We are a playful, creative, nature-loving family, who has built a wonderful life together in Maryland. Kayaking on the Chesapeake Bay, riding bikes, camping, and hiking with our two rescue dogs, Milo and Sawyer, are favorite activities. We also value lazy family days at home when we can build couch forts, cook big meals, and have silly dance parties. Separately, Tom is always doing something active—cycling or building something—while Dana can often be found curled up with a good book or writing.

We are both lucky to have flexible work schedules so that somebody is always home. Tom, always creative, loves his job as an IT designer. Always curious about different places, Dana works as a foreign policy advisor and mentors college students interested in public service.

As a family we love to travel and discover new places, too. Exploring national parks around the country is something we enjoy. Yellowstone is a favorite! Visiting our family’s lake house in Michigan every summer is also a family tradition. Whatever we do, we like to do it together. We can’t wait to share our love of adventure, curiosity, and creativity with another child!

1. We are die-hard fans of our alma maters—The University of Michigan and Clemson.

2. Tom accomplished his goal of completing a “century” (100+ miles!) bike ride last summer. Our son is “training” and is up to 14 miles.

3. Our dream is to own an Airstream one day and travel the country.

4. Dana has published short stories and recently completed a novel.

5. Tom grew up in Wyoming, and we recently got to celebrate his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in Jackson Hole.

6. We’re a “book” family! We love visiting our local library and finding new bookstores in different cities.

7. Dana loves reading cookbooks and finding new recipes.

8. Tom is an avid woodworker and has made furniture and a Free Little Library for our neighborhood.

9. Tom is always laughing. That’s how Dana finds him. She follows the laugh!

10. We think coffee is one of the greatest discoveries in the world.

Our son, Luke is a six-year old whirlwind of energy, who cannot wait to be a big brother! He’s a funny, independent kid, who loves to tell jokes, play with Legos, cuddle with his dogs, and build things with his dad. He’s begun making his own plans for a brother or sister, whom he lovingly refers to as, “Dory Pumpkin.” He already has a special basket of toys and stuffed animals that he looks forward to sharing. Although an active child, he's very gentle with his younger cousin and the smaller children in our neighborhood, always stopping to care for them when they're hurt or upset. We say prayers every night that "brother" or "sister" will find us and that soon enough, he'll have a younger sibling to help take care of. When asked what he wants to do with a younger sibling, he loudly cheers, “Everything!”

We want our children to know that as much as we love them, it’s important they also have the love and support of extended family. Although we do not have family in our immediate vicinity, we are grateful for the strong relationships we have with them. There’s a lot of Face Timing, car rides, and plane trips to visit our parents in South Carolina and Michigan. Our son, Luke, especially loves visiting Dana's sister and his cousin in Florida and swimming in their pool! Tom also has a sister in Seattle, with whom we like to visit. During these times together, we chat, play card games, or explore new places together.

Having grown up in Wyoming and Michigan, our family traditions include a lot of time outdoors. A recent vacation with Tom's family took us to visit the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park where we did a lot of hiking and boating. Dana's family has a lake house in northern Michigan and we travel "up north" every summer where we spend time on our pontoon boat, fishing, and swimming in the lake. It's a wonderful time to be with family and relax.

We have discussed our plans for adoption with our family, and everyone is thrilled to welcome a new member to our family. They can't wait to visit and shower the new little one with love and attention.

We live in a historic garden community in Maryland, located outside of Washington D.C. This quaint town allows us to easily walk or ride our bikes to the library, local swimming pool, movie theater, and restaurants. Walks are frequently interrupted with play time at one of the many playgrounds along the way. We enjoy spending time at the near-by hiking trails or parks, and particularly love walking around the lake a few blocks from our house. It's a wonderful community-oriented town with many young families that gather for Fourth of July fireworks or the famous Labor Day Festival. Being outside Washington D.C., we also frequently hop into the city, taking advantage of the various restaurants, museums, events, and city attractions.

Our three-bedroom home sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac where we have a large, fenced-in backyard. The woods around our home provide lots of shade for playing on the playset or swinging in our hammock. We love to spend time on our deck where we play games, read books, enjoy family meals, and simply take in nature. We also love to entertain and regularly have friends over--many of whom have young children. We are a tight-knit community that helps and trust one another to support and guide the children. We also make sure our homes are well stocked with snacks since at any time one of our homes may be filled with a pack of children playing together!

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. We appreciate your effort to find the right family for your child and admire your bravery for choosing this path. Adoption has always been a part of our plans for growing our family, and we’re honored you’re considering us.

As you read about us, we hope it gives you a good sense of the kinds of people we are, the fun we have, the things we value, and the loving home we’d provide your child. Please know that as adoptive parents, we promise to provide unconditional love, support, and opportunities for your child. To you, as the birth mother, we promise to treat you with openness, kindness, and respect. We will always honor your selfless act and celebrate your child’s story, one that began with love for your child.

Our family’s story began when we met at a backyard party in 2004, then married five years later. Since then, we always work to strengthen our commitment to one another and want our children to know that they’re safe and loved no matter what. We discussed adoption prior to getting engaged, always open to whatever way our children would find us. We struggled through infertility and many miscarriages before having our son, Luke. For our second child, we strongly feel that adoption is the obvious choice for us. As parents, we’ve already established a nice work-life balance with both of us having great flexibility in our work schedules. With our next child, Dana looks forward to extended time off to enjoy mommy/child exercise classes, music classes, and other fun activities with the little one.

We are also lucky to live in a diverse, open-minded community and have adoptive families as friends. We have seen firsthand how these special families flourish and have no doubt how much your child will be loved and cared for by us and our extended community. This feeling is also especially true for our six-year-old son, who has been waiting to dote on a new brother or sister without any thought about biological connection.

Although we don’t know each other (yet!), please know that our commitment to you and your desires for your child are far reaching. Depending on your comfort level, we would be excited to share your child’s milestones with you and how he or she is growing up in the world. We’d be glad to meet you prior to your child’s birth and are open to communication after your child is born. We look forward to celebrating your child’s adoption and want him or her to know about your love and sacrifice. Whether you choose that to be from near or far will be entirely your decision. Whatever you choose, as your child’s birth mother, you will always be celebrated in our family and our gratitude to you will never waver.

Sincerely,

Tom & Dana