My Name is Amanda. I am honored to be considered in your search to find an adoptive parent for your child. I admire your courage and selflessness and recognize what a difficult journey this must be. I would like to help you learn a little more about me, my values, and my family, and all of the support and love that I can give to your child.

I live in a small town in Maryland, within 5 miles of my parents, two sisters, and their families. My family is very important to me and I am very close with my extended family, including my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who also live nearby. We spend lots of time together celebrating holidays, family birthdays, and just hanging out on a weekly basis! I have several close friends with small children and we love to get together at least once a month. I love children and often babysit my nieces and my friends' kids. I'm surrounded with people who share my desire to get the most out of life - we always laugh and have fun and try new things!

I love to read, write, and play the flute and the piano! I am very active and love running, biking, and spending time outdoors. Whether I’m enjoying a quiet day at home or exploring new places, I want to share these experiences with your child and help them to learn more about themselves and the world, while having fun in the process!

My family is very close and we spend a lot of time together. We threw a big surprise party for my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary last year and had the best time celebrating the wonderful family they’ve created! My sister Allison is a former math teacher and now works from home as a health and fitness coach. She and her husband, Dave, have two amazing daughters - Kaylee (8) and Hannah (5) - they are so sweet and fun and love to have sleepovers! Kaylee has been my biggest cheerleader since finding out that I wanted to adopt and can’t wait to have a cousin to play with. My sister Sarah is one of the most creative and talented people I know. She is an artist who has worked in art therapy and with special needs kids. She also loves animals! She lives with her husband, Brian, and their two dogs, Sadie and Porter. My mom, a former nurse, is the Director of Infection Prevention at our local hospital. My dad works from home as a VP for a company that makes compostable products for the food service industry. My parents love spending time with their children and grandchildren and are looking forward to spending even more time with family when they retire in a few years.

I have a close group of friends from college, most of whom live nearby. We get together monthly for board games and pot luck dinners. Every summer we rent a big house and spend the week hiking, swimming, and taking silly group photos. With six children under 6-years-old, everyone has plenty of playmates!
Two of my friends have personal experience with adoption. My friend Brian adopted his son three years ago and my best friend Miriam's husband and sister-in-law were adopted. Their advice and support has been invaluable throughout my adoption journey.

I have been a Department of Defense employee for over 15 years and have been lucky to have a job that I love where I have made many close friends. I enjoyed traveling and meeting new people from different backgrounds, but when I decided to adopt I took a position closer to home with more flexible hours. I now have a 15-minute commute and am blessed to have a very family-friendly work environment.

Every year, my family runs in our town's Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, which is within walking distance of my parents' house. It's a fun and active way to start the holiday and we love to relax and watch the Thanksgiving Day parade afterwards. Our town has a big July 4th celebration, including a parade and a fireworks show. We love to get together to enjoy the festivities each year. Our town is the county's first official Arts and Entertainment District and is particularly well known as a music town. We love attending the outdoor summer concert series at our local amphitheater to hear rock, bluegrass, and reggae. Every summer, we spend a week at my brother-in-law’s beach house in Chincoteague, VA. We enjoy swimming, biking, and seeing all the local wildlife. My family also celebrates all the major holidays and every extended family member's birthday together. Regular gatherings are always fun and something to look forward to.

I live in a very family friendly community within walking distance of trails, parks, and some of the best schools in the county. I have a spacious home with a cozy backyard patio perfect for eating outside on a pleasant evening or for watching birds, bunnies, and the occasional curious deer. I love to spend quiet evenings at home with a cup of tea, watching a movie or snuggling up by the fireplace.

I’ve known that I wanted to adopt for several years and I have focused on building the best life possible to raise a family. I have a wonderful and loving network of friends and family who are very excited to welcome a new member. I hope that learning a little more about me and my life has given you some comfort and security as you make your decision. As you can see, I am blessed with a supportive and loving home and environment that I would love to share with your child. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my profile and for considering me as a possible adoptive parent for your child.