Divine Design...

Our family was established on October 4, 2002. Lance and I were sealed for eternity in the Portland Temple and we knew we wanted to start our family right away. Infertility reared it's ugly head and crushed our hopes of having a baby of our own.
My sister-in-law told us about a family in their ward who was a foster parent and had babies placed with her all the time. We looked into the foster system and soon signed on...
Before we had even finished our classes we got the call for a little baby boy, six months old. To say we were excited was a HUGE understatement. They placed the Tank in my arms on October 21, 2004. The second he was placed in my arms I KNEW that he would be our son. I understood that he was a foster baby and 'could' go home to his parents... but I also KNEW in my heart that this little man was sent to be my baby. I even remember tears that afternoon trying to explain the special feelings I had in receiving him... 2 1/2 years later, tons of tears, heartache after heartache, meetings, committees... he was finally OURS!

This pic is when he was 21 months old. We had a regular camera before this digital pic...

so due to no scanner... this will have to do for his wee pic.

Four months after receiving the Tank we received another phone call... telling us about a two year old toddler who needed a Forever Family. She had been in the system from birth and the foster parents were in their 60's and too old to 'start over'. We went to meet her and start transition with her and on the first visit of meeting us she bear hugged Lance and wanted to give him 'bye-bye' kisses. I got to watched that precious scene and I KNEW that Fan-C was to come home with us and be our daughter. On February 2, 2005 Fan-C walked into her new room (for good ~ she had transition over nights). Having a very verbal, very SMART two year old really gave me a 'run for my money'... There were moments when I wasn't sure I could make it through them. We only had her for less than 14 months and she was sealed to us. She came into the sealing room and saw all her grandparents and other friends and family sitting there and she walked up to each person and touched their faces and said, "Oh, I've missed you so much." I bawled. Some of those people she sees on almost a daily basis but it was like her little spirit was finally home... eternally home. She is our oldest and was sealed first to us even though she came second. It seems like divine design came into play... her adoption was picture perfect.

See the explanation above... she is 3 in this picture.

So far we had VERY unusual placements with the foster systems. First two placements become part of our forever family... practically unheard of in the foster world. We soon found out about the temporary placements. We next received a newborn... only one day old. She was beautiful. Curly brown hair... sweet baby. When her worker came in to our home, she placed the baby in my arms and said, "Well, Amy* (*name changed) this is your forever momma." I was shocked! My mom was there when she came and couldn't believe that she was ours from the get-go. Well a week later the worker calls and apologizes because an in law of the birth mom stepped forward and wanted Amy. So Amy went on to her new family. I was CRUSHED. I cried... it was so hard to be told that this baby is YOURS and then, ummmm sorry I made a mistake I have to pick her up tomorrow. But Lance and I stayed in the foster system and that is when we received our little Miss Onica. Those of you who have read this blog know about little Onica. We had her until she was nine months old... (that's all I can say about her right now...sorry)

While we were busy with our wild little man and taking care of Fan-C and Miss Onica we got a call that the Tank's birth mother had given birth to a 100% biological sister. This little girl needed to be placed. We started transitioning with her and received her into our home February 3, 2007. We transitioned with her for over six months (since she turned a year old) so having her stay for forever was awesome. She lived 2 hours away and the commuting a couple times a week was getting old really fast. Tiny-T was soon sealed to us, making the zoo crew three strong. She is a daddy's girl. Lance and I were meant to be her parents....

This is Tiny-T at a year old...

This is a quick 'cliff notes' version of the creation of the Stanley family. Would I have loved to have had children? You bet. I hate infertility... ugly beast. I am so grateful that we struggled... it was through that struggle that the Tank, Fan-C and Tiny-T came to become our Zoo Crew. I am their momma. I was called to serve as their eternal mother. I know this isn't a typical way to adopt children but it was our 'divine design' to have our children come into our home through fostering. We feel like there may be a couple more for our crew but are no longer fostering with the state. I don't have a clue as to how they will come to us... but miracles happen every day. We have a testimony of the miracle of adoption.

Remember:

November is National Adoption Month.