The Story of Us

March 2006 - Steve and I meet at a college party.

August 26, 2006 - We begin dating

January 2008 - We get engaged!

July 11, 2009 - We became husband and wife!


October 2009 - I carve out a tiny slice of internet for this humble blog and begin my rambling.

April 2012 - Begin charting my cycles using the sympto-thermal method. Officially using natural family planning to learn about my cycles and avoid pregnancy for the time being.

**March 2013 - First cycle actively TTC our first child.

March 2014 - One year of TTC and no success. Decide to keep trying on our own for a while with charting and timed intercourse while we figure out what options we want to pursue.

***Over Memorial Day weekend (on Steve's birthday) we receive our first ever BFP! At our appointment two days later with my OBGYN we discover it was a chemical pregnancy. We are devastated.

November 2014 - Steve and I begin looking into adoption as a way to grow our family. We order information packets from a few agencies and attend an adoption workshop at our church. Make the choice to explore adoption from foster care. Attend our first adoption orientation meeting with Bethany Christian Services.

March 2015 - Steve tells me he really feels like we need to have some fertility testing done to at least get a full diagnosis and evaluate our options before we move ahead with adoption. Begin fertility testing with Catholic OBGYN specializing in NaPro Technology.
I receive an annual exam and peak+7 blood work. HSG scheduled for seven days after my period.
Steve scheduled for a semen analysis.

**After some long talks between the two of us and a conversation with BCS, decide to go ahead with our licensing classes and home study while we receive fertility testing. **

April 2015 - Attend our first IMPACT class and begin converting our two spare rooms into usable bedrooms.

results from fertility testing come back: no male issues identified! I'm not as lucky...
high prolactin levels, anovulation, and HSG shows blocked right Fallopian tube. Doctor also found abnormal cells on my cervix during the exam. No surgery recommended at this time, but recheck scheduled in June.

We begin spiritual direction with our parish priest for fertility and adoption related issues.

June 2015 - State IMPACT Certification complete! We are completing our homestudy paperwork.

Recheck with the doctor shows prolactin levels are down, but I am still not ovulating. Abnormalities from the exam are rechecked as well and, while abnormal still, nothing to be concerned about.

July 2015 - Begin medicated cycle with 50mg Clomid to induce ovulation. Cycle is successful in regards to ovulation, but unsuccessful with regard to conception.

August 2015 - Second medicated cycle with Clomid to induce ovulation. This time no ovulation occurs.

***September 2015 - Make the decision to stop medical interventions and focus solely on adoption from foster care.

Turn in completed homestudy packet.

October 2015 - Officially waiting to be assigned a caseworker!

November 2015 - Complete first aid/CPR training.

December 2015 - Receive caseworker assignment! Begin homestudy visits in our home with our caseworker. All three scheduled to be completed before the new year!

January 26, 2016 - Officially approved by our agency and our homestudy package is delivered to DHS for final review and state approval.

February 10, 2016 - Final Homestudy approval by the state!

February 15, 2016 - presented with first match!

February 19, 2016 - Match is cancelled for lack of compatibility.

April 18, 2016 - Receive 5th match and cancel shortly thereafter for compatibility issues. We are open to special needs, but we are a poor fit for certain circumstances and needs. We begin to realize how long we may have to wait to find our kids.

May 19, 2016 - Document review for sibling group goes well! On to formal staffing!

June 3, 2016 - Formal staffing for our sibling group match!

June 4, 2016 - We meet our children for the very first time! A sibling group of two - 11 year old girl and her 8 year old brother!

June 12, 2016 - Kids visit their new home for the first time during a day visit.

June 17 - 19, 2016 - Overnight visit with the kids!

June 24 - 25, 2016 - Second overnight visit!

July 1 - 5, 2016 - Long holiday weekend visit! The kids meet Bekkah's parents, younger brother, and his wife.

July 8, 2016 - MOVE IN DAY! The kids are officially living with us full time!

July 11, 2016 - Our 7th wedding anniversary AND the day we sign temporary custody paperwork to grant us guardianship of the kids until the adoption is finalized.

December 13, 2016 - Finalization Day! We have our day in court and a Probate Court Judge signs the order to make us a legally binding family. The kids both choose to change their last name to officially become Rieckes!


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