The Merrills Are Adopting!!
Hello! Welcome to our blog!
We have some exciting news to share. This is big. This is huge. So get ready...
THE MERRILLS ARE ADOPTING!!!!!
We are in the very beginning stages of pursuing domestic adoption and we are SO excited. We have talked about it, prayed about it and now we are ready to move forward and take the next step. It is our prayer that you will join us on this journey, for it will be filled with unwavering faith, countless tears and boundless love. Subscribe to our blog posts to get notified of updates and read our posts below to learn more about the circumstances that brought us to this moment.
In an ideal world, this process would be short and sweet, but unfortunately that's not our reality. Nor is this process cheap. We are doing everything we can to bring our baby home without going into debt. Derek and Lauren are both employed full time. Derek works overtime whenever possible. Lauren is building her photography business with every spare minute she has. We are selling things. We are saving. We are trying to make Dave Ramsey proud. But it's not enough. The reality is that we can't do this alone and we can't do this without you.
Adoption, regardless of how or from where, is very expensive. After discussing the projected cost with various adoption agencies, we are looking at an investment of somewhere between $30-40,000. How is it possible for adoption to cost that much money, you ask? Well, we didn't know either, so we asked. The bottom line is that there is a cost for every single step of the process. There are fees for the home study, the application(s), the lawyer(s) and even a fee to work through an adoption agency. You also have to consider the plane tickets, hospital bills and lodging expenses while we wait for clearance to leave our baby's birth state, After all that, you can see how the money adds up...and quickly!!
Our desire is to be fully funded as soon as possible so that we can be open for a "stork drop" placement. This type of placement means we could be matched last minute, right after the baby is born and parental rights have been signed. This would be awesome!
There are so many ways you can be a part of this life-changing process with us.
How can you help?
1. Pray
This is a huge, crazy and awesome desire God has placed on our hearts! We ask that you will pray, not just for our hearts, but also for the hearts of our own families as well as those of our birth family. Please also pray that God would surround and protect us from the hardships that can present themselves during this whole process. Pray that we'd walk throughout this entire journey showing God's love and grace to everyone we meet along the way.
2. Donate
If you would like to partner with us financially, you can do so by visiting (https://www.gofundme.com/merrilladoption) and following the step by step instructions.
Stay tuned for announcements and details regarding a fundraiser/silent auction that we anticipating holding in the spring. As that date gets closer, we will be seeking donations for that as well.
3. Smile for the Camera
From now until the end of this process, all proceeds from Lauren E Merrill Photography's weddings and sessions will go towards the adoption process. We kindly ask that you share the site with everyone you know! There are a few mini session days coming, and just in time to get your picture for Holiday cards!
4. Buy a Shirt
We are working on (4) t-shirt designs that we will reveal once we finalize them. They are going to be awesome! 100% of the proceeds will go toward our adoption. We will announce on the blog when designs are ready and t-shirts are for sale.
We can't possibly put into words just how thrilling this new chapter in our lives is!! If you are willing to take this journey with us, we would love your support and we covet your prayers. Oh and please don't forget to subscribe to our blog in order to receive the most up to date information regarding our journey to finding our forever family!
xoxo Derek + Lauren