Adoption has profoundly shaped us personally. Our journey to parenthood included years of infertility, multiple miscarriages, and much longing and uncertainty. During that time, we often felt deep sorrow, wondering why God had not answered our prayers in the way we hoped. Yet even in the waiting, God was quietly guiding us toward adoption.

Saying yes to adoption meant trusting God with our fears and letting go of our own plans. It required taking a small mustard seed of faith and stepping forward, uncertain of what lay ahead. That faith has been rewarded beyond what we could imagine. Welcoming Ruth into our family has transformed us: it has deepened our faith, strengthened our relationship as a couple, and shown us the power of unconditional love.

Adoption has also taught us patience, gratitude, and hope. We’ve learned more about what it means to trust God’s plan, to celebrate each milestone, and to cherish the everyday joys of parenting. As we look toward growing our family, these lessons shape how we will love future children. Adoption has not only brought incredible joy into our lives but also shaped us into more hopeful parents—eager to see how God will continue to work in our family.

During the week, we spend much of our leisure time together at home and in our neighborhood. We love getting outside and exploring the world God created, and we're especially thankful for the park right across the street. Ruth loves getting outside, playing at the playground, picking flowers, and finding dogs. Ashley enjoys trying new recipes, Ruth is a great helper in the kitchen, and Jamie appreciates good food. We love listening to music together, and you can often find us dancing around the house. Ashley is a big bookworm, and we're thrilled that Ruth loves books too.

On the weekends, we enjoy hosting friends for meals, game nights, or watching sports. We are also very involved in our church and host a community group in our home each week. When the weather is nice, we enjoy walking or biking together. Jamie also likes working in the backyard and on house projects. We love to travel too. Jamie has planned many memorable trips for us around the world, including France, England, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Chile. We even took Ruth to Italy!

It has been so much fun to share these activities with Ruth and to watch her interests begin to develop—like birdwatching and petting our neighbors’ dogs. We look forward to welcoming another child into our family and sharing these joys together.

Getting to know Ashley and Jamie there was an immediate warm and fuzzy vibe. Sharing the same faith brought me to choose them but they immediately won my heart just getting to know a little about them. I could hear through the phone the joy and love they had in their heart to share with my little bio baby. At the hospital, the moment Jamie and Ashley saw Ruth their eyes lit up brighter than I'd ever seen. Since then they have kept me informed on her every move and shown me pictures of their happy beautiful family. I'm truly blessed to have found such wonderful parents for Ruth.

We are very close to our families on both sides. Even though we don’t live in the same city, we FaceTime often and see our families frequently throughout the year. With nine nieces and nephews, family gatherings are always energetic!

Jamie’s family is full of fun and curiosity. His dad, Pops, is the ultimate storyteller—he makes silly noises that have everyone cracking up. His mom, Mia, enjoys exploring nature with the kids, like collecting caterpillars and watching them transform into butterflies. We treasure the Rocky Mountains, skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Holidays are especially fun; our New Year’s Eve dance party has everyone—from toddlers to grandparents—dancing together.

Ashley’s family is warm and playful. Her mom, Lele, planned a music class for Ruth’s first birthday, and weeks later the toddlers were still singing “Five Little Ducks.” Her dad, Doc, gives great hugs and has a sneaky side—he’s always trying to grab an extra piece of Lele’s famous peach cobbler. We love sports and proudly root for Alabama—Roll Tide! Ashley’s family also enjoys long meals and time outdoors at the lake or on walks.

We are also blessed with a close circle of friends who feel like family. Our weekly Bible study brings everyone together for meals, conversation, and shared faith at our home. Many of our friends have young children, and it’s wonderful to share this stage of life together. Everyone is excited to help welcome another child into our family.

We live in a four-bedroom home in a beautiful, historic neighborhood in Washington, DC that feels both vibrant and close-knit. One of the most special parts of our home is that we're right across the street from a lively park and playground. There's always something happening outside our front door, from a weekly farmers' market to Little League games, basketball, tennis, and pickleball. We spend time at the park with our daughter every day. She loves collecting flowers, riding her bike, swinging, petting dogs, and greeting neighbors.

We have a great community where we live. Our elderly neighbors adore our daughter, check in on us, and even help look after our home when we're away. There are many families with young children nearby, and we love the idea of our children growing up alongside friends just steps from our front door. At home, we love cooking together in the kitchen, eating dinner around the table each night, and curling up to read stories in a big chair. Our backyard is another favorite space, especially for gathering with friends around the firepit. Our neighborhood is wonderfully multicultural and walkable, with easy access to bike trails, the zoo, and museums that we enjoy exploring as a family.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our family and for considering adoption. We believe adoption is one of the most beautiful acts of love there is, and we would be beyond excited to welcome your child into our family and for you to become a part of our family’s story too.

We met over ten years ago in college and quickly realized we loved spending time together. We’ve been married for eight years, and it has been such a gift to do life with our best friend. Our marriage is happy, strong, and full of laughter, adventures, and teamwork.

We have always loved children and dreamed of being parents. After trying for years to have biological children, God brought our daughter Ruth to us through adoption. She has been the greatest joy in our lives. Watching her explore the world, laugh at silly songs, and delight in little things, like feeling a flower’s petals or spotting a bird in the backyard, reminds us how wonderful life is and how much love a child brings to a home. Ruth has brought so much joy into our lives, and we are excited to share that with another child.

We believe that love, not blood, makes a family, and we have so much love to give. We want our children to know they are cherished and loved, no matter what. One of Ashley's favorite children's books says, "How do I love you? Let me count the ways. I love you on your very best and very worst of days." That's exactly how we hope our children feel every day. We want to be the kind of parents whose kids always know how loved they are. We won't be perfect parents by any means, but we will do our best to raise our children well. We want to nurture, guide, laugh with, and celebrate our children, while helping them grow into the unique people God created them to be, and we pray that they will come to know Jesus as their Savior one day.

We believe we are loving, capable parents, and our home is warm, stable, and full of life. We have steady jobs and a supportive community of family and friends. Our parents and siblings are all happily married, and with nine nieces and nephews, family gatherings are always full of laughter and connection. Any child who joins our family will be deeply loved by so many people. Our home is alive with joy, learning, music, and play. We love hosting dinners, celebrating milestones, exploring nature, traveling, and dancing in the kitchen.

Although we haven’t met you yet, we pray for you and the child every day. We know this is a big decision, and we hope you find peace, wisdom, and strength. Our children will always know their stories?"that their birth parents loved them, chose the best possible life for them, and that the day they joined our family was one of the happiest days of our lives. We also hope to love and support you, through letters, photos, emails, texts, or visits when the time is right.

Thank you again for reading this letter and considering us as parents for a child.

Sincerely,

Jamie & Ashley