I know how hard it is to adopt. We've adopted as foster parents, and our current roller coaster ride to adoption is rocky, but that is because we feel like we need to make sure our adopted son's 1/2 brother is safe before we proceed to adopt again, and we have new reasons all over again to question his safety.
Anyways, I, too live in Idaho. I was shocked by the $60,000, and have never heard of surrogacy prices that high otherwise (not that I've researched much at all). We could adopt foreign three times over at that price. I'm much more familiar with adoption, and know agency prices vary widely depending on where you go, and I can only presume surrogacy is the same way.
It's ok for you to feel strongly about not adopting, I could never pursue surrogacy, there's just no way I'd submit to removal of my eggs, and raising a child that is not biological just is not a big deal to me. I do, however, think that everyone should always look at their options, and are glad that you have. Any non-pg path to a child has it's own issues (not that pg is EASY for any of us HGers by any means), and I think a couple must be committed that it is the right path for them, because there's so much less regret later on.
Adopting our son as foster parents was difficult because of the long attempted reunification and court process, but we know it was the right process for us at the time for that child, so I don't regret going through it, not that we're pursuing adopting again the same way, mind you.
Andy
Mom to Aaron 14 (HG), Anna 11 (HG), Adam 8 (adopted), Andrew 8 (adopted), fostering a newborn . . .