The Tants Go Adopting

        It's been a hard few weeks and this is not easy to write. It was a Tuesday morning when the email came in. I was at work and as I read the words I had to fight back tears so as to not freak out my co-workers. We were told that due to something from two years ago we are not going to be able to adopt from Taiwan or from any other country.         In that moment I think I went through all the stages of grief. I was angry that a misunderstanding from two years ago is keeping us from our dream. I was in denial that this was really happening. It just didn't seem real that something that was proven to not have happened was going to stop us from adopting from the country we desired. I was mourning the loss of a child that I had already fallen in love with. I have heard some say that it is very similar to having a miscarriage, feeling the tremendous loss of someone you never even met.          The last few weeks have been...

         It was a very exciting day! This morning we had our first home study visit and it went really well. I can honestly say that I wasn't really nervous and I think we both felt confident answering the questions asked of us. I think that we have been working towards this goal of adoption so long, that it was just a relief to have real movement. Aaron and I have been talking about adoption for so many years, that most questions were asked we had already discussed before. It was very affirming that we are on the right path and within God's will for our lives.        As we answered various questions during our interview, I was reminded of the overwhelming loving, kindness of our God. One of the questions we were asked was about our support system. As we listed off all the people in our sphere who have walked this adoption journey before us, I was reminded that God has put us in this place, in this community so that we not feel allow ...

        Shew, can I just say that waiting is hard, and we are only at the beginning of the process.          Recently we have been waiting for our adoption application to be reviewed. It has been a tough couple of weeks of waiting to hear if our application has been approved to move forward with home study. There have definitely been moments of questioning as the days went by. "Was there something on our application that was concerning?" "Did we say something wrong or stupid?" "What if they say we can't move forward?" And on and on.        But today we got the official word that we are going to be able to begin our home study and we will hopefully receive the packet next week! I'm so excited and it is all becoming real.        Even though the waiting has been hard, I have also been so overwhelmed by the support of so many people in our lives. As of this update, we have already raised over $600 to...

       It has been a very exciting week and the first thing I want to share is... We Mailed Off Our Application for Adoption Services!!!     We are so excited to be moving forward and to have a clear path. We were connected with the Hong Kong and Taiwan Program Director and we have identified a precious child in Taiwan that we are hoping to being matched with as his forever family.    So what's next? Once our application has been received and approved, we will be able to begin our home study! We are also entering into the second phase of fundraising, during which we will need to raise around $30,000.00 to cover adoption fees, travel, and other costs.     How can you help? We have created a new fundraiser through YouCaring for this second phase of fundraising. If you would like to donate, you can do so here . We have also designed a T-shirt that we are selling for the next 20 days and portion of the proceeds from the...

     It has been a long time since I posted an update and for that I am sorry. Life has been hectic and at times it was difficult to find the words to write. The past months have brought job changes, heartache, and surprises. It was a job change for Aaron that brings us to this update.      In January of this year, Aaron was made a full-time minister at our church. For the first time since answering the call to ministry almost a decade ago, Aaron only has one job and it is in a church. This ministry position has been such a blessing to our family. This position is something we have prayed for and God's timing in answering our prayers is always perfect. And this time, God's timing brought a realization in the most unexpected situation.     Aaron's new position means we will no longer be doing our own taxes because of the nuances that come with a full time pastoral position and also to be above board with our finances. Recently we met with the cou...

      There are many paths to adoption. You can do a private adoption, either domestically or internationally. There are more costs involved in a private adoption and depending on circumstances, it can take a long time for child to enter your home. You can also go through the state and foster to adopt. This requires that you become a licensed foster parent through the state, which can be time intensive, but there are few out of pocket costs to foster to adopt. There is no right or wrong path, just what path is right for each family. About a year and a half ago we started the process to adopt through foster care. We attended all the classes in Louisville, we knew the child we wanted to adopt, and we had two pieces of paperwork left to turn in, when everything changed. The birth parent for this particular child came back into the picture and possible reunification began. It was also at this time that God called us to a church in Floyds Knobs, Indiana and we knew...

        This weekend Aaron and I were with friends and our adoption journey was the topic of conversation. We were asked, "tell us your story, how did you come to the decision that adoption is the right choice for your family?"         As I pondered this question, I thought back to my classroom at Andrews Elementary School in Burlington, NC. I started teaching at Andrews not long after Aaron and I started dating and I was teaching a class for children with severe and profound disabilities and each of those students were my babies. How I knew that Aaron was the one for me, was that he loved my babies as much as I did. Teaching in that setting meant that I saw some very sad stories and more than once Aaron would make the comment, "I would take Student A home in a heartbeat." I fell in love with this man all over again because he had a heart for my babies and I knew that he meant it when he said he would take any of those babies into our home. It...