We have deep appreciation for cultures that are not our own. One of Jefferson's formative childhood experiences was a study abroad program in Costa Rica. Living there helped him appreciate the beauty of other cultures. Since then, he has traveled extensively in Central and South America and speaks near-fluent Spanish.

One of our greatest joys as a couple has been traveling to other countries and learning about different cultures and ways of life through these experiences. Recently, we traveled together to do volunteer work in West Africa. We lived for a few months in a small village with one dirt road and no running water. We still smile fondly when we recall being led by a 7-year-old villager cutting a path through the jungle for us with his machete. Our African hosts were some of the most generous and gracious people we've ever met.

We will make sure your child appreciates diverse cultures, ethnicities, and racial backgrounds. We'll give them the kinds of opportunities we've had to travel the world and "walk a mile in someone else's shoes." And we are excited about the possibility of raising a child with a background that's different from ours - we will embrace the opportunity to learn about, experience, and celebrate another culture.

Some of our favorite things to do together are walking in nature, eating delicious food, having friends and family over, playing with our dogs, taking yoga and fitness classes, and traveling.

We also have some individual hobbies. Having grown up in a performing arts family, Laurie enjoys attending live theater events and musical performances. She was a dancer most of her life and still enjoys ballet, jazz and tap dancing. She takes classes at a local dance studio and even performs in adult dance recitals!

Jefferson's favorite hobbies are woodworking, gardening, and cooking. He loves trying out new recipes from scratch. In the fall and winter, Jefferson finds joy in simple pleasures like splitting wood and building fires in our wood burning fireplace. When it's cold outside, we love sitting by the fire playing board games, watching our favorite shows, and snuggling with our dogs.

We look forward to sharing our favorite activities with a child of our own. We're also excited to see what new activities the child brings into our lives. Whatever they love, we'll support it, and we'll make sure their lives are rich and full.

We come from very different backgrounds. We embrace Laurie's Japanese heritage and Jefferson's Southern upbringing. The theme of our wedding was Southern-Asian fusion! One of our most fun family traditions is celebrating Japanese New Year with Laurie's family. Everyone cooks their favorite Japanese dishes like Grandma's chicken katsu, Uncle Johnny's sushi rolls, and Auntie Amy's mochi ice cream. We play games and share family stories until it's time to ring in the new year together. Laurie' mom has also passed down her family tradition of playing "Samurai Poker" for nickels and dimes. We love it when she calls out the cards in Japanese, just like her mom and dad used to do. On the other side of the family, we embrace Jefferson's Southern culture. As a boy, Jefferson spent a lot of time with his grandparents gardening, feeding the dairy cows, chopping wood, and hunting. These days, we grow a small garden, cozy up to our wood-burning fireplace in the winter, and get out in nature as often as we can. We love both of our cultures. We believe that combining them makes both of them stronger, and we can't wait to add our little one's culture to the mix if it's different from our own.

We both come from close knit families who are over- the-moon excited to welcome their newest family member.

Laurie's mom, 3 siblings plus spouses, and our 6 nieces and nephews all live just a few miles away. We see each other often for family dinners, movie and game nights, and holidays. We celebrate every family birthday together and bring our own cheering section to support the children's musical performances, dance recitals, and sporting events. We enjoy family vacations and have visited different state parks, beaches, and even Disney World together!

Jefferson's parents live in Tennessee, where he grew up. He is an only child, so this will be their only grandchild. They cannot wait to spoil this baby like only grandparents can! Jefferson's cousins, who have been like brothers his whole life, are excited to become honorary uncles.

We have many young children in our family, including adopted bi-racial children on Jefferson's side. We feel so lucky knowing that our child will always be surrounded by a supportive and loving family with plenty of playmates.

Ohio - We live in a beautiful 200-year-old farmhouse that has been home to many children and will be perfect for this child. One of its best features is a fenced in backyard where our puppies play, we grow our vegetable garden, and Jefferson grills and smokes meat. On cool fall evenings, we eat on the patio by the fire pit and make s'mores. When we moved in, we built a Little Free Library in the front yard. We love to chat with families who stop by to leave an old book and take a new one.

In our immediate neighborhood, we are surrounded by families with young kids. They rotate playtime from house to house, and we chat with them over the fence. They're excited to support us in our adoption journey and welcome our little one into the group.

In our neighborhood, everything a child needs is close by! We have a bike path in front of our house that leads to parks, schools, and a beautiful metro garden with streams, woodlands, and a large play area for children. We love walking our three adorable Boston Terriers: Lily, Gracie, and Rosie on the path. They bring a laugh to everyone they meet and try to kiss every child that runs up to pet them.

Finally, our charming "uptown district," known for its shops, bakeries, and restaurants, is just a short bike ride away. It truly is a family-oriented area with its beautiful public library, recreation center, and farmers' market. It also hosts special events year round - we love attending the many festivals, craft fairs, art exhibits, holiday parades, and more!

Thank you for reading our profile and considering us as potential adoptive parents for your child. We are so excited to grow our family through adoption. This child will be our one and only child and the center of our world. Loving, caring for, and raising this child will be the most meaningful and important thing we do together.

Since you're considering us as possible parents, we want you to know about us. We have been married 11 years. We have a very strong marriage and value family above all else. We are close with both sides of the family, and can promise that your child will be surrounded by supportive and loving grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and playmates.

Besides love and family, we believe the next most important thing for a child is to have as many enriching life experiences as possible. Some of these are simple, like playing in a stream in the park or reading a new book. Some are bigger, like learning a sport or musical instrument. And some are life changing, like exploring a foreign country for the first time. We are committed to providing as many meaningful and enriching life experiences to your child as possible.

We also want you to know a little about us as individuals. Laurie is known for her warmth, generosity, and ability to connect with others. She loves to shower our family kids and dogs with love, hugs, and kisses. She finds the most thoughtful gifts for holidays and birthdays. She finds ways to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds. Laurie always wanted to be a mom and cannot wait to pour her heart into this child. In addition, as a child psychologist, Laurie has lots of experience helping kids and families through tough times. She will be able to use her experience and skills to help us raise our child in the best and healthiest way possible.

Jefferson is known for his kindness, patience, and love for mentoring young people. For him, there is no greater joy than helping others build confidence through mastering difficult tasks. Recently, he has been teaching several of our nieces and nephews how to build furniture and grow a vegetable garden. Jefferson can't wait to love, support, and guide your child. In addition, Jefferson was a middle school teacher and coach for several years. He will be able to use his experience and skills to help us support and guide this child.

Now you know a little about us. We also want you to know that if you place your child with us we will make sure they never forget you. We will tell their adoption story and talk to them about you. They will understand that you placed them for adoption because you believed it was the best thing for them. They will know you love them, and you will always be part of their story.

You will also remain connected to your child's life if you want to be. We are looking forward to sharing updates and photos with you through email or text. We are also open to phone calls and in-person visits in the future if you and we believe it is in the child's best interest at the time.

Deciding to place your child for adoption takes strength and courage. We believe that you will make the best decision for your baby, whether it's to place them with us or with another family. We support you either way. If you do place your child with us, you will be giving us the greatest gift of our lives. We will always be grateful and will pour all that we have into raising your child. If you think we're a good fit, we look forward to taking this adoption journey with you. Thank you again for considering us as adoptive parents for your baby.

Jefferson & Laurie