds?

There were other things that we did together, like going to color me mine because Brooke likes art.  Brooke also allowed us the opportunity to come to one of her doctor’s visits and be there for an ultra sound. It was such an amazing experience!  We even got to hear his heart beat!  She is truly amazing and was so kind to allow us to experience some of the things that we never otherwise would have been able to.  We will be grateful to her for her love and sacrifice our whole lives.  It is hard to explain how much we have come to love her.  She is a part of our family and we will always care about her.

While we were at the doctor’s appointment with her, we were told that they were scheduling her C section on December 8^th.  We were so excited.  Well November 30^th, I received a phone call from Brooke.  She had gone to a doctor’s appointment and her blood pressure was high so they wanted to move the C section up to December 2^nd.  We had two days to get ready.  It was so nerve wracking and exciting all at once.

Like I mentioned previously, Brooke is amazing and we are so lucky to have her.  She was so caring towards us and wanted us to have as close to an experience of having a child as possible so she invited us to come to the hospital to watch the C section and she even made sure that we would have our own room at the hospital.  We were so thankful for her thoughtfulness.  On December 2^nd we arrived at the hospital at 5 am and spent time with Brooke and some of her family in her room while we were waiting for them to take her back. Then my brother-in-law and sister arrived.  We had previously spoken to Brooke about them coming.  My brother-in-law is a photographer and he agreed to come and take pictures so that we could make a book to read to Will his birth story.  Soon after that they took Brooke into the operating room. 

We were able to watch our son’s birth through a window.  I will never forget seeing his little head with a bunch of dark hair.  I was so surprised he had hair!  After Will was born, he was brought directly to us.  Brooke wanted us to be the first to hold him while she took a little bit of time to recover.  Like I said, she is the best.

  Watching him be wheeled out of the operation room and being able to touch him for the first time is an experience I don’t think I could ever describe.  There is so much happiness your heart feels like it will burst and it does not seem real at all. 

The next hour we were able to spend with Will while he was checked out and the nurses made sure he was healthy. 

Then we were able to go to our room and feed him. I felt so much love for him the moment I saw him.  I was absolutely attached and I could not imagine life without him.

After that we were able to take Will to meet his amazing, strong, incredible birth mother.   It was such a happy and amazing day.  We are so grateful to Brooke and the sacrifice that she made.  We are so incredibly happy to have a very open adoption with her.  She lives about ten minutes away from us and so Will is able to see her.  We also text her pictures of him at least twice a week and my very favorite thing is randomly running into her when we go to the grocery store or Walmart.  Adoption is about love and it has changed my life for the better.  I know that we had so many delays while we were waiting for our child because we were waiting specifically for Will.  I know he was always meant to be in our family.  I am so grateful that Heavenly Father knew what I needed in my life even though I didn’t.  I have truly learned so much.  I have learned how to be happy during trials (it took us six years to become parents) and during that time I was able to let the Lord bear my burdens and trust that he knew what was best so that I did not have to worry about it and could just be happy. I’ve learned so much about adoption. I feel like I was completely ignorant before we began this journey and now I have learned so much about really opening my heart to others and not allowing other emotions to keep me from letting someone else love my son.  It is just more love.  I’m grateful that I have had these opportunities to grow, and I’m most grateful that I finally have my sweet baby boy who was always meant for us. 

Bear Lake with Amber's Family

Nothing like being in the sun and having fun with the family. For the end of the summer activity with Amber's family we decided to make a trip up to Bear Lake for the day. Amber's family prefers the north sandy beach area of the lake so we headed to Idaho for the day. We arrived there around 10 AM and it was a little brisk, but that did not deter us from setting up our little area for a day of fun. After getting the canopy up and the camp chairs out we were ready for the day's activity of playing in the water and sand. However, before Dave was able to set foot into the water Amber wanted a picture of us both to capture the moment. There was a mount of sand that someone else had gathered up that looked like a nice spot for our "photogenic" spot. So here is the two of us with Amber's black floppy hat, and of course Amber always needs the kissing picture... at least I know she is still in love with me :)

Since it was a family event we needed to get a few snap shots with Mom and Dad, siblings and sibling-in-laws... and of course of our cute little niece who Amber endearingly calls her her "mini me". 

 Of course Dave found some way to be a goof. Here he is surfing the Bear Lake's beached turtle. But after a quick snap shot he was off to the water to play Frisbee with the rest.

 Our niece had a great time with Amber playing in the sand. She was so cute with her little Too-Too swimsuit. She did not like touching the sand but she had fun watching Amber build her sand castles.

 Dave decided to turn the mound of sand into a volcano with a mote dug around it. Too bad we did not have any Mentos and Diet Coke to make an eruption :)

It was a fun day with the family. By the end of the day some of the family looked like red little crabs and others were only slightly pink, but we all had smiles on our faces. We finished it off by going to a Mexican restaurant in Logan and further enjoying each other's company. As always, it is always great to be out with family.

Pioneer Day

This year we celebrated the 24th of July by going to the Spanish Fork Rodeo.  It was our second time going to the rodeo down here and we will definitely be attending for many years to come.  Watching the bronco and bull riding was so much fun.  Those guys are crazy to climb onto the backs of those animals! My Mom is from Idaho so I have a bit of country in my blood, it definitely comes out when we go to the rodeo.  I get kind of excited ha ha.  One of our favorite parts of the evening was watching the muttin bustin.  It is so funny to watch those kids hang on for dear life.  The sheep were doing summersaults to try and get them off, I have never seen a sheep do that before!  After the rodeo they had a really good fireworks show, it was the perfect way to celebrate Pioneer Day! 

Dave's Mom came with us and it was so great to have her down.  Before going to the rodeo we went to Casa Salza for some Nachos (which we are totally addicted to) and after the rodeo Dave's Mom stayed the night with us.  We are so glad she could come down and spend the weekend with us!

Eight Year Wedding Anniversary

We had such a fun Anniversary this year!  To start off our evening we went to dinner at Carrabba's.  It is one of our favorite Italian restaurants.  The funny thing is we don't go for pasta, their chicken is amazing.  Dave always gets the Chicken Bryan and I get the Pollo Maria Rosa.  I really can't tell you how good it is!

After going to dinner, Dave surprised me by stopping at Leatherby's in Taylorsville to get some ice cream.  Leatherby's is one of my most favorite places.  Their ice cream is the best!  I used to go there with my family when I was a kid, it was a special treat for us.  Sometimes we would go for family home evening.  Every time I go there it makes me so happy, nostalgia I guess.  Anyway, I usually get the Tracy's Peanut Butter Cup sundae.  It is so good!  So glad Dave spoiled me and took me there.

After stopping for ice cream we went to see "The Little Mermaid" at the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley.  We love to go see shows here!  "The Little Mermaid" was probably my favorite Disney show growing up so it was amazing to see it on stage.  I think my favorite part was when they performed "Under the Sea".  They had aerialists hanging from the ceiling performing and the actor who played Sebastian was fantastic!  It was such a good time!  I totally want to go see it again.  So yeah, pretty much a day filled with a few of my favorite things, Dave being one of them.  The last eight years have been amazing and I am so glad I get to spend eternity with my best friend!  He always makes me laugh and is the most serving husband there is.  I am one lucky girl!

Amber's Birthday

I had so much fun for my birthday this year!  It was a big one so I wanted to make it memorable :)  We met my best friend and her family at Liberty Park in Salt Lake for a picnic.  It had been such a long time since I've been there!  So many good memories.  We sat over by the pond and ate and watched people go by on the paddle boats.  After, we went to the splash pad and watched the kids play.  When we were finished there we went to Tracy Aviary.  I had never been before so I wanted to check it out.  It was actually really fun.  My favorite birds were the owls.  They are so cute, and one of them totally winked at me! 

Dave let me be the owl cause they are my fav.  London did not want to look at the camera ha ha

Lindsey and her family.

So glad I got to celebrate with Lindsey.  We have so much fun together and I don't know what I would do without her!

After seeing the birds we went to dinner at The Pie in Salt Lake.  I love going there and it had been such a long time (like, since college!)  Their pizza is the best!

The next day, on my actual birthday, my family came over to have dinner and birthday cake with us.  My Mom brought german chocolate cake, which is my all time favorite.  I'm so lucky to have my family, and nothing would be a celebration without my amazing husband.  I love him more than words can say.  I'm so grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life and that I got to celebrate my birthday with many of them.   

Dave's Birthday

Ah man I turned 32 years old. Actually, it was a great day. I got to spend the day with Amber out in the sun. She took in some sun while I was fishing, which she enjoys (not the fish but the sun). After getting skunked at the reservoir we decided to go and hit a bucket of balls at the driving range. We should have taken a picture of Amber since it has been nearly a decade since she has swung a golf club.

 After all the fun in the sun we met up with my twin brother and his girlfriend for dinner. It was kind of funny because the first place we went to was closed due to "maintenance" (I think we dodged a bullet on that one). The next place we called up and they said they were open. When we arrived they were actually open but were hosting a private dinner. So another swing and a miss. My brother then recommended going to another restaurant but upon arriving he realized it wasn't the restaurant he was hoping for... so we struck out. After that we finally found a place to eat. We found a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. It was a fun experience and the food turned out well. All in all, it was a fun birthday. Also, Amber got me a cheese making kit since I like to cook and this was something I was looking at getting for some while now.

Grandma Hatch's 80th Birthday

Dave and I were able to go and celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday with her.  We had so much fun.  Most of my Mom's side of the family were there so we had a great time catching up with cousins we have not seen in a while.  We had a big potluck lunch and then we sang Primary songs.  My Grandma loves music.  My Grandpa also stood up and sang a song especially for my Grandma.  It was the cutest thing ever.  Then my cousins showed a slide show of family photos that they had put together.  My Grandma loved it.  My favorite part was when my Aunt shared some fun facts about my Grandma.  She had asked my Grandma questions without her realizing that her answers were going to be shared at her birthday party.  It was so fun to hear some of the things that she said.  My Grandma said the job she always wanted was to be a soda jerk.  She also has a prankster side to her.  She loves to toilet paper peoples homes.  She even takes her Grandchildren out to show them how it is done.  And then like a proper Grandma she cleans up the mess and gives the toilet paper to the person whose house she got.  She makes me laugh.  It was so fun to be with her.  I love my family!