Adoption... What a blessing!

Our family has grown so much in the last two years and we are feeling so blessed to have been able to adopt our cute little Maycie.  We love her so much!  Click HERE to read the story of how we found out we were getting her and the way we were blessed to be placed with the cutest and most perfect little girl in this world!

Maycie means so much to our family and we all love her so very much! We also love her Birth-Mother and will be eternally grateful for her sacrifice in our family's behalf.  We feel very lucky and grateful to have gotten to know her and have a great friendship with her.  

Two of the cutest and best kids in the world!  We love you Kyle and Maycie!

Celebrating Adoption... Happy Birth-Mother's Day!

The day before Mother's day is a very special day. It is Birth-Mother's day. We have made it a tradition to get together with other families in our area that support and have been blessed by adoption to celebrate Birth-Mother's and raise awareness about adoption . They have Cosmo come and the fire department and do a walk and let balloons go and have flowers for the Birth-Mother's that attend. Maycie's Birth-Mother wasn't able to attend this year and we missed her but we thought of her often and had a fun time. This time of year always makes me think about how grateful I am for courageous Birth-Mother's who selflessly choose adoption even though It is the hardest decision and experience most of them go through. I know that we are all here to help each other through this journey here on earth and that through others our prayers are often answered. This was our case with adoption and we are so grateful for the sacrifices Maycie's Birth-Mother made for her and for our family. We love you and will never forget you and your amazing gift of love you gave us almost 23 months ago.

Let Them Be Little...Our Message & Story

Adoption... wow... Definitely something we had never even considered until about a year ago. One of the hardest things for us with adoption is knowing that in order for us to have a child someone else has to make the hardest decision of their life. We can't even imagine the pain and heartbreak and everything involved, but We are truly grateful for all the birthparents that go through this experience and bless others lives. It truly is an act of selfless love.
Now... Here's our story...
Chad & I met a couple weeks after Chad came home from his mission. He moved to Utah to go to school. His brother had moved up to Utah a few months earlier and was engaged to my sister. Everyone wanted Chad and I to date, I think Chad was okay with it, nothing against Chad, but there was no way I was going to date a returned missionary, I thought all they wanted was marriage and I didn't think I was ready. I quickly set Chad up with someone else, although he was over a lot because he only knew his brother in Utah and had no one else to hang out with. We were friends for a while and then finally realized that we liked each other and needed to date. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple 3 months after my sister and his brother. Kinda crazy, but it has worked for us. We have now been happily married for over 10 years.
After 2 years of marriage we had our first little boy named Cody. A short 18 months later we had another little boy named Kyle. The boys were such a handful and I often forgot the joys of being a mother. When Cody was 3 1/2 years old he started having seizures, Doctors searched for answers and diagnosis, but all they could come up with was a rare seizure disorder. They had never seen a case that bad in Utah. They said it only happened to 1 in every million kids, it was awful. Thank goodness for Primary Children's Medical Center. We were constantly there and I talked to the doctor everyday. Finally about a year or so later, after trying many treatments and medications, a very strict diet helped things to calm down and Cody's seizures decreased going from 10 per minute to 15-30 a day to 1 a week. We took Cody & Kyle to Disneyland (Cody's favorite place!) to celebrate Cody's 5th birthday. It was a week full of blessings and pure fun. The morning after we came home Cody had a seizure that ultimately took his life. We decided to let him be an Organ Donor, that was a really hard decision, but we are grateful he got to help other kids. We were in pure shock. It was without a doubt the hardest thing we had ever been through. However, we have grown so much from this experience. It has been about 3 1/2 years and although the heartbreak is still there, we have grown closer as a couple, closer to our Father in Heaven, and closer as a family. One of the many lessons we learned was to never take anything or anyone for granted, because you never know when they will be gone. We cherish every memory we had with Cody and cherish every moment we continue to have with Kyle and any other children we have. We know that Cody is okay and is watching over us. We can't wait until we can be together forever someday.
We have realized what a blessing children are in our lives. The little things that I thought were so hard and drove me crazy the fighting, whining, the busyness and more are the very things I miss the most. We have chosen 4 songs for our blog and all 4 represent some lesson we have learned through this experience and others. The song Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean describes perfectly our feelings of how children are only little once and how we need to cherish the little things and enjoy those moments and every moment by looking closer at how we can find joy in "letting them be little". Our second song is Angels Among Us by Alabama it represents the lesson of how we can have many angels among us whether they be spirits or people who come into our lives and help us in many different ways at the times we need it most. Not only have we felt the presence of our little Cody's spirit, but we have had many earthly angels that we believe were sent and will continue to be sent to help us through our storms of life. We are so grateful for them. The third song we chose is Watching You by Rodney Atkins. We like this one because it represents the fact that children watch everything we do and learn from us as parents and adults. This helps us to remember we need to be setting a good example for our children. The last song is Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks. We simply chose this one because we believe very strongly that God leads our lives and at times we might think we have unanswered prayers, but as time goes on we are grateful that someone is watching over us and knows better than ourselves what is right for us, so we are grateful for those "Unanswered Prayers".
Kyle too misses his brother and misses having someone to play with. He always has a friend or cousin with him whether it be at ballgames, trips, camping, or just playing at the house. He has been a real trooper through all this. We are so grateful to have him in our family. Kyle doesn't like to be alone and says our house is too empty, he can't wait for another sibling to come into our family.
Right before Cody passed away we decided we needed to have at least 1 more child and decided to try. We never had problems with infertility with the boys. Our infertility is unexplained. We have been through so many fertility treatments and medications. About a year ago while being in the middle of a pretty intense fertility treatment I started having dreams and thoughts of adoption, which I had never even dreamed I would ever consider. We tried to push it aside and concentrate on the fertility treatments, but it just didn't go away. It took about 6 months before both Chad & I both knew that for some reason this was what Heavenly Father wanted us to do. So here we are....
We know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and everyone of us. We know without a shadow of a doubt that everything that happens in our lives, happens for a reason. We don't know the reasons for our infertility at this time other than we are suppose to adopt. Our hope is that we can have a great friendship with our birthparents and walk together through this very exciting, scary, and amazing journey of adoption. We can't wait to meet you! With Love, Chad, Angie, & Kyle

About Us: Chad & Angie

Chad is a very happy person and always has a smile on his face. He is always looking for the good in others and every situation. Chad is a very genuine, handsome, funny, kind, loving guy and is so good with kids. He amazes me everyday. He is the love of my life and the best husband and Dad I could have ever asked for. I love Chad so much he has and is definitely been my rock. Chad really enjoys sports. He especially likes Golf, Baseball, Softball, Basketball, & Football. Chad currently works at a local University as a painter. He's such a great worker and does a good job. He loves to watch any sports in person or on TV. Some of Chad’s other hobbies include, being in the outdoors, 4-wheeling, camping, vacationing to So Cal, going to the beach, going on walks & bike rides, and playing games with our family.
Chad was born and raised in Southern California and loved it! He is definitely a So Cal boy, although after almost 11 years of living in Utah. I think he is starting to love Utah too! Chad is the last of 4 boys. There is 8 years between Chad and his next older brother, so at times he grew up like an only child. Chad is an amazing athlete and is good at every sport. His favorite is Baseball and now Softball. Growing up Chad played Baseball through college. He did extremely well, being MVP several times. He was expected to be drafted to the Major Leagues until he got injured and decided to go on a mission, which ended up being the best thing ever. Chad served in the Jamaica Kingston Mission. How lucky? I know. One of Chad’s favorite childhood memories include: Chad’s oldest brother played professional baseball for 10 years. Chad got to go out on the fields and practice and warm up with the teams. He had his own jersey and locker in their locker room and often was bat boy. He would often travel with his parents to different ballparks to watch his brother play. Although Chad is grateful he is not in the spotlight he will always cherish those memories.
Chad’s family has all since moved to Utah and one brother to Idaho. It is so nice to have both our families close. Chad’s Mom was a stay-at-home mom and his Dad played professional baseball for a few years and then became a motor cop for L.A.P.D. He retired at age 36. He now enjoys playing golf and watching his kids and grand kids in their different sporting events. Chad’s Mom is really crafty and always has something fun for the kids to do. She is also a really great cook and an amazing entertainer. We love going over for holidays and parties. She always goes over the top. Chad’s parents are amazing! I couldn’t have asked for better in-laws. They are the most giving and generous people I know. They love their boys, their daughter-in-laws, and grandkids very much and it shows. They would do anything for us. We are grateful to have them nearby.

My wife Angie was born and raised in Utah. She is the 2nd of 8 kids. 4 of which are married, 1 on a mission, and 3 at home. Her parents are great people. Her Dad has worked at BYU for 32 years and is a much respected worker and is very good with people. Her Mom is a stay-at-home and is a wonderful person. She is very good at photography, scrapbooking, card-making and Family History. Angie was raised in a very strong LDS family. They taught her the value of work and play. Her family is very close and does lots of things together, including Sunday dinners, family birthday parties, BBQ’s and more.
Angie can do anything she sets her mind to. She taught herself how to play the piano and is really good at it. Angie enjoys shopping and is really good at finding deals for our family. She is a stay-at-home-mom and is good at it. From making home-cooked meals, to meal planning, to coupon shopping, to playing with and taking care of the kids, she is good at it all. Angie is very organized and along with me together we like to keep things nice and orderly. She is a wonderful person to be around and is always thinking of others before herself. She always plays with Kyle and Cody when he was here and all of Kyle’s friends and cousins. I love that she enjoys playing Softball with me and watching me when I’m playing alone. She is a very supportive wife. She enjoys being in the outdoors and going camping with our family. Other things she enjoys are: Decorating, doing hair, helping others, cooking, walking, & biking, playing the piano, and watching sports & movies. Angie is a beautiful, amazing and wonderful wife; she is definitely the one for me. I knew when I first met Angie that she would be a good wife. She has a glow and a neat spirit about her. She has been and is an awesome wife and mother to our kids. She does and will do anything for them. When Cody was sick she made many sacrifices for him and our family and I know it was hard, but she did it out of love and I love her for that. Angie is very Christ-like and is always trying to be a good example. She is my best friend and I love her very much. I am grateful she is my eternal companion and we can be together forever.

Chad & I have so much fun playing softball together, and Kyle has fun watching and playing “mini games” in between innings. After Kyle goes to bed Chad & I enjoy playing Mario Kart, Cuddling up to watch Sports Center or a good movie, or sitting in our hot tub talking. We have fun camping, hiking, 4-wheeling, being in the outdoors, vacationing (Disneyland and the beach are favorites!) listening to music, reading books, watching movies, playing the WII , going to sporting events, having BBQ’s & picnics, we love having family home evenings, although we are not perfect we try to faithfully do some kind of FHE. We love playing games together and simply being together.

All-Star Kyle

Kyle is our amazing all star! He loves sports especially football, basketball, soccer, baseball, golf, & tennis. In that order, although it changes with the seasons. He is so good at all those sports and loves them. Right now Kyle especially likes football. He is ALWAYS playing a game of football and also watching football. He loves watching and cheering for BYU. His favorite player is Austin Collie and watches him play in the NFL. Kyle knows everything about the game of football and the BYU team it is very funny and amazing to hear him talk about football with his Dad. Although whatever sport is in season he usually does the same thing. The other day I woke up and heard the TV on and knew it was not a cartoon so I went to check it out and saw that he was watching old re-runs from other teams in the Mountain West Conference (the conference BYU is a part of.) When I asked him what he was doing he replied, "just checking out our competition Mom." He is always begging Mom and Dad to play and practice. We get so excited when someone else comes over to play with him. Although, we do love it, even though we get nothing done. Chad is especially good at always dropping what he is doing to play with Kyle. Kyle wants to grow up and play a sport at BYU. Kyle loves to go watch Mom & Dad play softball. He loves to play catch between innings and a "mini game" between games. He is our biggest fan! Kyle's biggest hero is his Dad! He loves his Dad and looks up to him in everything he does. He wants to be just like his Dad when he grows up. He enjoys all the time and attention Chad gives him. They are always going to do things together. Kyle loves kids especially babies, he is so good with them. He loves when we babysit our friends or siblings kids. Kyle loves to read and is at the top of his 1st grade class. He loves school. He also likes bakugan and pokemon, movies,playing WII with Mom and Dad riding bikes or scooters, swimming, camping, 4-wheeling, outdoor games (kickball & capture the flag favorite FHE games).
Kyle loves Family Home Evening. He loves to get together with our extended family for games. He is starting to take turns at doing the lessons. His lessons always amaze us. He is so mature for his age. He is so smart and closer to the spirit than we ever imagined. Kyle is such a good boy, he has been so patient and seems to understand alot of things that are hard even for adults to grasp. We are so proud of Kyle and love him very much!

Our little Angel Cody

Cody... Definately our amzing little angel. Cody had an amazing spirit about him and we feel him near often. Cody was always smiling and never gave up. He smiled and laughed through everything life threw at him. He was such a happy,curious, sweet,active little boy. Cody loved ducks and had a rubber duck collection of over 100 ducks. He also loved trains. (Thomas was a favorite!) He would lay on the ground and play for hours with his trains, which he did often especially when he was sick. Cody loved to go feed the ducks and swans and read books about them. He loved building and playing in tents, he loved to build train tracks, and legos, then destroy them and rebuild. (That was really frustrating to Mom & Dad when we would spend hours helping him build then he would wreck it and want to do it all over again.) Cody loved the Mountains. He loved to go exploring, 4-wheeling, and to collect sticks. He loved the snow and sledding, but he also really loved thte beach. He would run in and out of the waves and play in the sand. He loved amuzement parks (Especially Disneyland) He had no fears and always wanted to go on the biggest, highest, and fast rides. Cody was an amazing kid and we feel honored and blessed to be his earthly parents and be a part of his short life. A day doesn't go by when we don't think of him. We love Cody so much and know that he is in Heaven waiting for us, and has a hand in all that is happening in our family. We can't wait to return to live with him again so we can be Together Forever Someday!