Leading up... Lisa's Story!

We are about to embark on an experience of a lifetime... Let's start from the beginning. My name is Lisa, and I have been happily married for 9 years. My husband Brad and I are originally from New Orleans, LA, but moved to Hattiesburg, MS three years ago for my husbands company. We have four beautiful children: Alexis-12, Madison-9, Zachary-7 and Hayden-4. All my life I have dreamed of being a mom. As far back as I can remember I have wanted to have babies, and lots of them. After GOD blessed me with Zack, my dream expanded. I now wanted someday to give that blessing to someone who was unable to have children. There is no better feeling than being a mom and how could I, someone who has easy pregnancies and deliveries, not pass that gift on. It would be sometime and another child later before my dream would come true.

GOD works in mysterious ways... Last June, the economy took a nose dive, and our family was really struggling. My husband's job was not looking so promising and with me a stay at home mom, we needed to make some decisions. House note and bills just don't stop because the economy starts to fall. All we kept thinking was, "what if Brad loses his job, there is no way he can find a job in little old town." We prayed and prayed, and one day I was on the phone with my mother, whom lives in New Orleans, and she informed me that she was putting her rental property up for lease again. It was a GOD send. We packed up our house, put it on the market and moved back home. AMEN! Brad continued to commute to MS for his job and in order to afford two house notes and four children, I got a job working for a wedding magazine. It was out of the house so I didn't have to put Hayden in a full time daycare. It was perfect, our prayers had been answered. Now all we needed to do was sell our house in H'burg.

It was August and I had just started at my new job and went to lunch with one of my new co-workers. We were making small talk, getting to know one another, when she asked how many children I had, and I had informed her that I had four. Then came the "do you want anymore?" question. I responded with my usual answer of "yes, but I want to be a surrogate first." Her eyes lit up. She informed me, that her niece had just lost a baby and is now unable to carry a child. She asked me if I minded if she gave her niece my number. I thought sure, what are the odds that we would even be compatible, but what the heck. Well lets just say I didn't hear from her niece and never thought about it again.

Christmas came and went, and my house in Hattiesburg had not sold nor did we get one offer. I realized my job with the wedding magazine was not for me and Brad's job was looking much better. Brad and I were very strong in our faith and continued to pray for direction and by mid January we were guided back to Hattiesburg. Once again we packed up our house, and headed back to the Burg. It boggled my brain, to think why did GOD pave the way to Nola only to bring us back in less than 6 months. I kept thinking we were crazy, but I guess GOD always has a plan.

I will never forget the day I recieved THE phone call. It was the end of April and I had taken the kids to a friends house to swim. I had missed a phone call from an out of state number. So on my way home, I checked my voicemail and it was her, Tara, the niece. WOW, was all I could think. So I dialed the number and she answered. At first I didn't know what to say, so I just listened, oh and yelled at the kids to be quiet! But before I knew it, we had been on the phone for over two hours. I kept thinking, this is so surreal. What are the odds that we would hit it off so well. We both wanted the same things and didn't want the same things. So in May, Brad and I took a trip to Nola to meet Tara and her husband George. We met at a restaurant for 2p.m. and when we finally paid the bill it was 6p.m. So far smooth sailing. After many phone conversations and meetings throughout the past 6 months, my expanded dream is finally coming true and I am truly blessed to know that my journeys over the past year have not been for nothing... it was for GOD to introduce us to the most wonderful, beautiful parents-to-be and we get to be a part of that.