It had been seven years since she first revealed to Stuart the dream she had. On their first date, not even fifteen minutes into it, Stuart questioned her about what she wanted to do with her life. She was just 19 years old when he asked what her dream career was, where she wanted to travel, and if she wanted kids. Those were some big questions for a first date.
She said she didn’t really know what she wanted to do, but she did say she knew one thing for sure, if she was going to have children in her life, it would be because she was fostering them. Two weeks after their honeymoon, they began foster parent training. Seven years later, they waited in a courtroom to become parents of two boys.
An Emotional Day
Sara, the two boys, and her husband, Stuart Shank, sat on the front bench of the courthouse facing the judge. The wait was almost over. The four of them sat attentive, awaiting the judge’s final decision. The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone knew how they wanted this day to go, they just had to hope that the judge felt the same way.
Breaking the reverent silence, the oldest boy, Dayshawn, stood up straight and tall. Heads turned abruptly, and he surprised everyone in the room with his interruption. He had some things to say about the Cozad family. His observations left Sara and Stuart in tears.
The Longest Day
Sitting in that courtroom, time seemed to come to a stop for Sara. It felt as if years were dragging out, waiting for the judge’s decision. In reality, it had been years. Sara explained that the hardest part about adopting their boys was the flip-flop of emotions they went through throughout their very long case.
She noted that this process had been going on for years at that point. She had always been a Type-A person, but this process made her realize the value of sitting back and simply enjoying life with her boys, because no one knew what the future held. When it all started, she was 26. It was a longtime dream to be a foster mom. She wanted to be a foster mom ever since she became an adult.
On the Road to Becoming Foster Parents
That momentous first date led to marriage. Sara tells it like this: They got married a few years later and went on their honeymoon. Two weeks after they came home, they decided they were going to start their foster parent training. She added that they were in agreement that they would just do short-term emergency care/respite to start. They were planning on fostering babies and toddlers.
If it seems like a lot for a new couple to take on, it is! Sara says she felt proud of Stuart’s commitment to her dream. The loving couple was embarking on a challenging but rewarding journey. From the start, Sara said that she never felt compelled to have biological children, and it just made sense if kids in their community need a place to stay and they had a house, that is what they would do.
Guided by Love
From their very first date, Sara and Stuart formed a bond around the idea of adopting children. Not only is it rare for couples to begin their lives like this, but it shows that the two were meant for each other. It was a match made in heaven, and these two were angels themselves.
They tumbled into love and got married in 2014. The deep love they shared right from the start grew into a special bond that was ideal for foster parenting. What those children need most is love, and this couple had more than enough to go around.