Breakin' in the New Year..

No adoption on the brain tonight- instead my brain is filled with how many times my son Ryan has been at the doctor since Jan. 1-

New Years Eve we enjoyed ourselves at some friends house- part of celebrating New Year's in Hawaii is setting off fire works- For those of you who have never celebrated New Years here the fire works are equivalent to the 4th of July on the  main land- an absolute fun time!!  The problem is Ryan's Asthma- He had his first Asthma attack when he was 6 months old- if you were around us from the time Ryan was 6 months old until he was about 7 you knew that our second home was our local hospital or a larger Children's Hospital about 4 hours away from our home town because of what I would classify as 'severe asthma'- We figured out, after a 6 day hospital stay that fire work smoke was one of Ryan's triggers- we also found out that any kind of smoke was a trigger.  Over the past 4 years Ryan has grown out of most of his 'triggers' (wood smoke, colds, etc.. no longer bother him) so we figured on New Years Eve when he was in the center of the activity where fire work smoke was present that he would be fine.  We knew by the next morning we were wrong- He had asthma attacks pretty steady for a little over 2 weeks- I would say that we visited the doctor 5 different times to get an array of steroids, anti-biotics, more steroids and more breathing treatments than he's had since he was 7 - on the last visit we made an emergency room visit- with his already compromised immune system and an emergency room filled with germs he contacted the flu- the type of flu that the doctor swabs your nose and tells you whether you have influenza of not- It knocked him out for the 3rd week of Jan.-
                                                 New Years Eve Fire Work Smoke..

FINALLY- one morning he woke up and sounded 100% better!! WHOOP WHOOP!!! Back to school for his first full week since before Christmas break.......at the end of the week (last Fri.) I got a call from Ryan's school saying that he had a 'football' accident and needed to be picked up because his hand hurt- I asked to talk to him to find out if I needed to race like a momma on a mission over the hill or just drive normal and get there as soon as I could.  Ryan very calmly assured me that he was fine- no biggie- a kid had run into him when they were playing football and he thought he had sprained his hand.  I Picked him up from school- looked at his hand (which looked a bit swollen but not broken) and decided that we did not need to go to the doctor.  All weekend he has used his swollen hand just a bit but kept saying that it still 'kinda' hurt- Today when he left for school I asked him if his hand felt better- 'not really' was his only reply.
We went to the doctor after school- immediately (after a very brief exam) the doctor was confident it was broken but wanted an x-ray just to be sure.  The pictures below will tell the rest of the story :)

 Ryan's middle hand bone (see x-ray above) is broken

 Getting Casted

Fingers and everything casted!

P.S. Congratulations to my cousin's Patrick and Molly who just found out they are having Twins!! She is due in Aug. so please keep her and her precious babies in your prayers!

for our birthmother

If you are a birth mother considering adoption for your baby please read the letter below to learn more about our family. We are home study approved and ready! For all of our friends and family that are visiting this page- thank you so much for all of your support. What a blessing this precious addition to our family will be!

Dear Birth Mother,

We are Matt and Stephanie, and we are excited to begin the adoption journey. We hope that as you look into our profile, you will get a feeling for who we are, what we value, and our love and commitment to our family. We know we can never fully understand the emotions you are feeling and pray you find peace as you consider your options. As you read through this and other letters, know God has a plan far greater that we can see. Have faith that you will find the right family; one who will love and cherish your gift of life.

Our beginnings…

1994

We met 20 years ago at our local Christian High School. Matt was 16 and Stephanie was 14. We both noticed each other right away and began a friendship. We started dating when we both graduated from High School. We dated for a year and were married July 30, 1994. After almost 16 years we’re still as much in love as the day we first met. Our relationship is based on communication, love and laughter. It has helped us to create a warm, loving, and secure home. Matt has been blessed with a wonderful career and Stephanie has been blessed to work very part time and be a 'stay at home' mom. We both have worked very hard to get where we are today. We planned it just right so that we were able to pursue this adoption at a very young age and still have financial stability to raise a family and provide every opportunity to our children as they grow. We have fully enjoyed being parents to our 2 son's Eli and Ryan and share in all the joys and challenges that parenthood brings. We are so ready to welcome another child into our hearts and home.

2010

Why we want to adopt…

We have had the blessing of raising 2 biological children and know that we are missing a third child from our household. We are confident that adoption is the means we need to pursue to complete our family. Words cannot express the love we already have in our hearts for the precious baby that will come into our family and the appreciation we have for his/her birthmother.


Please know your child will be treasured and showered with unconditional love. Your child will always know about your sacrifice and the journey and love it took to become part of our family.

About Matt…

Stephanie: Matt is loving, full of life, and has a great sense of humor. He is a hard worker and excellent financial provider. He grew up milking cows on his parents dairy farm and went on to manage thousand plus acre ranches for the past 10 years.

Matt is absolutely an amazing father. I find myself just sitting back quietly watching him teach our 2 son's basic life skills, character, and integrity and am in awe. The love he shares with them is greater then I could ever imagine. I have always loved Matt for his great sense of humor and his kind tender heart, but now I adore him most for the love of our son's. He enjoys fishing, traveling, and dirt bike riding but his greatest enjoyment is raising our boys. He loves fatherhood and can’t wait to share his love of life with another child.





About Stephanie…

Matt: One of the first times I saw Stephanie I knew she was the one for me. She is warm, loving, outgoing and energetic. I admire Stephanie for her ambition and her positive attitude. She went from being a beautician for 13 years to a part time commercial real estate assistant for her brother. Her greatest accomplishment is being a mom. Stephanie loves sharing special moments with Eli and Ryan and is very exited to add another child to our family. We have been married for almost 16 years and she continues to be my best friend and a wonderful wife and mother.





Shopping with my niece!

Our boys Eli and Ryan…

Eli is our first born biological son- He is 14 and a freshman in high school this year. He is such a gift to our family. His tender heart, love for the Lord, and gentle personality continue to bless us daily. His interests include dirt bike riding, fishing, and just 'hanging out'.





Ryan is our second born biological son- He is 11 and will started middle school this fall. He brings lots of laughter to our family- he loves to joke around. He is compassionate, has a very warm personality, and loves the Lord. He is our social child and likes being involved in sports and having friends over to play.
Our boys are wonderful children and we thank the Lord for them. They will adjust great to a new sibling.





Our home…

Our home is a one story ranch house in the Hawaiian Islands. Together we and our boys created a warm, comfortable home with three bedrooms and two baths. It is situated on 1100 scenic acres that include private access to 4 beaches. We have plenty of room for children to play. We enjoy living and experiencing life on the Hawaiian Islands. We live just outside of a friendly town where everyone watches out for one another. The almost constant Hawaiian sunshine provides plenty of outdoor activities for us to enjoy: swimming, fishing, BBQ's and much more. We are also a short plane ride away from the city and multiple cultural experiences like museums, concerts, and great shopping. We look forward to exploring the best of both worlds with our children.


one of our living rooms


Outside of our home


Our Front Yard


One of the beaches we have private access to

Our pets...

We have a Shih Tzu named Oklie. She is a female and turned 2 on April 19 of this year- we got her from a local family when she was 8 weeks old. We always say that she is a big dog, trapped in a little dog's body. She has no fear of other animals- even if they are bigger than her. Oklie has always been around children and is very friendly and loving. Although she is very special to us, our children would always come first.


Ryan and Oklie


Oklie likes riding in the car with her head out the window and her eyes shut :)

Our fun times…

One of our passions is traveling. Any chance we get, we go out of town for the weekend. We also enjoy taking a couple of family vacations a year. Since moving to Hawaii we will usually take our family vacation back to Oregon where our extended family lives. Our goal is to take a 3 week RV trip around New Zealand. We really enjoy hanging out and talking, watching movies, or going to the beach.

We can’t wait for your child to be able to enjoy all these wonderful times, and more. Having another child to share in these fun times would be even more memorable and enjoyable for us.


Christmas Tree Hunting!


Vacationing at a Water Park


We have spent a week for several summers on a house boat with some friends and their children. We bring our boat and the kids get to tube and knee board.


Stephanie's grandmother 'Nana' started a tradition that we have chosen to keep going in our family. For our children's 13 Birthday they get to choose anywhere in the United States they would like to visit. Eli choose an Alaska Cruise! Here we are all dressed up going to one of the 'Formal Dinner' nights.


Eli and Ryan enjoy riding their dirt bikes

Our families and friends…

We love and cherish our large families and many friends. Everyone is extremely supportive of our decision to adopt. They are just as excited as we are about us adding to our family.

Matt has two brothers and four sisters that have blessed us with 15 nieces and nephews. Before moving to Hawaii last year we enjoyed the excitement of holidays, birthdays, and celebrations with them. Most of Matt's family has always lived within minutes of one another. Matt's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party that all 7 kids put on this past January. When we visit Oregon there are plenty of children to entertain and family stories to tell.

Stephanie grew up in Oregon. I have 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers with eleven nephews and ONE niece. Although we do not live close to my family, we still remain close. My mom, whom our boy's call Nana has been a HUGE part of our boys life. When they were each a year old she and my step dad started keeping them over night once a week so that Matt and I could go on 'date night'. Both my mom and Step dad have and will continue to play a very active roll in our children's life.

We have been blessed with many friends who are as close as family.


Matt's dad and mom


Matt's Family


Matt and his brothers


Stephanie with my Nana, sister-in-law, and cousin making the traditional 'Lefsa' Tortilla's for Christmas Eve dinner (we try to get as much flour on eachother as possible!)


Eli and Ryan building a sand castle with their auntie Rhonda


Eli with his auntie Jodi

Ryan and his auntie Liz

Stephanie's Family


Stephanie's Family


Eli and Ryan's papa Phil


I love you mom- You are an incredible Nana to Eli and Ryan- and your heart is filled with so much love for this precious baby we would like to adopt. Thank you for all of your 'cheerleading' and prayers over the years for this adopiton. You are my hero in so many ways- Steph


Eli and Ryan's Papa Phil and Nana Ellie 'being cool'


Eli holding his cousin


Eli and Ryan's papa Rick with his grandson

Our faith…

We both were raised with Christian values and morals. We feel blessed to be part of a local Non-Denominational Church. We are both very devoted to God and active in our church. We look forward to having our child grow spiritually in our faith.

Open adoption…

If you choose to entrust us with your baby, we promise to love him/her with our whole hearts and souls, as we have Eli and Ryan. We are open to discussing the type of adoption that you desire. Your child will always know how much you love him/her and what an incredible sacrifice it was for you to make an adoption plan and do what was best for him/her. You will always be thought of with unconditional love, utmost respect, and heartfelt appreciation.

Thank you!
We appreciate your reading our letter and considering us as parents for your baby. We
would love to be able to share more with you, and learn about your dreams for your
baby’s future. If you would like further information, or if you are interested in
information, or if you are interested in pursuing an adoption plan with us, please contact us. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you make your decision.

Matt and Stephanie


CONTACT INFORMATION
blessingofadoption@hotmail.com