in my free time

They met in 1997 and on their first date both of them knew that they would marry someday.
He proposed 1 year later on the same day by repeating the same first date only this time he asked her to marry him using his grandmothers ring!

They married September 17 1999.

There had always been a plan for children, in fact on their first date they discussed their tremendous love of family and children.

7 years and many heartbreaks later in April of 2007 she awoke and decided that the childless life was not for her. She convinced him to "just go to the orientation and if it is not for us then we will stop"
He was more emotional at the meeting than she was. It was decided to proceed with the plan for adoption.

The only thing is, it would take between 5 to 10 years to adopt a baby and they must "plant your feet firmly on the ground" as their caseworker told them, it would be a long haul.

After they experienced so much what was another 5 to 10 years really they thought.

So here they were 2 years ago almost to the date number seven on a waiting list capped at twenty.

Number 27... it would take forever to get anywhere they both thought. But they persisted. They wanted a child to complete their family more than anything.

They told his mom, she cried, they told her dad and he was elated! "feet firmly on the ground" was all she could hear in her head!

The paperwork was never ending and the classes for 10 weeks were eye opening, the questions were quite personal but through it all... 2 years almost to the day they are now number 14 on the list and will DEFINITELY move 5 spots in the next few weeks ~MONTHS making them number 9, NUMBER 9!!!!!

The pain of being told "you will never have a child of your own" is forgotten by both of them. They know that the child they are waiting for IS THEIR OWN!

Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, you didn't grow under my heart, but in it.

To be continued....