families are forever

Saturday May 1, 2010 we took Zackary to the Washington D.C. Temple to be sealed to us for forever.  It was a beautiful day and an amazing experience that is hard to express in words.  There were a lot of happy tears and Zackary was so good.  Everyone at the temple fell in love with him.  I will never forget looking at him while he sat there with his little hand on top of ours!  I wish everyone could have this experience because it definitely gives you a different perspective about eternal families.  We are so grateful to have another member as part of our forever family!

it's official

It's official, we are a family!!  Last Wednesday, April 14, we went to court to finalize Zackary's adoption. Jeff and I each had to go up and testify and then the judge ordered the adoption final.  (It was in much more legal words than that.)  I didn't feel any differently until later that day when I read the part of the document where it says the male child born November 19 is declared to be the adopted son of Jeff and Tiffany.  It suddenly hit me that I have a son!  Sometimes I still can't believe that he is here, that he is ours, and that he isn't going anywhere.  We are so blessed to have him and once again can't thank Yvette enough for what she has given us.  We LOVE you and we LOVE adoption!

Zackary talking to the Judge after it was all over.  He seemed to know what was going on and was very interested in everything that was going on around him.  He seemed to like him until suddenly he realized he was talking to a stranger and then started crying.  It was kind of funny.

We are a happy family!

With our caseworker, Merilee.

With our attorney, Paul.

We are so thankful for Merilee and Paul.  They worked so hard to get all our paperwork in order and to get everything to go smoothly and it did!  It couldn't have been more perfect. 

We spent the day as a family and celebrated with lunch and dinner and shopping and lots of smiles and laughing.  From now on April 14 will be family day!  The day we officially became a family!

miracles

This angel has been hanging in our room for a couple of years. I hung it there so it could remind me that miracles do happen. Every time I would look at it, it would either give me hope or make me sad becaue I questioned whether I would ever really receive a miracle.  I always tried hard to have faith and believe but it wasn't always easy.  We had been on the waiting list for adoption for over a year and a half and had not been contacted by anyone.

On October 19, 2009 I got a phone call from our caseworker saying there is a birthmother who is considering you to be the parents of her baby.  I couldn't believe how calm I was, like it was an every day thing that was happening.  We began e-mailing her and immediately felt a strong connection.  Two days later we got a phone call from her that would change our lives forever.  She wanted us to be the parents of her baby.  Oh and by the way she said "I'm due Nov 17 and It's a boy!"  We were in shock and so excited!

The next month was a blur as we continued to get to know her and the birthfather and tried to get ready to bring home a baby. We left for Utah on Nov 11 and were so excited to finally meet our birthmother and birthfather.  We were so nervous to meet them but didn't need to be because they are amazing people.  The baby was born Nov 19 and was placed with us Nov 21.  We stayed in Utah until Dec 4 when we finally got to come home with our sweet little miracle baby boy.

 

Miracles DO happen to those who believe!

Now every time I look at this angel it doesn't make me sad it reminds me of my sweet little baby boy and his amazing angel birthmom!

introducing zackary

Zackary Rhett

Born November 19, 2009

6 lbs. 3 oz.

18 inches long

We love his hair and cute feet that seemed so big when he was born.

Our sweet birthmom, Yvette.

These two pictures were taken at the time of placement. What an amazing spirit that was there and I'm still amazed there were so few tears.  I know we were all being watched over and given extra comfort for this special moment.  We love you, Yvette!!

our adoption message

Dear Friends,

Before we tell you about ourselves, we want you to know that we can not even begin to comprehend the decision you face and we are very grateful for your courage and strength. Your decision is a hard one and we respect and love you very much, we pray for you every night that Heavenly Father will grant you the strength to make the best decision for your baby. You are a child of God, and He loves you very much, which makes you special in every sense of the word. So thank you for taking the time to consider us to be the parents of your child.

Okay, now about us, we are Jeff and Tiffany, and we are a loving couple who have been married for nine years. We get along well and like to have fun together. At this time we don’t have any children, which has given us the time to really get to know one another and has allowed our relationship to grow strong. Although we don’t have any children, we have the cutest dog in the world, Sadie. Sadie is an American Cocker Spaniel who loves to play with people and especially children. A friend once told us that if we take care of our children like we take care of our dog then you have nothing to worry about in placing your child with us.

Tiffany is an Interior Designer and loves to come up with new ideas of how to decorate our home. She is always doing things in the home to make it warm and inviting to those who visit. Tiffany is the quiet sort, until she gets to know you, then she’ll talk to you all the time. She likes to read, and more often than not I can find her sitting in our big chair or puffy couch with a book that she’ll probably finish in less than three days. Tiffany loves to scrapbook, it is not uncommon for me to come home from work and see the table covered in colorful paper, and the scrapbooking tools necessary to capture some of our fondest memories. She also loves to tole-paint, play the piano, and really loves to play with the nursery kids at church. Did I mention she makes really good marshmallow brownies? I often joke that her brownies are the number two reason I asked her to marry me!

Jeff is an Electrical Engineering Technologist / Systems Engineer. He is currently going to school to get his Masters Degree in Systems Engineering. He likes to read, watch movies, and make movies. He has edited and put together 4 wedding videos and has made a few other movies also. He likes to go mountain biking and play with remote controlled cars. He can often be found taking apart and or putting back together his bike or RC car because he broke something while he was using it. He loves to take anything apart, figure out how it works and put it back together. He also likes to play on the computer. He is very outgoing and will talk to anyone who will listen to him. He is kind, loving, and is great with kids. He loves to get down on the floor with them and build anything they can imagine. He likes to cook, especially grilling and Dutch oven, and loves to come up with new recipes.

Together we like to take Sadie for walks in the park, play games, watch movies, read books, go camping, cook, and overall just spend time together.

We both come from close families who are very excited for us to welcome a child into our home. Tiffany comes from a family with loving parents who raised her in a loving home. She has an older sister and two younger brothers, who are all married, and we all love to get together to talk and play games. Jeff also has loving parents who raised him in a home where hard work and responsibility were guiding principles. He is the oldest of five boys, who are all married and spread throughout the world. So when the family gets the opportunity to spend time together its fun to hear the many stories.

We hope this letter has given you the insight as to what kind of family we are and hope to become. We know Heavenly Father has, and will continue to watch over us, and our hope is to have the type of home where a child has every opportunity to understand they too are a child of God. The decision you are making is a difficult one, one of which we don’t envy you for having to make, however we know that we could not have a family without you and are deeply grateful to you. The struggle of infertility has been a long and painful road, and we have had to look to our Heavenly Father for direction and comfort. Our hope and prayer is that you can have the same comfort in knowing our Heavenly Father has led us here to you, so that you may know your child is being placed in a loving home with parents who will love him/her unconditionally. Our goal is to have an eternal family, and a home where our children will be able to look to us, and to our Heavenly Father for hope, comfort, encouragement, and most of all love.

Love,
Jeff and Tiffany

all about sadie

sadie, our cocker spaniel

Favorite Store - Petsmart

Favorite Treat - Snausages, Dingo Rawhide Bones with Chicken in the Middle

Favorite Food - Carrots, Apples, Chicken, Rice, Popcorn

Greatest Talent - Shake, High Five, Sit, Laydown, Roll-Over, Play Dead, Sleep, Snore

Favorite Cereal - Whatever Tiffany is Eating

Favorite Time of the Day - Morning, because I get to wake Jeff up.

Closest Family Member - Tiffany, because she spoils me and is home with me all day.

Favorite Movie - Lady and the Tramp

Favorite Season - Any season as long as I get to be outside.

Biggest Dream - As long as I get to sleep on my parents bed it doesn't matter.

Favorite Song - Who Let the Dogs Out

Favorite Possession - My Squeaky Toys

Someone You Want to Meet - Anybody who will say Hi to Me.

Best Physical Quality - My Puppy Dog Eyes

Biggest Pet Peeve - Wet Grass!!

Favorite Place to Be - On Someones Lap

Favorite Vacation Spot - Utah, because I get to play with my cousin Pele.

Favorite Thing to Do - Sleep, Play, Chew on Bones, Beg for Food, Lay on my back for Bellyrubs, Go for Walks, Go for Rides in the Car

Favorite Household Chore - Loading the Dishwasher

Biggest Fear - Chelsea, the neighbors Boxer

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Frosty Paws

Best Character Trait - Happy, Loveable, Sweet

Favorite Words - Walk, Ride, Hungry, Treat

our favorite pictures of sadie

all about jeff

jeff & sadie

Favorite Color - Blue

Favorite Store - Best Buy, Apple, Lowe's, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Borders

Favorite Candy - Swedish Fish, Cinnamon Bears

Favorite Food - Grilled Chicken Marsala

Greatest Talent - Avoiding the chance to Clean the Bathroom

Favorite Cereal - LIFE, Honey Nut Clusters

Favorite Book - Lord of the Rings

Favorite Time of the Day - Evening

Closest Family Member - My Wife Tiffany

Favorite Movie - Lord of the Rings, Transformers, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean

Favorite Season - Minus the allergies, Spring and Fall

Biggest Dream - To Have a Successful Family

Favorite Song - “Everything” by Michael Buble, “With or Without You” by U2, “Beautiful Day” by U2

Favorite Holiday - Thanksgiving

Favorite Movie Star - Harrison Ford and Sandra Bullock

Favorite Scripture Story - Ammon and the Lamanites

Favorite Possession - Tiffany and Sadie

Favorite Musician or Group - Michael Buble and Hans Zimmer (Batman Begins, Pirates of the Caribbean)

Someone You Want to Meet - Steve Jobs, Norm Abram

Best Physical Quality - 2 arms 2 legs 10 fingers and 10 toes still intact

Favorite T.V. Show - Chuck, CSI NY

Biggest Pet Peeve - People who think they know everything.

Place You Want to Live - In Heaven

Place You Want to Visit - Europe (Italy, Germany, England), Hawaii

Favorite Restaurant - California Pizza Kitchen, and Carrabba’s

Favorite Place to Be - Home

Favorite Vacation Spot - Tony’s Grove Utah, High Uintahs

Favorite Type of Car - Toyota Sequoia, Tundra

Favorite Thing to Do - Make DVDs, Anything Outdoors, Play With Little Kids

Biggest Hero - My Dad, Although he is not perfect he helps me strive to become such.

Favorite Temple - Logan, Washington D.C.

Least Favorite Household Chore - Cleaning the Bathroom

Biggest Fear - Fear of what I can become

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Chubby Hubby, Butterfinger

Best Character Trait - Sociable

Favorite Hymn - “Abide With Me Tis Eventide”

jeff's family

all about tiffany

tiffany & sadie

Favorite Color - Green

Favorite Store - Michaels Crafts, Any Home Décor Store

Favorite Candy - Cinnamon Bears, Licorice, Chocolate

Favorite Food - Homemade Bread, Strawberries, Oranges, Potato Casserole

Greatest Talent - Decorating

Favorite Cereal - Honey Nut Clusters

Favorite Book - Les Miserables, Harry Potter, Twilight Series, Anything by Nicholas Sparks, Any Dr. Seuss Book

Favorite Time of the Day - Night

Closest Family Member - My Husband, Jeff & My Mom

Favorite Movie - Move Over Darling, Pillow Talk, Two Weeks Notice, You’ve Got Mail, Shall We Dance, Enchanted, The Holiday

Favorite Season - Spring & Fall

Biggest Dream - To Be a Mom

Favorite Song - Bubbly by Colbie Caillat, Taking Chances by Celine Dion, Thankful, Believe by Josh Groban

Favorite Holiday - Christmas

Favorite Movie Star - Patrick Dempsey

Favorite Scripture - D&C 6:36 “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”

Favorite Possession - My Dog, Sadie

Favorite Musician or Group - Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Michael Buble

Someone You Want to Meet - My Child

Best Physical Quality - My Eyes

Favorite T.V. Show - Anything on HGTV, Grey’s Anatomy, Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, CSI - NY, Chuck

Biggest Pet Peeve - People who judge me before they get to know me or what’s going on in my life.

Place You Want to Live - Logan, Utah

Place You Want to Visit - Disney World

Favorite Restaurant - California Pizza Kitchen

Favorite Place to Be - Home

Favorite Vacation Spot - Anywhere in the Mountains

Favorite Type of Car - Small SUV, like the Ford Edge or Honda CRV

Favorite Thing to Do - Be Creative! Scrapbook, Make Crafts, Do Home Décor Projects

Biggest Hero - Jesus Christ

Favorite Temple - Logan, Utah & Washington D.C.

Least Favorite Household Chore - Dusting & Cleaning the Shower

Biggest Fear - Water

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Anything Chocolate with Peanut Butter or Cheesecake with Brownies

Best Character Trait - Shy, Loyal, Patient

Favorite Hymn - Lead Kindly Light, I Stand All Amazed

tiffany's family
This picture of my family is a couple of years old but it's the latest one I have. It's missing another niece and a nephew.

the two of us