Why did you choose IPAS?

We chose IPAS because of God's leading. Initially, IPAS was not on our radar. We already had an appointment set for an orientation with another agency when we got a call from our friend Carrie. It was just before 5 p.m. and she had heard a radio commercial about an orientation meeting that same evening at IPAS that began at 6 p.m. We happened to be in the Fig Garden area when we got her call, so the timing was perfect. When we got to IPAS, we happened to run into Karen Spencer, a volunteer who we both admired and knew in different capacities. For whatever reason, she had stayed late that evening and was hanging up photos of some of the children in the conference room. We were really excited to see her and hear about her passion and commitment to IPAS for many years. Amazingly, none of the other couples who had signed up in advance for the meeting showed up that night which gave us a chance to relax and have all of our questions answered. When we were finally ready to proceed, we knew that IPAS was the agency for us. 

What was your wait like or what advice would you give to someone who is waiting?

We started our classes in January of 2012 and loved being with the other couples in our group. We really thought we would receive our child as soon as we were done with the home study-so we got everything turned in as quickly as possible and were approved in June of 2012. We thought for sure we would have a child in our Christmas photo...then Christmas came and went...then New Year's...and then our birthdays. By this time, four of the other couples in our group had their precious babies. Honestly, there were some ups and downs...adoption is not for the faint of heart! We had to wait until the end of September 2013 for our sweet boy-and then almost another three weeks after that until he came home. During those three weeks, there was a chance that he would not be coming home with us, but amazingly those weeks were filled with a lot of peace and a ton of prayer!

What was it like to get "the call?" What happened?

We didn't really get "the" call but many calls. We knew that Will's birth family would be looking at our album the day after he was born. At that point, we both really believed that he would be ours and went out to purchase diapers, formula and boy clothes. That next day, we heard that the family wanted to meet us the following morning, although that meeting ended up being delayed for several days. Once we met the family, they let us know that they chose us. That was really exciting, but because of some legal issues, Will had to stay at a TLC home until everything was resolved. We had many calls with IPAS during that time and everyone there was terrific.

How did you feel when you saw your baby for the first time?

For us it was truly love at first sight. Because we had almost three weeks to anticipate our meeting him and spent a lot of time praying for him and thinking about him, we were already in love with him before we met! Will is a perfect fit for us-and he was worth every moment of the wait.

How was the finalization process?

The finalization process was smooth sailing after our initial three week ordeal. We invited family and a few close friends to witness the finalization, then had a party to celebrate. We are glad that it is official now!

Other thoughts you might like to share?