Hi there, we are Tim and Christina! We are grateful that you are taking the time to learn more about us!
Here is just a snippet of our lives and how we met. We got to know each other as friends in college, in 2014. We soon realized we especially enjoyed each other’s company and began dating. We spent time studying in the library together (and talking a lot, too), taking walks, and playing games with friends. Two years later, Tim asked Christina to marry him on April Fool’s Day, and though at first she could hardly believe he was serious, she, of course, said “Yes”! We’ve been married since 2018, and we are thankful for God’s work in our lives to bring us together and lead us throughout our marriage.
We both love children and have always known we wanted to be parents someday. After going through infertility for a couple years, we began to seriously think about adoption. Fertility treatments were an option, but we instead wanted to open our home to a child through adoption. The more we have learned about adoption, the more our desire to adopt has grown and solidified in our hearts.
Expectant mothers who choose to make an adoption plan may qualify for some level of financial assistance during their pregnancy. However, each person's situation and specific needs are different. Your adoption social worker can help you determine what level of assistance you qualify for and deserve. Many expectant mothers qualify for financial assistance to cover basic pregnancy and living expenses, including but not limited to - transportation reimbursement, utility assistance for phone, water, and electricity/gas, maternity clothing and supplements, etc.
It won't cost you anything. If you choose to place your baby for adoption, all of your medical and legal fees will be covered and you may be eligible for financial assistance with other pregnancy-related expenses.
Yes. Even if you don’t know the identity of the birth father, you can still choose to make an adoption plan. However, every adoption situation is different. The adoption social worker you’re assigned to will get to know you and your story first, and then guide you through the process accordingly.
You can make an adoption plan at any point in your pregnancy, even after the baby has been born. But, it's important to start the process as early in your pregnancy as possible. Connecting with those resources will allow you to gain access to important medical services, including prenatal care, to help ensure a healthy pregnancy.
One aspect of your adoption plan is the "Hospital Plan" an outline of how you'd like your hospital stay and delivery to go. You can craft this on your own or with the help of your adoption social worker. But everything is up to you. You’ll be able to choose who comes to the hospital with you, who is in the room with you during delivery, and how much time you’d like to spend with the baby before signing the final papers.
As part of your adoption plan, you'll determine whether or not you’d like to have an open or closed adoption or something in between. Open adoptions may include phone calls, messaging (via social media, email, or text), and/or periodic visits each year. Closed adoptions may include no contact at all or annual updates provided to the birth parent(s) by the adoptive family. Each post-adoption relationship is different and can vary based on what an expectant mother chooses in her adoption plan.
Saturdays are often restful for us. To begin the day, we like to make pancakes with real maple syrup! This is a special breakfast we look forward to almost every weekend. Then the rest of the day can include reading, relaxing, housework, home improvements, and preparing for church the next day.
Last weekend we got to meet up with some friends to go sledding together in town! The sun was shining brightly, making it a perfect day for families to gather on the snow hill - and many families from town did just that! Sledding is always fun, but much more fun with these kiddos who laugh and squeal with excitement. We are thankful for sweet times with friends of all ages!
Lately it has been snowing often where we live in MI. This month, we have enjoyed the winter weather by getting out to our nearby park! Christina especially loves to walk at the park many times a week, and Tim gets to join occasionally. We have to wear plenty of layers, hats, and scarves to keep warm, but it's worth it to see the beautiful, snowy landscapes around us.
For Christmas last month, we were able to go sledding with our nieces and nephews in rural New York, where some of Tim's family lives. Tim had a blast going down the hills with his littlest nephew and pulling him back up the hill too! Christina went sledding too, but she also tries to capture the special family time by taking photos and videos. Some family members were building a snowman and they even made a little chicken out of the snow! We look forward to enjoying these winter activities with a little one someday too!