It is how we all picture our life to be. We grow up, perhaps attend college, fall in love, get married, and start a career and family. But sometimes it doesn’t go the way we plan.

Craig and I met at the end of our sophomore year at Geneva College. Shortly after that we started dating. We knew right away we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. The week after graduation we were married, on May 16, 1992. After a couple of career changes and a year and a half in New York, we settled back into Beaver, Pa. We were enjoying our time together—just the two of us working and traveling.

After five years we finally decided it was time to start a family. Little did we know that we were about to travel a very long and hard journey that would change our lives forever.

After about eight months of trying to become pregnant I went to my doctor for some help. Over four months later, in January 1998, 1 started treatments for infertility. This included many uncomfortable tests, blood work, and temperature charts. All tests came back normal but the temperature charts were not what they should have been.

The next thing we tried was taking medications. After four more months and no pregnancy, my insurance company was the one to make our next decision for us. The company was soon going to discontinue their infertility program. We had to see an infertility specialist before July that year to be grandfathered into the program. If we didn’t, there would not he any coverage for us. As we were getting settled into the new home we had just purchased, we found ourselves filling out pages of paperwork in Dr. Miguel Marrero’s office. In only one visit we found out a whole lot of new things.

Based on my medical history he immediately suggested laparoscopic surgery to see if I had endometriosis. This was scheduled about one month later. Under general anesthesia endometriosis was confirmed, as well as a cyst on one of my ovaries. He performed outpatient laser surgery. After a month of healing and lots of prayer about our uncertain future, we again hoped I would become pregnant.

When a couple goes through this process, there are no private issues left. This doctor knows everything about you. But needless to say, we did not share this information with a lot of other people. In one sense you want to share so that they can pray for you, but on the other hand you don’t want to face these same people if nothing is working out. All we could do was hope that God would answer our prayers.

I went back to taking medication, but this time everything about me was care fully watched. When it was time I took an injection that would force ovulation to occur 36 hours later. Soon after that I was at the doctor’s office going through a process known as IUI or artificial insemination.

I can’t tell you how excited I was that I would be a mother. I thought for sure God would give us the child we wanted in the next few months. The first try failed, but we were not discouraged. However, after the second try and no pregnancy I truly started to feel that we must have done a terrible wrong and God was punishing us. This was not supposed to be this hard! We had to put this behind us and look toward a last try with IUI. We prayed that it would be God’s will for us to have a child, but we also knew He was in total control and no matter what happened it was all to be for His glory.

As the holidays were approaching we hoped for a very blessed Christmas. We told no one what we had been doing. It just would have been more painful if we had. At the beginning of December we found out what I had feared for a few days. We were not pregnant.

Craig and I were both crushed. What went wrong? Why did God create me so I would not be able to conceive a child? We had a strong desire for children, and in His Word He says He will give us the desires of our heart. There were so many mixed emotions. I was angry, but there was no one to be angry at. I couldn’t blame God. It wasn’t Craig’s fault or mine. It was like grieving a death of a loved one, but there was no physical child to grieve for. The pain was real for both of us. I think Craig felt more pain in seeing me so sad than in what had happened. To top this all off, it was a season to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We did not feel much like celebrating.

At the end of December we met again with Dr. Marrero to discuss our final option, in vitro fertilization. We had hoped we would not have to come to this point. The statistical chances of it working were less than 33 percent. It might take more than one try, and it would cost us a good sum of money even though insurance paid most of it. However. it was still significantly less expensive than it would be to adopt a child here or abroad. If it worked, we also would not have to wait three years or longer, nor would we have to deal with a birth mother changing her mind. We carefully and prayerfully weighed all our options. We placed it all in the Lord’s hands and asked Him to show us what to do.

Feeling His guidance, we chose in vitro fertilization. We literally rolled all our extra change, and we saved any extra money we had. We also were blessed with money coming in from outside sources. We had our first tax refund, Craig did some freelance computer projects, and some rebates on purchased items came in. Every penny was saved for medications we would need. We saved like this for six months. Emotionally, it was a difficult six months. It seemed every time we turned around we heard a report of someone having a baby that didn’t plan it or want it. During every psalm and sermon on Sunday I found myself crying. I was on such an emotional roller coaster.

In July 1999 we started the process. In total I had 13 days of injections taken twice a day. Thankfully my mom is a retired nurse, and she was a great help at this time. Craig and needles don’t go together! There were also many ultrasounds to track each egg produced and its size.

On Aug. 12 we were in the doctor’s office discussing with the embryologist the progress of the embryos. An hour or so later we were in an outpatient surgery room implanting the embryos and hoping that one would take.

On Aug. 25 our prayers were answered in an amazing way. The doctor’s office called Craig, and he in turn called me at work. “Congratulations, Mommy!” was all he said to me. We were on cloud nine and praising God all the way. One month later we again were having an ultrasound to see how our baby was doing. We were in shock and tears as we saw not one but four babies waiting to come into this world.

I spent much of the next five months being sick. I was at the emergency room three times for dehydration, and once they admitted me. I continued to work until the doctor put me on “modified bed rest” at about 18 weeks. This meant not getting up unless necessary and trying not to lift or to take many stairs.

This is where all of you came in—the church. We were blessed with lots of prayers and help. People made us meals, cleaned our home, did our laundry, and even just called to see how we were doing. Poor Craig had to do so much. The Lord truly blessed me with the best partner. He stayed up with me all night at the hospital. He never complained.

As many of you know, on Feb. 24, 2000, we brought into this world our two sons and two daughters in eight minutes. This was in part due to the quick yet safe driving of my sister Christina to Mercy Hospital. I couldn’t have done it without her. The babies were about 10 weeks premature. They arrived as follows: Duncan John at 3 lbs., Anna Elizabeth at 2 lbs. 11 oz., Trevor Joseph at 3 lbs. 2 oz., and Megan Lindsay at 2 lbs. 8 oz. It was also the best I had felt in seven months.

I truly believe that the Lord has been glorified through this. Not only did the birth of these children touch the lives of those who know us but lives of thou sands of TV watchers and newspaper readers. We made sure God was given all the credit. Not once during the pregnancy did we worry about their health or when they would he born. God gave us the peace and surety of knowing they would be born healthy. To this day we will never be able to comprehend the number of people and churches who lifted us up in prayer and continue to do so. We have made new friends and have become closer than ever to our church family.

It is truly God who worked out every detail. The chances of getting pregnant were less than 33 percent. The chance that all four embryos would grow was less than 1 percent. The day the kids were horn it was sunny and 70 degrees (in February!). The next clay our doctor would have been out of town. My father had just come home to recover from a broken hip and was able to join us at the hospital. All this just touches the surface of how the Lord handled each day of our life during this time.

We want to thank all of you who have supported us prayerfully, financially, and physically. We can never show how much we appreciate what you have done for us.

Today the kids are growing. They have had no real health problems anti are, of course, very mobile. We are very much looking forward to their first birthday. We also want to say that if anyone is going through trials similar to ours and would like to contact us to ask questions, we would love to talk to you. We have been in your shoes and we believe that God wants us to be there for you as well.