Prayer Request

I have a new prayer request that is on my heart. There are several grants that we have looked into applying for that do not have funding right now. Many of these grants are administrated by adoptive parents, who deeply want to assist adoptive families. I would love to see more of these grants fully funded. This would not only bring joy to the families who receive the grants, but also to the adoptive families and committees who are blessed to be able to give them.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us!

~Alicia

Coming Through

Adam loves to "come through" for me. Whether it is helping with something around the house, a great date, or making me smile, he delights in being my hero. I have been thinking a lot about Jesus, and how He loves to do that too. Two unexpected expenses have come up in the last few weeks, and more than ever, we are looking to Him to come through. Some maintenance on Adam's car turned out to be more than we were expecting, and we had to fix our bathroom pipes, because they were leaking down onto our ceiling fan in the kitchen. This is verse that I found that I really like, because the only way we can be steadfast and immovable is trusting in what Jesus has for us:

1 Corinthians 15:58

 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

We are excited to see the ways that Jesus is going to come through for us in this journey! 

~Alicia

We are excited to go bowling...it was our first date! By the way, neither of us are ANY good. :)

Prayer Requests

Here are some prayer requests we have right now:

1. Health: for our baby, our baby's birthmom, and us  (physical, spiritual, mental, physical)
2. Unity as we go through the process of being "shown" to birthmoms
3. Favor with grants we are applying for
4. Praise for our raffle fundraiser!
5. That our next fundraiser would go well
6. Wisdom about how "open" our relationship with our baby's birthmom should be 

Thanks for being part of the journey!

Raffle Winner!

Thank you so much to EVERYONE who participated in the raffle! It has been such a blessing to be in contact with friends and family who are supporting us and praying for us. It has been amazing to see participation from friends from many parts of both of our lives. We are happy to announce that John Aultman won the raffle! The iPad mini 3 has been shipped off!

Whare are the funds used for?

There are several things that funds may be used for:

1. Application Fees
2. Background checks
3. Doctor's visits
4. Birth Mother/Baby hospital bills
5. Birth Mother housing
6. Homestudy
7. Finalization Fees
8. Agency Fees
9. Making a profile book/look book (what birth mothers look at to choose families)
10. Mileage



We are excited to see how God will provide through the fundraisers and grants we are applying for!


Our goal is to raise $2,000 through our ipad 3 mini raffle. We also have a bowling fundraiser planned, and are hoping to raise $15,000-$20,000 through grants or no-interest loans.

Saying "No"

          This past Sunday, we had to say our first "No" to being shown to a birth mother. After finding out about the baby's mom and dad, and extended family, it was not an easy decision to make. Knowing that there was a life in need of love, encouragement, and a place of belonging is a compelling thing. Each "No" comes with much prayer and consideration. We covet your prayers as we walk through this process.

Why Are We Adopting?

         We would like to adopt is because it is something that is near to God’s heart.  We have been adopted by Him into His family and given so many things that we did not earn, or ever have access to.  We think that it is something special that we can say to our child, that we chose them and wanted them specifically, just like God has chosen them and us.

           We want to use this as an opportunity to bless a child. We believe that we will provide a safe, loving home for a child for whom we are excited to be a blessing. We want to be a part of the solution to the hurt that we see in the world. We desire to provide a safe haven for children where they can be supported and nurtured. Our desire is that through adopting, we might also be a resource for other friends or family who might then decide to do the same.

            Another reason we are adopting is because medically it would be difficult for Alicia to have a child. We have chosen to focus on adoption instead of on the medical process that we would need to go through for us to have a child biologically.

           Finally, we would like to adopt because there is a deep need for it in the world today.  So many children grow up without a stable family, that we want to provide a home and family for some of those children that need it.

Our Story

Click! You have 1 new message! We met online at eharmony.com. We started with answering their pre-arranged questions, and then began exchanging e-mails, and finally phone calls. Our first date was at a Chinese restaurant and then we went bowling. Neither of us are good bowlers! Despite our low scores, our time together gave us enough knowledge to know we had fun together and this relationship was worth pursuing. At the time, Adam was living in Two Harbors, MN and Alicia was working as a teacher at a school in downtown St.Paul, MN. As a result, there were many weekends where one of us would drive to see the other, staying with the other’s relatives in the area. We had many fun dates together, including concerts, parks, zoos, museums, skating, and going out to eat. We enjoy finding unique and local restaurants to try out together. We both enjoy ethnic foods, including Mexican, Greek, and Chinese.

After getting married, we have been working on many house projects together. Our house was built in the 1900s, and remodeled in the 1970s, so it was time for some TLC! We painted the whole house, re-sealed our basement floor, refinished our hardwood floors throughout the house, put up gutters on the side of our house where we have a garden, and re-built a shed. We also updated our kitchen with new walls, a new window, countertops, and a new sink. Alicia was especially excited about the disposal! We have also worked to make our home more comfortable by insulating our attic, and doing air-sealing throughout the house. Additionally, Adam updated some of our electrical and straightened out the mess that was our electrical box. Through doing these projects, we have learned more about how to work together, handle stress, and manage our time. For example, Alicia has learned that it is important how valuable simply providing Adam with tools during a project can be. Adam has been given opportunities to show Alicia her value by including her in projects.

There are so many ways that adoption will enrich our lives! We are confident of this for several reasons. First, we are excited about adoption because we believe that God’s heart is for adoption. We are saddened by the abortion that happens in the United States, and the many children who are in orphanages in other countries. God adopted us, and that provides us with a beautiful pictures and example to follow! We want to follow His leading in providing a Christ-centered, loving home for a child. Second, we really enjoy our families and are excited to enlarge our own family. Our nieces bring us so much joy, and we enjoy getting spend time with parents, siblings, and grandparents at gatherings. We want to have a child to share this family with. Third, we really like to be around children, and are excited to have a child of our own to influence for good. Last summer and this summer, we are hosting Good News Clubs together, and it has been a blessing. We both really enjoy  seeing each other “in action” with children.

We believe adoption will enrich our lives because it is a way for us to pour into someone else, together. We really enjoy doing things together, and are excited to have a little one to join us. For example, we like to hike, go kayaking, and travel together. While we were dating, we went to some basketball games for Alicia’s students, and really had a lot of fun supporting the kids there. Since being married, we have gone to a student’s basketball game and dance recital. We have also gone to musicals and a science night put on by the school. Last summer, we sponsored a Backyard Bible Club together through Child Evangelism Fellowship. We enjoyed working together to get things set up, and provide a space for children to learn.  

We have enjoyed getting ready for our baby together as well! One weekend, as we were driving back up to Two Harbors from the cities, we stopped at several thrift shops along the way. We were very happy to find several baby items that we would need, and have since enjoyed getting them cleaned up and ready for a little one! We have been working very hard to prepare our hearts and minds by reading and educating ourselves about adoption, as well. We have proactively put ourselves into the lives of young children, knowing that God will use us to influence them for Him. Young lives need encouragement and formation and we believe being involved in children's lives is one way we can help them to develop into all they're meant to be.Throughout our whole relationship, from the first “click” to where we are now, we can clearly see God’s guidance. We are looking forward to His next steps for us. We know that He has a good and perfect plan for us, and are resting in Him.