Update

It’s almost time to update our home study— can’t believe it’s almost been a year since we were last approved! We’ve been buried in paperwork, updating documents and checking off all the items “to do”! It was much easier this time around in some ways, simply because we knew what to do and who to contact for certifications and such. COVID did complicate a few areas like background checks and fingerprinting, but thankfully we have an amazing caseworker who knew what to do when these were set to expire and everything was shut down/closed.


We’ve received so many texts, calls, and “check ins” from friends and family over the last year wondering how this process was going. Thank you so much for checking in. We love hearing from you and appreciate your care so much!

So, friends, the answer is- it’s adoption. That means it’s a lot of unknowns, twists and turns, highs and lows. We’ve presented to numerous situations over the last (almost) year and we’ve seen a lot of really sad, difficult situations and also a lot of hopeful ones. Our eyes have been opened to so much that’s going on in our world today, and ya’ll, it’s not pretty. I am thankful for things I’ve never realized I should be thankful for. I’ve prayed very specifically for people I don’t know and will never know, I’ve felt selfish for longing to stay naïve to hardness some endure simply because it’s easier not to think about. I’ve mourned losses that were never truly “mine” but felt like they were. There have been sleepless nights of concern for expectant/birthmommas...like real concerns of their safety, wellbeing. There’s been fraud, yes, fraud, in the adoption world is so prevalent now. I’ve even rejoiced when an expectant mom has decided to parent and not place, or chose another family for her child, because I saw her heart and respected her decision although it meant yet another “no match” for us. It hasn’t been easy. BUT. It’s all worth it!! We know there’s happy, good, and beautiful in the adoption triad also. We’ve had so many people reach out to help us however they can. Just last week I had a local momma who I’ve never even met (she’s a friend of a friend), reach out and offer to donate breast milk when our baby arrives. 😭 There’s good in the world, too, if we choose to see it. So while we wait, we learn! And we are thankful for all we’ve learned on this journey!


Last night at dinner, I told Tim I thought I had everything organized and ready to send to our caseworker for the home study update. Ava heard and excitedly and without hesitation said, “oh, good, Mom!! Our baby (who she has a name for 😍) is waiting on us!!!”

And so, we wait with hope. 💖

Essential Oil Fundraiser

Friends! If you've thought about signing up with Young Living before --now is the time!! 

Starting October 15th, when you sign up (new or reactivating members only) with me and purchase your Premium Starter Kit (which comes with all the amazing items listed below), Young Living will pay us $50 and ALL the funds raised will go towards our adoption! (pssttt, also, in October, YL is offering FREE shipping on your Premium Starter Kit)

To grab your Premium Starter Kit, click here: Premium Starter Kit (my personal favorite diffuser is the Desert Mist, choose it at checkout)

You can learn more about oils by following me on Instagram. Part of your membership is also access to TONS of education, classes, and online support.

Please note: there's no pressure or requirement to "sell" anything with your membership. It simply means have an account and can buy at wholesale. Also, there's no monthly commitment. However, if you want to "ditch and switch" your household products and/or are ready to dive into oils, you can sign up for Essential Rewards. There are so many perks to Essential Rewards! I love having a box delivered each month of items I choose -- from household cleaners, toothpaste, lotion, vitamins, etc!! Here's a summary of ER:

We are so thankful for all the different ways you are helping us bring home a new baby. 💖

T-Shirt Fundraiser

Excited to share our first fundraiser!!

So many of you have inquired how you can help and we got some ideas/input for a t-shirt fundraiser. Bonfire is a shirt printing company with excellent reviews from the adoption community (sample pictured above).

These were all designed by yours truly 🤪 See a design you like but prefer a sweatshirt, tank, etc? Simply let me know, I can make it happen. Or better yet, have an idea for a design? Contact me! 😄

Thank you ALL for your support! We feel so loved! ❤️

Shop here: https://www.bonfire.com/store/jtadoption/
Feel free to share! This store is open to the public.

We've been keeping a big secret....

...that's right! We are hoping to adopt again! 

The last several months we've been working diligently on paperwork, checklists, home inspections, doctor appts, fingerprinting, background checks, literally ALL the things-- and can now announce that we've completed our homestudy and are waiting to be matched with an expectant mother!! 

 We don't know when, where, or how our baby will come to our family but we are excited for this journey! 

We are open to private adoptions, if you know of anyone looking to place their baby and may be interested in placing to our family, please pass along our information.

Huge thank you to Roots to Nest Photographs for these beautiful pictures and patiently waiting for us to be able to announce this news to the world. We love you, and your talent, Ashley!!

Check back for updates!

Garage Sale Fundraiser

This week I've been busy sorting, pricing, and organizing items for a garage sale! I just wanted to say "thank you!" to everyone who has generously donated items!! I originally had planned to have small garage sale with items from my recent "clean up/clean out and organize" project for our home. The idea of an adoption fundraiser was born. And...ya'll! There are hardly words to express our gratefulness: the response and support from our friends in such a short time has been overwhelming! Friends have come from near and far to drop off items. With each additional phone call, email, and text regarding additional donations, I feel the outpouring of love for Ava and our family. Thank you all SO much!

Also, Creations by Mimi DK will also have items from our Etsy shop at this garage sale! 

With the mention of this fundraiser, some have asked about the status of our puzzle fundraiser. There are still puzzle pieces available for purchase. You can see the details to this fundraiser on the right side column of this blog or here. 

Thank you all for your support!!!

Remembering One Year Ago {Part 5}

*To respect Ava's privacy and the privacy of her sweet birthmother, specific details of her 'story' will be limited* 

Meeting Baby Ava

   We finally got the call that Ava had arrived! Our poor birthmother, in labor for almost 2 full days! I was so proud of her though, she was a rockstar in l&d. And our little Ava was perfect ~ all 7lbs 11.5oz of her! :)

   Our sweet caseworker had literally been working around the clock for the past several days. When she called to tell us Ava had been born, she told us she was going to sleep for 2 hours then meet us at the hospital but that we were welcome to go anytime. Of course, we couldn't wait a minute longer, so we grabbed a quick breakfast and off we went!! (And, by the time we got to the hospital, our caseworker was there also. Have I mentioned how wonderful our caseworkers were?! They were simply the best!)

Sunrise the day Ava was born

    When we arrived at the hospital, after checking in we were told that our baby was in the nursery, and that "Heather was taking care of your baby - giving her a bath, etc" and we would be given a room soon...short on sleep and full of excitement to meet our baby, this comment caught me by surprise. The nurse said it like we were supposed to know who Heather was. I immediately thought of my sister, Heather. It was very special to think of "Heather" taking care of our baby! Later, we got to meet Nurse Heather. Turns out, she was the Nurse Manager, and she never does this particular job anymore, but was today because she was filling in for someone who called out sick. We told her about Ava's auntie Heather, and how special it was that she was caring for our Ava that morning. Tearfully, she said she would never forget our story, and we assured her we wouldn't forget her either!

Last picture as a family of 2!

    Here we are, meeting baby Ava for the first time. The feeling of meeting your baby for the first time is surreal!! Love at first sight!!

   The next day and a half was spent cuddling and loving on Ava. We were thankful to have a private room at the hospital. Really, it was perfect timing - they had just renovated the NICU, so we got the "old" NICU room all to ourselves! The nursing staff was absolutely one the kindest group of nurses I've ever met.

   We left the hospital Sunday after we got the "ok" to go by the pediatrician on call. We arrived home to find that my family had come over earlier that day and decorated our home with balloons, flowers, and baby gifts! Miss Ava had a warm welcome by all (including the boys)!! Later that afternoon we had several visitors to meet Miss Ava Kate!

Our first family picture at home (HannahSwede Photography)

Ava resting after arriving home (HannahSwede Photography)

At Home with Baby Ava

     Since Ava was born in GA, the adoption laws (simplified) go like this: the birthmother can sign her rights over 24 hours after the birth of the child, then has a 10-day revocation window in which she can essentially change her mind. This "waiting period" is much shorter in some states (some are only 24 hours, and some immediately after signing) and much longer in others (up to 30 days). 10 days can seem like a long time to "know for sure" this baby is yours. Sometimes, "cradle care" is used in an effort to avoid the adoptive parents getting attached to a baby that in the end may go back to the birth family.

     So! For 10 days after Ava's birthmother signed, we were asked almost daily, and sometimes hourly, if we had any doubt that her birthmother would change her mind and decide to parent. I know for a fact that there were friends and family who feared, worried, wondered, and prayed about this. However...not once did I fear, worry, or doubt about her changing her mind. I knew in my heart the outcome. I had much peace that Baby Ava was ours. I remember being asked one day, "How many more days??"...to which I replied honestly, "for what?" I simply hadn't even thought about the countdown. It is amazing the power of peace.

   I plan to do a post some day on Things I Learned from Adoption, but I'll share one thing now. By far, the hardest part of Ava's adoption was the realization that our greatest joy was her birthmother's greatest loss. For some reason, this never hit me until after we met our birthmother, and was even stronger after Ava was born. Maybe it became more real having a face, name, and story with "birthmother". After Ava was born, I remember late night/early morning feedings holding her and just sobbing -- imaging what her birthmother must be feeling, wondering how she was doing, and wishing I could over and over thank her for choosing us. Every time I looked at Ava, I saw her birthmother in her and it literally made my heart hurt. For the first few months, and even to this day, I occasionally check on her. She's one of the bravest and strongest women I know, and I hope she realizes that. What a wonderful gift she gave us!!!

   Again, thank you all for your love and support for us, Ava, and her adoption!

Remembering One Year Ago {Part 4}

   Waiting for Baby Ava 

   Not able to get much sleep, we woke up early and got the boys (our boxers) ready to go to Camp. Then, we headed to the hospital! The latest update at this point was still no baby, and labor had subsided. Doctors wanted to induce if nothing started to progress again soon. Tim suggested we go shopping (yes, I checked to be sure he didn't have a fever! ha!) and not get to the hospital too soon. I was dying to get there, but decided he was right.

   Side note: as we were shopping, I got a call from our dog's Camp saying that one of our dogs' rabies shots had expired the day before and he couldn't stay at Camp (agh!). I explained our situation and asked if they had an in-house vet or knew of a mobile vet who could come and give him this shot. Long story short, we ended up meeting our current vet because of his kindness on a Friday afternoon to come to our rescue! :) I jokingly told him later he will forever be a part of Ava's adoption story! :)

    I couldn't wait any longer to get to the hospital, and although she still wasn't progressing much, we decided to go. Anddddd, we waited. And waited. And waiiiited. I can't even remember how many families we saw come and go in the waiting room.

    We went in to talk to her and see how she was doing. Talk about tough woman! She wouldn't even flinch as a contraction would come (looking at the spikes on the monitor made me shudder)! What I thought would be a brief visit, turned into a few hours. She didn't feel like the baby would be coming anytime immediately, so she gave us suggestions of her favorite restaurants in town to go and eat. We agreed that we should go check in to our hotel and get some dinner, then would be back. Hopefully by THEN there would be some news. :)

   During our visit, we showed Ava's birthmother pictures of Ava's newly finished nursery. She asked us what we had decided on a middle name. We told her we had narrowed it down to two names but would wait until we met baby to decide. She asked us what the two options were and we told her, and their significance to us. Her eyes welled up with tears as she explained that "Ava Kate" was the name she had had in mind for this baby all along. Talk about settled! We don't feel like Ava's name is any consequence...

    We came back to the hospital and again, waited. Around 12am, doctors had decided she didn't need to be induced because she was starting to progress again on her own. But, they still thought it would be some time before baby arrived. They suggested we go and get some rest and they would call when baby was near.

To be continued...