Why Wednesday

Since we began this journey called adoption, we have been asked so many Why?!?! questions. People are curious and I think that's great! I'm used to my three-year-old asking a million why questions. It's the way he learns! To help your curiosity, we are starting "Why Wednesdays". Each Wednesday we will answer a question that people have asked. If you have a question, please comment or email (06tt08kk@gmail.com) us and we'll answer (maybe...)!!

Why Did We Decide To Adopt?

In April 2005, I served Trevor hamburgers at the TTU Equestrian center during the Ranch Horse Competition. From that moment on I was immediately smitten with "the boy in the cowboy hat". God knew it wasn't the right time to bring us together so it was a simple hi! When school resumed in August 2005, we saw each other at the store my mom ran in the Animal Science building and he said, "Hey aren't you that girl from the equestrian center?" All I could get out was, "Yeah!" I ran down to my mom's office, with my heart pounding, and said, "He said hi!!" Mom replied, "And who was that?" "The boy in the cowboy hat!!" My friend Colton knew I had a "crush" on Trevor so when they were selling Ranch Horse t-shirts he made an excuse for me to stop by and buy one on my way to class. Trevor and I ended up being officially introduced and for the next 30 minutes his friend Matt talked to me, not Trevor! It was time to leave "the boy who didn't seem interested in me" and head to class. As I walked away he yelled, "Hey wait, I'll go to class with you!" What?!? I was a Human Development and Family Studies major..There were like 2 boys in our class and about 90 girls! He insisted, so we finally talked while walking to class. Can you guess what the class was about that day? Yep, Sexual Reproduction. How's that for your "first" date?!? We didn't pay much attention. Instead we played the dot game and tic-tac-toe! That night he picked me up for church and a scoop of ice cream. After an hour of talking on his tailgate he ended the night with a, "If you ever want someone to take you for a scoop of ice cream just give me a call." I bet you thought I was going to say a kiss. Nope, he ended it with a "the next time I'm going to see you is if you want ice cream?!?!?!?" I immediately ran in and called my mom and told her I met the man I'm going to marry (so I better build up an appetitie for ice cream if I was going to have the chance to see him again ;-))! On Trevor's way home he called his mom and told her to pray because he thinks he found the woman he's going to marry. By that Friday we were in "love" and 2 months later engaged! 

The day we got engaged at his momma's work

Doesn't he look like just a babe?? He was..we were only 20!!

At our "tool" shower



Believe it or not, we both have always wanted to get married barefoot on the beach. We found, the best and cheapest way was to take a cruise that docked on the beach, get married and sail back home. Bad thing was, the only available time to get all of our family together for four days was the first of March. We set sail, to get married, exactly 5 months after meeting. Why have a long engagement? Too many temptations :-)  We skipped school on a Thursday and came back the next Tuesday MARRIED!! We wouldn't do a thing differently! Our families really got to bond and we got to have 4 days of fun with 20 of our closest friends and family. The only downside, joining the family for breakfast the morning after the wedding...

We love and miss you Uncle Jimmy. Thanks for being a huge part of our special day!

What was this post suppose to be about?! Oh yeah, why we decided to adopt?? In the summer of 2001, Trevor was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. He received chemotherapy treatments for three years and entered remission in September 2004 (by the way, he isn't in remission, he was completely healed by our amazing Jehovah- Rapha.. Thank you Jesus!!)

After we got engaged, I visited the doctors who had worked with Trevor for so many years. I was given news that could have ruined me. The doctor asked, "Are yall wanting to have kids?" Of course we were. I was made to be a mom! And my mom says the only reason she had kids was to be a grandma!! The doctors just simply said, "Because of the chemo Trevor received, you will have a much harder time to conceive." On the drive back to Lubbock from Amarillo I asked Trevor what he thought of adopting. He replied without hesitation, "Of course. God adopted us, why wouldn't we do the same?"

A week after starting my first teaching job, I found out I was pregnant. On May 1, 2008 Keldon Charles, our amazing blessing from God was born. And not only did God bless us once, but on March 11, 2011 our princess, Karsyn Louise was born! What a joy they have been in our lives. We never fully understood the love God has for us, nor can look at it the same, until we had them both.

With the joy of having biological kids, the thought of adoption can fade.  After praying and seeking God, we realized our family was not complete yet because God still had another child for us... in Congo! He may not look like us, but love knows no boundaries. Yes it's a scary thought and the unknown drives us crazy, but we're completely trusting God. It's easy to say you trust God until you get in a situation that requires crazy faith! Through adoption, our +1 will have a loving home and family.  Most importantly, we will be able to raise him up to love God and change the world for Him!