Thanks so much for taking the time to read about our family. We have a lot to share and are so happy that you could learn more about us.
Each post is about a specific time in our life. If you go to the oldest post it starts with our engagement to our wedding day and then to adopting our son, Jed.
We have been foster parents since 2008. We have had seven children enter our home, ages ranging from 2 days old to 2 years old, and it has been one of the greatest things we have done.
We still think about the children often and wish them the best for the future. We hope to be able to foster later on, but for now would like to adopt a child again who will be in our lives forever.
Thank you again for learning more about our family!
Sincerely,
Janet and Mike
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Our Journey with Jed...
There are so many pictures of Jed that I couldn't possibly fit them all in here. We have had such an amazing experience as parents. Our life has changed and has been uplifted because we have a child in our life.
From the day he came home with us, Jed has been an absolute joy. We feel that he has made our life so much more complete and especially entertaining to say the least. We have our moments, but all in all life is wonderful!
Jed holding one of our most recent foster babies. She was only 2 days old when she came to our home. Jed was so excited to hold her and become a big foster brother.
Jed and Mike at Jed's Kindergarten award assembly at school
Janet getting her beautiful mug from Jed for Christmas
Jed and his cousin Cody
Jed training to become a Jedi
Jed giving a "two thumbs up" for his grandpas
Jed with his new Razor scooter that he got for his birthday
Jed with our friend's dog
Jed giving a "thumbs up" to his new legos he got from Grandpa
Disneyland with Jed
Family Picture
May 2008
Mike and Jed at Sea World with his cousins
Mike and Jed riding bikes
Hanging out at the house
Christmas 2006
At the Beach
Family Picture at the Beach
Halloween
Court Date
The day Jed officially became ours
Mike and Jed at the Beach
Mommy and Jed
Family Picture
Thanksgiving 2004
From the day he came home with us, Jed has been an absolute joy. We feel that he has made our life so much more complete and especially entertaining to say the least. We have our moments, but all in all life is wonderful!
Jed holding one of our most recent foster babies. She was only 2 days old when she came to our home. Jed was so excited to hold her and become a big foster brother.
Jed and Mike at Jed's Kindergarten award assembly at school
Janet getting her beautiful mug from Jed for Christmas
Jed and his cousin Cody
Jed training to become a Jedi
Jed giving a "two thumbs up" for his grandpas
Jed with his new Razor scooter that he got for his birthday
Jed with our friend's dog
Jed giving a "thumbs up" to his new legos he got from Grandpa
Disneyland with Jed
Family Picture
May 2008
Mike and Jed at Sea World with his cousins
Mike and Jed riding bikes
Hanging out at the house
Christmas 2006
At the Beach
Family Picture at the Beach
Halloween
Court Date
The day Jed officially became ours
Mike and Jed at the Beach
Mommy and Jed
Family Picture
Thanksgiving 2004
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Adoption Process
All of these pictures were taken at the hospital after Jed was born
We were so excited to begin our journey through the adoption process. We wanted a child and were willing to do whatever we could in order to make that happen.
It took about 6 months to fill out paperwork and then we were APPROVED! That is the greatest word you want to hear when you are going through the adoption process.
After patiently waiting for almost a year, we received a phone call that was going to change our life forever! We had been selected by a birth mom and she wanted to meet us.
At our first meeting with the birth mom we were so nervous, yet excited at the same time. An LDS social worker was there as well to help facilitate the meeting. Once we met Jed's birth mom all of our nervousness went away. It was so nice to be able to talk with her and get to know her and learn about her story of why she wanted to place her child with us.
After the first meeting we were able to meet with her again-this time I went by myself during the week and she brought along her mother and her 5 year old daughter. It was nice meeting some of her family. She also gave me ultrasound pictures of Jed which was so amazing. I found out that day that the baby was a boy.
About 3-4 weeks went by and we got a phone call saying that the birth mom would be going into labor in the next week and we would know more information in the next few days.
We got a call on a Monday morning and the birth mom went into labor...but it was very slow. She didn't end up delivering Jed until the next day around 10:30pm. We got the phone call that Jed was born and packed our things to head up north about 1 1/2 hours away so we could meet Jed and visit with the birth mom the next day.
It was a great experience. One we will never forget. We met with the social worker on Wednesday morning in the waiting room at the hospital. Once we had spoken with the social worker for a little while it was our turn to go and meet Jed for the first time.
As we walked into the room we sat and talked with the birth mom for a while to make sure she was feeling alright and to just talk with her. We were able to hold Jed for the first time. It was surreal. It was a great moment. Jed's birth mom was so calm and was so easy to talk to. And Jed's birth grandma was there as well and she was as nice as can be and was filming us holding the baby. It was so sweet.
We were able to visit with the birth mom the following day as well and were able to take Jed home with us on Thursday. It was a bittersweet experience and we are forever grateful to Jed's birth mom for this precious life we were given.
We were so excited to begin our journey through the adoption process. We wanted a child and were willing to do whatever we could in order to make that happen.
It took about 6 months to fill out paperwork and then we were APPROVED! That is the greatest word you want to hear when you are going through the adoption process.
After patiently waiting for almost a year, we received a phone call that was going to change our life forever! We had been selected by a birth mom and she wanted to meet us.
At our first meeting with the birth mom we were so nervous, yet excited at the same time. An LDS social worker was there as well to help facilitate the meeting. Once we met Jed's birth mom all of our nervousness went away. It was so nice to be able to talk with her and get to know her and learn about her story of why she wanted to place her child with us.
After the first meeting we were able to meet with her again-this time I went by myself during the week and she brought along her mother and her 5 year old daughter. It was nice meeting some of her family. She also gave me ultrasound pictures of Jed which was so amazing. I found out that day that the baby was a boy.
About 3-4 weeks went by and we got a phone call saying that the birth mom would be going into labor in the next week and we would know more information in the next few days.
We got a call on a Monday morning and the birth mom went into labor...but it was very slow. She didn't end up delivering Jed until the next day around 10:30pm. We got the phone call that Jed was born and packed our things to head up north about 1 1/2 hours away so we could meet Jed and visit with the birth mom the next day.
It was a great experience. One we will never forget. We met with the social worker on Wednesday morning in the waiting room at the hospital. Once we had spoken with the social worker for a little while it was our turn to go and meet Jed for the first time.
As we walked into the room we sat and talked with the birth mom for a while to make sure she was feeling alright and to just talk with her. We were able to hold Jed for the first time. It was surreal. It was a great moment. Jed's birth mom was so calm and was so easy to talk to. And Jed's birth grandma was there as well and she was as nice as can be and was filming us holding the baby. It was so sweet.
We were able to visit with the birth mom the following day as well and were able to take Jed home with us on Thursday. It was a bittersweet experience and we are forever grateful to Jed's birth mom for this precious life we were given.
Getting the Baby Bug...
After two years of marriage we wanted to start a family. After trying for a year with no success, we decided it was time to go to a fertility doctor and figure out what was going on.
After several tests later, we found that our chances of having a biological child was about 3%. That was not the answer we wanted to hear, but we knew we needed to consider other options to create our family.
That is when we turned to adoption. I, Janet, was adopted from birth and had a wonderful upbringing. I had a very positive experience with being adopted. My ethnicity is half Samoan, 1/4 Mexican, and 1/4 caucasian. My adoptive father is Swedish and my adoptive mother is Armenian. Talk about a lot of differnt cultures. I was brought up in the Swedish and Armenian culture and loved learning about making meat pies or hearing Swedish lullabies.
Picture from Left to right: Sister Liz, Brother Roger, Dad, Janet, Sister Becky
My parents had 3 biological children and adopted me from birth
I knew I was loved and cared for by my adoptive family and felt that we could give a child the love and nurturing that I had as a child. I also knew that any child that we adopted would be meant for our family just as I was meant for my adoptive family.
That is when we started the adoption process through LDS Family Services.
After several tests later, we found that our chances of having a biological child was about 3%. That was not the answer we wanted to hear, but we knew we needed to consider other options to create our family.
That is when we turned to adoption. I, Janet, was adopted from birth and had a wonderful upbringing. I had a very positive experience with being adopted. My ethnicity is half Samoan, 1/4 Mexican, and 1/4 caucasian. My adoptive father is Swedish and my adoptive mother is Armenian. Talk about a lot of differnt cultures. I was brought up in the Swedish and Armenian culture and loved learning about making meat pies or hearing Swedish lullabies.
Picture from Left to right: Sister Liz, Brother Roger, Dad, Janet, Sister Becky
My parents had 3 biological children and adopted me from birth
I knew I was loved and cared for by my adoptive family and felt that we could give a child the love and nurturing that I had as a child. I also knew that any child that we adopted would be meant for our family just as I was meant for my adoptive family.
That is when we started the adoption process through LDS Family Services.
Post Wedding Bliss...
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World
Janet's College Graduation
Universal Studios
Attending a friend's wedding reception
Christmas
Picture at the Beach
Bear Lake
Halloween
Christmas
Mike's Sister's Wedding
Carribean Cruise
Christmas
Utah at Grandpa's birthday party
Holding our friend's baby for the first time (our son's best bud)
Caribbean Cruise
After we were married and life settled down we enjoyed our time together after we both got home from work and school.
We had fun hanging out with friends and family and enjoyed each others company at home or going out to dinner or a movie.
As you can see from the pictures, we were able to go on a few vacations here and there. We enjoyed a trip to Florida to Walt Disney World with some close friends. We also went on a cruise to the western Caribbean with a group of friends and then enjoyed another cruise to the Caribbean with family which included cave tubing.
Walt Disney World
Janet's College Graduation
Universal Studios
Attending a friend's wedding reception
Christmas
Picture at the Beach
Bear Lake
Halloween
Christmas
Mike's Sister's Wedding
Carribean Cruise
Christmas
Utah at Grandpa's birthday party
Holding our friend's baby for the first time (our son's best bud)
Caribbean Cruise
After we were married and life settled down we enjoyed our time together after we both got home from work and school.
We had fun hanging out with friends and family and enjoyed each others company at home or going out to dinner or a movie.
As you can see from the pictures, we were able to go on a few vacations here and there. We enjoyed a trip to Florida to Walt Disney World with some close friends. We also went on a cruise to the western Caribbean with a group of friends and then enjoyed another cruise to the Caribbean with family which included cave tubing.
Our Wedding
Mike and I were were married about 9 months after we got engaged. We were married in the San Diego Temple. We have been married for almost 12 years! Wow time goes by sooooo fast!
We had so many close family and friends attend our wedding and then we had a nice reception which was held at my sister's house. We had a lot of fun. We especially enjoyed the dancing!
We were able to go on our Honeymoon to Cozumel, Mexico. It was a nice, but hot, vacation for us. We almost missed our connecting flight to Mexico. Thank goodness we ran and made it just in time.
How It all Began...
Mike and I met each other when we were both attending college. We had a lot of the same friends. We hung out as a group but never dated each other. It wasn't until the day we planned with everyone to go to Magic Mountain that everyone else had things to do and it ended up being just the two of us.
We had a blast together at Magic Mountain. From there we started dating until Mike was called 3 months later to serve a mission for two years in South America. We wrote every week for two years. We each have a box filled with letters that we had written to each other.
Mike returned home from his mission and we were engaged two weeks later.
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