It was 2 years ago today that we became parents of a beautiful 8 month old baby boy....Camden.
Sometimes I still can't believe the miracle happened and yet we have this incredibly active 2 1/2 year old running around to let me know...YEP....He's really here!
Camden's Birth Mother is one of the most amazing people I know
and
I LOVE her so much for what she has given Camden,
given us,
and
for being such a special friend.
She is one of my
Sisters in Motherhood.
I love all of my children's Adoption Stories
but
Camden's is unique.
While this is an short version of the story I wanted to share it with you to celebrate our 2 year anniversary of Camden's placement.
It was the day I understood in a different and very real way that the Lord knows the end from the beginning and even though we cannot see what may lie ahead and we feel like hopelessness is sinking in....there is someone who can see above the dark clouds and gray skies.
Brad and I learned through this particular adoption that the Lord prepares every needful thing.
I hope you enjoy it!
Camden's Adoption Timeline
****************
April 2005
Approved for 3rd adoption
Held our Adoption Kick-Off
September 2005
Placed our profile on Parentprofiles.com
October 2005
Internet Scam ~ Scammer found us on Parentprofiles
December 10th 2005
Potential Birth Mother from Montana 1st contact ~ through parentprofiles
December 15th 2005
Our 1st Contact from Samantha ~ through parentprofiles
January 2006
Samantha decides to parent. We remain in contact with Samantha and friendship continues.
Birth Mom in Montana chooses to place her baby with us.
March 2006
Samantha reconsiders her decision and comes up to SL with her mom to meet us.
Samantha decides to parent.
April 17th 2006
Samantha calls to let us know that her baby was just born and she named him Camden.
May 2006
We travel to Montana for Birth Mother's ultrasound.
Friendship with Samantha continues
August 2006
Birth Mom in Montanta gives birth but doesn't let us know. We find out a few days later after a prompting to look on the hospital website.
Samantha calls to comfort us.
September 2006
We start the foster care training classes.
Our friendship with Samantha continues.
October 2006
We move into our new house.
We feel pretty * dead* as far as adoption leads go...no promptings to do anything. Struggling.
December 11th 2006
Samantha calls us...but this call is different than all of the others...it is the call that changes our lives.
December 17th 2006
Camden turns 8 months old.
Samantha places Camden with us.
Camden's Story as written for Families Supporting Adoption Newsletter
(Winter 2007)
***********************
In Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, the Lord tells us to “prepare every needful thing.”
Sometimes we don’t know how to prepare because
we cannot see what is ahead. But as our
family learned this past year, the Lord helps us
as we listen to and act upon His promptings. He
steps in and prepares “the needful things” that
we cannot prepare for ourselves.
Christmas 2006 was extra exciting at the Horrocks
house. We received a call from a girl who
had first contacted us through parentprofiles.
com one year earlier.
When we first heard from Samantha (Sam), she was 17 and was struggling with the decision to parent or place her baby for adoption. We felt a connection to her from her first e-mail, and over time we developed a special friendship. She told us she was thinking of naming her baby Camden if it was a boy. That was the same name we had chosen. In the end, she decided to parent. We continued to talk, and she even called us the day her baby was born. She named him Camden.
When another adoption fell through for us, Sam was one of the first to call and say how sorry she was. Sam would also call periodically when she needed to talk. One call she made on Dec. 11 changed our lives forever. She had decided to place with us after all. Following a crisis-filled week and many miracles, Samantha placed her beautiful eight-month-old baby boy in our arms. We
cried tears of joy.
We had always had special feelings about Samantha and Camden. We knew they were in our lives for a reason, but we had no expectations regarding the baby. We just loved Sam because she is a wonderful daughter of God. Looking back now, we see all the preparations the Lord made for us. We find meaning in every aspect of our year,
from our feelings about Sam and our pending adoption that fell through, to the foster care classes that taught us about bonding with an older infant. And yes, we even see meaning in the eight months when Camden was not in our family.
At placement, we were informed of some legalities that would apply to Camden. But when he turned 240 days old, those issues no longer applied. Samantha’s worker unknowingly ended up calling LDS Family Services headquarters to get clearance for the placement on day 241. Camden came to our home on just the right day and not a day sooner. The Lord knew the end from the beginning, and He lovingly prepared Sam and us for this miracle.
We testify that the Lord knows each of us. He knows our hearts and our heartaches. He is preparing each of us for blessings we cannot prepare for by ourselves.
We hope that in 2007 each family and each birth mother will find what the Lord’s plan is for them. Let us move forward and have faith, keeping our eyes on Him and remembering that He gives us the best gifts!
***************************************************
To Samantha....Thank you for blessing our lives in so many ways....and especially for blessing us with this incredible gift that only you could give.
You are more than Camden's Birth Mother and yet that is amazing all on it's own.
You are this Mother who listened to her heart and stood and faced incredible obstacles...
all in the name of Love for your baby.
To us you are COURAGE.
To Camden's Birth Father....we don't know one another and yet we have a great amount of love and respect for you. Thank you for supporting Sam's decision and doing what you felt in your heart was the right decision.
You are not forgotten.
Sometimes we don’t know how to prepare because
we cannot see what is ahead. But as our
family learned this past year, the Lord helps us
as we listen to and act upon His promptings. He
steps in and prepares “the needful things” that
we cannot prepare for ourselves.
Christmas 2006 was extra exciting at the Horrocks
house. We received a call from a girl who
had first contacted us through parentprofiles.
com one year earlier.
When we first heard from Samantha (Sam), she was 17 and was struggling with the decision to parent or place her baby for adoption. We felt a connection to her from her first e-mail, and over time we developed a special friendship. She told us she was thinking of naming her baby Camden if it was a boy. That was the same name we had chosen. In the end, she decided to parent. We continued to talk, and she even called us the day her baby was born. She named him Camden.
When another adoption fell through for us, Sam was one of the first to call and say how sorry she was. Sam would also call periodically when she needed to talk. One call she made on Dec. 11 changed our lives forever. She had decided to place with us after all. Following a crisis-filled week and many miracles, Samantha placed her beautiful eight-month-old baby boy in our arms. We
cried tears of joy.
We had always had special feelings about Samantha and Camden. We knew they were in our lives for a reason, but we had no expectations regarding the baby. We just loved Sam because she is a wonderful daughter of God. Looking back now, we see all the preparations the Lord made for us. We find meaning in every aspect of our year,
from our feelings about Sam and our pending adoption that fell through, to the foster care classes that taught us about bonding with an older infant. And yes, we even see meaning in the eight months when Camden was not in our family.
At placement, we were informed of some legalities that would apply to Camden. But when he turned 240 days old, those issues no longer applied. Samantha’s worker unknowingly ended up calling LDS Family Services headquarters to get clearance for the placement on day 241. Camden came to our home on just the right day and not a day sooner. The Lord knew the end from the beginning, and He lovingly prepared Sam and us for this miracle.
We testify that the Lord knows each of us. He knows our hearts and our heartaches. He is preparing each of us for blessings we cannot prepare for by ourselves.
We hope that in 2007 each family and each birth mother will find what the Lord’s plan is for them. Let us move forward and have faith, keeping our eyes on Him and remembering that He gives us the best gifts!
***************************************************
To Samantha....Thank you for blessing our lives in so many ways....and especially for blessing us with this incredible gift that only you could give.
You are more than Camden's Birth Mother and yet that is amazing all on it's own.
You are this Mother who listened to her heart and stood and faced incredible obstacles...
all in the name of Love for your baby.
To us you are COURAGE.
To Camden's Birth Father....we don't know one another and yet we have a great amount of love and respect for you. Thank you for supporting Sam's decision and doing what you felt in your heart was the right decision.
You are not forgotten.
6 comments:
Brenda- I LOVE Camden's story it is so amazing! You are such a wonderful mommy to your kids. Your adoption stories strengthen my testimony every time I hear them. I can not believe how strong you are- I really don't think that I could handle a fraction of the things you've had to overcome! We Love you Guys!
Your adoption story with Camden is amazing. What a selfless birth mother to finally give him up at 8 months. That must have been a huge faith promoting story for you and your family. Thank you for sharing it on your blog. It is so important to know that Heavenly Father is in charge and we just have to have the faith to endure.
thank you for sharing, I needed to hear that!
thank you for sharing, I needed to hear that!
Brenda,
I can't believe it! When we finalized our daughter's adoption the same day as yours, I wondered when you were placed with. We were there that day! Our baby was placed with us that day too! Our caseworker told us how there was another couple being placed with and that the baby was 8 months old. I remember your family showing up as we were leaving. I thought it was so neat how you were all dressed up and had brought gifts! Wow! What a great day December 17th, 2006 was huh?! I now call it "Gotcha Day" and I spent tonight reading adoption stories to my little girl and telling her her story! Take care!
Oh Brenda!!! I'm grateful for the internet today! I'm glad that I found you too. I really admire you for what you have gone through to become a mother. Those kiddos are so lucky to have you guys! This is an amazing story. Heavenly Father does know us and exactly what we need. You know, a few years ago when Trent and I were struggling to start our family we started looking into adoption. I was looking through the profiles on LDS Family Services and found your families profile with your two sweet little girls. I still remember the story of your little girl and the prayer that she said in the car on the side of the road for her little brother (it's been a while but I'm pretty sure that was the story...) It's so good to see the result of your faith and dedication. It gave me a lot of hope that someday I would have a family too and that everything would work out. I love you Brenda!
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