Adoption Timeline, The Beginning

·    Mid 2009 – Discover Reece's Rainbow website and learn the fate of special needs orphans.    Conviction and desire to do something to help grows.  Much discussion as to what we, personally, are supposed to do.           Through 1 John 3:17-18 God speaks to us.   

·    November 2009 – Wendy is very due with 5^th child in December.  Todd says he thinks we can start ‘looking into’ special needs adoption.  Wendy takes that as a YES!! JJJ

·    January 2010 – We start sharing with family and friends our desire to adopt in the future, probably a couple of years down the road.  We didn’t want anyone to be surprised…..because well……..they probably would be.  

·    July 20^th, 2010 – The Reece’s Rainbow Child of the Week is ‘Allen”.  Wendy says, “Oh!  He is soooo precious! Someone needs to adopt that sweet boy!  He CANNOT be sent to one of those horrible mental institutions. ”  

·    At this point, adoption is a couple of years off in our heads.  We are trying to figure out if we add onto our house or move.  We love our current house and location, but there is next to no storage and our play areas are small.  Seeking God’s will and direction.  

·    August 2010 – ‘Allen’ tugs at our hearts.  Is he the one?!?!  So soon??

·    August 12^th, 2010 – We inquire about ‘Allen’ to find out additional information. 

·    August 14^th, 2010 – Receive additional pictures of him.  He’s so sweet.  Trying not to fall in love with him……but we are!!

·    August 16^th, 2010 – We get an email about a house not on the market yet that looks like a great fit for us.  Woods and room to grow…….

·    August 23^rd, 2010 – Receive medical records on ‘Allen’.  We now know personal information about this sweet boy.  Birth weight and height.  He has a congenital heart defect and will need to have surgery.  He was given up at 1 month and 16 days.  He is to be transferred very soon to an institution. 

·    August 24^th, 2010 – Walk through house.  Looks REALLY GOOD!!  Seems like it would work for us.  It is more than what we wanted to spend.  How much more??  Yep, almost exactly the amount that we estimated that the adoption would cost!! 

·    August 25^th, 2010 – Looking seriously at houses.  Looking seriously at our finances.  Looking seriously at adoption.  Looking seriously at our finances again.  Determine we can do one or the other – it’s either a house or an adoption.  NOT BOTH.  

·    August 26^th, 2010 – We feel strongly that God would have us choose a child over a material good.  So we choose LIFE for this precious boy, our son!  We are at PEACE.   We tell our dear realtor our decision that now is not the time for us to buy a house.  She is wonderful about it and even encourages us to adopt!!  Amazing!!

·    Sept 2^nd, 2010 – Wendy’s 35^th birthday – We tell our families that we are officially starting the adoption process and introduce them to our son ‘Allen’!!!!! 

·    Sept 3^rd, 2010 – We are matched to ‘Allen’.  He is taken off the waiting child list!