Hello! We are Anna and John

Dear Birthmother: 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 ultimately our desire to become parents. 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!

A Few Things About Us:

• We lived in Germany for over two years, and have visited over 30 countries
• We compete in triathlons together
• We love to be outdoors: hiking, camping, surfing, mountain biking, even just walking the dogs.
• We both love a genre of music called “Texas Country”
• We are big Texas Tech Red Raider football fans
• We try to go to at least 1 foreign country every year
• We always tell each other “I love you” before falling asleep

Our Story: 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.

Meet Anna

About Anna by Anna: 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 a good work ethic, a love of adventure, and a grateful heart no matter what life throws at you.

Anna by John: 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.

Meet John

By John: 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.

John By Anna: 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.

Our Family & Friends

Both families are extremely excited to add a new grandchild, niece or nephew, and cousin to the family. 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 can’t wait to dote on her first grandchild. Anna’s younger sister, Krista, and her husband, Jeremy, are 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 baby girl, Clara, and we go to visit as often as we can. 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.

Our Home and Closing Thoughts

Our Home: 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 three 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.

Our Pups: When we got married, not only did John get a partner for life, but also two dogs, Dillon and Tank, and one cat, Dori  (from Finding Nemo). Dillon was a pound puppy rescued by Anna’s mother and younger sister. He is a 12-year-old black lab, and a sweet, gentle dog although he is scared of most things including plastic bags and doorways. He’s the nurturer of the group and is always making sure the cat and Tank are well cared for, even giving the cat baths! Tank, an 11-year-old mutt, was also a stray and she lives up to her name. She is the protector of her family, and lives for belly rubs. She is also very sweet, loves to play, but most importantly just wants to be near “her” family. Dori, the cat, quite literally ran into Anna’s college apartment and never left. Dori is definitely the queen of the house. Fourteen years later, these three have lived in seven houses, two states and two countries together!

Our Promise To You:

• To nurture the unique personality and abilities passed on from you and to honor your forever place in your child’s life.
• To wrap our arms and hearts around your child so they always know they are loved and supported.
• To provide all that we can so your child has every opportunity to learn, experience, try, fail, and try again.
• To teach your child that they are a person of the world, and to be grateful for that.
• To give back when possible, and to be compassionate.
• To remember that even when we can’t be the perfect parents we will keep our lives full of love and laughter.