We enjoy taking walks along river trails, at parks, and in the neighborhood. Sometimes afterwards we enjoy getting ice cream or frozen yogurt. At home, we like to play board and card games. Our yard offers space for gardening, something we both find rejuvenating. During the winter, Jeff enjoys puzzles, and we like to watch movies while munching on popcorn. Jeff loves to exercise and spend time outdoors.

Amanda enjoys homemaking whether it's outside in the yard watering plants or inside planning and prepping meals, or cooking and baking which she looks forward to doing with a child. Amanda loves to decorate for the seasons, often adding to the decorations each year. Three Sundays a month we meet with other families from church in different homes. We eat lunch together and have a singing time. The adults have a small group time while the kids have supervised play. Several of these families have adopted. It's a great way to offer support and encouragement to one another, and we enjoy spending time together. We can't wait for a child to be a part of this fun group.

Jeff has integrity and honesty. He will be a good role model for a child. He is social, outgoing, and relational. Jeff has a fun personality and is animated. In addition, he interacts well with children. He anticipates spending quality time with a child such as helping with homework, building forts, playing games, and going on special outings such as to the local parks. Jeff is also very mechanical and good with his hands. Engaging a child in fun projects is something he anticipates doing. Jeff has an aptitude for science as his major in college was plant health. He enjoys working with soil and planting in our backyard. Jeff is gifted with finance and very good at budget management. These are very helpful skills to teach a child.

Amanda is very detailed oriented, which brings careful attention to children's well-being. She has an enormous heart for children as seen in the way she engages with them in communication, play, and correction. She knows what makes children tick, what their needs are and provides opportunities for them to discover, learn, and navigate healthy choices which they can own for themselves. Amanda looks for fun and creative activities where children can be children and will foster their development. Amanda is a mother at heart full of love and care to nurture these qualities in a child. Her child development college education and ten years of teaching experience compliments her joy to help bring out a child's best potential.

Our biggest priority in life is to worship God and bring honor to Him. This is displayed through our relationship within our family and local community. A high priority in our lives is spending quality family time. This is seen through eating meals, playing games, navigating daytrips, and going on walks together. Jeff works full-time remotely from home, so this allows him to be present. Upon receiving a child, Amanda will become a stay-at-home mom.

Another important priority is attending church each Sunday. Our church has a wonderful nursery and children's program including Sunday school and a mid-week youth group where Amanda enjoys volunteering. Three Sundays a month we also meet with other families from church. We sing, pray, and learn more about God together. This is a very supportive group and several of the families have adopted. This group is very excited to meet and welcome a child.

We live in a suburb of a metropolitan area in California which consists of a wide variety of ethnicities.

Our community is not only beautiful but also family friendly. We have a handful of children's parks 2-5 minutes from our house. We live 7 minutes from a river which offers hiking and cycling. There are hands-on exhibits in 3 local children's museums which feature art, science, and trains. We also have an aquarium nearby where you can hand-feed fish. A variety of animals live at our two local zoos. We also have a huge annual fair that features rides, farm animals, crops, and children's exhibits. We are so excited to engage in family outings with a child.

Our church campus is just 2 minutes away. They have a wonderful nursery and children's program including Sunday school and mid-week youth group. There is also an annual church kids' camp which includes creative teaching, crafts, and games. There is an excellent private Christian school not far from our neighborhood as well.

We live in a welcoming neighborhood that consists of other families with children. Many of our neighbors go on walks with their children and/or pets. There is a local public school down the street that opens up its playground to the community. We live in a three bedroom house that has a large backyard. Amanda's favorite room in the house is the nursery. There are engaging books, creative toys, and cuddly stuffed animals. We can't wait to welcome a child.

Our family is thrilled to welcome a child. Our parents live 1.5 hours away, so we enjoy seeing them during holidays and special family celebrations. Jeff's parents are retired and enjoy traveling. Jeff's mom is very creative and loves to sew. While visiting their home, you can find homemade placemats, pillows, and wall hangings representing each holiday. A family tradition is eating mouth-watering homemade cinnamon rolls during holidays. Jeff's parents also enjoy gardening, and we often spend time in their yard. Amanda's mother is retired, and her father owns his own business. Amanda's mom enjoys cooking a wide variety of healthy, delicious foods. We often play dominoes, Five Crowns, or Rummikub with them. Amanda's parents also have a pool in their backyard, and we enjoy barbecues and swimming in the summertime. Our parents also come visit us, and we explore local parks, museums, or river trails together. Here's a bit more about our family. Jeff has two siblings, and Amanda has one. Our nephew has a 3-year-old son, and he is very excited to have a new playmate. It is also a tradition in Amanda's family to get together with an aunt, uncle, and cousins for a large family celebration for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

Thank you for letting us share a bit of who we are. May you catch a glimpse into our lives.

While walking around a lake together on a church camping trip, Amanda discovered Jeff's authenticity and love for God. She knew that he was different from most guys she met. What followed were three years of friendship and then marriage in 2005. Throughout these past 18 years, our marriage has been anchored in our relationship with God and each other.

High values in our life are relationships and cultural diversity. Our profession caters to this lifestyle. Jeff works full-time remotely from home. He is present, and we often eat meals together. We also regularly interact with refugees and international college students in the neighborhood. We enjoy welcoming and becoming friends with people that have come from all over the world. Our friends enrich our lives, and we learn so much from each other. Building relationships with people representing a variety of cultures is an important part of who we are. Upon receiving a child Amanda will become a stay-at-home mom and anticipates maintaining relationships with her students and friends.

A small group from our church is another important aspect of our life. Three Sundays a month we eat lunch together. While the adults meet in a small group, the kids have supervised play. Several of these families have adopted, so the child will regularly engage with other adopted children representing a variety of ethnicities.

We are ecstatic to welcome a child into our family. We are looking forward to loving, nurturing, and equipping a child for life. We have always dreamed of becoming parents. We are excited to spend time together and be engaged with a child. We also look forward to developing and encouraging the strengths and interests of a child. We want to provide support academically whether through helping with reading, homework, or volunteering in the child's classroom. We anticipate providing opportunities to be involved in extracurricular activities that interest the child. Our extended family is thrilled to welcome a child. They live about 1.5 hours away, and we visit each other regularly.

In the hope of adopting, we opened our home to foster children. We had a sibling set live with us for 16 months. The youngest came to us at 7 days old. We became extremely attached to the children. They were reunified with their birth family. We currently have limited contact with them based on the family's needs. Although this has been a very difficult experience, it opened our eyes to the importance of having a compatible relationship with the birth family. This experience also caused us to pursue private infant adoption.

We want to maintain an open relationship with you. Although our loss is different, we have experienced the heartache of not being able to communicate or see children we love. We have a heightened awareness of the importance of contact. Not only will this help us and you but also the child. Having a connection with you will help formulate identity and know the child is loved by many family members. We will send letters and pictures of the child. If you desire, we are also open to emails, texts, in-person visits, and video conferences. We realize also there may be seasons in your life when you may want different levels of contact, and we will respect your desires. We view our relationship with you as a partnership in raising a child. You are a vital and important part of this child's life and wellbeing.

Our hearts go out as you consider next steps. We are praying for wisdom and direction as you choose the best for your child. We are open to Zooming with you and/or meeting in person, so we can learn more about each other.

Blessings,

Jeff & Amanda