Andrea is a middle school special education teacher and has been teaching for over 15 years, primarily in Title 1 schools. Through the years, she has worked with children from many different backgrounds and abilities and truly loves being a small part of their lives. She brings patience, care, and encouragement into everything she does, both in and out of the classroom.

Chris began his career in the entertainment industry as a stage manager and automation technician working on cruise ships. He now works full time in product and inventory management near our house. This allows him to stay local and be home every evening. He is hands-on, creative, and enjoys building things and working on projects to improve the house.

Our lifestyle reflects how we approach life in general. We work hard, but we also make time to slow down and enjoy being together.

Evenings are usually simple. We have dinner at home, catch up on the day, and relax. On Fridays, you will often find us out on the deck talking and unwinding from the week. Saturdays are usually spent doing something fun like visiting family, seeing friends, or getting out of the house for an adventure.

We love live events, especially concerts, theater, and football games, and we even try to plan a couple of trips or getaways each year. Decorating for the holidays is something we really enjoy! We have now started to decorate throughout the year. This has opened us up to even more creativity and enjoyment, and we cannot wait to see what the child will add! Given all of this, we truly enjoy making our home feel welcoming and comfortable.

We are really looking forward to sharing all of that with a child. Not in a big, over-the-top way, just in the everyday moments. Letting them be part of what we already do and also figuring out what they love along the way.

Several times a year, we visit Fernandina Beach, Florida, where Andrea’s parents have a home just one block from the ocean. It is a special place for us. Every summer we spend 10 to 14 days there together with our family. It is one of the times we look forward to most each year.

A typical day might start with Chris heading out early to fish, followed by breakfast and deciding what the day will bring. Sometimes it is a beach day where we look for shark’s teeth and catch some rays. Some days we take walks on the greenway, or sit on the porch with a good book.

We are really excited about the idea of sharing this place with our child where they can explore, play, and create their own cherished memories. It is the kind of place where you can slow down and just enjoy being together as a family.

We live just outside of Atlanta in a quiet suburban neighborhood. We have been here for about three years in a single-story brick home with a bonus room upstairs. Our house has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large backyard.

We spend a lot of time outside on our back deck. Some nights we are just sitting and talking. Others, we are watching a game or making a fire in our firepit. It is one of our favorite places to be. We can easily picture our child out there with us, running around, helping with s’mores, or just hanging out at the end of the day.

Our neighborhood is one of those places where people still talk to each other. There are a lot of kids around, and holidays like Halloween get pretty lively. We are close enough to Atlanta to go into the city, but far enough out that it feels calm and safe.

There is also a lot to do nearby. Parks, trails, a creek, a community pool, and plenty of space to be outside. We like that there are options and would love to see what a child naturally gravitates toward and support that.

Both of our families live about an hour away, so we get to see them often. They are close, supportive, and very involved in our lives. We already joke that there will be some friendly competition over who gets to meet the baby first.

Andrea grew up with her parents and two younger sisters. One of her sisters just finished her residency as a pediatrician, and she and her husband have moved back to the Atlanta area. Her youngest sister has Down syndrome and lives in a great community with her own apartment. Spending time with Andrea’s family is something we really value, especially at their beach house. We swim, fish, look for shark’s teeth, try new restaurants, and spend time on the porch with neighbors. It is one of those places where everyone just relaxes and enjoys being together.

Chris also comes from a very close family. His parents have been married for 47 years, and he has a sister who is married with three children. The cousins are already excited about the idea of a new addition to the family. We love visiting Chris’s parents at their home on a golf course near a small town with local shops and restaurants. Our visits usually revolve around food and time together. In the summer, that means burgers on the grill and his mom’s award-winning potato salad.

Family is a big part of our lives, and a child in our home would grow up surrounded by people who are excited to love them, spend time with them, and be part of their everyday life.

We know this is not an easy place to be, and we just want to start by saying how much respect we have for you. The fact that you are even reading profiles and considering this says a lot about the kind of person you are.

We have been together for ten years and married for nine. We met on a dating app and pretty quickly knew we were meant to be together. Our relationship has always been built on honesty, communication, and just genuinely enjoying each other’s company.

Over the years, life has thrown us some challenges, but we have always handled them side by side. We try not to get stuck in the hard parts and instead look for ways to move forward and make the best of things. This mindset is something we would want to pass on to a child.

We enjoy being together, whether that means going out to a concert, traveling, or just having a quiet night at home. At the end of the day, we are each other’s person, and that sense of stability is something we are grateful for.

For a long time, we have tried to grow our family. We went through the ups and downs of trying naturally with fertility treatments. It did not work out the way we had hoped, but it made one thing very clear to us. We want to be parents. That has never changed.

Adoption feels like the right path for us, and we are genuinely excited about it. We already think about the child who will come into our lives and what it will be like to raise them, support them, and watch them grow.

We picture the everyday things. Bedtime routines, helping with homework, weekends adventures together, and being there for whatever they need. We want to raise a child who feels safe, loved, and comfortable being exactly who they are.

The child would be surrounded by people who care about them. Our families and friends are excited and supportive, and there would be no shortage of love in their life.

We also want you to know that we are open to staying connected in whatever way feels right to you. That can include updates, photos, and visits if that is something you would want. The child will always know where they come from and will grow up hearing about you with respect.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to learn a little about us. We would be honored to get to know you as well!

Chris & Andrea