At a hospital in Evansville, Indiana, I was born in December of 1978.  I was born to a single mom who was raising four kids.  She was strong and brave.  She wanted to keep me, but she knew she couldn’t.  Her home was full, money was tight, and her husband was gone.   This was a very difficult decision, but she was placing me for adoption.  She prayed that kind people would become my parents and love me the way she would have loved me.  

God was watching over me, and He chose two very special people to become my parents.  They had tried to have children of their own, but God had a different plan.  He would give me to them and them to me.  It was perfect.   

I was raised as an only child, and I was spoiled! My parents loved to play with me and take me to new places.  My parents would tell me over and over that they would love me no matter what.   They told me I was special, and that I could do anything.  They made me feel confident, secure and loved.  

I don’t remember the first time I was told that I was adopted, but my parents made it known that I was special, and that they had waited five years for me.  Wow!   Five years is a long time!  Over time, I came to understand in my heart that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.  I knew that somehow God put me here for my good.  I don’t know how I knew, but I did.  

When I was five, we moved from Evansville to St. Louis, Missouri.  Then, when I was in the middle of second grade, we moved to Plano, Texas. 

I got married when I was 25 to a super amazing man named Brad.  

When I was 30, my mom got sick.  She fought very hard, but I was sad when she passed away two years later.  I was 32.  My husband and I had a four-year-old little boy, Corbin, and a two-year-old little girl, Grace.  They were really sad, too.  

When I was 33, my dad got sick.  He also fought really hard, but passed away when I was 37.  I now had three kids.  Corbin was 9, Grace was 7, and Faith was 3.  We were all really sad, but God was still watching over me.  I could feel Him comforting me during this very difficult time.    

A few years later, Brad's mom asked if I would like to find my original birth certificate from Indiana.  

This would have my birth mother's name on it.  Would I be able to meet her?  I thought this was a great idea, but I was nervous, too. 

I started filling out a form, but I didn’t have all the answers.  I wrote a letter to a few people – my uncle, my mom’s best friend, and my mom’s cousin.  My mom’s cousin, Nancy, wrote me back.  She told me she was a nurse in the hospital where I was born.  She was even there at my birth!  See?  God had a plan!  

Dear Nancy,

I was wondering...

Dear Stephanie, 

After a quick search on the internet, I found a man who looked a lot like me.  He had my original last name, and he still lived in Evansville.   I could hardly breathe.  

I mustered up the courage to write him.  I told him my name, where and when I was born, and all that I knew about my birth family.   

I was terrified.  What if he didn’t want to talk to me?  What if I made him sad or angry?  Would he even remember me?  I sent off my message and waited.  

Just a few short hours later, he wrote me back!  It was brother, Mike!  He not only remembered me, but told me he thought of me every day.  He also told me I had three other siblings.  I had a sister named Cheryl, a brother named Joe, and another sister named Michelle.  Wow!  I was the youngest of five!  That was quite a bit different from being an only child.  And all my family still lived in Evansville.  I thought that was pretty amazing.

Cheryl

Joe

Michelle

Mike

Me