Hi! We are Ian and Julie from North Carolina. Thank you for considering us as adoptive parents. Words can’t express our sincere appreciation and the respect we have for the decision you are considering. We can’t imagine what you’re feeling and this might seem like an overwhelming journey, but we hope that reading our story and getting to know us will help you on your path.

Please know we are full of admiration for your courage and love for your child by choosing adoption and the words "thank you" can only begin to convey our feelings. It would be an honor to share our life with your child. No matter what you decide, thank you for your brave choice of adoption.

We met in 2004 through a mutual friend. We hit it off right away and discovered we had a lot in common. We were friends first, then realized we had a strong connection. Since then we have had adventures all over the globe, from hiking waterfalls in Costa Rica to touring the Italian countryside. Over the years we have had our best times, and some challenges, and we are certain that life is better because we have each other. We give each other strength when we need it, and consistent comic relief. We can’t wait for a child to join our family and have new adventures together. We look forward to making new memories
as a family.

We were married on Halloween morning 2014 under a giant old oak tree in one of our favorite cities, New Orleans. Our wedding was simple, but perfect. We could not stop smiling the whole ceremony. Since Halloween is Julie’s favorite holiday, after the wedding festivities, we put on zombie makeup and spent the rest of the evening as a zombie bride and groom.

Julie, also known as “JJ” to her friends and family, is one of the most loving, caring, and thoughtful people I have ever met. Her love for her family, friends, and animals is infectious. The other thing to know about Julie is that she loves holidays. Every holiday from Halloween to Fourth of July is a celebration in our house, with decorations and traditions we have started together. We have one closet in our house that is nothing but decorations.

Julie loves to laugh and be silly. She is extremely outgoing and loves to be involved in activities. After college, Julie moved to Washington, DC to work for a senator from her home state of Missouri (although she lived part of her childhood in Texas) and she was an advocate for non-profit clients on things like protecting access to health care. While in Washington, D.C. Julie also helped run a volunteer organization to help get women elected into public office. Wanting to be closer to family, Julie found a job in North Carolina where she can continue to be an advocate for issues she feels passionately about and maintain her work with Congress, but also have more time for family and travel adventures. Julie will raise our future child with love and compassion, and I’m proud she’s my partner in this journey.

The two best words to describe Ian are absolutely amazing! He has been the best part of every day since I met him. He is truly one of most gentle and kind people you will ever meet. He grew up in North Carolina, and is very connected to his roots and family. He will often share wisdom and humor that has been passed down from generations of men in his family.

Ian spent 8 years working for the President of the United States, which was pretty amazing. He had such incredible experiences, and I was lucky to be his partner in life, and go along for the ride. We are both in jobs now that value family and personal time; we are very lucky in that regard.

Ian loves to read, and he will often have three books going at the same time. He can discuss almost any topic and we always have really interesting conversations in our house. Sometimes it is about politics, and sometimes we debate things like BBQ, but we always do it with humor and respect.

Ian truly is a blessing. He is incredibly patient, thoughtful, generous and can fix anything. I can’t help think about what an amazing father and role model he will be.

Our neighborhood surrounds a beautiful lake and has a lot of trees and animals, including deer, rabbits, hawks and blue herons. We enjoy taking evening walks in the neighborhood while looking for animals and watching a local duck family grow up. On most days you will find neighborhood kids playing together in the street in front of our house.

Our home is cozy and welcoming. We have lots of books and pictures of our travels with friends and people we’ve been lucky enough to meet, like Garth Brooks and President Obama. Our house is styled like an old farmhouse with rustic furniture and flowers throughout the house. We have a deck covered in plants and flowers with a cozy sitting area we like to spend evenings on. We have three bedrooms, one of which we plan on turning into the nursery. We haven’t decided on our decorating theme yet, but we’re considering jungle animals like elephants, lions, and giraffes or characters from our favorite children’s books.

We spend many weekends in Ian's hometown, which sits on a river that feeds into the ocean. We have a boat there and enjoy lots of time on the water.

Our faith is a central part of our life and relationship. We continue to grow spiritually and give thanks each day for God's grace and our blessings. We attend a great church near our house with many of our friends and their families. We’ll pass along that same faith and fellowship to our child and can't wait to see them grow in their love of God.

We love being close to family in North Carolina. Ian's brother lives just a few minutes away, and Ian's home town is where we spend many weekends with family. We love to go out on the water, hang out by a bonfire, or try to spot wildlife on the nearby preserve. Holidays are some of our favorite times. Ian's stepmom turns the whole house into a winter wonderland with at least 2 full-size Christmas trees (but usually several more). Ian’s sister lives in London but most of his family is close by. Julie also has nieces and nephews just over the state line in Tennessee, so our future child will have lots of family nearby to love them and grow up with. Julie has one brother and one sister. We have two nieces who have children. Julie’s mom and sister live in the same Florida town and we see them several times during the year.

We are blessed with a big group of friends. Some of them live as close as a few houses down, and some of them live on the other side of the world, but we always stay in touch and are great about keeping lifelong friends. One of our oldest friends in DC also just completed an adoption and they are so supportive of us, and can't wait for their son Sammy to have a new friend. Everyone is excited to be a part of our future child’s life.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for considering us. We promise that your child will have a lifetime of love, happiness, and encouragement in their life journey. They will know how grateful we are for your decision to allow us to be a family.