We have always wanted a house full of kids, and adoption has been a part of that conversation throughout our ten years of marriage. So when doctors finally confirmed that Lauren would be at high risk for complications in pregnancy, the transition to adoption was an easy "yes!" This did not seem like a backup plan, but a beautiful way to grow our family. We believe that family is not about the blood you share but the love that grows in those relationships.

Andrew is blessed with two wonderful children, John, thirteen, and Summer, sixteen. Lauren has felt lucky to watch them grow up from a young age, and loves them very much. Summer is a very social teenager with a fantastic group of friends! She is on the verge of getting her driver's license and is ready to explore the world. John is an extremely caring person with a very big heart. He is the family's resident mathematician and loves to play video games! When we informed John and Summer we wanted to grow our family through adoption, both kids were ecstatic! We know they will become excellent big brother and big sister, and this child will be so loved.

The road to adoption has been filled with joy and heartache, but we are so thrilled to be on this path. We can't wait to share our life with a future child, from reading stories, riding bikes, and taking family vacations—to celebrating the quiet moments in between. We are so excited to welcome a child into our family and feel we have so much love to offer.

Lauren About Andrew: Something I deeply admire in Andrew is his unfailing positive attitude towards the world. He is a glass-half-full guy, and can always see the good in even the bleakest of situations. Throughout our eleven years together, we have faced many obstacles and Andrew can always pick out the silver lining. Andrew is also incredibly patient and understanding; where most people would react to stress, he can remain calm and unflustered.

These characteristics serve Andrew remarkably well in fatherhood, as he is an excellent dad to John and Summer. Andrew is a very engaged parent and loves to take the children bowling, hiking, to the movies, or just stay home, hang out and joke around. I know Andrew's sense of humor and kind-hearted nature will make him a wonderful dad to a future child.

Andrew About Lauren: I have always admired Lauren's tenacity and spirit. She has overcome several obstacles to achieve her academic goals, including two degrees. While working in the museum field, I have seen her interact with groups of young children, and it is wonderful to see them light up when she gets down on their level. Her willingness to understand others, especially when they are different than herself, is a testament to her exceptionally kind spirit.

Lauren is also the heart of our home, and her love of tradition and experiences propels some of the best things in our family life. From decorating a beautiful home and cooking as a family—she creates many of our special moments together. Lauren will be a fantastic mother to any future children.

First and foremost, we want to be a safe space for our children to come and discuss challenging questions and difficult topics. However, we understand that adopting a child of another ethnicity means that we can't be everything to that child.

To address this challenge, we will:

We are both committed to engaging our children within their culture. But we know this will be a learning process for us, and it will involve listening to others and keeping an open mind. We may be placed in situations where we don't have the answers to our child's question and need to reach out to a mentor for guidance. We understand this will require humility on our part, but we know it takes a village to raise a child! And we can't wait to create a loving village to support our children as they grow.

We live off the beautiful coast of California, an area surrounded by rich history, beautiful beaches, and tons of community events. We recently moved into a cute craftsman-style home in a friendly suburban community. We selected our home because of its open floor plan, natural light, and cute backyard—but most of all, we love the neighborhood! Our community is very family-friendly, and people can often be seen riding bikes, taking family walks, or enjoying backyard barbecues. There are multiple lovely parks a short distance from our house, and we love to take evening strolls through them with our two dogs, Jupiter and Odin.

We spend a lot of time outdoors, so it was important that our house had fenced in backyard for the dogs, entertaining friends, and gardening. We love to enjoy our morning coffee on the patio, and we frequently eat dinner outside. Lauren is passionate about gardening, and she uses the space to grow herbs and occasionally some vegetables! We also envision this backyard as a perfect play space for a future child.

However, our favorite part about our home is the short 15-minute drive from the beach! Lauren grew up in Virginia and has many fond childhood memories of visiting the ocean with her family. We spend a lot of time at the beach, whether it's just taking a walk in the surf or eating tacos on the pier! There is so much to do in our community, and our favorite weekend pass-time is "pretending like we are tourists" by exploring museums, hiking trails, and restaurants!

We look forward to welcoming a child into our home and sharing some of our favorite traditions and experiences with them.

We both come from very tight-knit families! Our families enjoy spending time outdoors, gathering for meals, playing games, and just relaxing together.

The holidays are a time to slow down and catch up for both families. Andrew's family has a tradition of eating a huge meal on Christmas afternoon. Then, at the dinner table, they pop "Christmas crackers," which are little paper-wrapped tubes filled with toys. Each cracker has a silly hat in it, and we wear them all dinner long! It's a lot of fun. Lauren's family has a long tradition of decorating the Christmas tree together. It is always a big family event that involves food, music, and friends!

We took our first big family vacation to Lake Tahoe this past summer with Andrew's side of the family, and everyone had a blast! Our days were packed with fun, and in the evenings, it was nice to share a big meal and play games.

Our families have been very supportive of our adoption journey, and everyone is ready to welcome the new addition!

Our names are Lauren and Andrew, and we are grateful that you are considering us as adoptive parents. We can't imagine what you must be going through right now or how difficult this decision must be to make. We know this profile is a brief glimpse into our lives, but we have tried our best to show our truest selves. Please know that if given a chance to raise your child, we promise to ensure they know that your decision was not easy and was made with an immeasurable amount of love.

We met eleven years ago during the summer of 2013 and fell in love rather quickly! We married the following summer, and the past ten years of marriage have been filled with supporting one another through success and failure, laughter and sadness. Our marriage is based on open communication, mutual respect, and love; these qualities have carried us through pregnancy struggles and life's daily challenges.

Soon after meeting, Andrew attended Officer Candidate School and would later graduate to become a Naval Flight Officer for the Navy. Throughout his career, we have been lucky to live in Virginia near Lauren's family as well as in Nevada near Andrew's family. Lauren has worked in the museum field since 2017, and recently graduated with her masters degree in history. We have been blessed to find careers that we both enjoy, but that also gives us time to spend together as a family. She works at the local museum, helping with education and research. We have been blessed to find careers that we both enjoy, but that also gives us time to spend together as a family.

We have always wanted a big family, but having biological children wasn't in the cards for us, as Lauren would have been at high risk for pregnancy complications. However, adoption has always been in the conversation, even before we were married. We have several family members on both sides that are adopted, so we have a lot of compassion for the process. We have been discussing adoption seriously for several years now and are very excited to grow our family through this process.

Should you entrust us with the care of your child, we will do everything in our power to honor that decision by providing a stable and loving environment for them. We promise always to prioritize their health and safety, no matter what challenges may arise. They will always be allowed to pursue their own interests, be it education, sports, or the arts. And above all, we promise to raise them in a home filled with unconditional love, support, and understanding. They will be welcomed into a village of friends and family who are excited to love and dote on them!

When the time comes, we would love the opportunity to become part of your "extended family!" We can exchange phone numbers or email addresses to send pictures and updates regularly. And maybe even do visits, if that is something that you are comfortable with.

We hope this letter has helped you make this very important decision. Please know you and your child are in our thoughts and prayers today.

Andrew & Lauren