My name is Courtney Hartleib and my husband, Colton, and I are beginning our journey of adoption. Colton and I met in JROTC class our freshman year of high school in 2002. In 2003 we started dating and we have been together ever since. In 2007 he asked me to marry him, and on July 5, 2008, we became husband and wife.
Colton and I have always wanted to have a family of our own. We agreed to wait until after college and had stable jobs. Our plan was perfect, have a house, a fence, a dog, and a few kids. Little did we know that our plan was not God's plan. After a few years of trying on our own, we knew something was wrong. In 2014 we found out that we would not be able to conceive children on our own. It was heartbreaking to learn that we would not be able to conceive naturally, but we were hopeful we would conceive through IUI's. However, after 15 months of failed attempts and a devastating miscarriage in July, we knew that conceiving may not be an option for us. When I was a teenager, I was at a Christian youth event called Acquire the Fire and the speaker was passionately talking about adoption and God filled me with such a peace that I was brought to tears. It was then that I knew I would adopt one day. I was unaware of the pain that I would endure when later on, but God has been there for me and Colton both since we began the infertility journey. My mantra, through Scripture and songs, has been It Is Well With My Soul and Thy Will Be Done. God has now given my husband that same peace He gave me all those years ago, and we are ready to adopt!
We have applied to All About U Adoptions (http://www.aauadoptions.org/) and have been approved for a domestic adoption! We are so excited! What we need now is some help with the funds. As most people know, adoption is very expensive. We are looking at anywhere between $21,500 to $25,000. We are planning a few fundraisers and are hoping to get some grants as well, but we could still use some help. Any donation you are willing to give, even if it's just a dollar, would be greatly appreciated. Anything extra we receive once we hit our goal we will be donating to right back to our adoption agency (it's a nonprofit organization!) to help others with their adoption journey. Colton and I are so blessed and we are ready to give a child a loving home. As the saying goes, "Adopting one child won’t change the world; but for that one child, the world will change."
Sincerely, Colton and Courtney Hartleib