As a couple we value transparency and truthfulness. It is very important to us that a child knows about their adoption and their first family from the beginning. Starting at birth we will celebrate their beginnings and heritage. As they get older we will share more and more with them as they are able to process and understand.

We will always keep an open dialogue to discuss their feelings and address their questions about adoption, their first family, and cultural identity. We are fully committed to growing our family through adoption, joys and struggles included, and have no interest in hiding this special aspect of our family. From Amanda's experience of growing up with a grandfather who was adopted, to the books we have read from the adoptee's perspective, we know how important it is for a child to know their full story and as much about their biological family as possible. We are dedicated to honoring the triad of adoption.

As a couple, we are a partnership. We both value each other's dedication to honoring our equality in our partnership. We are so grateful to have met each other. One of the first things we noticed when we were first dating was how family-oriented we both are. Early on, we were spending time with each other's family and it was fun and easy. From very early on, we really appreciated the kindness that we each showed each other and the world around us. As we grew in our relationship we were grateful for our ability to compromise and communicate honestly to prevent becoming upset.

As someone who is more quiet, Amanda admires Eric's social nature and his ability to communicate with everyone as if they have been long time friends. Amanda admires and respects Eric's optimistic and positive nature. Amanda appreciates Eric's willingness to help around the house without Amanda needing to ask. Amanda loves that Eric will be an involved, caring and active father. Eric admires Amanda's ability to meet people where they are and show empathy without judgement. Eric also admires Amanda's integrity and strong work ethic. Eric is grateful for Amanda's ability to problem solve and keep us prepared for any situation we might face. Eric loves that Amanda will be a supportive, caring, and warm mother. Together we make a great team and have a strong partnership. We are so grateful for what we have and love that we can be the best for each other.

As individuals, as a couple, and as we grow our family, we fully embrace cultural diversity with our whole hearts. A person's culture is the foundation for how that person experiences and sees the world. Understanding one's culture is how people understand how they belong and how they are a piece of something bigger than themselves or their immediate family.

As parents, we are dedicated to honoring a child's culture and our family's diversity. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have an extended family that already is multi-cultural and are happy to welcome more diversity into our family!

We are completely dedicated to making sure a child feels belonging in our family. As we grow our family, we want to embrace and enjoy important aspects of one's culture such as language, food, politics, and clothes. As a couple, we have intentionally educated ourselves to be open to cultures other than our own. We still can't claim to know most aspects of other cultures. However, we can say that we are welcoming to diversity and are dedicated to forever learning and growing our knowledge and understanding.

Family is very important to us. We are both the oldest of two siblings and both have younger brothers. Both Amanda's and Eric's parents have been happily married for over 30 years. We are very fortunate to have both sides of our immediate family within 30 minutes of our home. This makes visiting very easy and frequent. We are so lucky to have so much support as we plan to raise a child. Everyone in our family fully supports our adoption plan. Amanda's paternal grandfather was adopted and one of her cousins was also adopted. Our families instantly were all in on adoption!

As a couple, our favorite family tradition is when Amanda's side of the family gathers at her parents house for the week of Thanksgiving. This tradition has been taking place since before Amanda was born. The week consists of 20 or so people staying in one house, which is unique. It is a week of cards/games, cookie decorating, and Christmas celebration. We are so looking forward to our first Thanksgiving with a child.

We live in a suburban community in Georgia. We love where we live because we truly have the best of both worlds. We are equidistant to the mountains and the city, with all the everyday conveniences. There are several state of the art playgrounds within a few miles from our home. We also are zoned for terrific schools.

Our home is hidden away in a cul-de-sac which will be great for riding bikes with the neighborhood children. We are also centrally located so we can walk to the neighborhood pool and tennis courts. Our home has four bedrooms and a basement. The large fenced in backyard and fire pit made us instantly know that this is where we want to raise a family. We look forward to getting a playset for added childhood memories.

We spend most of our time in our family room, on our sectional couch talking and enjoying our favorite TV shows. Our dog, Layla, loves cuddling up with her humans at the end of the day. We have a very comfortable home. We pride ourselves on having a lived in, cozy home. We enjoy artwork that sparks joy on the walls. Amanda loves our dining room because she likes to host "fancy" family nights where she decorates and creates a fun table setting and we all gather to create great memories.

Our names are Eric and Amanda. We have been together since 2017, and have been happily married since 2020. Our marriage is truly a strong partnership that we have worked very hard to grow over the years. We are so grateful for the love and support we found in each other. We pride ourselves on being great communicators and good at compromise. We do not bicker with each other nor do we belittle one another. We live in our relationship, grateful to be loved unconditionally.

We live in a peaceful and comfortable home that sparks joy. We pride ourselves on having a home that is made for family and friends. We live in a home meant for building forts in the family room and hosting family dance parties in the kitchen after stressful days. The home we have created is full of love, color, and cheer. When we bought this home, we had becoming a family in the forefront of our mind. We chose it for its bedrooms, basement, and large fenced backyard. We bought this house for creating memories with a child and hopefully their future sibling. We dream of being the house that hosts birthday parties, play dates, lazy Sundays, and is visited by Santa and Christmas cheer.

We promise to love unconditionally and always be there for our child. We promise to ensure their feelings of safety. No matter what comes up in life, no one in our family is up against it alone. We understand every child needs different things and different kinds of support. Our intent is to meet the child where they are and with what they need. We promise to practice grace when teaching tough lessons. We promise to embrace differing opinions, and help them cultivate a voice of their own. We promise to raise them with knowledge and pride of their heritage and culture.

To us, growing our family through adoption is not just growing through a child. Growing our family through adoption includes growing our extended family through a child's birth parents and first family. We would be honored to have you become a part of our family, in a way that is most comfortable and realistic. You will always be respected in our home. We will send you letters and pictures so you do not have to wonder about the child you love. We are also open to openness, such as visits and/ or video visits, phone calls, and emails. It is important to us that we do not get in the way of a child knowing about their biological, first family. We want to encourage and embrace the child's curiosity and wonder for their first family as they grow older and have questions.

We are honored that you have taken the time to learn a little more about who we are. We hope you might be interested in learning more. We certainly are looking forward to learning about you, your life, and your family.

Peace and Love,

Eric & Amanda