Two Guys Trying To Become Dads Finally Have !!!!!

2011-11-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

2011-11-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

Pics

2011-11-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

Pics

2011-11-09T09:10:00.000-05:00

This is his Halloween costume I made.. It took me about 3 hrs to make.

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

Life as we know it

2011-11-09T08:51:00.000-05:00

Man alive time is just flying by! Sorry I've not been blogging lately, life has been anything but dull. Hudson is 17mths already, my salon is in its 2nd year and Chad finally was offered a teaching job. We're so blessed to have all of the quality time we have with Hudson. He's such a great kid.. It's such an honor being his daddy, I look forward to each day knowing he's gonna suprise us in some new way. I'll post some new pics as soon as I can..

2011-08-03T16:25:00.001-04:00

Well goodness me oh my!!!! It's been way to long!!!! Since my last post Hudson has turned 1 and is walking everywhere, saying a few words and loving life.. He started walking on Friday May 13th, we're not sure if that's a good or bad sign.. LOL so far so good..

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

Tuesday morning

2011-04-05T07:48:00.001-04:00

It's just a little after 7:30 this Tuesday morning and I find my self up before Hudson as usual.. This kid can sleep, we got so lucky in that department. Anyone else have a baby who loves to sleep so so much out there?

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

2011-03-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

2011-03-20T17:36:00.000-04:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

2011-03-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

2011-03-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

Sorry its been so long

2011-03-15T22:05:00.003-04:00

Gosh where has time gone??? Aah I know it's been ticking by So Fast because we've got a child!!!! Life is So Wonderful, Life Has Changed SOOOOOOOOO Much!!!! It's Awesome!!! Hudson is 9 months already, 2 teeth and more on the way, says Da Da all the time, Crawls everywhere and is trying to walk.. And those are just to name a few...

We're settling into fatherhood quite well I think, I don't go to the salon till 3 so I can be at home with Hudson, Chad picks him up and has daddy duty till I get home.. So glad we planned this all out like we did.. It's so awesome waking up and seeing that cute little face every morning smiling so bright! I feel bad Chad has to wake up so early and miss out on those moments during the week, but he gets the weekends.

The life we know is so different and we both know how lucky we are, we look forward to our journey and thank God for that little boy. Peace to all on that journey to be a parent and hope to all who are waiting!

Hudson December 2010

2010-12-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

Hudson December 2010

2010-12-09T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hudson December 2010

2010-12-09T12:08:00.000-05:00

Hudson's First Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T16:31:00.000-05:00

Hudson right before Turkey day dinner feast...

2010-11-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

Hudson's Finalization

2010-11-23T22:32:00.001-05:00

2010-11-23T22:28:00.001-05:00

Finalization

2010-11-21T22:41:00.002-05:00

Gosh I can't believe it's tomorrow but it is, Finalization of Hudson's adoption.... This month it's been 2 years since we went to our Intensive weekend with the IAC... Our little man is just so precious to us and we are gonna have a great day in court... There will be pics tomorrow sometime... SO everyone look for them.

Right now we're sitting in the hotel room watching the movie Elf.. Cute movie by the way if you've not watched it... It's the holiday's and it's such a special time of year for me personally.. I just get the magic that goes along with it... I hope I can give my son that wonder and amazement everyday and every year...

Well more to come so say your prayers for us cause it's D day tomorrow.. LOL.. Nite.

Televangelist Oral Roberts' gay grandson says "it gets better"

2010-11-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

mORE rEALLY

2010-11-18T20:26:00.002-05:00

Well more change is knocking on our door, it'll be good for our future but such a shift.. They say it's about the journey and I believe that can be true but when life shifts so much in such a short period of time over and over how do you stay sane? I know everything will be perfect for us, but dang how much more!!!!!!!!!!

More Pics

2010-11-09T22:55:00.005-05:00

It's amazing how fast he's growing, like my sister said tonight " I'll blink and next thing ya know he'll be in 1st grade" ... I'm not wishing my time away for anything in life now, it's just to precious...

The Holidays are apon us and we've already got several outfits picked out for his Christmas pictures.. One is a santa outfit and another is a suit like piece that is just to adorable for words. When we get them done pics will be posted..

Pics

2010-11-07T16:21:00.001-05:00

Slacker

2010-11-07T14:42:00.003-05:00

Well it's been 2 months since my last post, just so much going on.... Hudson is 5 months almost, eating baby food already, trying to get on his knees and so many other firsts... He's an amazing little kid, I never thought I could Love someone so much this quick... He makes it so easy ...

Well my new salon is going well, still looking for people to booth rent from me.. I know they are coming soon I just feel it... Chad is subbing for several schools around our area, getting his foot in the door with the principals... Maybe something will come out of it job wise for him for next year..

Our Finalization is November 22nd... We are so excited and can't believe it's almost over with... Me and Chad change our last names at the same time so we all match Hudson.. SO Mansfield-Jarrett is our new last name... I think it has a good ring to it, what do yall think??

Good Times

2010-08-31T08:26:00.003-04:00

We've got so much to be thankful for.. God has Blessed our family so much lately.. Our son Hudson is getting so big already, at 2 months he's a whopping 12.6lbs...

Many doors have opened recently for us both and we walked right on through. There have been challenges, but we came out on the right side of things. We are going to continue to move forward and give our son Hudson the Best Life We Can Give.

I've not been able to share to many details for personal reasons, but let me tell ya, we know we can handle a lot... In the meantime I've opened my very own Hair Salon.... Yay!!!!!!!! It's been wonderful going in and saying to myself Damn this Is mine. I've had several interviews so far so keep your fingers crossed I find the right match for me.

Chad's job is the one I'm not at liberty to talk about, but the only thing I will say is Laws better hurry up and catch up to the times. Oh how I wish I could talk. If u only knew. Most of my absence has been partly to blame on this

New Beginnings

2010-07-24T13:59:00.002-04:00

Life has a lot in store for us all, not all choose to grab whatever by the balls, but DAMMIT I'm sure as hell gonna FRIGGIN try.

Baby is growing like the proverbial weed that he is.. LOL.. Chad and I are the 2 LUCKIEST SOB'S in the world. Great stuff happening everyday and more to come... I'm being vague for personal reasons but will fill ya in when time is right.

More Pics

2010-07-22T21:56:00.002-04:00

It's amazing how fast they really do grow up. Hudson is 6 weeks old on our 7th anniversary.. Gotta Love that... He's over 10 pounds and getting bigger every time I pick him up.. We've had alot of wonderful moments between us as a new family and can't wait to make new memories with our new family...

It's a Boy !!!!!!

2010-07-21T09:05:00.005-04:00

Well it's been such a wonderful month and a half for us.. Our sons name is Hudson Timothy Mansfield-Jarrett .... He is the best baby I've ever been around!!!!!!!!!! He was born on June 10th and weighed 7 lbs 11oz and he was 19 inches and perfect in every way... We've just been getting adjusted to the newness of it all so sorry no pics or updates..We've also been trying to be respective towards his Birthmother as well.. I'll post more as soon as I can I Promise... Life's just a little busy..

FInally registered

2010-06-05T20:38:00.002-04:00

Well our due date has come and almost gone for the time being... We did take the chance to register at www.buybuybaby.com under Jason Mansfield .... That was nice being able to complete that task.. still alot of pressure letting everyone know about it but hey better late than never.. We'll keep all posted .... J and C

A New Love!!!!

2010-05-23T22:54:00.002-04:00

A new love that comes to you
A new love that stays with you
A child who becomes your world
Is the sum of it all, by way of anothers blessing of a child. May my world reflect what God has given me to my child. God Bless that little soul unto us as you see fit.

Baby!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-22T20:37:00.003-04:00

Ok Bloggers out there who've cared enough to read my ramblings its happened, well in 2 weeks or maybe less we will become parents to a baby boy due June 5th.. Keep us in your Prayers and Thoughts Please.

Houston We Have Some Contact

2010-04-30T20:42:00.002-04:00

Of course names and some details will not be given.. So about 2 weeks ago contact was made and now. We are waiting for more info from the mother.. We hope and pray she makes the right decision for her and her baby. Of course we want to start a relationship with her as soon as possible.. At this point there is not much time till the birth.. And of course we want to parent. I just wanted to say to her if she reads this we will be there in any way we can for you. All you have to do is call and let us know what you want to do.

Water

2010-04-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

OMG!!!!!!!! This darn pool water is so finicky.. It's like life where everything has to be balanced right. Gotta love it. At least its returned to somewhat of a blue/light green tinge. I'm gonna fight the good fight with this pool.

Pool Time ... Well almost...

2010-04-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the year again.. POOL WEATHER TIME YAY!!!!!!!!!! Wish me Luck, I've decided to take over pool maintenance this year to save on the dough.. I'll miss u my wonderful pool boi.... It can't be all that hard right??? As of now leaves for the most part I think are out ( pool is color of lime gatorade fyi ) and next its time for chemicals to be dumped in.. This parts tricky, because I've never done it. Chad accidentally thru away to screwy knob things that go on pool pump, so now I've got one of my hair clients coming over to help me see what type needs to be bought. UHG !!!!!! SO EVERYONE WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

We Passed Again

2010-04-09T12:44:00.002-04:00

Well world we r gonna stay in the race with the rest of ya.. I know I know, not a race but I gotta keep my mind occupied during the wait. Our adoption social worker J was 30 minutes early which was totally ok with is, we just wanted it to be done again.. She basically asked us if anything has changed and we said nope..

HOME STUDY RENEWAL

2010-04-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

It amazes me it's been a year already, so time for our Homestudy renewal.. We were supposed to have her there 2 weeks ago but she had a family emergency so we had to wait . It's not like we had a bite so just another day...

So the both of us are still working 2 jobs each , Chad is almost finished with his spring break , and I was able to spend a few days with him. It's been since this time last year that we've spent this many days together.. So we vegged and watched movies. It rocked.

We'll post again soon.

Staying on track is hard

2010-03-17T21:51:00.002-04:00

Well for me (Jason) it's been a little hard staying focused on life around in general..Time has begun to blur and I think is this how fast life with my child one day will go by?? I know you can take pictures and make videos for yourself but how do you make it slow down just enough to enjoy the music and the breeze around you or just all of those little things without slowing to much?

Way to much time in between posts

2010-03-11T11:57:00.003-05:00

Well world we officially hit our year mark this month with the homestudy. We can't believe it, wow a whole year.. We didn't get into the books until last week of July 09 so not to much of a wait Yet.. We completed all of the stuff necessary to keep ourselves in the books so fingers are still crossed and prayers are still said.. Till next time ~ J and C ~

2010-01-22T09:14:00.002-05:00

So we're still trucking forward and preparing to get our Homestudy info updated.. March will be the year mark of that part of the adoption process and the last week of July will be our full year mark of being officially in the book.. I wish they went from that point so we don't have to pay what we have to pay.. Oh well it's all gonna be worth it someday.. Nothing to exciting going on our way just working very hard and staying focused on our goal.. SO Happy Friday to all and until next time.. J

The crazy people

2010-01-06T21:13:00.001-05:00

It just amazes me how an individual could think playing on the emotions of another is alright.. I mean WTF right.. Pardon my french but really. I hope this person who contacted us stops immediately their mind F*#king and grows up.. Sorry for the harsh words ya'll but it did sting a bit. Positive vibes are now in my mind and have moved forward. Wish us luck. Is it really luck ??

Emotional Scammer Watch Out

2010-01-06T07:48:00.003-05:00

Just an update a Scammer is on the loose with claims of a baby up for adoption so anyone receiving info from an anonymous source please get in touch with your adoption professional immediately.. May the Good Lord in Heaven have Mercy on your soul...

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T15:38:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to wish all of you Blogsters out there a Wonderful Holiday Season.. There has been alot of wonderful change out there in the blogsphere for some of you, and I'm very grateful to be able to share in that by reading what you share with us...It kinda makes it easier to move in life when there are others out there that are going through the same things as we are.. Keep the posts coming and more pictures to Please... Merry Christmas Huggs and Luv Jason and of course Chad too!!!!

Just saying hello

2009-12-18T19:37:00.001-05:00

. been to long since my last update so here it is.. 7 letters went out and 1 profile save , we're pretty pleased .. We just wish something exciting would happen like a little bite to get us pumped up even more.. we just need something to keep us motivated through all of our sacrifices that are being made.. I have to say this again we're not upset or discouraged at all,, just very exhausted and are having a time staying focused but of course still doing what needs to be done.. Anyway enough of that back to letters going out .... There were 3 sets of twins this past month that our letter went to, me and Chad were like OMG how would we do it and I said we just will he'll get one to mess up and so will I... LOL ..I'M SO KIDDING but it invoked a conversation that made us realize that there is always a possibility of a situation like that.. Talk about life changing in a moments notice . Our life together has kinda been life altering in so many different ways we'd just adapt.

Another holiday gone by

2009-11-30T06:39:00.001-05:00

It seems like forever ago that we started this journey. I know it hasn't really been to terribly long, but it sure does make us feel that way.. It amazes me about another holiday going by in a hurry and of course us both having to work.. We sure are sacrificing alot of this year so far. I know it is for the greater good coming our way. We're not down about anything don't think that, it's just that cruel when you get older time flying by thing and also it being slow with the stuff you want part.. I sure hope that made sense.. I've been getting full time hours from my part time job for awhile now and marketing myself to get new clients .. So far about 15 new people have got their hair done by me now, not to shabby I'd say.. I sure hope this economy continues to move forward, we all need some encouragement about it. Ok nothing else left to say so TTYL

2009-11-21T09:35:00.001-05:00

Well we got our report from last months letters and we had 8 go out and 1 profile save so I guess that would be 9.. Not to shabby I'd say.. It's very exciting to get those updates from our agency Independent Adoption Center.. We try not to bug them much cause we assume if they had any details of something they would tell us. So we continue our turn waiting like all of the other couples .. It is tough but we are strong and I think through it all it will make us appreciate our new family even more.. I think all this waiting is giving us more time to dream and make plans which we think is exciting.. We've read all the books we couldget our hands on about Open Adoption and everything we could find about babies in that first year.. We don't want to get to far ahead of ourselves so nothing is forgotten.. I personally feel as if we' ve been preparing for our Fatherhood Journey for so long now.. One day I'll have interesting news to update to all of the blogsphere out there.. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Christmas Decorations going up..

2009-11-15T18:18:00.001-05:00

Me and Chad really love this time of year... The holidays are reminders of family tradition's that we want to pass down one day to our child.. It's always had this certain magic that I've never forgot. I'm so excited to have our first christmas with our new family, oh what a wonderful day that will be.. Chad kinda thinks I'm a little crazy for putting it up so soon, but I say I'm the Christmas Spirit Giver.. Our decorations are classic but traditional , and also unique.. But man alive the amount of dust that accumulates is driving our sinuses crazy.. We'll get over it. So Happy Holidays to all of my Wonderful blog readers..

Another week has gone by

2009-11-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

It's always amazing how fast life just slips through our fingers... It was just like yesterday that it was summer and now we are preparing for the Holiday season.. Life is still keeping us very very busy.. We are glad that it has worked out this way till it's our turn to be daddies..It so keeps our minds off of it all.. Waiting super sux!!!!!!!! But I know God has his plans for our family so I'm content with what he wants for us. But it still SUPER SUX!!!!!!!!! LOL...

Time fly's by

2009-11-02T18:24:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here thinking bout the ever fast pace of the holidays and everything associated with this time of year. I really do love this time of year, but how funny that it gets here so much faster now than as a child. I guess I got my wish for Christmas to get here quick. All in all I really reflect back on my life my family and my hopes and dreams. The reality of it - ll is that it's about the here and nowness of it all. I like seeing those moments and I hope to make those time's even better if ever given the chance again.

2009-10-30T18:25:00.001-04:00

I think I might have figured out how to mobile blog now so now maybe not such a long absense.. Let's see if this works..

Very Busy So Don't Worry

2009-10-30T17:51:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up.. Me and Chad are working 7 days a week now and will probably not have time to update for awhile.. I just didn't want anyone to think anything bad is going on... I'll be back as soon as I can.. I Wish I could figure out how to update on my cell phone... But if you wanna get any updates Facebook me.... I'm Jason Mansfield from Rock Hill South Carolina.. So Friend me ok... Till Next time...

Message Left

2009-10-18T17:42:00.007-04:00

We folks we left a message with our IAC peeps to inform them of the 6 something minute message with no sound...Nothing new has come of our Phone call so still say your Prayers for us Please...Meanwhile I'm so Proud of myself I FINALLY RAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS... I'm so Proud of myself... I plan on continuing on this path because it was such a release for me... So wish me luck...I'll be back in shape in no time.. I ran 1 mile and walked another mile .. I didn't want to over work any muscles so I started on the light side running 2 laps around the track the walking 2 and so on and so forth.. God I want to be back to my old weight again ..

Phone Call

2009-10-17T10:04:00.003-04:00

Well we got a phone call very early this morning from California around 2 something there time.. I wish we would have heard the phone ring.. Chad actually was up but he said he didn't hear anything.. And they left a message on our 1-800 line but there was no sound.. ARG!!!!!!!! So now we just wait to see if they call us back. SO keep your finger's crossed for us..

Getting Cooler

2009-10-15T12:43:00.002-04:00

I always love the first sights and smells of Fall... The neighbors burning leaves and pumpkins on the porches of everyone around.. Next thing you know it's gonna be time to pull all of the Christmas stuff out of the attic.. I'm already going through all of my Christmas music so I can put it on my I pod eventually.. The only reason why I'm doing it now is that this summer we had an electrical surge of sorts and it fried my 2 yr old computer.. SO I now have to download every bit of music onto my laptop from my external hard drive.. It's taking forever going through all of those damn files but oh well what am I to do..Wish me luck...

Still Waiting !!!!

2009-10-09T12:27:00.005-04:00

Well we are still waiting for another call to come our way.. We know it's gonna happen exactly when God wants it to, sometimes we want to speed it up but we know that's not the way.. Life is still trucking forward with us working Very Hard and staying strong.. I'm glad we have grown so much already from this journey we've entered into together.. We are probably seeing a glimpse of what we will be like when life takes a turn and so far so good...Nothing scary to note LOL... Seriously I see a Great Foundation within our home and I that is a Wonderful Start.

Not A Match

2009-10-02T13:26:00.002-04:00

Well we have not so good news... We're not matched... It just wasn't meant to be... We are a little disappointed but know that it wasn't our time yet... SO We are still Happy and Excited to continue to move forward in our Open Adoption Journey Together... Hugs and Love to You All...Jason and Chad

Agency Visit

2009-10-01T07:47:00.003-04:00

Well as we were told the day before yesterday the IAC peeps went to visit the Birthmother and Birthgrandmother on Tues.. We weren't really given to many details but were told everything went really well with the visit and they now have letters in hand to review. She's due in Dec as I stated in my last post so I assume she has alot of thinking to do on her side of things.. So for now we wait..We are still a little puzzled as to why they called us in the first place.. We filled out our paper work and checked all of the appropriate boxes of what we were willing to accept, but as Chad pointed out practically everything that we checked was an issue in this possible placement.So I guess they were trying to really make sure we knew what was up.. Any thoughts out there???

No New News Yet

2009-09-24T08:48:00.002-04:00

Well Folks we've not been given any updates yet... I guess that is better than a flat out Not Gonna Happen answer... LOL...We allowed a little excitement to come into our minds but for the most part we are looking at it as We Are In Circulation...It's really hard not to let any excitement to enter your heart and mind...So for now we just wait.. Have any of you out there been able to watch the TV show Adoption Diaries on the WE channel??? The 3rd episode is gonna be on Saturday @10pm eastern time.. It's very informative to all of us who have yet to go through the full process with the Birthparents and emotional stuff.. I don't mean to downplay the emotional stuff the way I wrote that by the way, I just didn't want to ramble.. LOL... Which I can DO... SO basically Watch Adoption DIaries on the WE channel... Till our next post..

Possible Nibble

2009-09-18T08:22:00.003-04:00

We received a phone call from the LA office and were told of a possible Birth mother situation .. She's due in December and she has relinquished rights of another child already.. We don't know the sex of the child yet, but the child's race (which of course isn't important) is, Birth mother is half Caucasian and have Latin and Birth Father if African American...SO that is all we know at this point till the agency meets with her in person in the next few days.. So everyone send positive thoughts our way and keep us in your prayer's that God will Direct this whole thing His Way....

The middle of the month..

2009-09-10T08:03:00.002-04:00

Wow can any of you believe it's the middle of the month practically... We still are working our tails off and enjoying our free time.. I don't know about anyone else but I'm ready for the Holiday's to start... It would be so wonderful to have a Christmas baby in our home, but hey when it's time it'll be time.. So until then we just listen for the phone and try to stay calm about everything life changing that is gonna happen..

Enjoying Life

2009-08-25T12:37:00.002-04:00

Well I didn't have to be @ work till later today and it's been really nice to catch up on my blog reading... I see a few of you out there have had some setbacks and a few of you are well on your way to Happily Ever Afters... Me and Chad are just stuck right in the middle in Limbo land it seems.. Which I guess isn't to bad considering how bad the economy and all has been.. What do you do right..

We are both still just trying to enjoy our freedom filled lives at this moment.. Meaning waking up of our own accord and still playing that TV as loud as we want or watching what ever we want.. I will miss those day's but I know that those moments will be replaced with even better time's to be had..

Work, Work and more WORK

2009-08-24T09:39:00.002-04:00

Well everyone we are just (as you can se in title) Working our behinds off... Chad has been back teaching for 2 weeks now at school and I'm still burning up some hair at the salon.. I've never worked so hard in my life for something... At least I know I can do it.. It's amazing how much strength me and Chad have together... We do have to remind ourselves every now and then what we are working for.. Of course I say that meaning when we are just so tired..

Everyday I find myself going into my mind thinking how will I respond to my child about this or about that.. As I walk random things just pop into my head and it really makes me think about what needs to shift in my own thinking.. What sort of things have made you guy's and gal's out there shift your thinking???

Nothing as of yet..

2009-08-12T10:39:00.002-04:00

Nothing new to report as of yet... We're just trying to enjoy our freedom of sleeping and doing whatever right now.. And of course if the phone rings we can't help but look at each other and wonder if this could be our life changing call.. I'll post again soon ...

Update

2009-07-16T21:05:00.002-04:00

Well We are totally file approved now and our 1000 copies of our Birth Parent Letter are on there way.. And once the agency gets their 100 copies from us signed we will be linked to the IAC's website and then the waiting begins...In the meantime me and Chad are both working insane hour's and making and trying to save as much as we can till our glorious time comes to become parent's..So say your prayer's for us...

2009-06-13T20:53:00.001-04:00

I just put some tube lighting around pool.. What does everyone think????? I still need a few more strands... Oh by the way our Agency told us we will be in the Books by the end of this month...

The Approved Candid Pics for our Adoption Letter !!!!

2009-06-09T22:34:00.003-04:00

Well folks what do u think ???????? There are 2 more that are not posted because I don't have them on my laptop.... We are so excited to move to the 2nd to the last step before going into the adoption books........ It's been alot of work but so gonna be worth it .. We are just still so in another world and beside ourselves with all that we've accomplished in such a short span of time.. One day we'll be able to share with our little one how much we had to go through to get them , and hopefully they'll see how much Love we have for them....

More New Candid Pics For Birth Parent Letter...

2009-06-07T23:19:00.001-04:00

New Candid Pics for Birth Parent Letter......

2009-06-07T22:25:00.003-04:00

We sure hope the Agency Loves these's Pics... These are my Brothers kids.. Arn't they so Cute...

2009-06-03T14:26:00.004-04:00

Well nothing really new is going on with our Adoption stuff... We still have to take more candid photo's for our Birth Parent Letter....We've got our neice's and nephew coming over on saturday to swim in the pool ... Hopefully the weather will hold out for us.... ANd hopefully we will get the shots we need for our agency.... Chad got alot of photo's from field day at his school with all of his students from this year.... I can't wait to see them...

So basically right now we are just in limbo land with our Adoption Progress.. We are still so excited about our journey, we just feel stagnant right now.. As soon as school ends for Chad this friday we'll be able to make more progress cause he can throw himself into it full time for our Dream of a Family...

I really need to post more for my Blog Supporters cause no one is getting any news... I feel bad that I've slipped so much in my posts... Cause when I post more people see and the more that see the more that might have a need for Adoption Help , if that makes any sense.... I was so focused on getting the word out there a few weeks ago and just became overly busy with 2 jobs as well as Chads 2 jobs ... We are trying to stay positive and motivated... Gods been really taking so much care of us over the last few months and I'd Love to give God a SHout Out from us.. We Love You God and Thank You SOOOOOOOOO MUCH...For everything You Do....Life as we know it is changing everyday and like the CHurch sign down the road say's " Sometime's Temporary Surrender of Security Bring's Growth in Your Life" And boy oh boy is that so true to our situation right now....I really felt overwhelmed with Joy and Hope when I read that statement on that sign... You know how you think life is gonna go in the way you planned it out and all of this stuff just makes another mountain for us to climb..Like Miley Cyrus's song the Climb say's ( I can't believe I'm quoting from a 16yr song but so True ) It's about the Climb and boy we are climbing... Does that make any sense to anyone out there????

We as Gay soon to be Gay Parents have a long journey to become the parents we want to be... Not that anyone else doesn't go through the same things , but we take such a different journey than most to become this New Type of Family.. This Family doesn't have alot of other's to reflect upon for any type of guidence.. I know there are some out there don't get me wrong... But Locally the support locally is Nothing compared to what it should and Can be... So maybe we could be that type of support once we settle in on everything... It's gonna be amazing to see what comes of all of these hopes and dreams in the near future for not only us but our Community out there... Any Suggestions From my Blog World out there?????????

Final Approval

2009-05-19T10:45:00.002-04:00

We were given the Final Approval on our latest post of our Dear Birth Parent Letter... We are just so beside ourselves right now... it only took 6 revisions which really wasn't to bad... We tried to not fuss to much... Well it's off to our letter formatting person next...Till then

Just Waiting

2009-05-17T22:41:00.003-04:00

Were just waiting to find out if our last draft is "Our Last Draft"..... I suspect our answer is coming in the next day or so... It will be nice to be able to send it off to our guy for formatting.. So we will hopefuly have some new news soon...

Our ( I'm Pretty Sure This is the Final Draft ) Dear Birth Parent Letter and Approved Picture YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-08T16:19:00.002-04:00

Dear Birthmother,
We are Chad and Jason from Rock Hill, South Carolina. We admire your strength and courage as you consider open adoption and are excited that you are taking the time to read our letter. We hope that this gives you an idea of who we are as a couple and the family we hope to become. We look forward to getting to know you and forming a comfortable relationship.

Our Relationship
We met 6 years ago online and had an instant connection. We knew from the moment we met that we were starting a wonderful adventure! We love spending time together watching television, and hanging out with friends by the pool. We are each other’s best friend and have a great deal in common, like our love for animals. We have always dreamed of having a family and are excited to become Dads!

Careers
Chad is a fifth grade teacher and loves working with his students! He has a flexible schedule with summers and weekends off. Chad can’t wait to see our child’s face when he or she sees Goofy for the first time during our summer vacation at Disney World.
Jason is a hairstylist and loves to help people look their best. He cannot wait to give our child his or her first hair cut! Since Jason works for himself, he has a flexible schedule, and is excited about being at home with our child during the day. He looks forward to taking our child to the park and pushing him or her on the swings.

Our Home
We live in Rock Hill, South Carolina, which is about 30 minutes from Charlotte, North Carolina. Our quiet neighborhood is filled with children playing tag and climbing trees. We enjoy spending the hot summer days by our pool and cannot wait to see our child do a cannon ball for the first time. Our neighborhood also has great schools within walking distance from our home. We’re so excited to walk our child to school on the first day of Kindergarten!
We also share our home with 3 dogs and 4 cats. Our pets are all very friendly and good with children. We are looking forward to seeing our child cuddling with the cats and playing fetch with the dogs.

Interests and Hobbies
Chad loves sports, especially football and basketball, and is looking forward to coaching our child’s basketball team. He also loves the theatre and is looking forward to the day when he helps to direct our child’s school play.
Jason loves doing arts and crafts and makes Christmas ornaments with our nieces and nephews every year. He is excited to help our child make his or her first ornament. Jason also really enjoys baking all types of foods. He is always in the kitchen whipping up a fresh batch of cookies or brownies.
We also love to travel and take cruises all over the world. Our favorite spot is Jamaica where the crystal blue waters are home to playful dolphins. We can’t wait to hear our child’s laughter as the dolphins chase each other through the waves.

Family and Friends
We are very close to our families and see them often. Our nieces and nephew love coming to our house for weekend sleepovers and afternoon swims in the summer. They are looking forward to teaching their cousin how to swim and build forts in the living room at night.
We have lots of family that live all around the United States. We look forward to taking our child to Alaska for a sled ride with Aunt Brenna and to Nevada to visit the Hoover Dam with their cousin Annabelle.

Our View On Openness
We are familiar with adoption since Uncle Jay, Chad’s brother, became a part of his family through adoption. Adoption has always been celebrated with his family and we are looking forward to continuing that tradition in our family.
Open adoption is important to us because we want our child to know the story of their birth and that they were placed with us out of love. You will always be a special part of our child’s life, and we welcome whatever level of contact you’re comfortable with.

Parenting
We look forward to being parents and are so excited to experience every “first” with our child from his or her first tooth to their first experience with “puppy love.” We want our child to have every opportunity in life, including receiving a great education. As parents we will teach our child the values of equality and acceptance of others. We will raise our child in a loving, understanding and compassionate home and we want our child to grow up happy.

Thank You
We want to thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We have the utmost respect for you and your decision to consider open adoption. We cannot wait to hear from you and look forward to getting to know you!

With Love and Understanding,

Chad Jarrett & Jason Mansfield

Our contact information

Dear Birth Parent Letter

2009-05-03T18:52:00.003-04:00

Me and Chad would really like to her some feedback on our letter and picture's.. We really need some encouragement right now... We feel like we are not getting things done right for our agency.. It's probably just us being drama queens... Someone told me I look like I'm not wanting to take my meds in my picture's... That really hurt my feeling's... The agency told me to smile more and I did... Now all I can think now is that I need to open my mouth more to let the meds in...LOL.. Not that I take meds at all.... I really want our pics and letter to be the best that it can be for our potential BirthParents thats all...

Dear Birth Parent Letter Draft #5

2009-05-03T17:19:00.000-04:00

Dear Birthmother,
We are Chad and Jason from Rock Hill, South Carolina. We admire your strength and courage as you consider open adoption and are excited that you are taking the time to read our letter. We hope that this gives you an idea of who we are as a couple and the family we hope to become. We look forward to getting to know you and forming a comfortable relationship.

Career
Chad is a fifth grade teacher and loves working with his students! He has a flexible schedule with summers and weekends off. Chad can’t wait to see our child’s face when he or she sees Goofy for the first time during our summer vacation at Disney World.
Jason is a hairstylist and loves to help people look their best. He can not wait to give our child his or her first hair cut! Since Jason works for himself, he has a flexible schedule, and is excited about being at home with our child during the day. He looks forward to taking our child to the park and pushing him or her on the swings.

Our Relationship
We met 6 years ago online and had an instant connection. We knew from the moment we met that we were starting a wonderful adventure. We love spending time together watching television, and hanging out with friends by the pool. We are each other’s best friend and have a great deal in common, like our love for animals. We have always dreamed of having a family and are excited to become Dads!

Our Home
We live in Rock Hill, South Carolina, which is about 30 minutes from Charlotte, North Carolina. Our quiet neighborhood is filled with children playing tag and climbing trees. We enjoy spending the hot summer days by our pool and can not wait to see our child do a cannon ball for the first time. Our neighborhood has great schools within walking distance from our home. We’re so excited to walk our child to school on the first day of Kindergarten!
We also share our home with 3 dogs and 4 cats. Our pets are all very friendly and good with children. We are looking forward to seeing our child cuddling with the cats and playing fetch with the dogs.

Interests and Hobbies
Chad loves sports, especially football and basketball, and is looking forward to coaching our child’s basketball team. He also loves the theatre and is looking forward to the day when he helps to direct our child’s school play.
Jason loves doing arts and crafts and makes Christmas ornaments with our nieces and nephews every year. He is excited to help our child make his or her first ornament. Jason also really enjoys baking all types of foods. He is always in the kitchen whipping up a fresh batch of cookies or brownies.
We also love to travel and take cruises all over the world. Our favorite spot is Jamaica where the crystal blue waters are home to playful dolphins. We can’t wait to hear our child’s laughter as the dolphins chase each other through the waves.

Family and Friends
We are very close to our families and see them often. Our nieces and nephew love coming to our house for weekend sleepovers and afternoon swims in the summer. They are looking forward to teaching their cousin how to swim and build forts in the living room at night.
We have lots of family that live all around the United States. We look forward to taking our child to Alaska for a sled ride with Aunt Brenna and to Nevada to visit the Hoover Dam with their cousin Annabelle.

Our View On Openness
We are familiar with adoption since Uncle Jay, Chad’s brother, became a part of his family through adoption. Knowing how positive adoption can be, allows us to see that it is what we want for our family.
Open adoption is important to us because we want our child to know the story of their birth and they were placed with us out of love. You will always be a special part of our child’s life, and we welcome whatever level of contact you’re comfortable with. We want our child to know his or her heritage and how much he or she is loved by their birth family.

Parenting
We look forward to being parents and are so excited to experience every “first” with our child from his or her first tooth to their first experience with “puppy love.” We want our child to have every opportunity in life including receiving a great education. We will raise our child in a loving, understanding and compassionate home. We want our child to grow to be happy. As parents we will teach our child the values of equality and acceptance of others.

In Closing
We want to thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We have the utmost respect for you and your decision when it comes to considering open adoption. We can not wait to hear from you and look forward to getting to know you!

With Love and Understanding,

Chad Jarrett & Jason Mansfield
Our contact information
chadjarrett@hotmail.com
jaysinwantsu03@yahoo.com

New Birth Parent Pictures !!!!!!!

2009-05-01T20:42:00.001-04:00

New Birth Parent Pictures !!!!!!!!

2009-05-01T20:14:00.002-04:00

Well here are some new pictures for our Birth Parent Letter... Please give us feedback... They told us with the last set that I ( Jason) wasn't smiling enough, so I'm giving my all with the latest pics... We were given the positive feedback on the color of our shirts so we didn't even dare mess with that...I'll post more later...

Working on Revision # 4

2009-04-20T13:47:00.002-04:00

Well we are on our 4th letter revision..... It seems as if we can't get anything right on it LOL... And they rejected all of our Picture's... They told us that I wasn't smiling enough and that we look like 2 buds... And they told us that our pose with one behind the other was one was more dominating than the other.. They gave us sample letter's and pics with the same exact poses.. I don't get it why the heck give us those pics as example's and then say it's not what they are looking for.. Anyway We are staying positive.. It's kinda sad that it was easier for us to get all of our documents and Home Study approval stuff complete, then not be able to get this letter and pic approval stuff done..I swear they are just trying to find stuff wrong now...

STill Working on Revision #2

2009-04-09T22:10:00.003-04:00

It's been forever since my last blog... I really miss it... I guess this is how life will be once our little one arrives... I'll get used to it soon... Me and Chad are very tired from working our finger's to the bone's to save for our new arrival.. Don't get me wrong I'm Very Happy to do it just tired.. I do savor every moment of sleep in time I have left .. Every day that I get to sleep in any length of time I cherish it so much.. I've had 3 Client's have babies and I can see the tiredness in their eye's every time... I'm glad to know this ahead of time to really be able to put it into perspective for our lives's.... We are currently working on Revision #2 of out Dear Birth Parent Letter. SO that is where we are at at this moment.... We've already contacted the printer's and people for our website so we are on track with all of that stuff... We actually got 40% off of our printing services from this company which really excited us.. I've been tinkering around with our letter design concept myself and it's come out very unique to say the least.. I'll work on it a bit more and send it off to this guy who's gonna do our website and have him fine tune it to bring it together for us... I'll post a link or whatever when I get to that point...

More Revision's

2009-04-02T21:55:00.002-04:00

Our Birth Parent Letter has become that of the Agency's......... I Feel as if our thought's are gone and replaced by someone else's... I'm still trying to figure out why they just don't write the damn thing for us .. There even coming back with revision's on there own revision's we made because of what they told us to put in.. WHat Frigging Sense does that make????????????????

Picture's for Birth Parent Letter

2009-03-24T12:01:00.002-04:00

So here are some of the PIcture's taken last friday and we want your opinion!!!!!!!!!

Last Home Study Visit

2009-03-23T18:28:00.002-04:00

Well everyone we had our last Home Study visit till of course after placement visits... Our Home Study person was just so nice and really made it an easy going process... Tonight she was telling us about our list of baby stuff we need for when we have to travel to go where ever...Just the thought of packing a travel to go get baby bag is just amazing...

This is So Exciting!!!!

2009-03-20T21:37:00.002-04:00

We are so much more proud of this Letter than the first.. We would really like everyone's feedback PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a professional Photo session today and we absolutly Loved the Gardens we chose.. We should have the picture's in a few day's.. They were mainly just our pics for Birthparent Letter main pic... We have our next session with our Photo Professional in a few weeks for more candid photo's of both of us with our niece's and nephew..

Birth Parent Letter Draft #2

2009-03-20T21:36:00.001-04:00

Dear Birthmother,
We are Chad and Jason. We admire your strength and courage as you consider open adoption and are excited that you are taking the time to read our letter. It is very important for us to have you be a part of our family. We always knew that we wanted to do an open adoption because we want our child to know the story of their birth and of your love. We want our child to know who he/she is and how much he/she is loved by their birth family.

Career
Chad is an Elementary School teacher where he works with a variety of fifth graders and loves to see their smiling faces when they learn something new like multiplying fractions. Chad has a very flexible schedule since he is off of work during the summers and all major holidays. He looks forward to being able to help our child with their homework. He is so excited to be involved in our child’s school activities and can not wait to watch our child sing “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” on stage for the first time. Chad can not wait to see our child’s face when he or she sees Goofy for the first time on summer vacation at Disney.
Jason is a hairstylist he can not wait to give our child his or her first hair cut. Since Jason works for himself, he has a flexible schedule, and he plans to be home with our child during the day. Jason can not wait to see our child’s first step and first word.

Our Relationship
Jason and Chad met 6 years ago on a dating website where we were both looking for a loving relationship. We had our first date and have been together every since. We knew from the moment we met that we were starting a wonderful adventure. We have both always wanted to be parents and can not wait to welcome a child into our family.

Our Home
We live in Rock Hill, South Carolina which is about 30 minutes from Charlotte, North Carolina. We live in a quite neighborhood filled with children playing tag and climbing trees. We enjoy spending our hot summer days by our pool and can not wait to see our child do a cannon ball for the first time. We also share our home with 3 dogs and 4 cats. The animals are all very friendly, and good with children. We are looking forward to seeing our child cuddle with the cats and playing fetch with the dogs.
We have great schools in our area, which are all walking distance from our home. We can not wait to walk our child to Kindergarten for the first time.

Interest and Hobbies
Chad loves sports, especially football and basketball. He is looking forward to coaching his child’s basketball team.
Chad also loves the theatre. He looks forward to the day when he is able to help direct his child’s school play and Jason is able to do hair and makeup for the play.
Jason enjoys doing arts and crafts. He loves to make Christmas ornaments with our nieces. He can not wait to make our child’s “First Christmas” ornament.
Jason really enjoys cooking all types of foods. He can not wait to cook cookies and decorate them with our child.
We enjoy taking cruises and seeing different parts of the world. We look forward to taking our child and seeing him or her swim with the dolphins in Jamaica.
We also enjoy going to the movies together and are excited to hear our child’s laughter the first time they see Nemo in the movie theatre.

Family and Friends
We are very close to our families and see them often. Our nieces and nephew that live close by love coming to our house to swim during the summer. They are looking forward to teaching their cousin how to swim and build forts in the living room at night.
We have a great deal of family that live all around the US. We look forward to being able to take our child from Alaska to go sledding with Aunt Brenna and then warming up with some hot chocolate. We also look forward to taking our child to visit their cousin Annabelle in Nevada where we will visit the Hoover Dam.
Chad’s brother became a part of his family through adoption. Having a first hand experience how positive adoption can be makes us want to give that to our child.

Personal Values
We have a strong belief that God will give us a beautiful child that we will be able to care for and raise.
We want our child to have every opportunity in life including receiving a great education.
We will raise our child in a loving, happy and compassionate home.

Our View On Openness
We believe in teaching our child about their heritage and about who they are.
We want you to have many pictures, and be able to visit the child as you feel comfortable so you may share in as many of our child’s milestones. Open Adoption is important to us because we want our child to know his/her birth story and that they were placed with us out of love. You will always be important in our child’s life and we look forward to you being a part of our family. We feel the more openness we have the better adjusted our family dynamic will be.

Parenting
We look forward to being there for all of the victories in our child’s life. We want to be there the first time they have puppy love.
We hope to instill in our child the value of equality and acceptance of others.

In Closing
We want to thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We want you to know that if you choose us your child will be brought up in a loving and accepting home. We would do anything we can to make sure our child is happy and well taken care of. We can not wait to hear from you and look forward to getting to know you.

With Love and Understanding

Chad Jarrett & Jason Mansfield
Our contact information
chadjarrett@hotmail.com
jaysinwantsu03@yahoo.com
Visit our open adoption blog at:
www.jasonandchadopenadoptionjourney.blogspot.com

Our website and 800 number are still being worked on but will have after letter has been approved.

The Red Pen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Upon our Birth Parent Letter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-19T22:20:00.003-04:00

Boy oh boy did they get us with the red pen of change.... I'm totally fine with what they want to se change but man 5 pages worth.. They didn't even give any positive feedback what so ever... And the funny thing is it's gonna sound just like all of the other letter's now after we make those change's.. We are gonna of course change those thing's verbatim to as what they suggested, but I feel like we are now gonna be just like every other letter out there.. We've given them our thought's in our first rough draft so why don't they just construct those thought's into what they want and allow us to give them our feedback.. We paid them all of our money up front down to the last red cent even for the delivery money part so why not just do it for us.. They know what they want to see... I'm really trying not to sound offended cause I'm really not ... But come on just write the damn thing if you are gonna change litterally everything about it...

Home Study ... WE PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-16T14:54:00.003-04:00

We were informed by our Home Study person that we were gonna be Daddies......... I'm SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!! WE PASSED WE PASSED WE PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She comes back next Tuesday so she can say she did her 2 visits... Thank You God.... We're gonna be Daddies!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our person was just so warm and kind and so easy to talk to .. she expects us to be with child right around Christmas time... I think that will be just so Wonderful on so many levels for us.. It's always been such a special time for us already and to add a child to the joyous holiday will be the best... And you guy's that follow our journey please pray that God Blesses us with a child from California so we both can be legal parents.. Please !!!!!!!!

2009-03-14T18:21:00.002-04:00

Another post where I don't have much to say, just that we are getting the house all cleaned and polished for the Home Study Monday @ 1 .... I can't believe it's here.. I'm gonna be a great host and bake cookies or something nibbly like that. Everyone out there say your prayer's for us that she give's us a hint on monday if we pass or not..

I've been Interviewed !!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-13T17:35:00.002-04:00

If you could take your family on a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?2.What is your favorite time of day?3.How did you meet your partner?4.What's your favorite meal to eat for dinner?5.What is 1 thing you want to do before this life is over?1.I would take my Family to Mackinaw Island.. It's in the upper part of Michigan.. You can't even have a car up there..It's so Green and Lush and they have the Best Fudge out there.. If you've ever had Moose Track's ice cream that's where the Fudge is From.. 2.When I'm get off of work and get in the car and plug in my Ipod touch and roll all the window's and sunroof down and just blare the music and let that wind go through my hair..3.We met online.. we both saw that we weren't into the bar scene anymore and we both had career's and had goals.. not to many people were like us at that moment in time..4. Anything Mexican.. I LOVE IT ALL.. Mostly ..Even the heartburn is worth it..LOL..5.To become a Daddy and be able to teach my child about the Importance of Love and Family and Respect..www.michellespath.blogspot.com is my interviewer and if anyone would like me to interview them Please leave me a comment with your email and I'll think of 5 question's...

Fortune Friday!!!!!!

2009-03-13T16:47:00.003-04:00

Please copy and Paste this and let's see how far it will reach.. I'm just doing what I'm told... There needs to be an objective.. Maybe we should post what out Horoscope say's ..

Birth Mother Letter!!!!!!!! No Red Marks Yet

2009-03-13T16:29:00.003-04:00

Thank You to all of you for the great comments on our Birth mother Letter... We've not heard back from our agency about the letter.. So I'm assuming there's gonna be lot's of red crossed through everything... LOL.. Honestly it doesn't bother us.. Cause we know how much this letter will affect our Birth Parents, and we want that to be a great first impression... So Bring it IAC..hehehe.. And of course I mean that in a good funny way.

And A Big Congrats to all of the New Family's that were started or added to this week.. Matteo is So Handsome and of course a little cutie. Happy Friday and have a great weekend to all..

Dear Birthmother Letter 1st Rough Draft !!!!!

2009-03-10T19:09:00.004-04:00

So here it is folks a 1st rough draft... We just sent it off to the agency today...Comments PLease!!

Dear Birthmother,
We are Chad and Jason. We are very excited to have the opportunity to do an open adoption. It is very important for us to have you be a part of our family. We feel the more openness we have the better our family dynamic will be. We want to raise our child in a loving, happy and compassionate home.

Career
Chad is an Elementary School teacher. He looks forward to being able to help his own child with their homework. He is also excited about attending his child’s school activities as a parent like the Christmas Concert. Chad is looking forward to going on vacations to Disney when they are both out of school for the summer.
Jason is a hairstylist. He will make sure that his child is up to date on the trendiest styles. Jason works for himself so he can make his own schedule and will be able to stay home during the day to see all the baby’s firsts.

Our Relationship
We have been together for 6 years.
We knew on our first date that our relationship was going to be a new adventure for both of us. On our first anniversary we signed the papers to buy our house. Since that first year we have been looking forward to having a child to make our home complete.
Chad has a brother who was adopted through a closed adoption. We knew that when our time came to adopt that we wanted to have an open adoption. We want our child to know who he/she is and how much he/she is loved by their birth family.

Our Home
We live in Rock Hill, South Carolina which is about 30 minutes from Charlotte, North Carolina. We live in a quite neighborhood with a large yard in which our child will be able to play in and climb the trees. We are looking forward to teaching our child to swim in our private pool that sits in the backyard. We have three dogs and 4 cats that our child will be able to cuddle up with or play fetch with in our house. All of our child’s future schools are within walking distance. We look forward to walking our child into Kindergarten with their new backpack and lunchbox starting their whole new adventure.

Interest and Hobbies
Chad has a love for sports that reaches no other. He loves to watch football and basketball. He is looking forward to attending his child’s first little league game and being the biggest cheerleader in the stands.
Chad also has a great love for the theatre. He looks forward to the day when he is able to help direct his child’s school play like he does for his students.
Jason enjoys doing arts and crafts. He loves to make Christmas ornaments with our nieces. He can not wait to make our child’s “First Christmas” ornament.

Family and Friends
We have several nieces and a nephew that live close by. They are looking forward to having a new cousin that they can come over and have pool parties with and build forts in the living room at night.
We have a great deal of family that lives all around the country. We look forward to being able to take our child from Alaska to Nevada to visit all of these relatives.

Personal Values
We both have a strong belief that God will entrust us with a beautiful child that we will be able to care for and raise.
We feel strongly about giving our child every opportunity to get the best education either being Technical School or Ivey League.

Our View On Openness
We believe that our child should have every possible answer where they come from, their heritage, and an understanding of why their mother chose us to parent them.
We want the mother to have many pictures and be able to visit the child so the child knows they are loved.

Parenting
We look forward being there for all the victories in our child’s life, as well as, the loses. We want to be there the first time they have puppy love. We want to be there to pick them up when they lose in the championship game.
We want to teach them that no one is better then anyone else. We want them to learn there are no rules when it comes to who you love and how you love them. Love is unconditional and can never be lost.

In Closing
We want to thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We want you to know that if you choose us your child will be brought up in a loving and accepting home. We would do anything we can to make sure our child is happy and well taken care of. Both of us look forward to talking to you in greater length.
Thanks,

Chad Jarrett Jason Mansfield

Home Study !!!!!!

2009-03-10T12:56:00.002-04:00

Yikes !!!!!!!!!!!!! It's our first Home Study on Monday... Our Home Study person told us yesterday that we should be done with that process by the end of this month.. She was speaking of these 2 guy's that recently became father's of twins last visit and she was like every time I think of them it makes me think of you both wanting your family .. How nice to know that she is on our side and thinks the same way as us.. We are still working on our Birth Mother letter and will send off our first draft in the next few day's... Hopefully there won't be to many changes to it.. But if so we'll just roll with it.

Networking!!!!

2009-03-04T22:10:00.004-05:00

Hello all... Thanks to everyone subscribing to our Blog... I hope it really gets the word out for us that we are in search of a Birthmother.... This Networking thing is fun but alot of work... I've been meeting alot of really awesome people over the last month... I can't wait to meet more of you out there..I really don't have much to say today so I guess I'll catch up with everyone later...

2009-03-03T08:25:00.001-05:00

Here's a couple of pics of the snow that fell at our Home March 1st... This is the most snow we've had in this house for almost 6 years...

The Kid

2009-03-02T21:30:00.002-05:00

"The Kid" by Dan Savage was a very good book for people wanting to adopt especially for gay men in the adopting process. It gives their process in open adoption. It deals with a lot of issues from dealing with the birth mother who did drugs and drank, to the birth father who suddenly appears. It also tackles issues of talking to friends and family about what is going on. It starts with them attending their weekend session all the way to their child's first birthday. I am not a huge reader when it comes to reading things at home. But I found myself really enjoying this book. It had some strong language used, but nothing most homosexuals have not heard before. I found myself laughing at some of things and feeling sad in other parts. So I totally recommend this book especially if you have an agency that requires you to read two books. I would tell you to choose this book as one of your required two.
Now I must head to bed. I took Friday off and Monday was a snow day so I have to get my rest to deal with my 28 little ones tomorrow-If they do not make me change my mind about adoption nothing will!-Chad

Snow Day !!!!!!!!

2009-03-02T18:32:00.002-05:00

We got about 5 inches here and it pretty much shuts everything down... School was out for Chad so he finished the book called The Kid... He's almost finished with it so I'll start it tonight then dish on it for everyone...It was required reading for us through our adoption agency Independent Adoption Center www.adoptionhelp.org ...... Chad's all excited to have read a book in 24hrs..It's only 250 some page's so I guess that's good.. We need to get started on our Dear Birth Mother letter soon... We really don't want the process to slow down at all....We've covered alot of ground pretty fast and keeping that momentum is crucial... SO to all of you Blogger's out there We are getting ready to hit your Dear Birth Mom letter's pretty hard LOL.. S if u see us log on like 500 time's you will know why... I just hope that the agency will just Love what we've come up with.... My Sister has an English major so maybe we can talk her into helping us.. Thanks for all of the encouragement from all of you and Please Keep the Suggestion's Coming... We Really Love That....

Now The Waiting Begin's

2009-03-01T22:10:00.002-05:00

So now we've completed the Weekend Intensive in Atlanta and are now home,Heads spinning and shivering from the cold snow that is falling really hard and fast.. So Much Info OMG!!!!!!!! And so many decsion's to make about what we are able to accept in our live's.... I'm thrilled we have moved to the next level... Just can't believe it got here so fast.. Like I've said in earlier post's we were able to complete the first round of paperwork for home study , and it felt great to hear from adoption person in class say oh you guy's already did that and the rest of the class needs to do it .. We are on Top of it...So now like I said we wait for Home Study person and wait for approval for that.. And of course Dear Birthmother letter writing begin's.. They called off school for Chad tomorrow cause of freak snowstorm here so maybe we can really focus on that tomorrow.. It sounds like so much.. And kinda Overwhelming knowing who is gonna read this.. We'll just have to take it one word at a time...Any suggestion's ????

The End of Weekend Intensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-28T21:44:00.002-05:00

We Met with 2 Wonderful Guy's Tonight withing the Same Agency we are apart of now as of this weekend.... William and John... Two great Guy's that so Deserve a Beautiful Baby Soon... We wish you both all of the Blessing's from Up Above.... They turned us onto a resturant called Wild Fire... Great Place.. And the Lighting is so Gay Friendly... That might make some of you laugh but it was so soft and warm so any flaws anyone might have are totally erased..LOL.. I know I'm a Freak... Botox can't cure all but it does get really close...But our evening with this Wonderful Couple was filled with great conversation's about what we dealt with in our Weekend Intensive and other subject's we've not been able to talk to with other's on the same journey as we are.... That was Very Refreshing... I Probably talked way to much but We both had so much info floating around in our heads that it all kinda came out... Sorry William and John ...But I'm gettin a bit sleepy so I'll catch u all up on the rest of ourInfo filled weekend.. Huggs and Luv 2 all... Jason and Chad....

Weekend Intesive Day 1

2009-02-27T19:28:00.002-05:00

Ok here I am Chad...Jason has been wanting me to write on here, but I am always working, watching sports, or a great deal of the time trying to fall asleep while he types...he does it so late at night. Many people may think that 8 pm is not that late, but I say how many of those get up at 5:45 am? I get up everyday go to work and teach, discipline, nurse, nurture, laugh with, police, 28 fifth grade children and many of their parents. I also work as Athletic Director at my school where I spend every weekend from Dec-Feb and many weeknights in February watching 3rd-12th graders play basketball. I do enjoy seeing former students and parents stop by and say hello. I do have a nickname by those students as "Mr. Sunshine" I threaten my current students not to call me that but after they leave me I do not mind. I just need them to show me respect while they are in my class.

I love sports and hope to pass it on to my child. I love my Ohio State Buckeyes and I think I have Jason hooked on calling our unborn child "Brutus" (The Ohio State Buckeyes Mascot's name) until we offically know what we will be having and then we will give him/her a true real family name.

As for this process it is crazy with paper work. My view point on it goes something like this: God will bless us with a child one day. I feel that we have to get everything done on our end and then when He is ready for us to have a child then we will have one. I do not want to prevent us from having a child because we could not take time to fill out paperwork.

This weekend is off to a good start. First we were able to get up and drive all the way to Atlanta without Jason getting a speeding ticket (on our first visit he got his first). Jason that was written for you because of the comment about you wanting me to fold your laundry and also telling everyone in the blog world about my fear of people touching my neck.

After the signing of the contract we were able to sit down with the other couples and review how to write a "Dear Mommy" letter and what the criteria is for that letter. Who knew writing a letter would have so many rules.

We are now back in the hotel after having a very large meal we are just sitting here trying to digest all the information we took in today. Tomorrow things start at 9 am. It is making me feel like I am back getting my Masters when I had to stay in a hotel and go to classes on the weekend. Last time I ended up with a degree this time we will hopefully end up with a child!

It will be another exciting day with lots of information and then on Sunday we will head home to get started on all the things we need to. I am sure Jason will add more. I hope you enjoy our blog and our adoption adventure!-Chad

Packing For Trip To Agency!!!!!!!

2009-02-26T22:43:00.002-05:00

We're putting the last few thing's in our luggage for our Weekend Intensive as we speak... Chad admitted to having a few panick attack's... Not in a Bad way but a Life CHanging way.. It's gonna be official tomorrow and boy what a reality check ....... I keep looking ahead into my minds eye towards the future, and see us with our child.. It's almost like Flash Forwards instead of back.. And I Love what I see..... I'm so fortunate to be able to go down this path...So Blessed....Well I really don't have much to say tonight so I'll try to write more later... Nite World....and Goodnight My Little Love if you are even out there yet...Love Your Daddie's....

1 more day till we Leave for IAC Weekend Intensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-25T22:08:00.004-05:00

One more full day and we are off to see the wizard the wonderful wizard of oz... Oh wait that was wrong 1 more day till we are heading off to see the Amazing people at the Independent Adoption Center... http://www.adoptionhelp.org/ ...... I'm so beside myself I could just spit..LOL... no really I could..hehehehe... We have gotten all of the fingerprinting and docter's visit's for both animals and us coplete and everything mailed in one week.. Our Home Study person is impressed by our Promptness... I am to to be honest.. Not that were slacker's just I know how thing's can move in this house LOL... But I'm proud of Both of Us.... I'm Still Sad about my Kitty who has to lose his Eye on Monday.. I'm just Glad he's not gonna be in any pain after it's all said and done... Say's your prayer's for my Baby Please... Well I'm gonna blog more later so Peace and Love to all....Ps I'm trying to invoke thought's of Spring to us all with this pic of me and Chad and 2 friends by our pool in the back yard.. Hopefully it will warm us all up...