Edwards, Party of Three!
Taylor and Ashton
Oronogo, Missouri
We're Ashton and Taylor Edwards, and we're adopting!
What have we been up to?
Aside from conversations around and the commitment to enter the adoption process, Ashton has been working as a freelance videographer creating content for commercial businesses, weddings, and other personal projects. He gets the benefit of working from home most days with the opportunity to collaborate with other videographers and photographers in the four-state area. Within the last year, Taylor completed her M.Ed. and works as a fourth-grade teacher in the Webb City School District. We got a puppy in April of 2022. Monroe, our mini Goldendoodle, completely took on Ashton's personality and loves to play rough and love hard all days of the week.
Why are we adopting?
Even before we started dating, Ashton and I felt a great passion for adoption. It started as a desire to provide a safe place, stability, and love for a child who needed it. However, we now humbly look forward to the opportunity to extend love in the way of an open adoption knowing that the Lord will have much to teach us as we seek to center the expectant mother and the child.
What now?
As we do so, we ask for your help. We know that not everyone has the means to give financially. If you do, we appreciate your gift. If you are the praying type, we ask for prayers that God would provide us with perseverance and joy as we work through the adoption process. You can also join us in praying for patience, gentleness, and wisdom as we approach parenthood. If you have any talents or resources you would like to lend to us throughout our fundraising journey, we also appreciate your willingness to help us in that way - should you know how to reach us.
Thank you so much for your love and support!
View Profile Book
6 Family Updates
Donors
Jake and Kora Anderson
Ashton and Taylor! What an exciting journey for you both! A very special home awaits this child , through your selflessness and love for our Lord and Savior. You are already awesome parents!! Praying for you both, your future child and our future family member ❤️
Gary Ohmart
This is very exciting news!!! Nancy and I will be checking on your updates as they appear. May God continue to guide you in the days ahead. Much love!!!
Alaina & Cory Grewe
Dave Curtis
Ashton and Taylor, Adoption is a picture of God's love for us. We are blessed to join with you in extending Jesus' love to a child. We will keep you in our prayers along your journey! Love, Uncle Dave & Aunt Michalle
Eric and Tiffany Adkins
We are so excited for you guys! May you have the most incredible adoption journey. We know the child you adopt will have two incredible parents and a home full of love.
MJ Holden
Thank you for being an amazing example of love, kindness, and compassion for our daughter. An amazing teacher for sure.
Phyllis Edwards
I am praying for God to find you a healthy baby. Much love from Grandma Edwards.
April Hurst
I’m so excited for you both and want to be a part of giving as your journey progresses! Praying for you as you navigate the process.
Jon Hill
We love you guys and are happy to help! Can’t wait to meet this sweet child and become their informal aunt and uncle!
Sarah Hester
I LOVE YOU ALL
Kaila & Justin Earnest
Congratulations!! We so excited for y’all and this journey. This child will be so blessed to be raised by such loving parents. We love y’all!
Ellen Harris
Randy & Seantel Coffey
Dillon McElhinney
We love you guys and we can't wait to meet this new member of your family! - Anni and Dillon
Travern and Meisha Wallace
We love you both!!
Dane and Shelby Voorhees
We love you, sweet friends! We're excited for you, and we're praying for you!
Leah Justice
So excited for you guys!!
Jessica Scheuermann
Bretton Ast
Congratulations, Im excited to be and uncle!
Paige
Kim Arnold
We’re praying for you all!
Dillon McElhinney
Bryan & Madeline Bridgford
Excited for this journey!
James Manes
Grace Cowen
We love you guys so much. ❤️❤️❤️
Keatyn Wallace
Wishing you the best on your adoption journey. Much love Keatyn, Bridgett, Mia, Declan and Liam.
Stacy Smith
We love you both so much!
Fina Puentes
Puentes Familia love you 🥰
Dace Berliew
Wishing you all the best on this incredible journey!
Hollie Marshall
Gavin has loved having you as a teacher this year! You will be an incredible mother……so loving and fun! Best of luck on your adoption journey!
Jessica Scheuermann
We can’t wait for this day!
Kevin Ast
We are so happy for you!
Mary Lou Schaefer
Praying for you!
Mary Lou Schaefer
Praying for you!
We are officially fully funded (excluding maybe some variable costs) as of a few weeks ago. Thank you to everyone for their support and prayers! Now, we are soaking in the last season of being a family of two and praying for this next season as we could receive a phone call at any point from here out.
We're excited to update you on our adoption journey! In the next few days, we'll be happily settling another invoice as we gear up to print our profile books. We collaborated with an organization specializing in the creation of "profile books" that expectant mothers look through when deciding where to place their child. Once the books are ready, we'll ship them off to Nightlight's agency locations, marking our official status as a waiting family. Alongside the generous support from our crowdfunding website, we've taken on extra jobs and put in hard work to contribute. Altogether, we've managed to pay around $18,000 toward adoption expenses, with just a bit less than that remaining to cover. Your continued thoughts, prayers, and support mean the world to us as we continue on!
Thanks for checking our updates! We have completed our home study and now are actively working on making our profile books for expectant mothers to view, sifting through grant applications, and saving up to pay our current invoice to move forward into our next phase of adoption. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. Things are becoming more and more real with each step of the way. We continue to ask for prayers for the mother, baby, and our reliance on and trust in Jesus.
We completed our adoption education requirements (24 hours each)! Next up, we have two home studies and a lot of paperwork to complete. We will need to pay a hefty invoice before we are able to move on to creating our profiles for expectant mothers to see. We are still in the thick of it, but are looking forward to the rest of the journey. Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement!
Ashton and I have paid the orientation invoice and met with our coordinator. She has put us on track to complete 24 hours of education each, and meanwhile we have paid the first of two phases of our home study. Once documents are complete and invoices are paid for both phases, we will schedule our two home study visits with our social worker. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to sharing more updates with you soon!
Ashton and I have passed the application phase of our adoption and have been in contact with our family resource specialist provided by our agency. We have been slowly raising support as well as adding avenues of revenue that we can put towards our adoption such as my Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers stores and Ashton's upcoming portrait sessions. Our adoption is scheduled in phases (Orientation, Home Study/Education, and Match Ready) and we are currently raising funds for the Orientation phase. We appreciate everyone's support and look forward to sharing future updates with you.