Our Greatest Surprise (Our Disney Baby!)

This was the moment we met Liam.  We were overcome with love.  What a miracle!

After Christopher and Connor died two years ago, we spent time to grieve and try to figure out what God’s will was for our lives. That period of time (being in the valley of the shadow of death) was a long time, but we needed to grieve fully in order to grow. God has used our pain and experiences to help others, strengthen our faith, and strengthen our marriage. I took a year off teaching. Then, last April we decided to start the adoption process. We felt that God was leading us to enlarge our family through adoption. We applied for the domestic program through Lutheran Social Services. We also put our names on a waiting list for the South Korea adoption program with Bethany Christian Services (but they were not currently allowing new adoptive parents in the program). Then on July 1st we were officially put on the waiting list for our domestic adoption. Next, began the process of waiting for God’s timing and plan.
In November we thought we were going to get a baby. The birthmother changed her mind after her daughter was born. It was difficult for us, but we had to trust that the little girl was not meant to be ours.
Then, in March we learned that we were selected to proceed with our South Korean adoption. Bethany is the only adoption agency currently taking couples for the South Korea program, and they only accept a dozen couples a year. We felt that because we were selected as one of the few couples, God wanted us to continue with that adoption. However, we could not be on two adoption lists at once. So, we talked to our social worker at Lutheran Social Services about our options. We started attending meetings and working on homework for the Korea program, but hadn’t officially sent in our formal application. We had the application all ready to mail in, but decided to wait until after Spring Break to mail it in.
On Spring Break we went to Disney World with my family. While at the Magic Kingdom on April 9th I received a phone call from Susie, our social worker with Lutheran Social Services. She said they had received a “cold call” from a birthmother, she had picked us, and we had a son waiting for us at the hospital. We tried to change our flight home, but were unable to do so. We rented a car and drove eighteen hours through the night to get home in time for Liam to be discharged from the hospital. Our social worker actually brought Liam to the house for us, since we had driven all the way from Florida. We would have had to drive another six hours once we were home to get to the hospital and back. On April 10th Liam arrived at our house. It still amazes us how instantly we fell in love with him. Once we held him we knew exactly what God’s plan had been all along. Liam is such a miracle and an answer to prayer.
Liam’s birthmother had known all along that she wanted to give him up for adoption, but waited to choose a couple until she had delivered him. She did not look at him or hold him once he was born. Her mother looked at him, but did not touch him. Liam’s birthfather wanted him to be aborted. This is a semi-open adoption, which means that we will have no contact with the birthmother. All communication will go through the adoption agency, if we should need to communicate with the birthmother for any reason. We will finalize the adoption in six months. Please pray that everything goes well with the adoption process. Please also pray for Liam’s birthmother. We can only imagine what she has been through and what she will continue to go through. We are very thankful for her - she chose to give our son life. We are so happy! We had been so heartbroken for so long, that it is wonderful to be on this side of grief. We still think about Christopher and Connor every day and miss them. We also think of them with joy and picture them in heaven with their Savior. God has prepared us as parents through them. We have learned not to take anything for granted. I cannot even express in words the joy we now have.
When Liam is a year old we can start the adoption process again. We are not sure if we would like to do another domestic adoption or pick up where we left off with the Korean adoption. For now, we are enjoying every second with Liam and praising God for the miracle that he his.

Waiting in God's Grace

This was our Christmas letter from 2009 -

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

We pray that you are resting this Christmas season in God’s grace, finding comfort in his promises, and have the hope that only he can give.
As we sit down to write this letter and look back over the year, we are once again comforted that God has been with us and has held us in the palm of his hand. This year has been a year of waiting and trusting.
This school year Tiffany returned to teaching. She is teaching Kindergarten at Holy Cross Lutheran School. Her class is very “active.” Out of 18 children, 12 of them are boys. She comes home with many stories. She loves her students very much and is excited to see how much they have learned already. Tiffany once again taught choreography at Concordia High School’s drama camp this summer. She spent the fall directing Cinderella at the high school as well. The production went very well and was well attended. She continues to sell Mary Kay in her spare time.
Dave continues to work for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. He cares deeply for his clients and strives to help them the best way he can. He is also busy volunteering at church as an usher, communion assistant, and on the Stewardship committee. He is also treasurer for the neighborhood association.
In January we flew out to New York for a surprise wedding shower for Rick (Tiffany’s brother) and AnnaMaria. Dave had never been to the city before, so he enjoyed sight seeing. We also went to see The Lion King on Broadway.
In April we decided to apply for adoption. After months of trying to get pregnant again and being unable to do so, we felt God leading us to enlarge our family through adoption. We have so much love in our hearts – just waiting for our child. We know that God has a child in mind for us and he will give us that child when the time is right. At the moment we are on a domestic list. However, we have already started talking about an international adoption. It has been a challenge to raise the funds needed. However, we know that if this is God’s will, he will provide the funds necessary to bring our baby home. We feel privileged that God has chosen us to be adoptive parents. Although we are very excited, it is hard to be patient and trust God’s timing and plan. We thought we were going to get a baby in November. That was not to be, since the birth-mother changed her mind after the baby was born. Please pray for us as we wait, and for our baby - that it will arrive safely to us soon.
In May we went to New Jersey for Rick and AnnaMaria’s wedding. It was a lovely wedding and we had a great time. It was nice to be in the wedding party together.
In May we also celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. God has truly blessed us with each other and we are so happy to be spending our lives together.
In July we traveled to Saint Augustine, Florida with Tiffany’s parents. Some of the highlights included going to the Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, spending a day at the spa, laying on the beach, and collecting shells.
In September we went down to West Lafayette to watch the Boilermakers play. It was good for Dave to be back on campus.
We think of Christopher and Connor often, especially this time of year. Our little lambs are celebrating this Christmas with the Lamb of God. We can only imagine the celebration they are having with the angels in God’s presence.
You will continue to be in our prayers. Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Our Journey

This was our Christmas Letter from 2008 -


In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand

No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny
No power in hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

This year has been the most difficult year of our lives. However, this year we have experienced love in a way that we never have before. We have experienced God’s grace in unfathomable ways and have realized how precious life is. We have realized that everything belongs to God. The devil and this sinful world cause deep pain and anguish but, God’s peace flows through all of it.
In February we received the most amazing news that we were expecting identical twins. For the next eighteen weeks we fell even more in love with our sons. Christopher David (Twin A) was very energetic and loved to dance and wave anytime we had an ultrasound. Connor Dennis (Twin B) was very laid back. He often sucked his thumb and played with his ear. Our sons were beautiful in every way. They were small versions of their father. They had his nose, eyebrows, lips, hands and even his legs. The boys were head to head in the womb and often looked as if they were kissing. They loved music and would dance and move when they heard it.
On June 1st, God took our sons home to be with Him. It was an unexpected delivery and unfortunately the boys’ lungs were not developed enough for them to live long. They went straight from the warmth of our arms to the loving arms of their Heavenly Father. The first time they opened their eyes they saw Jesus in all His glory. They were only apart from each other for two hours. We had the boys baptized at the hospital. We also had a beautiful funeral service, which was full of music. The theme of the funeral was Jesus’ Little Lambs, which we put on their tombstone as well. We grieve their deaths and the death of all our dreams as their parents. In all the sadness we have experienced, we are also thankful that God allowed us to know them for eighteen weeks. The imprint that they left on our hearts will last forever. We have an eternity to know and hold them in heaven.
Thank you to everyone who sent cards. Receiving those everyday helped us get out of bed and begin each day. Thank you to everyone who gave gifts and memorials to Central’s Preschool Fund. We hope that because of our sons’ short lives, hundreds of children will hear the Gospel at the age when it is most important.
We hope this Christmas season you are able to appreciate how important every moment of life is and how significant Christ’s birth was. Because of a baby born in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago, our babies get to spend eternity in heaven. They have no sadness or pain. They never had a reason to cry. We look forward to the day when we can hold our sons again. It will be a wonderful reunion!
We love you and pray that God will bring joy in 2009.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, -The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about me weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness… in hardships… in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong!