a few little things about me…

I grew up in a tight-knit family that my husband refers to as "Hallmark". Originally from Upstate New York I loved growing up in the Adirondacks. I moved down to the DMV area 8 years ago. My husband and high school sweetheart, Michael and I began to start our life away from everything we were used to. This was a huge change for me and something I struggled with. Truth be told, it was hard. Hard to go from being surrounded to all I held dear, to creating something new. Ultimately, it ended up being the biggest blessing and strengthened my relationships with my family and friends as well as allowed us to create our own roots. This was the first real time I got a glimpse of how the Lord’s plan would be far better than my own.

Over the course of our marriage we have dealt with a few struggles as has any couple. The loss of a mother, brother, loved ones, illness, and infertility. These are things we continue to deal with daily and have shaped who we are. All off these come with their own emotional, physical, and financial hardships. After all, life can be messy. It was through the messiness that I truly discovered my relationship with God. I quickly learned that I could not control the uncertainty of my circumstances, I needed help, I needed more, I needed Him.

By the grace of God I was able to see the fruit that came from these hardships. However, it wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy. It took time and time again of leaning into prayer, acknowledging the sorrow, surrounding myself with those who could lift me up, and lots of faith. I am so blessed that each cross has strengthened my trust in Jesus immensely. Through every hardship, I have learned to see His goodness all the time. My faith has become who I am and impacts every decision and the lens in which I see the world.

That lens continues to become clearer through each of God’s graces. They have shown up in all different forms that have guided us to embrace His plan for our lives. Adoption is something I always thought, “maybe”, but to be honest I was hesitant, I didn’t know if it was truly what God had been calling us to. Yes, infertility is part of our story, but adoption to me was never a “fix” or “solution” it was a separate vocation and I wanted to be sure that God was leading us to this. It had to be done right, ethically, and truly respecting the triad. The more I stepped into the adoption world, the more passion I felt.

It is my absolute privilege to walk alongside other families to discover the little and big ways God is revealed in their story through adoption. I find it very humbling to be invited into the blessings and hardships that these families are carrying and to support them in anyway I can.

Just remember, no matter the circumstances that led you here, God has a perfect plan for your life too.