Hello! We are Jen, Tom and future big brother, Beckett from beautiful Texas!

Dear Expectant Mother: We cannot begin to know the many emotions you must be experiencing, but we do know that reading this shows your strength, courage, and love. Thank you for that and for choosing to read more about us. Years ago, as we began to deal with our infertility issues, we were also beginning to process what is important to us about family. We came to recognize the beautiful, hopeful, and loving answer that adoption can be for everyone involved. Our gratitude and joy are beyond words to have found our son, Beckett, through adoption. The process, while sometimes a little scary, has been the most worthwhile experience of our lives and we are overjoyed to embark on this journey again. We feel that another child will complete our family and we are excited to meet him or her. We look forward to sharing more about ourselves and to learning about you.

About Us

We met in 2002 while working at a restaurant in our hometown of New Orleans. The spark was there, and soon Tom was arranging the schedule so that we could work together more often, and we became great friends. We laughed together so much. We married in 2004 in a small celebration at Jen’s mom’s house in the woods near a river. We remember our friends and family dancing underneath the stars. In late 2014, we found our long hoped-for family through adoption. We are so in love with our son Beckett. Every day he teaches us, makes us laugh, and makes us proud and grateful. He is a happy, curious, and funny boy. We know that Beckett will be a great big brother! Last year, living in New York City, we indulged our adventurous side! Now we are ready to resume a more relaxed and laid-back life in Fort Worth, Texas. We love working on creative projects at home, playing, reading, or having family dance parties! We walk a lot and love to explore outside. We like to entertain and are happy that we are close to wonderful friends. We also love to travel and cannot wait to show our kids the world. We are close enough to visit our dear families easily and often. Beckett is the light of their lives and they hope, as we do, to embrace another child in the family. We can just imagine Beckett and our future child laughing, running, and playing in the yard.Introducing Jen

By Jen: I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I graduated from Tulane University and worked as a waitress, graphic designer, painting teacher, and legal assistant before finding my two passions: parenting and yoga. I am so grateful that thanks to Tom’s profession and hard work I can devote my time to the wonderful work of raising our family. I want to share experiences large and small with my kids: travelling and seeing the world, relaxing on a porch swing looking at stars, taking a walk, and giving our kids the tools to navigate life with peace and joy.

What I Love About Jen, by Tom: I knew immediately that Jen and I would be together. We complement each other so well. Jen is creative, sensitive, and loving. She is completely dedicated to our family and is an incredible mother. I never would have returned to school to become a doctor without her support. Jen creates a home wherever we go. Our son is lucky to have her for a mother, and I know that she is ready to share her heart with another child. Jen always thinks of others before herself and her capacity for love seems infinite.Meet Tom

By Tom: My dad’s work in the oil and gas industry required that my family move every couple of years and I never felt very connected to a place until I moved to New Orleans to attend college. I want to provide my family with stability. We love time at home, exploring our city, and travelling. I look forward to seeing if any of my nerdy hobbies can light a spark my kids’ interest, but if not, I can’t wait to be drawn into their own interests, whatever they may be.

What I Love About Tom, By Jen: Tom is hilarious and the most intelligent person I know. I’m so happy and proud that he worked so hard for a medical career that he finds stimulating and fulfilling. All the things I love about him are the very things that make him a great father. Beckett and I can always depend on him. He makes us laugh all the time and reminds me not to take things more seriously than I need to. He supports my adventurous and creative spirit and gives me safe and solid ground to land on. Together we make an amazing team and I cannot wait to see him share his love with another child. Tom is caring, steadfast, and can figure out a solution to anything.Our Loving Family

We know that Beckett will be a great big brother! Beckett is curious, creative, and focused. He is smart, strong-willed, and quick to laugh. He is hilarious and finds delight in all he does. We love just letting the days unfold with him and watching him experience the world. We can’t wait to show him all that we love and to continue to discover and learn from what he loves too. We feel privileged to be his parents. He teaches us about joy and what is important in life. We cannot wait for him to share the unique bond of adoption with a sibling. We can just see them jumping into life together.

Our Family and Friends: We are thrilled that we will be settling down close to some of our dearest friends and family. They are an incredible support to us and such a source of fun!  Jen’s brother Geb lives part of the year in Europe as a touring musician. We just enjoyed a wonderful visit to Switzerland for his wedding. We see our parents often, and all the grandparents are eager for a turn to host a grandparent’s “camp.” We also love being able to spend time with extended family. Some of Jen’s fondest memories are of regular family time at her grandparents’ house playing with all her cousins, so it is a joy to give the same experience to our kids. We can’t wait to rejoin our favorite traditions: holidays with family, friendsgiving with close friends, hot cocoa and Christmas lights, and vacations at the beach. Our family and friends are extremely supportive of our decision to adopt again!Our Home and Closing Thoughts

Our Home and Community: We are putting down roots in Fort Worth, Texas. We have purchased a bright and beautiful restored old home with a huge yard. We can just see our family growing here…playing in the yard, gardening, evening walks to the nearby ice cream shop, reading together at bedtime in the kids’ rooms. Our neighborhood is vibrant, historic, and full of fun young families. We are close to the zoo and several playgrounds. Our neighbors are friendly and welcoming. We have a warm and lively home and community. Our cat, Monkey, was a stray who found her way inside our home and hearts ten sweet years ago. She has recently started snuggling up to Beckett too! Please don’t tell Monkey, but now that we will have a big yard, we plan on getting a dog, too.

Thank you for taking the time to hear our story. We hope that it has given you a sense of who we are. Our greatest hope for Beckett and our future child is that they are happy. We strive for a home full of fun, laughter, and unconditional love, the security to explore and find adventure in life, and the support to face and learn from the challenges that life brings. We hope that you find all that you need in this process. We wish you as much peace as possible in what must be a challenging time. We don’t know what all our roles and relationships will look like, but we are willing to figure it out with you. We look forward to learning about you and to answering any questions you may have.