Both of us have always wanted to be parents for as long as we can remember! Dan's childhood best friend and neighbor was adopted as an infant and he saw how beautiful adoption is firsthand. Jessica's great aunt and uncle also adopted their three children, so she also saw the beauty in adoption. After struggling with years of infertility and then losing our first and only daughter when Jessica was five months pregnant, it left a huge hole in our family. Because of our deep desire to be parents we tried to conceive again, but without success. After months of grieving, reflection and prayer we knew growing our family through adoption was what was in our hearts. We both know how amazing it is from our own families and friend's experiences. We have so much love in our hearts to share and we'd love nothing more than to share that love with a child.

We enjoy doing almost anything outdoors. Dan currently plays on a softball team and we both previously played on a kickball team together. We like going for bike rides, taking our puppy, Louie, for walks around the neighborhood and playing with him in the backyard. We love to cookout and roast marshmallows over the fire with friends and family. We also have fun going to the beach as well as camping.

Dan is handy and frequently makes improvements on the house in his spare time. He also brews craft beers as a hobby and is an avid runner. He participates in races both solo and as a team. Dan also likes to play video games.

Jessica has a passion for animals and has volunteered at a local animal shelter where we adopted Louie from. In addition to painting, drawing, and doing crafts, she also works out at home and will occasionally participate in a 5k with Dan. Jessica also volunteers at church, helping out with Sunday school and Bible school.

We do most things as a couple and always support the other in whatever the endeavor. We're excited to share all of these experiences and more with our child.

Our lives are filled with family and friends from all backgrounds. Dan's great-grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee and two of our nephews are biracial. We live in a very culturally diverse neighborhood and Jessica teaches in a culturally diverse elementary school. We both have friends and co-workers who are different ethnicities. If we adopt a child of a different race or culture than ours, we know that they will be wholeheartedly welcomed and loved by our diverse group of family and friends.

We feel it is very important for your child to know where they came from and to honor any special holidays or celebrations that their culture may celebrate. We will also introduce them to our heritage and include them in traditions that may be different from that of their biological families. We are consistently seeking to educate ourselves more on cultural diversity so we can be prepared to provide that education and those connections for them.

We live in Virginia in a very diverse, family friendly neighborhood with many children. There are a couple neighborhood parks only a few blocks away as well as a biking and hiking trail with a lake. We're only a short drive to the bay or ocean where we spend time when we have our families in town. We also have the botanical gardens, water park, zoo, state parks, and aquarium close by. Downtown is a few minute drive where there are many unique dining, shopping, and entertainment experiences. There are many festivals and parades throughout the year depending on the holiday.

Our home is a rancher with three bedrooms, two full bathrooms a kitchen, and an open dining room and living room area. We have created a beautiful outdoor space in our fenced in backyard where we spend a lot of time relaxing, listening to music, playing with our puppy, playing yard games, grilling, roasting marshmallows around the fire or even watching a movie!

Family is very important to us, and we maintain close relationships with our parents, grandparents and our siblings who are raising children of their own.

Our families live a few hours away, but we spend holidays, special occasions and vacations together. Every Christmas we travel to them and enjoy our Christmas Eve tradition of going to the candlelight church service, then back to the house to enjoy a visit from "Santa" Pappy. There we enjoy appetizers and desserts and open one gift before we head off to bed in our new Christmas PJ's from Grammie. Grammie and Papa and Aunt Melissa and Uncle Twigs both have pools where we spend time enjoying the sun, playing outdoor games, campfires and spending time with extended family and friends. Our nephews love giving family special nicknames.

Both of our families are super excited to welcome a new child into their lives to support, love and nurture. Our dog, Louie is also excited to have a human sibling, he loves children!

Thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about us! We feel truly honored that you would consider us as the adoptive parents of your precious baby. It is hard for us to imagine all the emotions you must be feeling and how difficult this decision is. Please know if chosen, we will provide your child with a lifetime of love, nurturing and stability.

We have known each other for 16 years, been a couple for almost 12 years and have been married for over 7 years. We are best friends and do almost everything together. Although we do share some of the same hobbies, we also enjoy different things as well. We have been through some of the most beautiful times and some of the most difficult times in our lives together, but it has only made us stronger as a couple and in our faith.

We tried to have a baby for several years. After years of trying with fertility drugs and procedures we finally conceived a baby girl. Unfortunately, she was stillborn at 5 months gestation. Our hearts were shattered and our dreams for her and our life together as a family were crushed in an instant. We tried to become pregnant again and failed. At this point we knew we would never have another biological child of our own. After many months of reflection, working through our grief and lots of prayer, we knew that growing our family through adoption was what was in our hearts. Dan's best friend as a child was adopted and Jessica's great aunt and uncle also adopted three children, so we know firsthand how beautiful this experience is.

We are both so excited to welcome a child into our lives to love, nurture and watch grow. We have a dog who loves children and is excited for a human sibling, too! Our families are very supportive of our decision to adopt and cannot wait to welcome a new child into the family. We share holidays, birthdays and many other special occasions and traditions with both of our families throughout the year.

We value education and learning through play and exploration. We will support your child's interests and encourage them to be the person they were meant to be. It is also important to raise them to know God, as we were both raised in a Christian household and want the same for them.

Both of us are open to sharing your child's special moments and milestones with you through letters, emails, photos, videos and even a visit if you wish. We will make sure they know about you, how much you love them and how hard it must have been to make such a difficult decision, but you made this choice out of love because you felt it was best for them. A truly selfless act. You will always be presented in a positive manner, our hero that provided us the opportunity to be parents and to love and nurture your precious baby.

Again, we want to thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering us as your child's adoptive parents. We are so excited to welcome a child into our hearts and home! We know your decision is an extremely difficult one. Please know our prayers are with you on this journey.

Sincerely,

Dan & Jessica