John and Melissa

We’d like to start by thanking you for giving us the opportunity to tell you about ourselves. We understand that the decision you have made is a difficult one, and we feel that you are showing a tremendous amount of love for your child. We pray that this experience would be a blessing to you, knowing that your child is being placed with a family that you trust.

TIMELINE
1993 - Met at 13 in our neighborhood, in Anaheim CA.

1996 – High school sweethearts

1997 – We both graduated from high school and started college.

1999 – John proposed Christmas Eve to Melissa, by the Christmas Tree.

2001 – Melissa graduated in May and we were married June.

2002 – John graduated and we moved to St. Louis, MO so that John could go to seminary to become a pastor.

2003 – Matthew Christopher was born in April.

2004 – We moved to Kingwood, TX for John’s 1 year internship. Melissa worked as a preschool teacher there at the church.

2005 – We moved back to St. Louis for 1 more year of seminary.

2006 – John graduated from seminary; we adopted Andrew Michael, who was born I June; and we moved to Fort Worth, TX to start a new church where John was a worship leader.

2009 – We then moved to Houston, TX where John serves as the missions pastor.

2010 – Melissa went back to teaching preschool for kids 18 months to 2 years. We began to sense that our family was not complete yet and we wanted to adopt another child!

2011 – The birth of a new baby who will become part of our family!

JOHN
John is my High School Sweetheart and best friend. We were just thirteen years old when we met in the summer of 1993. We lived in the same neighborhood our whole childhood but it wasn’t until ninth grade that we met. We remained friends throughout high school and college and were married shortly after I graduated.

I would describe John as an introverted extrovert! While he is great with people and has very strong leadership abilities at work but when we go to a party or somewhere social he tends to fade into the crowd. He loves his job and being up in front of people but then he needs his down time where he can just relax.

John has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from park director where he led games and activities for kids, photographer, worship leader and pastor. All of these jobs have one thing in common: working with people. He also enjoys playing guitar, so when he has a Sunday off he is usually playing with the band. John has played guitar in both a “garage” band and church bands; music is one of his passions and something the two of us share in common. We hope our children will have a love for music as well.

In John’s spare time he enjoys working on projects around the house; his latest project was building a deck in our backyard. But, if he could pick one thing to do in his spare time it would probably be watching NASCAR. He is obsessed with the sport and it has become our Sunday tradition to watch the race as a family. The sound of screaming and cheering comes from the family room and we all have our favorite drivers, so it makes for a fun family competition.

John is a wonderful daddy and loves his kids so much. From the time they were little he would get down on the floor and play with them. He can often be found playing soccer in the backyard with them, wrestling, playing Wii and teaching them how to do things around the house.

As my husband, he has always been there for me. We have had our share of ups and downs in the ten years we have been married and there have been times that I have been discouraged but he comes right along side me and together we get through it. He encourages me in the areas I am weak and supports me in the areas I am strong. We provide a great balance for each other. It has been a great ten years and I look forward to many, many more.

MELISSA
My life would be so incredibly different without my wife, Melissa. From the time we met and everyday since she has been an inspiration for me and for our family to live everyday to its full potential. She once told me, as we were getting ready to graduate from high school, that I had potential. Since then she has challenged and pushed me to live up to that potential.

Melissa is a passionate and caring person and mother who truly works to be the best mother and wife she possibly can be. She often impresses me with how she seeks to see the unique personalities in our children and embrace each of them as individuals. Whether it's playing board games with Andrew or outside riding around on bikes with Matt, she gets involved in their lives. She is at her best when she is with her family.

While family is the biggest part of Melissa's life she enjoys many other things. Throughout high school and college she spent much of her time singing, even putting herself through college on scholarships for singing. Today she continues that love for music by bringing music into our home as well as singing at church.

It seems that wherever we find ourselves Melissa finds herself teaching preschool. For the last few years she has been working with kids 18 months old. Having fun finger painting, learning colors and shapes and dancing to children's songs is how she spends many of her days while the boys are in school.

When she needs a good break, she will drag us off on a vacation somewhere so that we can get away from the business of life. The beach, and any where on the water are the places she loves most. As a child her family would often sail off the coast of southern California visiting the island of Catalina for a day or two at a time. And if we can't get away for an actual vacation she will grab a movie and blanket, pop some popcorn and we'll have a movie night right there at home.

Melissa continues to inspire me with her passion and love for life and family but most of all she inspires me with her faith. It’s an essential part of her life that drives her to be the person and mother that she is. Her kindness and concern for others shines through in all that she does. I have been so fortunate to find a best friend as wonderful as she is!

OUR FAMILY

Matt
Matt is an outgoing, fun-loving and on the go kind of kid. No matter where he goes or what he does he makes a new friend and always has a new tale to tell of his adventures. One of his great passions is karate. He loves the discipline and the challenge of learning and mastering the material. Matt has a very creative and artistic side, which means our refrigerator is often filled with his drawing and painting. He also has a love for music! The sounds of guitar can be heard coming from his room. He’s a real fireball, too say the least!

Drew
Drew loves to take everything apart just to see how it works. Never content to just use his imagination, he must discover the in’s and out’s of everything – which often lands him in some tight situations! Drew is a sensitive little guy who genuinely loves those around him. He is quick to say sorry and always willing to forgive. Just like Matt, he also loves karate; the BIG difference between the two of them – Drew is always asking his instructors why. Oh, and we can’t forget, he’s quite the flirt, always putting on a show for the girls.

The Animals
As if two boys weren’t enough, our house is filled with the sounds of cats and a dog. Our cats, Mosaic and Paisley, were Christmas gifts for the boys but have really become Melissa’s. They’re fun to have around but they always get on John’s nerves. After a few years of having the cats John decided it was time he had a dog. We rescued Rhodey from a shelter as a puppy. His big “yoda” ears made him too cute to resist. Rhodey and John are best buddies. If you can’t find the two of them it’s because they’re outside playing Frisbee or throwing the ball.

OUR HOME AND COMMUNITY
Moving around so much, the motto for our family has become, “Home is where the Lord sends us”. But in the last few years we have settled into a wonderful neighbor outside of Houston, TX. We live in a nice four bedroom home that fits our growing family well. It’s a quiet neighborhood with a playground and splash park. It’s the kind of place where you still feel safe to play out front with your neighbors.

Houston is full of things to do. From going to the Downtown Aquarium to heading south to Galveston and the beach there’s always something to do. We’ve been to Astros games, gone fishing in the country and everything in between.

We came to Houston because John took a position in a local church as the Missions Pastor. The church is a wonderful community where both John and Melissa work and the boys go to school. The school is a recognized blue ribbon school and has amazing teachers. Matt’s in second grade and Drew is in preschool. One of the best things about where we work and go to church/school is that we are together all the time as a family. John often sees Matt and Drew around on campus, and almost everyday after school we all meet up to play and hang out on the playground with friends.

FAVORITE & FUN FACTS
I. Melissa

1. Cozy up on the couch and fall asleep
2. Has 2 closets full of scrapbook stuff
3. Makes the boys match and then makes us take pictures for every event
4. Has tattoos but hates needles
5. Is a cat person but is also allergic to them
6. Puts up with the dog for John’s sake
7. Loves cheesy, romantic movies
8. Enjoys the beach but not the sand

II. John

1. Likes to work outside and build things
2. Must be bribed to help with the laundry
3. Uses the boys as an excuse to play video games
4. Loves technology but is too cheap to get a iphone
5. Closet rock star – (plays guitar at church)
6. Hates seafood but wished he loved it
7. Watches his favorite movies over and over (Star Wars 1-6 & Remember the Titans)
8. Owns more guitars than he plays
9. Can’t stand it when Melissa falls asleep during a movie

CLOSING
Parenthood has been one of the best things that has ever happened to us. Having Matthew and Andrew has brought life and energy to our family. Being a parent hasn’t just been all fun and games though. There have been many times when we’ve had to comfort our children as they struggle through tough times or kiss an “ouchy” and bandage up a scraped knee.

All in all, being mom and dad has made us better people. It has challenged us and brought us closer together. In early 2011 we created a mission statement for our family, “We seek to always be a missional family maintaining balance in life, integrity in faith, and in all situations having humor and openness.” This helps us understand what we as a family are all about.

For us adoption has been one of the great wonders of our lives. Adopting Andrew was such an amazing experience for all of us. We can’t imagine what life would be like had he not been brought into our family. We are looking forward to welcoming another child into out family and providing the best love, care, and compassion that we can. Matt and Drew are excited about adopting again and Drew is ready to be a big brother.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We are looking forward to the future and excited about what’s next; yet we know that this must be the hardest decision you have ever had to make. We want you to know, as you consider the right family for your child that we are praying for you. We promise that if you choose us, that your child will always have a safe loving family that cares for him or her. We also promise that we will share with your child who you are, and that you love him or her very much.

A friend once told us, that while her adopted daughter didn’t grow in her tummy, she grew in her heart. We pray that God will bless you as you consider an adoptive family.

In this home:

we do second chances

we do grace

we do real

we do mistakes

we do I’m sorrys

we do LOUD – really well

we do hugs

we do family

we do love

If you have an questions for us, or would like to talk to us about adopting your child, please contact an AdoptHelp advisor by Calling 1-800-637-7999 or clicking the "Contact Us" button below.

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