This area of our lives has changed dramatically over the last few years. We will always acknowledge our differences between ourselves and children in our family - we will never say we are "color blind" - but we will also make it clear that any differences in looks do not change that we are a family. We will always fight for the rights & inclusion of our children.

Since Maya has joined our family we have become more culturally aware, and we have worked harder to become more inclusive and to find and celebrate Maya's inclusion in Black spaces. We have joined a new church, participated in Black Lives Matter marches, taken Black hair care classes, read and shared and listened more to BIPOC stories, and added Black art and diverse Christmas decorations to our home. This expansion of our world has been one of the greatest joys.

As our children get older, one idea that we liked was the child having a mentor, someone of his or her own race and ethnicity, who can help them understand better what it means to look how they do in our world. We also think that you could play a big role in this aspect of addressing our diversity. Being in communication with you is so important to us. You can give the child their own personal, biological, and social backgrounds to help them better understand who they are and where they came from.

In Jadon's family, a large gathering for Thanksgiving is their main tradition. All his extended family comes together for a long weekend spent together. There is a Yahtzee tournament, Black Friday shopping, and, of course, a ton of great food. Brittany’s favorite traditions revolve around Christmas. As a kid, they opened a few presents on Christmas Eve, and then she and her mom would bake a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Day. It's been so fun baking that cake with Maya the last couple Christmases!

For our summer vacations, we have put all 50 states in a bowl, and in January we draw one or two, and those are the places we travel in the summer. We have gone all over the country based on what we've drawn in the past 3 years alone - and we always look forward to January when we get to draw again!

Our newest tradition is Maya Day where we all take the day off work/daycare and celebrate Maya being part of our family - this year going to the aquarium in Chicago. We look forward to doing the same thing with any children who join our family!

We have one daughter, Maya, who was adopted in July 2018. We are really looking forward to seeing Maya as an older sister and watching her grow in that way. It is important to us that our children share the same racial background - we hope this will help them feel connected and support each other as they grow up in a transracial family.

Maya is two years old, very busy, and learning every day. Maya loves to color, read books, and sing - she will sometimes stop eating just to get up and dance and sing. One of our favorite aspects of having a two-year-old is her language acquisition! Recently we were outside, and she kept talking about wanting to get the "garage spoon" - it took her going into the garage & pointing with much emphasis for us to realize she meant the rake! Moments like that are so fun & so funny, and we are soaking them in. We are thrilled at the idea of expanding that joy with another child in our house.

We are blessed to have extended families who are large parts of our lives and who are very supportive. We live close to Brittany's family and we see them often on Sunday when we go out to a meal after church. Jadon's family does not live nearby, but we usually take road trips to visit them multiple times a year, and they do the same to visit us. We also try to talk to them on the phone every Sunday afternoon.

When we are with our families, we enjoy just relaxing together: playing board games, putting together Legos, eating meals, and just being in each other’s company. Recently we were able to all gather at Jadon's parents' house, and though we didn't have many "official" plans, some of our best memories were just being able to watch the cousins play with each other & their grandparents. Brittany's family also enjoys traveling, and we recently went on a trip where we all drove around together in a huge Chevy Tahoe experiencing the tourist spots of the area.

Both sides of our family are supportive of our adoption plans. We have seen our families love Maya so well, fully accepting her into our family with no issue, and we know they would be the same with a second child. A second child would be a wonderful, much loved addition to our family!

We live in a town of about 25,000 people in Illinois. This is the area where Brittany grew up and is not far from where her family still lives. We live in a diverse area only an hour's drive from downtown Chicago, and we enjoy being close to the big city while also having the comfort and safety of living somewhere "small town."

We bought our home a few years ago - it has five bedrooms and a large living & dining room area where we do most of our playing and hanging out. We have a large backyard with a swing set, and we are walking distance from two parks. We live here with our dog, Bo, who is a very friendly four-year-old Swiss Mountain Dog mix. We are looking forward to continuing to grow into this home. Our home & surrounding community is a safe, quiet place for children to play & socialize together.

There are many activities in our area geared toward families and children. We have multiple fairs and festivals in our county each season as well as great children's reading programs at our local libraries that we have enjoyed going to with Maya. We also have a community theater group just for kids and a wonderful children's museum not far from our house. We are really looking forward to bringing another child into our community & being a larger part of it ourselves, too!

Hello! Thank you so much for taking some time to learn about us. We are looking forward to learning more about you, too! We cannot imagine how difficult this decision must be for you, and we are impressed by your bravery and your love for your child.

A little about us: we met at university in 2009 where we were both English majors, and we have now been married for 8 years. We began dating on a 24 hour bus ride from Burkina Faso to Ghana in West Africa, and we have tried to keep that level of adventure in our lives ever since! From 2014-2016 we lived & worked overseas in Prague, Czech Republic where we did a lot of traveling, and we continue to travel around the US now that we're back home. We think traveling is important for everyone, including children, so this will definitely continue to be a part of our lives as we grow our family.

Jadon currently works as the logistics manager & purchasing coordinator at a local hospital. He is in charge of all the couriers who deliver things to the hospital's satellite sites and helps buy all the supplies for the hospital. He also enjoys video games, creative writing, reading, board games, & going on walks with Bo & Maya.

Brittany is an administrative assistant at a local university, working with the departments of English and Modern Languages. She previously taught part-time at the same university, so it has been nice to work in the same place, and still interact with faculty and students, for 11 years now. She also loves reading, having coffee dates with friends, and taking silly selfies with Maya.

We are so excited to become parents again! We want you to know that we will provide your baby with a safe, stable home with two parents who love each other and a supportive extended family. Our Christian faith is a large part of our lives, and we will raise a child in that faith and with those values and morals, with the understanding that all people are worthy of love. Education is also extremely important to us, and we plan to work hard to make sure your child gets the best education they can and are able to pursue whatever interests they have.

We also want you to know that we already value you, and we are excited for the role you will play in our family. The significance of what you are giving our family will never be forgotten or downplayed. Your baby will always know your name and where they came from, and we promise to always honor your role in our family and speak of you as someone who we highly value. We are looking forward to sending you letters & pictures throughout your child's life, and when he or she is old enough, we would love for your child to be part of that communication as well, if you are comfortable with that. We would also be open to phone calls and emails in the future, as well as occasionally meeting up in person. We will fully follow your lead on whatever that will look like as our relationship grows. Above all, we want you to know your child and your child to know you.

We know the decision ahead of you is difficult, and you will be in our prayers as you go through this journey. We will forever be thankful for the gift you are giving our family.

Sincerely,

Jadon & Brittany