First and foremost, thank you for considering us. We hope to grow our family through adoption, not because we need to, but because we want to. We are awed by your love, courage and selflessness. Because of your strength, we have an opportunity to build the family we’ve been dreaming of. We hope that these next few pages will show that we will give everything we have to your child and make every effort to enrich your child’s life with travel, education and a healthy lifestyle

We hope you feel the unconditional love and commitment we have for each other and our son Eli, and ultimately our desire to become parents again. We are excited by life and what the future will bring for us. We promise to provide an environment of support, consistency, unconditional love and lots of adventures!

We met in graduate school while Anna was getting her master’s degree and John was getting his Ph.D. After only one date, we knew we were “meant to be.” The next five years saw us together for a year, then in a long-distance relationship for two years, before finally moving to North Carolina together. In 2018, we were lucky enough to adopt a beautiful baby boy that made our family of two into three. As we both grew up with a sibling and know of the value of having one, we now hope to add to our family of 3.

I wasn’t born in Texas, but as we say, I got there as fast as I could! My childhood was spent playing with the other neighborhood kids, summers on the local swim team, and family dinners each night. After high school, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and intended on taking a year to study desert tortoises before going to graduate school. However, my mother passed away suddenly the day after I graduated, which changed everything. I did eventually go to graduate school, and now hold a Masters in Environmental Toxicology from Texas Tech University and work today as an environmental consultant studying the effects of chemicals on the environment. I am fortunate in that I can work from home, which allows me a flexible schedule.

Growing up, my dad encouraged me to always try new foods. Today, I am so grateful that he did because it opened up the doors for a greater sense of adventure. I loved living overseas because it allowed me to travel and experience new cultures and ideas, and meet new and exciting people. I believe life should be fun, and it should be experienced, not just lived.

I look forward to raising our children with good work ethic, a love of adventure, and a grateful heart no matter what life throws at you.

Anna is truly my better half. If I only had one word to describe her, it would be inspirational. She is continually striving to be a better person, better sister, better daughter, and better wife. She is also one of the most adventurous people I have met. Nothing is too hard, big or difficult. For example, shortly after we met, she boarded a plane, alone, and flew to Thailand. She then navigated her way to a northern village called Chiang Rai to volunteer in an orphanage for two weeks. It is truly a privilege to be with her on life’s journey.

I grew up in a loving, caring household with my parents, younger sister and a couple of cats. Growing up, I played ice hockey, soccer, baseball and tennis. However, my parents stressed that athletics were reward for performing to the best of my ability in the classroom. I hope to instill the same work ethic in our child

After staying close to home for college, I decided to move across the country to Texas for graduate school where I obtained a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology. After graduating, I began work as an environmental toxicologist evaluating chemical risk to the environment. I am lucky to have a career that offers flexibility and to work for a company that values work/life balance.

If I had to pick one word for John, it would be caring. In social settings, he is always the one making sure everyone is comfortable and happy. He is attentive and considerate, doing things for me like opening my car door or surprising me with flowers ‘just because’. John is also my partner in all things. John is driven, hard-working, and goal-oriented. He puts a 100% into everything he takes on. The combination of his ambition and hard work have allowed him to become successful in his career. And after 9 years together, he still manages to make me laugh. He makes me the best version of myself. He is truly my best friend.

Anna’s family still lives in Texas so every year we welcome the opportunity to head south and enjoy some quality family time, country music and BBQ. Anna’s dad, Emil, remarried a wonderful woman named Karen who loves to dote on her grandchild. Anna’s younger sister, Krista is also in Texas, so it is always one big family reunion when we visit. Anna’s family is a goofy, close-knit family that is always a ton of fun to visit!

John’s sister Kathryn and his parents live in Charlotte, NC, only about 3 hours from us, so we see them frequently. Kathryn and her husband, Zack, recently welcomed a second baby girl, Lucy, who is now the little sister to 4 yr old Clara. In Pittsburgh, where John grew up, there is a tradition of baking cookies. John’s mom has taken it to the extreme and now starting around Halloween, John’s mother bakes about 12 dozen cookies to share over Christmas when family gets together.

Both families are extremely excited to add another grandchild, niece or nephew, and cousin to the family.

In 2018, we welcomed Eli. It has been so much fun watching him learn, grow, and discover the world around him. He is silly, observant, fearless, and most of all sweet. He is also an absolute bundle of energy. His favorite thing is to be outside, but it’s always best when the neighborhood kids are out. He loves to ride his bike and scooter with the “big” kids or to play basketball, soccer, hockey, and most recently Frisbee. Since we have started to talk about adopting again, we ask him if he wants a brother/sister and he emphatically screams“YES”. We see how he interacts with the neighborhood kids and know that he would be a great big brother.
We maintain a very close relationship to his birth mother and stay in touch via text and the occasional FaceTime. And although it is difficult to keep a 2.5 year olds attention, it is always nice to see that her and her family are doing well.

We live in a small community in Apex, North Carolina - frequently voted one of the best places to live in America. On our street we have several neighbors with children 3 years and younger. The local elementary, middle and high schools are all walking distance from our house. Our community also has two parks, and two pools where Anna teaches swim lessons every summer to the neighborhood kids. The community also has baseball and soccer fields nearby and there is even a farm where you can feed the cows and horses. Our house backs up to acres of woods where we often see deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Our favorite part about our neighborhood is our street, or more specifically the people on our street. We’ve developed a close knit group of friends who help each other out, be it borrowing eggs for cookies or last minute babysitting.