Our Story
I sat in the heaviness. And I weighed the risks of sharing our life, all of it, the joy and the sad, the beautiful and the ugly, with the whole crazy world. And I know. That if on the other side of that risk is the possibility that someone may see Jesus in our brokenness and know that there is grace and purpose in theirs too, the the whole crazy world is welcome. For a glass of water, for a welcoming smile, for a story of redemption, for a place to belong. For a glimpse of a Savior who uses even us, the messy ones, "Come and listen to what He's done for you." -Katie Davis
Where to begin?!?!
The first time I met my husband: I was a cheerleader in 6th grade and he was a basketball player. My school was playing his school and my dad was there to video tape the whole thing. I am sure we saw each other but at 12 years old… there were no fireworks going off.
We almost met once before that in 5th grade when his grandfather came to our house and invited us to church. We had to turn him down because we were already going to another church. If we had went… I would have met my future husband.
Fast forward to the year 1997: I landed a job as a part-time cashier for Lowe’s Home Improvement. I went in for my first day of training and who do I met… that 12 year old basketball player all grown up. No, I still wasn’t impressed. I made polite conversation in the break room and then went on with my day. He continued to pursue me, and he eventually won me over after a few happy meals at McDonalds We were engaged in 3 months! Chad called off the wedding a month before because of cold feet, but luckily, he came to his senses and we were married a year from the day we met. Today we have been happily married for 12 years
We wasted no time starting a family and had our little princess 9 months later.
Our Princess is 13 years old:
Bethany is the sweetest child ever! She was our one and only joy for the first 6 years. She begged us for years for a little sister so you should have seen her face when the doctor said “You will soon have a baby brother!” She turned out to be a wonderful big sister and she adores her brothers. She loves being called Sissy by them. She is a very talented princess... she may just be the next Martha:) She is good at drawing and making crafts. She cooks and bakes! She loves doing origami. She loves a good sewing project and makes many things on her own without a pattern. She enjoys soccer and has been playing for 7 years! She enjoys horses and playing with her friends. She loves to travel and had the opportunity to go to China with us.
Monkey #1 is 7 years old:
Little Brother Colin is Mr. Personality. He keeps us all in stitches! He is also a little stinker! He loves to aggravate his sister and brother. He is a typical boy that loves his superheros and his cowboy guns. He could play outside with the neighborhood kids from dawn till’ dusk if we would let him. When he is inside he thinks he has to be playing video games or eating. His favorite saying is “I want a snack!” He hates taking long trips and gets carsick. He loves going to the movies. He also loves sports! So far he has played upwards basketball and AYSO soccer. We missed T-Ball this year but he will definitely play next year!
Monkey #2 is 2 year old:
Baby Brother Dylan is always on the go. He looks a lot like his sister but acts a lot like his brother. He is crawling everywhere, pulling himself up, sticking everything in his mouth, slobbering, and jabbering! He is spoiled rotten and thinks he has to be held all the time. We can’t pass a door without him saying “bye-bye”. He loves being outside. He is such a joy!
Anna Li is 16 years old:
Anna Li was our daughter that we adopted from China at 12.5 years old. She opened our eyes to so much in the year that she lived with us. She is a very special girl that will always be near and dear to our hearts. God planted a seed in our hearts to bring Anna Li home. He used us as a stepping stone to get her where she needed to be. In the process, He taught us so much about ourselves and strengthened our relationship with Him. Anna Li found her forever family in November 2009. She was officially adopted March 2010 and is now known as Mary Katherine Poko. We call her MK! We didn’t lose a daughter but gained a family. She is doing wonderfully in her new home with her new family and is really excelling in school. We keep in touch through phone calls, emails, and visits. She is no longer legally our daughter but she will always have a special place in my heart as well as the Poko family.
Ella Ruth Gray: our angel in heaven February 2011 I gave birth to our daughter at 16 weeks. I went in for a routine checkup only to discover she had passed away. I was admitted into the hospital and delivered the next morning. Oh how we miss her and wish she was here yet we find comfort in our Savior and trust in His plan even when we don't understand it.
Will there be any more? I hope. God has placed adoption on our hearts. Chad and I both knew since we were young that adoption would be in our future. We do not believe it was a mistake to bring our Anna Li home. The Lord used us in a big way to get her where she needed to be. It was an honor and a blessing to have her in our lives, and we would do it all over again in a heartbeat. For now we will live our lives in the most God honoring way possible and listen for his sweet spirit to guide us from day to day.
Nathaniel Lin is 22 months old. As a volunteer with LWB I was introduced to a handsome little guy that we were helping to repair his club feet and have his hernia repaired. I gave him the English name Landon and we quickly found a sponsor for his surgeries. We also teamed up with AOW and they gave him the name Xavier. One day I was killing some time on fb when I ran across a post from a friend sharing the news that our Landon was available for adoption. I shared the news with my husband and after a day or so praying we decided to inquire about him. I wasn't surprised when we learned that several families had inquired. I was happy this little guy would for sure get a family even if it wasn't us. They added our name to the list just in case and I went on with life. A month later our pastor spoke on adoption and orphan care. Our hearts were very heavy and I did all I could to hold back the tears. We cried out to God for clarification on all that we were feeling. We wanted to adopt but the timing didn't seem right. We had inquired about Landon and the door was closed. We were both willing to give up this dream of adoption if the Lord had other plans for us but we just need things to be clear. The next morning I checked my email and one from the agency stood out. Landon was available!! All the other families decided it wasn't the right time for them to adopt and his file was available for us... so here we are! Paper chasing and trusting in the Lord's provision to make this happen. Although nothing is set in stone we do hope to travel in the summer 2012.
Where to begin?!?!
The first time I met my husband: I was a cheerleader in 6th grade and he was a basketball player. My school was playing his school and my dad was there to video tape the whole thing. I am sure we saw each other but at 12 years old… there were no fireworks going off.
We almost met once before that in 5th grade when his grandfather came to our house and invited us to church. We had to turn him down because we were already going to another church. If we had went… I would have met my future husband.
Fast forward to the year 1997: I landed a job as a part-time cashier for Lowe’s Home Improvement. I went in for my first day of training and who do I met… that 12 year old basketball player all grown up. No, I still wasn’t impressed. I made polite conversation in the break room and then went on with my day. He continued to pursue me, and he eventually won me over after a few happy meals at McDonalds We were engaged in 3 months! Chad called off the wedding a month before because of cold feet, but luckily, he came to his senses and we were married a year from the day we met. Today we have been happily married for 12 years
We wasted no time starting a family and had our little princess 9 months later.
Our Princess is 13 years old:
Bethany is the sweetest child ever! She was our one and only joy for the first 6 years. She begged us for years for a little sister so you should have seen her face when the doctor said “You will soon have a baby brother!” She turned out to be a wonderful big sister and she adores her brothers. She loves being called Sissy by them. She is a very talented princess... she may just be the next Martha:) She is good at drawing and making crafts. She cooks and bakes! She loves doing origami. She loves a good sewing project and makes many things on her own without a pattern. She enjoys soccer and has been playing for 7 years! She enjoys horses and playing with her friends. She loves to travel and had the opportunity to go to China with us.
Monkey #1 is 7 years old:
Little Brother Colin is Mr. Personality. He keeps us all in stitches! He is also a little stinker! He loves to aggravate his sister and brother. He is a typical boy that loves his superheros and his cowboy guns. He could play outside with the neighborhood kids from dawn till’ dusk if we would let him. When he is inside he thinks he has to be playing video games or eating. His favorite saying is “I want a snack!” He hates taking long trips and gets carsick. He loves going to the movies. He also loves sports! So far he has played upwards basketball and AYSO soccer. We missed T-Ball this year but he will definitely play next year!
Monkey #2 is 2 year old:
Baby Brother Dylan is always on the go. He looks a lot like his sister but acts a lot like his brother. He is crawling everywhere, pulling himself up, sticking everything in his mouth, slobbering, and jabbering! He is spoiled rotten and thinks he has to be held all the time. We can’t pass a door without him saying “bye-bye”. He loves being outside. He is such a joy!
Anna Li is 16 years old:
Anna Li was our daughter that we adopted from China at 12.5 years old. She opened our eyes to so much in the year that she lived with us. She is a very special girl that will always be near and dear to our hearts. God planted a seed in our hearts to bring Anna Li home. He used us as a stepping stone to get her where she needed to be. In the process, He taught us so much about ourselves and strengthened our relationship with Him. Anna Li found her forever family in November 2009. She was officially adopted March 2010 and is now known as Mary Katherine Poko. We call her MK! We didn’t lose a daughter but gained a family. She is doing wonderfully in her new home with her new family and is really excelling in school. We keep in touch through phone calls, emails, and visits. She is no longer legally our daughter but she will always have a special place in my heart as well as the Poko family.
Ella Ruth Gray: our angel in heaven February 2011 I gave birth to our daughter at 16 weeks. I went in for a routine checkup only to discover she had passed away. I was admitted into the hospital and delivered the next morning. Oh how we miss her and wish she was here yet we find comfort in our Savior and trust in His plan even when we don't understand it.
Will there be any more? I hope. God has placed adoption on our hearts. Chad and I both knew since we were young that adoption would be in our future. We do not believe it was a mistake to bring our Anna Li home. The Lord used us in a big way to get her where she needed to be. It was an honor and a blessing to have her in our lives, and we would do it all over again in a heartbeat. For now we will live our lives in the most God honoring way possible and listen for his sweet spirit to guide us from day to day.
Nathaniel Lin is 22 months old. As a volunteer with LWB I was introduced to a handsome little guy that we were helping to repair his club feet and have his hernia repaired. I gave him the English name Landon and we quickly found a sponsor for his surgeries. We also teamed up with AOW and they gave him the name Xavier. One day I was killing some time on fb when I ran across a post from a friend sharing the news that our Landon was available for adoption. I shared the news with my husband and after a day or so praying we decided to inquire about him. I wasn't surprised when we learned that several families had inquired. I was happy this little guy would for sure get a family even if it wasn't us. They added our name to the list just in case and I went on with life. A month later our pastor spoke on adoption and orphan care. Our hearts were very heavy and I did all I could to hold back the tears. We cried out to God for clarification on all that we were feeling. We wanted to adopt but the timing didn't seem right. We had inquired about Landon and the door was closed. We were both willing to give up this dream of adoption if the Lord had other plans for us but we just need things to be clear. The next morning I checked my email and one from the agency stood out. Landon was available!! All the other families decided it wasn't the right time for them to adopt and his file was available for us... so here we are! Paper chasing and trusting in the Lord's provision to make this happen. Although nothing is set in stone we do hope to travel in the summer 2012.
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