We are Darius, Michelle & our daughter Jacqueline from Palmdale, California. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for taking the time to learn about our journey to grow our family through adoption.

Placing a child for adoption must be one of the most difficult decisions anyone could ever be faced with and we admire your courage. Your selfless decision is one of the most precious gifts a person can give. We are truly blessed with our beautiful daughter, Jacqueline who we welcomed through adoption. We are so excited to grow our family with another baby through adoption.

We met at a Harvest Festival where Darius and Lynette (Michelle's sister) were in a line dancing presentation. Our first date was on Halloween, one of our most favorite holidays.
We were married in September 2000, three years after we met, in a double wedding ceremony with Michelle’s sister Renee and her husband Sammy.

Soul mates are something we both believe in and we feel complete when we are together – whether running errands, doing chores, dining out, and especially spending time with our daughter Jacqueline.

After battling infertility for 7 years, we put our faith in God and trusted He would send us the baby that we were meant to have. We knew that having a child would only add to our family’s love…and we were truly blessed the day that Jacqueline was born. We are hopeful that God will bless us again with another child to love unconditionally.

We are so excited that our family is growing and can’t wait to share our love and home with another baby. We look forward to giving our children a lifetime of love and support.

Darius grew up in Simi Valley, California, with his 6 siblings who were very active and involved in a variety of sports. I attended two years of college and received my AA degree. I am just as focused on education as Michelle. Ever since Jacqueline was born, I have worked full-time at an insurance company but in August, I will become a stay-at-home Dad as Jacqueline is scheduled to start pre-K. We are so excited about her starting pre-K and Jacqueline is excited too. And of course, being a stay-at-home Dad will also allow us to care for our new baby.

When I first met Darius, I was drawn to his gentleness and quiet demeanor. Darius is honest, athletic, hard-working, and a man of integrity. Darius is a hands-on father and teaches Jacqueline about life, love, and happiness – and of course, sports! His natural athletic ability allows him to continually play on various soccer, basketball, tennis and bowling teams. He recently has also become an avid golfer. Not only does he love being active, he also enjoys coaching youth soccer and basketball teams – and can’t wait until Jacqueline starts to play so he can help coach her team. He is so excited that he will be able to share his passion with yet another wonderful soul.

Darius works tirelessly around our house in order to make it feel like home – mowing lawns, doing the laundry, washing dishes, cooking, and small repairs. His pride in our home is reflected in his constant maintenance and fix-it projects.

I am truly blessed to have such a loving and supportive family. Despite our busy schedules, we talk daily and look forward to getting together for birthdays and holidays. Our love for what the West Coast has to offer prompted my siblings and I to attend and graduate from universities in California, Hawaii, and Oregon. I earned my degree as an attorney. I feel so lucky to work for a law firm that allows me to work at home and also focuses on a work-family balance. With Darius being able to stay at home and my Mom living with us, Jacqueline has - and our new baby will have - the daily love and support they need to thrive.

The first things I noticed about Michelle were her wonderful laugh and beautiful smile. Very family oriented, Michelle is always willing to help and loves spending time with family. She is very thoughtful and supportive, always laughing and smiling and has a great sense of humor.

I knew that Michelle would make a wonderful loving and caring mother. As a mother, Michelle is caring and loving beyond belief and is very active in every part of Jacqueline’s life. She shares her love of animals, reading, laughing, cooking, and walking our friendly dogs. Not only does she enjoy the challenges and responsibilities of raising Jacqueline, she looks forward to adding to our family and offering her unconditional love to a new baby. Michelle is very fortunate to work for a company that emphasizes a work and family balance.

Jacqueline was born in June 2015. We were chosen by her birth mother only 2 weeks before her birth. Our daughter is energetic, enthusiastic, outgoing, and has a great personality. She loves to dance, have books read to her, be outside, and loves to learn. We realize how truly blessed we are and can’t believe how much joy and happiness she has brought to our family. She has an infectious laugh, quick wit, and a smile that lights up the room. Jacqueline is so excited to be a big sister!

Lily (mini Shar-Pei), Kona and Kaya (brother and sister Great Danes). Lily was living on the street when she followed Michelle's sister home from her run one day. We do not know how long Lily was on her own but she was soon full of life and love and had found her forever home with us.

Kona and Kaya were adopted approximately 6 months later from a couple who weren’t able to keep them. They play dress up with Jacqueline – or rather Jacqueline dresses them up. All three of the dogs are so gentle with Jacqueline. Of course, they also love when she drops food on the floor and are more than happy to clean up after her. We love to walk them and Jacqueline is a big help walking Lily, helping to bathe all three of them, and helps getting their breakfast and dinner ready.

We have a four-bedroom home, our yard is private and fully fenced with a big grass area for children to play. We live in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance of several schools and parks. Palmdale is part of Los Angeles County but has so much to offer. We are 30 minutes away from Six Flags Magic Mountain, about an hour away from the beach and Disneyland, and 20 minutes away from the mountains. Our neighborhood is filled with children of all ages who play out front, ride their bikes and scooters, and walk their dogs. Our diverse neighborhood is very community oriented.

Darius and Michelle both come from large families. Michelle has 6 siblings (5 sisters and 1 brother) where Darius has the complete opposite - 5 brothers and 1 sister. Most of our family lives in California, but Darius also has family in Texas and Germany.

Family outdoor time and local excursions are a big part of our lives. Whether at the local beaches, the mountains, zoos, aquariums, theme parks or museums, we have such a great time when we are with family.

Big family celebrations are one of our favorite things to attend. With 12 siblings and 15 nieces and nephews between us, our large close-knit family enjoys regular get-togethers ranging from 12-20 people. One thing is for certain, there is always tons of food, lots of laughter, and wonderful conversation.

Michelle’s family hosts a biennial family reunion at various locales in California including Lake Tahoe, Morro Bay, San Ramon, Huntington Beach, and San Simeon. These gatherings are a wonderful chance to visit, remember our heritage, and see how the nieces, nephews, and cousins have grown. An average number of people at the reunions is 75 people spanning 4 generations.

Blessed to be given the opportunity to adopt another child, we believe it is truly a gift of love. Our second child will know how much they are loved by their birth mother who chose adoption to ensure the best life possible for her child. We will lovingly share the difficult decision that their birth mother made and make sure that they understand the decision was the result of selflessness and unconditional love.

If you choose, we would love to be able to send updates and share photos. We have a close relationship with Jacqueline’s birth mother and are in contact still. If that is not something you are interested in then we will respect that too.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
-Darius, Michelle and Jacqueline