Traveling has always been a part of our relationship because we both do it for business and leisure. Every year for our anniversary we find somewhere new to explore. Some of the places we have explored together are Mexico, San Francisco, Alaska, Chicago, Oregon and Steamboat Springs. We look forward to the day when we can explore new places with a child and ignite in them a passion for travel.

When we’re not working, we love being outside enjoying all that Colorado has to offer. The area offers many activities throughout the year including hiking, skiing and boating. We feel so blessed to live in this beautiful place with lots of sunshine year-round and so much to do and explore. Andra and her friends have been going out to the lake together for over 15 years. Jeff joined in the fun after we started dating and now, he looks forward to lake time every year. We also just love hanging out with friends and family playing games, having dinner out or playing with our 2-year-old niece.

During his childhood, Jeff's family fostered close to 30 children. One of the babies they fostered was placed with them at three days old. He came to them severely abused and with multiple medical conditions. Their family loved and cared for him like he was their own, and at three years old they realized that he needed to share their last name and become a permanent part of the family. Despite his special needs, his new brother was able to overcome many challenges with love and support from his family. Adoption changed Jeff's family forever with the new addition and a deeper understanding of what a big impact it can make in many lives. This has been an inspiring experience as we have embarked on our own adoption journey.

God is a part of our everyday lives and church has been a part of our lives since we were children. It is a community for us that we can depend on for support, prayer and help in times of need. It is where we learned obedience, our core values and that God is the foundation of everything we do. It's where we found our compassion and our heart to serve others. We both have served in various ways throughout the years, whether it has been on the worship team, the welcome committee or in children's ministry. We have both learned so much about the value of faith and how that impacts our lives and the lives of those around us. We want to teach a child the fullness of life that can be had through faith in God.

We were born and raised in Colorado and our families still live in the Denver area. With both families living nearby we get together regularly. It's comforting to know that this child will have a close relationship with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.

Andra has 2 younger sisters, one of which has a 2-year-old daughter, and all live down the street from us. Jeff has 2 older sisters and a younger brother, all of which live within an hour of us. We love spending time together as a family, sharing meals, laughs, stories and cheering on our Denver sports teams. We love spending time outside in the Colorado sunshine whether that's playing with the kids, going on a hike, or swimming and boating at the lake.

Holidays have always been a special time for our family as we enjoy spending every holiday together and partaking in the traditional meals and exchanging of gifts. We especially love seeing our niece light up with the festivities of each holiday. Our entire family is very supportive of our decision to grow our family through adoption and are very excited to see us as parents and have this child share in our lives.

We live in a beautiful suburban neighborhood. Our home is a four-bedroom, two-story house in a mature area with lots of big trees. Our favorite place to be is in our backyard on the patio. We can't wait to play with a child in the grass, on the tree swing, or in the sandbox.

We are a short drive to the Rocky Mountains (skiing and hiking) and very close to the city (zoos, museums and the theater). There is an elementary school within 3 blocks of our house, which means our neighborhood is full of families with children. We have walking paths behind our house that lead to a large park that gets lots of use with a playground, baseball diamond, volleyball net and a picnic pavilion. Continuing along that same path will lead you to a large lake where you can boat and fish.

In the winter time our neighborhood is filled with holiday decorations. We enjoy decorating our house inside and out as do our neighbors. One of our traditions is driving around the city looking at lights and decorations and can't wait to share this with a child.

Brave: Having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear or difficulty: Having or showing courage. Brave is the first word that comes to mind when we think of you.

We can’t imagine what your journey has been, but as parents we plan to honor and respect your relationship with your child talking about you and your family with love and admiration. We believe it is important to discuss adoption with a child from an early age to ensure he or she has a firm sense of identity. We are open to whatever level of communication you are comfortable with including pictures and letters, phone calls and possible visits. It is our hope that you always know that your child is happy and well cared for in our home.

To tell you a little about us, our names are Andra and Jeff. We have been married for four years and together for five. We met later in life and knew we wanted to start our family right away. We experienced infertility issues from the beginning and know that adoption is where we are called to grow our family. We have both wanted to be parents for a very long time and can’t wait for the opportunity. Our journey has been long and, at times, difficult but we feel that it has made us stronger and in many ways more prepared to raise a child.

We are hardworking people who are ready to provide a fulfilling life for a child, especially because raising a child is something we have been dreaming about for a long time. Bringing a child into our home and adding to our family will make us complete. Our home is full of love and laughter and is the meeting place for family gatherings. Our goal as parents is to raise a well-educated, well rounded, happy individual.

We have experienced other countries, other cultures, and other cities and dream of giving a child those experiences as well. We often talk about enjoying the little moments we see with children in our lives like learning to crawl, the first day of school, learning to ride a bike and so many other things that come with watching a child grow into their own person. We have so many pictures of us with our 2-year-old niece and we can’t wait for those pictures to include a new addition to our family!

We are believers in God and know that he has led us through this journey and right to you for a reason. Families all look different and we can’t wait to see how God creates and designs our family. We look forward to raising a child to know God and teach them the richness it brings to our lives and countless others when faith is at the forefront. He has taught us that it never looks the way we think it will and we are excited to see his picture of our family that includes you and your child.

We hope this letter finds you well and that we have the privilege of getting to know you and sharing our lives with you and your child.

With best wishes and hope for continuing the adoption journey together,

Jeff & Andra