Four Years Ago; Four is the New Two…a Leap of Faith

Four years ago seems like a lifetime in our home because everything has changed so much that its hard to even think about what life was like back then. But it will because its fun (and because the pictures are awesome!).

Four years ago this February we were in the midst of trying to conceive. We were counting days between cycles and making monthly doctor visits. Luckily we had a proactive OB who sent us to an infertility specialist very early and by our one year mark taking our own massive “Quantum Leap” …  filling out a homestudy and dossier for our first adoption.

But lets take a leap back for a moment, shall we? In June of 2003 we took a vacation to Disneyworld, one of my favorite places as a child, and suffered through the June rains. We were just starting…our journey to AJ.

Ironically, the Tree of Life.

In July and August we camped every other weekend throughout the state of Michigan, enjoying the weather, the privacy, and the relaxation. My husband competed in triathlons on Sunday mornings while the dog and I watched.

In November of 2004 we traveled to Thailand to visit my brother and celebrate his marriage. It was the last vacation we took as a couple because on January 31, 2005 we received the referral for AJ and traveled to meet him the last week of March in 2005. We officially signed our intent to adopt him on April 1, 2005 (fantastic day to sign, right?).

This trip was also just months before the Tsunami hit Phuket and Krabi. We were fortunate to be on those very beaches and see those sites before they were hit. My brother, who works for the State Department, was deployed to Phuket to help clean up the area.

Note that I also have a laptop? I was journaling my adventure for my 7th grade students. They loved hearing of my travels and getting my pictures, especially when I got a henna tattoo.

But most importantly, we were were building our family in 2004. We started the adoption process for AJ, turned in our dossier to our agency, and started the wait for our referral.

What are we doing now? Waiting to make a family of three a family of four.

For us it is a Leap of Faith.