The Story . . .

This is a version of the most requested, most repeated story in our house . . . . Every time it is told, I can't help but feel immense gratitude to our families for their support and acceptance of our little family, gratitude for the cutter of the hair who will never truly realize the impact of her words, gratitude for the ward and neighborhood that we moved into who understood and supported us, gratitude for caseworkers, therapists, Brenda and Maroud, and especially gratitude for, and a very special kind of love for, the birthparents . . . So I'm writing this down now for our kids . . .

Once upon a time, there was a little girl with the cutest chubby cheeks. She loved to play house and school. She had a fun-filled childhood and the most loving, creative family you could ask for. She was taught that when she got older she could be anything that she wanted to be. And she did want to be a teacher and a mommy.

Once upon a time, in a smaller land, there lived a smart, good little boy. So maybe he got into a little bit of trouble, but overall he was a pretty good kid. He lived with his wonderful family and learned how to work hard and lots of other important things. He was taught he could be anything he wanted to be. And he did want to do something successful to take care of his future family.

This little girl got a little older. This little boy grew up, too. They met at the Oaks. And with some encouragement from a friend, he asked her out on a date. He even gave her a kiss! They became best friends who loved each other very much.

On November 7, 2003 they were married in the Mesa Arizona temple for time and all eternity.

Together they decided they were ready to start their family and have some of their own chubby-cheeked troublemakers, who were smart and creative.

But unbeknownst to them, there was a different plan.

You see, they had a much wiser and perfect Heavenly Father who knew them and loved them and wanted them to be happy, but he also wanted them to learn together, become stronger, and gain experience.

So the girl didn't get to have a baby grow in her belly right then.

It was a sick belly.

She had to do hard things like visit lots of Dr.'s, have a little surgery, and get her blood tested a lot. She's very scared of needles and doesn't do well with blood, but she can do hard things.

The boy had to do hard things, too. Like take care of the girl.

They didn't really understand why they couldn't get a baby in her tummy, but they prayed a lot, talked together a lot, and got priesthood blessings.

And they learned to have patience and trust in God. They began to feel peace.

They also began to feel something grow in their hearts.

But it wasn't a something, it was a someone.

Not just a someone, but someones.

The girl became a teacher. The boy finished school with two degrees. You see, he really was a smart boy. And still someones were growing in their hearts. They didn't really want to move to Utah, at all. But they both felt it.

The boy needed to accept that job in American Fork.

So they packed up their stuff. Said goodbye to all of their family and friends.

And went to Utah.

They lived in the little blue house on the corner.

And the girl needed a haircut.

So she randomly picked a salon. And she got her hair cut.

She talked to the nice cutter of the hair and mentioned they were trying to adopt through LDS Family Services. The cutter of the hair told her about a friend she has that does foster care.

The girl was intrigued.

The cutter of the hair gave her the friend's phone number. And the nervous-to-be-calling-a-stranger girl called the stranger. It was a delightful conversation that inspired the boy and the girl to become foster parents.

They really did take all of those classes. And prepared their house. And were licensed.

In April 2008, a man named Scott called.

He told the girl about two little boys.

As he spoke, her heart jumped. She was thrilled, and nervous, and excited to meet them.

She saw pictures of them and was amazed to see some chubby little cheeks smiling at her. How much they looked like the boy and the girl! They got the beds ready and cleaned their house and made a big yummy meal.

The boys tumbled in full of energy, and feeling a little anxious themselves.

They all had so much fun playing together during the week. The boy and the girl knew that these cute boys were two of the someones who had been growing in their hearts for so long.

The boys came to stay with the boy and the girl.

Though there were challenges and lots of adjusting, they became a family--

The kind of family that sticks together, works things out, loves each other, prays together, has fun together, and trusts each other.

Most importantly, they knew to put their trust in their Father in Heaven, always recognizing His hand in their lives and always showing their gratitude to Him.

When they were sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple on April 14, 2009, they knew their story would not end. They were a forever family.