Better When We're Together

About Gracie

This little girl healed our hearts in a way that is indescribable.  We prepared a long time for her to join our family and she was definitely worth the wait.  Grace is going to be a fantastic big sister.  She loves all things baby and there is no doubt that she will love her sibling just as much as we will!  

Gracie just a few hours old.

How we feel about open adoption

Adoption is an amazing gift that should be shared, talked about and celebrated! There will never be a moment when your child will not know who you are or that they are adopted. We feel so very blessed that Gracie will have siblings that she can share the common thread of adoption with.

We have a wonderful relationship with Gracie's birthmother, Kristy. We feel very fortunate to be able to email, text, blog, send pictures and gifts, and visit whenever we can.  There is a picture of Kristy hanging in Gracie's room.  Gracie will always know who she is and will always have a special relationship with her. We love and admire Kristy so much, and are so grateful that she is a part of our lives.

We believe open adoption brings a lot of healing to everyone involved.  We hope to be able to provide as much information to our children regarding their birth families and how they came to our family. We know that each child sent to this earth is precious and unique and comes with their own unique circumstance. We believe every child needs to know where they came from.  Troy Dunn, an adoption advocate, said, 'you can't have peace until you have all the pieces' and we believe that with our whole hearts.

Our letter to you

We want you to know that if your child is placed with us in our home, your baby will know all about you. We will tell them as often as we can of the great miracle they are in all of our lives. Your baby will be raised in a home where faith is strong and they will be taught all about love and sacrifice. We hope that through this website we have given you something to hold to and trust in as well as an insight to who we are and our desire and ability to love and nurture your child.

We thank you for taking time to get to know us.

With Love, Gratitude and Respect,

Jimi, Sarah and Gracie 

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Dear Birthparents,

We want you to know that we love and admire you for your strength and courage as you face the next step in your lives and in your child’s life. You are in our constant thoughts and our daily prayers. We know that Heavenly Father has directed us here and we hope that, whether or not it is us, you find the miracle you are looking for as we find ours.

Our family started over eight years ago when we were sealed in the Bountiful temple. In these past eight years we have bought and sold homes, graduated from college, started new jobs and made many priceless memories. In September of 2009, we were blessed with the adoption of our daughter, Gracie.  Gracie has brought so much love and healing to our lives.  We also have Roxy, our four year old dog; she is a boxer who is like a second child!  She and Grace love to wrestle and play. 

Our story started nearly twelve years ago when we met in high school.  We were just good friends for about a year and a half before we began to date. We dated close to six months before Jimi left on his mission. Over the next two years our friendship grew and our feelings for one another became stronger. We were married 2 ½ months after he returned home. We are each other’s best friends. We do just about everything together whether that includes house cleaning, road trips or grocery shopping. Wherever one of us is, you don’t have to look very far to find the other. We love being mom and dad to Grace and cannot wait to add another little bundle of joy to our home.  Our hobbies include camping, BYU football, American Idol and traveling. We love to travel and visit new parts of the country. One of our favorite places to go is Disneyland. As mentioned, we love to camp and go as often as we can. Every summer Sarah’s family has a big camping trip which we look forward to all year long.

As told by Sarah:

I am the fifth of six children. I have four brothers and one sister, all of who are married except for my younger brother who lives in Hawaii and attends BYU. Up until I was 12 years old, my family lived in Alaska. My dad was a state trooper and my mom stayed at home. I loved my childhood. Growing up I always had a brother or sister to play with. We would play for hours in our back yard with a beach ball and a plastic bat pretending we were professional baseball players. In the summer we would go swimming everyday at the lake down the road. I learned to swim in water that was practically still frozen. Because there were not a lot of kids around, my siblings and I really became each other’s best friends and that bond has continued as we have become adults; I have really been fortunate to have them all close by. I want those same things for my children. I want them to have sibling who bug them at times or who take their clothes without asking but who will always be there for them no matter what.

Jimi is reserved, thoughtful and very funny. Although he may seem quiet at first, Jimi loves to talk, especially if it has anything to do with BYU football or the St. Louis Cardinals. He is a very big fan of both, so when St. Louis won the World Series a few years ago,it was a big deal in our home! Jimi loves music and has often been reffered to as “The Walking Ipod.” Even though I like to tease him about being full of silly useless facts, Jimi is very smart. He has a great talent for hearing or reading something once and remembering it for life. I always tell him that he needs to go on Jeopardy and win us some big bucks!

Jimi is very knowledgeable in the gospel. Together we taught the 16-year-old Sunday school class and I was always impressed with his understanding of the scriptures and ability to teach the kids in our class. Above all, Jimi is a worthy Priesthood holder. It has been such a blessing in our home to have the Priesthood readily available. I have had many blessings given by Heavenly Father through the loving hands of my husband.

I feel very blessed to have found Jimi so early in life. We have gone through many of life’s milestones together and we have grown as individuals and as a family. Prior to adopting Gracie, we went through many years of trying to get pregnant and many medical exams and procedures.   Jimi, with a steady hand and tear filled eyes was my rock. He is unconditionally supportive and very patient with me.
Jimi is a wonderful daddy.  His love for Grace was instant and unconditional.  He works hard for his girls and loves us with his whole heart.  I love watching Jimi wrestle with Gracie on the floor, dance with her in the kitchen and read books to her in her room.  They are great little pals and she is so blessed to have him as her father.  I love Jimi so very much.

As told by Jimi:

I have been given so many blessings in my life. I am the youngest of five boys, so I have always had someone to look up to, and had someone to watch over me. My family was my childhood. Growing up, out in the country side of Kentucky, I did not have a lot of neighbors to play with. I spent most of my time playing with my family in the trees, creeks, fields, rivers and ponds that surrounded our home. This is where I developed my love for the outdoors. It seemed like I was always out with my brothers riding four wheelers in the back yard or building forts in the woods. Often, during my youth, our family would spend summer nights playing wiffle ball in our field, roasting hot dogs over a fire and chasing lightening bugs. It was great living out in the country. It was an adjustment when we moved to our “small” half acre lot in Utah, when I was 13. I loved growing up in Kentucky, but I consider Utah my home. Utah is where I became who I am today. Utah is also where I met my sweetheart, Sarah.

As we said before, Sarah and I met in the halls of our high school. It began as a good friendship that developed into an eternal bond. Sarah is the sweetest and most thoughtful person you will ever meet. Whether she is taking the time to make treats for our neighbors or spending time with our families, she is always showing charity to others. Sarah is a friend to everyone. She has never had a problem in bonding with other people. Unlike me, she is unreserved and is easy to get to know.
One of the hardest things as her husband has been to see her suffer through infertility. She has been so strong, and so faithful. I remember feeling helpless at times, but always remembering that we would eventually become parents.  Adoption is such an answer to so many prayers 

One of my favorite things to do is to watch Sarah with Gracie. Children have always loved Sarah and Gracie is no different.  Sarah is a wonderful mother.  She and Grace have a special bond that is undeniable. They dance, sing, play and giggle continually throughout the day and listening to Sarah sing Gracie to sleep is one of the sweetest sounds in this world.  Sarah works hard during the day to make our house a home and I love her very much.

In closing, we want to express our love and gratitude to you. We love being parents and are so excited to bring home another little spirit and we cannot do that without you. We love you more than you know right now. We hope that you have the support you need and that this decision will come in the way you are looking for. We want you to know that if your child is placed with us in our home, your baby will know all about you. We will tell them as often as we can of the great miracle they are in all of our lives. Above all, your baby will be raised in a home where the gospel is strong and where they will be taught all about love and sacrifice. We hope that we have given you something you can hold to and trust in. Again, we love you and our Heavenly Father loves you. We look forward to answering any questions about us that you may have. May the Lord bless you in your journey.

Love,

Jimi , Sarah and Gracie

Even though this is not an adoption song per say, it truly came as answer to our prayers. Several years ago we were searching for the perfect words to say to our potential birthmoms, one day on the drive home from work, this song came on.  Sarah had to pull over to the side of the road.  The words were perfect and so powerful.  So this is our adoption song.  :)

"I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go. And if you’re faced with the choice and you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most you. And if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walkin’ ‘til you find the window… More than anything, my wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, your worries stay small and you never need to carry more than you can hold, and while you’re out there getting’ where your gettin’ to, I hope you know somebody loves you and wants the same things too, this is my wish." –Rascal Flatts

Asking for a favor?!

Hello to all of our family and friends. As you may know, or may not know, we are in the adoption process with LDS Family Services. After talking with a sweet sister today, I was reminded of the power of the internet and thought I should utilize all our friends and family whom we have email addresses for, or in this case, anyone who ever looks at this blog. What we are asking for is scary, it makes us feel a little bit vulnerable and yet we feel very strongly in doing so...we are asking you to help us spread the word of who we are and our desires for an eternal family. Jimi and I have been married nearly seven years and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a sweet spirit whom we can love, spoil, teach and cherish; we cannot do that without a self-less birthmother and a birth-family. We know this is a delicate and often very difficult situation for everyone involved, but we believe in adoption and the miracle it brings into the lives of the families it touches. Please be mindful of us and keep your ears open! I am attaching our adoption links, please look at them and then pass them along to anyone and everyone that you may be comfortable sharing our message with. It is a scary thing to feel so vulnerable, yet we know this is what our Heavenly Father wants and expects us to do. Thank you so much. Your love and support means the world to us and strengthens us every day! Sarah and Jimi our adoption blog: jimiandsarahadopt.blogspot.com our LDSFS profile: https://beta.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/5412335/ourMessage.jsf. our email address: http://us.mc1106.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jimiandsarah@yahoo.com P.S. One of my favortie articles regarding adoption came from the February 2009 Ensign. This article shows the other side of adoption, the giving side. This article is from the view point of a birthmother, a birthfather, a birth grandparent and an adult child. If you have not already, please read this article. Here is the link: http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=45169d9ff732f110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1