We are David & Jennifer and we live in small town Atwater, California along with our daughter, Alyssa. We’d like to start by saying thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We admire your strength and courage to be able to make this difficult decision. And we are so grateful for you considering us and are excited for the opportunity to grow our family.

For years we’ve wanted to expand our family. During our journey we discovered that Jennifer is unable to have children, which is a part of what led us to adoption. Although we did try to conceive ourselves, adoption has always been something we’ve talked about. The past few years we’ve been a certified resource family where we were able to create a warm loving experience for a young child prior to her reunification. To us being a parent is one of the most special gifts you can give someone. The ability to provide a happy, loving home while teaching a child the core values of life is something so unique that nothing can compare. Your child would be surrounded by love and guidance through their life’s journey.

We met in 2008 when we were introduced by a mutual friend before going away for a holiday weekend. Neither of us intended on getting into a relationship however, we quickly began spending all of our time together. We would meet for dinner, hang out with friends and family, or go on day trip adventures. David’s daughter Alyssa was also part of our beginning and it was as if we’d always been a family. In August 2009 David surprised Jennifer with the most beautiful path of rose petals, candles, and dozens of red heart balloons leading to a romantic proposal. We were both over the moon and married barefoot on the beach in August 2010. Over the years we’ve maintained a sense of adventure.

One of our favorite things to do is travel. We love getting away and creating memories versus giving gifts. Some of our favorite places to visit are Monterey, Carmel-by-the-sea, Santa Cruz, Pismo, Pine Crest, Yosemite National Park, Seattle WA, Disneyland, Legoland, and Missouri to see David's parents, Charles and Vickie.

During these travels we love to ride bikes, walk the trails, play in the ocean, go fishing, shop, ride the rides, and try out mom and pop coffee shops.

Fun fact about our family adventures...
We always get an ornament to place on the Christmas tree. We write the year on the back to remember in the future all the fun we had.

David is the most amazing man! He was born and raised in the town where we live now. David is kind and loving and works hard every day to ensure his family has everything we would ever want or need. He loves to go fishing, ride bikes, be outside, and play games. David's adventurous spirit has allowed our family to make many wonderful memories.

One of Jennifer’s favorite things about David is watching him be a father to Alyssa. David has always been an involved parent. He plays games, helps with homework, shows up for every cheerleading event, listens to Alyssa’s concerns and makes her feel loved. David always puts family first.

Jen truly is the most caring, loving, thoughtful person I have ever met. From the moment I met her I was inspired and in awe of her drive. I was drawn to her initially because she was as beautiful inside as she was outside. As I got to know Jen, I fell in love with her ability to be amazing not only at her career, but also in the way she would still find time for her family. From putting on multiple events to raise awareness and create resources for different charities, to being the most wonderful stepmom to our daughter. Still to this day, she is equally as amazing and continues to make our family the absolute best we can be. She is my rock and without a doubt she makes everyone’s life she touches better.

Alyssa is David's daughter from a previous relationship, however she is our daughter. Alyssa is 16 years old and shares her time between our house and her mom’s. In addition to being an amazing kid with the most genuine, kind, loving heart, she is a great big sister to four year old twin boys at her mom’s house. Through that experience we've been able to see Alyssa love and care for her brothers while teaching them life lessons. Alyssa is also extremely focused on her studies. Currently she is researching colleges and wishes to someday be a child psychologist. In Alyssa's free time, she is committed to being the best cheerleader and coach at her competitive cheerleading gym. Lastly, Alyssa takes her community involvement very seriously by being a member of the legions club, and hosting and participating in Project Linus events. We've always tried to teach Alyssa to have a goal, make a plan, and go get it!

For years we have co-parented with Alyssa's mother and stepdad. To some that just means “pick up” and “drop off,” but to us it's family. Our families get along great! We vacation together, plan fundraising events, and support Alyssa the best we all can.

Jennifer comes from a divorced family, however considers her stepmom, brother, and nieces to all be just the same as a blood relative. In addition, we have a great relationship with Jennifer's mom, brother, and grandparents. We see them often for dinner, coffee, trips to the beach, and more. On David's side there's his parents, and older brother. Although they live out of state, we take regular trips to go visit. We love hanging out with them, playing games, fishing, shopping, and attending Cardinals games. In addition to our immediate family, David has had the same group of best friends for the past 36 years and Jennifer the same group for the past 25 years. Our friends are very much family and we love how our group has expanded over the years. Furthermore, we have a very special relationship with our past foster daughter and her family. Being a resource family you never know what will happen, but in our case we jumped at the opportunity to continue to be part of our foster daughter's life. We see each other regularly and FaceTime frequently. Family truly is who you make it up to be.

We live in Atwater, CA, a small farming community located in the Central Valley and most commonly known for producing sweet potatoes. Our house is in a small subdivision located behind a school and near a park. We have 4 bedrooms which include a crafting and game room! We have a very warm welcoming neighborhood where everyone looks out for each other and gifts baked goods on the holidays.

To us, the dogs and cat are part of our family too. Throughout our journey they’ve been there for lots of snuggles and play time with every child that enters our home. We have our “old lady” Ellie who has no eyes but the biggest heart, Maggie the queen watch dog, Mila the littlest, and Buddy the Elf our cat who thinks he’s a dog too. Lots of love everywhere!

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider us. Being a parent is the hardest, most important, and most rewarding job one may ever have. We believe a child should be able to be who they are and express themselves while experiencing life. It is our role to ensure your child feels safe, happy, and loved while guiding them on their journey. Children are always going to fall down and get hurt, make mistakes, feel different emotions... but it's the lessons they learn in those moments that will help shape them into the adult they'll someday be. We promise you that your child will always be taken care of and get the fullest experience life has to offer. Us getting to be a part of their journey will be our number one job and will always be our top priority.

Adoption is such a personal and emotional decision so we cannot even begin to imagine what you’re feeling. The only thing we can relate to is that all the passion you feel around making this decision we will have in loving your child and raising them the best way we know how. We have wanted this and waited for this opportunity for many years and will cherish every single moment. Giving someone this gift is the most selfless act anyone can do and we would forever be grateful.