We enjoy a variety of leisure activities, with each other and in the company of others.

At home, we are avid readers of science fiction, history and politics, classic literature, and faith-based (Christian) books. Often, we'll read in the evenings as the day comes to a close, or while enjoying coffee on a weekend morning. Other times, we gather on the couch-Sarah with her popcorn and Alex with his hot cocoa-to watch a movie or television series. In the fall, time is always carved out for our favorite sporting event: football. Sarah is an unwavering Pittsburgh Steelers fan, while Alex roots for North Carolina's own Carolina Panthers. And we would be remiss if we failed to mention how we love to play with our two cats, Seymour and Dottie!

We also enjoy nature and being outside. North Carolina's mild climate provides ample opportunity throughout much of the year for walks and hikes at local parks, and we take full advantage!

We are also blessed to have many friends, many of whom attend and serve with us at our local church. Occasionally we will enjoy a couple's night out with friends at a local restaurant or invite them over to our house for a home-cooked meal; other times we'll gather with friends from our church small group to study scripture and help each other grow in our shared faith.

Alex About Sarah: Sarah has always exhibited a selfless, loving devotion to family and friends. Whether its preparing and cooking meals when Alex arrives home late from work, watching friends' children so they can enjoy a night out, ensuring guests needs are met at our local church, or simply lending an empathetic ear and warm smile when Alex is wrestling with an issue at work or at home, Sarah is always putting other people before herself.

Sarah is incredibly passionate about children. As a pre-school teacher, Sarah spends the better part of each working day lovingly instructing young children. When outside the classroom, she devotes her to time to crafting fun and engaging activities and experiments for her students. Sarah is also a very confident, strong, yet humble woman. She truly understands that her worth is held in God's love for her through Jesus.

Sarah About Alex: Alex is an individual whose kindness overflows to everyone he meets. He is a great listener to his family and friends, always remembering what they say and checking in with them to see how they are doing. He is extremely hard working at home and work. At home, he is always helping Sarah with chores and around the house while at the same time cracking jokes to make even the most boring chores more fun! At work as an engineer, he is extremely detail-oriented and committed to producing the best products. Alex is a selfless individual in his church as well, always ready to help with volunteer work.

We are so excited to embrace and celebrate this child's cultural heritage!

Our local church makes every effort to recognize the cultural diversity in our community. The members reflect people of different ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds (for example, we have an entire ministry dedicated to serving our Spanish-speaking members!)

Our community also promotes cultural and racial diversity. Just recently, our town put on a play following the life of George Washington Carver and several other African-American historical figures in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. In the summer, a concert series is held in a nearby park which celebrates, among other genres, Latin music. In our cul-de-sac, there are several families that moved to the United States from abroad, namely Europe and Africa! A local elementary school, just a short walk away from our house, is also a wonderful, incredibly diverse place.

As parents, we will cultivate and cherish the diversity shown in our church and community in our personal home. We will celebrate African-American leaders past and present, expose this child to successful or otherwise exemplary African-Americans we know personally or professionally, and enjoy books, music, and film that provide a uniquely African-American perspective.

We live in a beautiful two-story home in a central North Carolina town. Our home is nestled up against a local elementary school. A recently developed park -which provides walking trails, fishing holes, a music pavilion, and a large community recreation center-is just down the road! Several times throughout the year events are held here, including a concert series featuring genres such as Latin and jazz music, as well as an Easter Egg Hunt for families in the spring! The historic downtown area is just a short drive away, and along both sides of the street run a number of local shops, boutiques, and eateries, selling anything from home goods, books, southern BBQ, candy, and coffee. The downtown area is closed off several times a year for annual festivals, all of which are family friendly. A school divides our Main Street: one side consists of wonderfully preserved 19th-century homes (guided tours are available to see the home of the town's founder), and the other side is the town's commercial center.

Our home features a fenced-in backyard, perfect for a child to run and play in safety. Immediately behind is densely wooded area, home to busy-body squirrels and variety of birds, including blue jays and cardinals.

Each of us have been blessed with dedicated, loving parents, all of whom eagerly await our first child. Sarah's parents (and younger brother) live only a few hours away, and Alex's parents live "right down the road." We visit both sets of parents frequently. Trips to see Alex's parents are always overflowing with the warmth of loved ones, hot meals-which nearly always consists of Lebanese dishes-and good conversation. Visits to Sarah's parents are always peaceful and relaxing, filled with time spent conversing over large breakfasts, watching family films, and playing leisurely board games!

Alex has three brothers, all of whom live outside the state. This situation provides great opportunities for family trips on the open road! Alex's brothers love to cook, so there is always food aplenty. When we are not eating, we will often go to movies or simply spend time with each of their five children, who between them enjoy athletics, drama, and music. Sometimes, in the summer we'll caravan down to the North Carolina coast for a family vacation!

Sarah's grandparents live up north in Pennsylvania. Their home is always lively, with aunts and uncles frequently visiting, pizza being served up hot, and games of Bingo that go well into the night!

We are so grateful that you took the time to read our profile and get to know us. You have so much courage and we pray for strength for you in your decision. God loves you and we would love to get to know you.

We met in 2015 when Sarah was in her last year of college and Alex was working at his current job. We immediately hit it off and have been inseparable ever since! After Sarah graduated, we got engaged and were married about five months after that in January of 2017. We have been married for about three years now, and our love for each other has only grown stronger! We value Christ at the center of our relationship and we strive to always cherish one another. We have tried to conceive for some time now and have been unable to do so. It has been a wonderful learning experience for us and we trust God's plan for our lives. We have always had a desire to adopt. We made the decision late in 2019 that we wanted to begin the process of adoption and could not be more excited.

Sarah currently works as a Preschool Teacher Assistant at a Christian preschool. She has always been passionate about children and volunteered with the children's ministry at our church for several years before starting her job. This is her second year working there and she loves teaching children and watching them learn and discover. She cannot wait to share this experience with her children and watch them learn in her place of work.

Alex currently works as an engineer at a company which designs and manufactures aerial lifts ("bucket" trucks) for the forestry and utilities industry. He is passionate about his career because it allows him the opportunity to use the gifts God has given him to strengthen this country. He has great attention to detail and goes to great lengths to ensure the products he designs are safe and reliable for the customer.

For our child, we want to support them in every way possible. They will grow up knowing that God loves them, and will be guided to know Him in our home and our church. They will be shown how to marry their wonderful cultural and ethnic heritage with the "oneness" of humanity we celebrate in Christ. They will know that their birth and adoptive parents love them. They will be incredibly loved by all of our extended family and all of our friends. We will always prioritize education, and we cannot wait to encourage learning and the exploration of their strengths and passions. We promise to support and encourage them both at school and at home!

We want to say thank you again for letting us speak from our hearts. We continue to pray for you and for the decisions you are facing. We would love to get to know you! You and your child are loved first and foremost by God, and by us.

We are happy to exchange pictures and emails through American Adoptions! We will always honor you and the decision you have made when talking about adoption with this child. They will be loved by us and our extended families so much!

Thank you for reading our letter to you. We consider it an honor and privilege that you took the time to get to know us!

Sincerely,

Alex & Sarah