Emily is our fun, loving, happy, smart and silly 3-year-old daughter. She loves being read to and looking through books, cooking something up in her play kitchen and playing with her dolls and stuffed animals. Carrie and Emily love to explore local parks and playgrounds, where Emily greets every dog and person we pass. Carrie also spends time reading books and playing games with Emily. RJ often takes Emily on his runs and loves to kick around the soccer ball with her. RJ loves to watch Wheel of Fortune with Emily to help her learn her letters like he did as a kid.

Emily was a blessing after several years of fertility struggles. We hope to be blessed again with another child through adoption. We know Emily will be a wonderful big sister who will care for, look after and shower her sibling with love. She is already practicing on her baby dolls!

Carrie is known for her bright personality. You always know when Carrie is in a room full of people because she is usually the one laughing and building a circle of people around her. Carrie is also very organized and her memory is sharp as a tack. Carrie is very loyal, and is always lending a helping hand any way she can.

RJ has a knack for fitting into many different groups of people. He is very easy to start up a conversation and colleagues say RJ is trustworthy and he does the right thing. RJ also has an analytical mind and he is a creative problem solver. RJ loves to learn and share his knowledge with others. RJ balances his analytical mind with his silly side. He always keeps his friends and family laughing.

Family and friends say we complement each other's strengths. We are best friends and our personalities and strengths make us a great team.

We are open to adopting a child from a different race, and we appreciate this will include special challenges about cultural identity and acceptance, both for the child and for the broader cultural community in our town. Our goal is for the child to understand and take pride in their heritage, and use it as a source of inclusion and pride, not exclusion and mystery.

We will learn about the child's culture by attending events and seeking relationships with the local community. Inside our home, we will embrace the child's culture by celebrating role models and heroes that look like our child. We will also ensure the child has cultural fluency and appreciates its history and role in current society. We will teach that America is a melting pot where diversity is a celebrated strength. We will also teach the child that culture and identification is personal and may change over time. We (RJ and Carrie) look different and have different cultures from our ancestors, and this is OK. We will help the child find a healthy balance between their ancestry, our family, and our community.

Our neighborhood and local community is very family friendly. Our neighborhood is located in a blue ribbon school district. We live close to the neighborhood school, and someday the child will walk with friends to school. We live in a quiet cul-de-sac with lots of families with young kids. There are always kids outside playing (even in our backyard!). We enjoy weekend barbecues with other families while kids play games in the yards. All our neighbors are looking forward to us having another child to join the neighborhood fun.

Our house has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, with extra space for hosting friends and kids playing. We have a large backyard with a basketball hoop and plenty of space to play catch, climb trees, and tend to flowers. We live within walking distance of several parks, including baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, city swimming pool, and even a horse stable. Our community hosts an annual festival; each year has a different theme, and it includes a big parade, live music, and family events. We look forward to creating memories and building hometown pride with our child. We specifically chose to move to our neighborhood because it has so many opportunities for a child to play, explore, learn, and make friends.

We are very close with both of our extended families. Spending time with family is a priority. Both our families live out of state but are a short drive away. We spend lots of time hosting relatives for visits at our house or traveling for weekend visits. We both video chat with our parents almost every day, and all four grandparents are excited for a grandbaby.

Carrie's family values community and welcoming all people into their home. When Carrie's family visits, we play lots of card games (Euchre) and go on family walks to explore city neighborhoods. RJ's family values hard work, competing, and giving back to others. When RJ's family visits, we spend lots of time outdoors. We enjoy fishing for bass, catfish, and carp. We also enjoy barbecuing with both families. Ribs, pulled pork, and the occasional steak are all favorites.

Our families have been very supportive about our journey to adoption. Our parents, siblings, and extended family are looking forward to welcoming and loving the newest member of our family, and plans are already underway to cherish and spoil your child with love and attention.

Thank you for connecting with us and letting us share our story with you. We have done our best to express ourselves through pictures, words, and videos. Now, we would like to slow down and take a minute to open our hearts with you. We just want you to know that our hope to be parents is strong, and our desire to adopt is genuine.

We have been married for almost seven years. When we started dating, one of the first things we bonded over was our strong desire to start a family and raise kids. We both adore each other's families and love the time we are able to spend with them. RJ is an only child and Carrie has an older brother who is not married, so both families have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to have another grandchild to love and spoil.

We met nine years ago when Carrie relocated for her job. RJ sent Carrie a message on an online dating site on her first day in town, and the rest is history. RJ had almost written Carrie off when she had to reschedule our first date. Thankfully he gave her another chance and we are both so glad he did! From our first date, we hit it off right away. We spent the entire night talking and laughing and laughter still remains a big part of our relationship. We also bonded early on as we learned that we both valued having a strong faith. We continue to keep God and our faith at the core of our relationship.

It has been a journey for us to have children and it has helped our marriage grow even stronger. We tried for three years to have a child both naturally and with fertility treatments. We grieved a couple "almosts," and we were unsuccessful in starting our family naturally. Adoption has been such a blessing to our lives and we are thrilled about the future.

Our daughter is the center of our world, and we are ready for a second child. We hope to have two kids so that they have each other to play with growing up. Our daughter will be a great "big sister" to the baby, and she is excited to love, care, and play with the baby.

Your child will complete our family. We promise a loving and happy home that is filled with laughter, fun, and support. We are excited to take your child to sporting events and play sports in the backyard. There are so many places and festivals in our town that we've said we can't wait to make a family outing. We look forward to building new traditions with them and teaching them about our family traditions.

We both come from stable and loving families who have supported us throughout our lives, and we will continue this tradition. Education, hard work, and ambition are important to us. We will support the child with a quality education through college. Our hope is for the child to find their passions, reach for the stars, and achieve their dreams. Great things are ahead, and there will be much for us all to celebrate and be proud about!

We have been thinking about you each day. Our families have been keeping you in their prayers. We can't imagine the stress and emotions you are experiencing, but we are with you. We will love the baby so much and never take for granted the difficult decision you are currently making.

Should you choose us as parents for your child, he or she will know about you. We will remind the baby about your love, and how thankful we are that you blessed us to raise the child.

You will be a part of the child's support system, if you choose. We look forward to sharing pictures and letters with you about all the child's milestones. We are also open to visits and phone/video calls with you.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our journey, our hopes and dreams. We hope you invite us to join your journey!

RJ & Carrie