Every story has a beginning. Ours started in 1997. My name is Tony, and my wife Carla is the love of my life. She’s beautiful, kind, and my best friend. When we met, Carla had just gone through a hard divorce. We started as friends, talking at my family’s restaurant. One day, someone told me to ask her out, and I did. That was the start of everything.
Carla had a little girl named Shelby. She was two years old and melted my heart right away. I loved her from the beginning. We got married and soon had our second daughter, Sydney. Sawyer’s birth, years later, brought a new kind of joy into our lives.
Elizabeth Lehman Photography
Sometime later, we went to an adoption and foster care seminar. At first, we just wanted to learn. We heard stories of kids who had been hurt or left behind, and something stirred in us. We knew deep down we had room in our hearts for more children. But we waited.
Elizabeth Lehman Photography
We took on the role of Sunday school teachers at our church in 2011. That’s where we met foster kids face-to-face. Many families at church were fostering. Some were older couples. Carla and I looked at each other and said, “If they can do it, so can we.”
Sarah Coleman Photography
Then in 2015, I lost my job. It was a hard time, but it made us think deeper about our purpose. After a few months, I found steady work again, and we decided it was time. We took foster care classes in 2016 and finished our paperwork in 2017.
Elizabeth Lehman Photography
Just three hours after getting approved, we got our first call. A newborn needed a home. We didn’t even have baby stuff, but our friends and church family came together and helped. Our lives were blessed by that baby’s presence for half a year. It broke our hearts when he left, but we knew he was going to be okay.
Elizabeth Lehman Photography
Then we got another call, two brothers, ages two and a half and two months. We said yes. The older boy, Dakota, couldn’t speak more than a few words. His skin was irritated with rashes, yet Nate didn’t shed a single tear.
It was clear they had been neglected. But we loved them from day one.
Madison Finley Photography
It wasn’t always easy. We made mistakes. But we loved them like our own. After some time, we were asked if we wanted to adopt them. Without even thinking, we said yes.
Now, they are our sons forever. We are also caring for their baby sister, born early. Life is busy and full of noise but also full of love.
We’re so glad we said yes.
