Hi! We are Ian and Julie from Washington, DC
Dear Birthmother: 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.
Here’s Our Story: We met in 2004 at a hole-in-the-wall political pub through a mutual friend. We hit it off right away and discovered we had a lot in common. We became friends and realized there was a strong connection. Before long we were going on new adventures; Julie took Ian to London for Christmas to visit his sister who was living there—it was his first trip overseas, although now he has traveled all over the world. A few years after we met, Julie’s father passed away and Ian was there to provide love and support and we learned that we were stronger together.
We were married on Halloween 2014 in New Orleans (one of our favorite cities) under a giant old oak tree. Julie wanted to get the most out of her wedding dress and her favorite holiday, so later that night we put on zombie make-up and spent the rest of the evening as a zombie bride and groom.
We truly consider each day we have with each other a blessing. We are silly, fun and we love to make each other smile. Sometimes we even make up silly songs about each other just to laugh. WE HAVE SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVE AND LOOK FORWARD TO INCLUDING YOUR CHILD IN OUR FAMILY.
Meet Julie
A Little About Julie or JJ: The first thing to know about Julie is that everyone calls her JJ. Julie (JJ) is one of the most loving, caring, and thoughtful people I’ve ever met. Her love for her family, friends, and animals is infectious. The other thing to know about JJ 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.
Despite living in a serious town, JJ loves to laugh and be silly. She is extremely outgoing and loves to be involved in activities. After college, JJ 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 currently advocates for non-profit clients on things like protecting access to health care. She will tell you that one of her greatest professional accomplishments while working in Washington has been helping families with their international adoptions when she worked in the Senate. She knows first-hand the difficulties families may face in the process, but also the joy they receive when new families are made. JJ will raise our future child with love and compassion, and I’m proud she’s my partner in this journey.
Meet Ian
A Little About Ian: Ian is absolutely amazing! It’s the best word I can think of to describe him. 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 that has been passed down from generations of men in his family, which is often very funny. Ian spent the last 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 and generous. I CAN’T HELP THINK ABOUT WHAT AN AMAZING FATHER AND ROLE MODEL HE WILL BE.
Our Loved Ones
Both of Ian’s parents live near where Ian grew up in North Carolina. They are very kind and you feel right as home as soon as you meet them. Christmas is the best at Ian’s dad and step-mom’s house. There is tons of family around, and it’s like a winter wonderland—there are no fewer than 4 Christmas trees and decorations everywhere! His sister lives in London and his brother still lives in North Carolina but we all see each other as much as we can. Julie has a 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. In fact, Julie is planning a big family trip for everyone to meet in Tennessee this 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 closest and longest friends in D.C 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.
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.
Our Home and Closing Thoughts
Our Home and Community: We live on a beautiful tree-lined street in a historic part of Washington, DC. Our house is over 100 years old! We just like a place that is cozy and welcoming. Inside our living room there is a huge mirror that was made out of a window from a historic market down the street. Another wall is nothing but bookshelves filled with books and pictures (most of which we have read). We feel like our kitchen is like an old country farm home. Throughout the house you will see pictures of our travels, family, and political memorabilia. We plan on turning our guest room into the nursery. We don’t know what our theme will be yet—maybe jungle animals like elephants, lions, and giraffes since we love animals, or maybe characters from our favorite children’s books.
Our Promise To You Is That Your Child: Will be ENCOURAGED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES and never be afraid to be a little silly. Will grow up in a WORLD OF BOOKS and be encouraged to use their IMAGINATION. Will always have an AWESOME HALLOWEEN COSTUME. Will get to TRAVEL and find new adventures. Will have parents that will do everything possible to make sure they experience and SHARE KINDNESS EVERY DAY. Will know that it’s important to become CARING, THOUGHTFUL, and JOYFUL. Most of all, they will absolutely have two parents that will wake up every day grateful that they were BLESSED TO BE A FAMILY.
From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for considering us for your adoption. 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.
