Welcome home baby Gavin!

Placement was the happiest day of our lives and yet unexpectedly very hard. We scheduled placement for July 25th at the hospital just a few hours before Ariel was supposed to be discharged. Jason and I were excited but still so nervous because nothing was official yet. To add to our jitters, there was a slight miscommunication between the Provo and Mesa adoption offices. Everyone thought we would be finalizing the adoption in Utah, but nobody had talked to Jason and me about it so we figured we would finalize in Arizona. After a few stressful moments and phone calls, we decided to finalize in Utah in January (which will end up being better anyway since most of our family lives in Utah.) It is so interesting the things you learn about yourself and your spouse in stressful situations. For the past 3 months I have been stressing about the adoption, trying to balance my excitement with my anxiety about it falling through, to the point that I gave myself gastritis and have had to take medication for the last month to settle my stomach. All the while, Jason was as calm as could be, saying that everything would work out and not to worry. Well, the day of placement we completely switched roles! Jason was a stress case (I thought he just might explode with the whole finalization mishap) while I was slightly nervous but mostly calm. Unfortunately, our case worker in Mesa retired a month prior and had not passed on the information to the rest of the office that we had been matched and were getting placed with a baby in July. As a result, we didn't meet with a case worker to discuss what to expect during placement, so we felt very unprepared. Thankfully, Ariel's case worker was very kind and patient with us. I can't tell you what a relief it was to get the call from Ariel's case worker letting us know that Ariel has signed the relinquishment papers and that we could come up to get Gavin. In an instant the months of worry and years of heartache and disappointment vanished, with only the lessons learned through those experiences left behind.
When Ariel, David and their family entered the room with Gavin, mixed emotions filled both our hearts. We were eager to take Gavin in our arms and love him, yet it was hard to watch Ariel and David, whom we have grown to love, hurt so much. Tears of joy were mixed with tears of compassion at their heartbreak. Yet, they knew as we knew that this was the Lord's plan for Gavin. I have never known such courageous and selfless people. Gavin is truly a lucky boy to be loved by so many. Jason and I were amazed as they told us about Gavin. They knew him so well for only being with him for two days. They gave us a blanket and many outfits they had bought for him. We were speechless. We feel so blessed to have Ariel and David in our lives.
I felt like the luckiest person in the world when Ariel placed Gavin in my arms and told me that she knew I was his mom. He was and continues to be the most beautiful, perfect baby I have ever seen. We shared a prayer together and then we took Gavin home. We were so excited we had to stop at the hospital information desk and ask them to take our first family photo. The old lady volunteer at the desk was so cute but unfortunately she cut off half of Jason's head...oh well.
I rode in the back seat with Gavin on our 45 min ride to Jason's parent's home where we were staying. We were texting EVERYONE! Jason and I feel so grateful and blessed for our family and friends. We received so many texts over the week leading up to Gavin's birth. One day, I think the day before he was born, there wasn't 5 minutes together without one of our phones ringing. We REALLY appreciated all the excitement everyone showed. We felt so loved. Thank you!

On July 25, 2008 our lives changed forever through the miracle of adoption. Our hearts are so full; we cannot adequately express the love we have for Gavin, Ariel and David. I have grown to better understand my Savior and His love for each of us through these last two years and especially through the process of adoption. We have truly felt the hand of the Lord in our lives!