We enjoy taking walks along river trails, at parks, and in the neighborhood. Sometimes afterwards we enjoy getting ice cream or frozen yogurt. At home, we like to play games such as Qwirkle or Ticket to Ride. Our yards offer space for gardening, something we both find rejuvenating. During the winter, Jeff enjoys puzzles, and we like to watch movies while munching on popcorn. Jeff loves to bike ride and spend time outdoors. During the spring and summer months, we enjoy barbecuing and eating dinner on our back patio.

Amanda enjoys homemaking whether it's outside in the yard watering plants or inside planning and prepping meals, or cooking and baking. Amanda loves to decorate for the seasons, often adding to the decorations each year. She also likes exercising at a nearby gym which includes swimming laps. When we have free time, we enjoy traveling to the coast or the mountains. We appreciate spending time in nature and also exploring new coffee shops and restaurants. We can't wait for a child to join us in these activities.

Jeff has integrity and honesty. He will be a good role model for a child. He is social, outgoing, and relational. Jeff has a fun personality and is animated. In addition, he interacts well with children. He anticipates spending quality time with a child such as helping with homework, building forts, playing games, and going on special outings such as to the local parks. Jeff is also very mechanical and good with his hands. Engaging a child in fun projects is something he anticipates doing. Jeff also has an aptitude for science as his major in college was plant health. He enjoys working with soil and planting in our backyard. These are very helpful skills to teach a child.

Amanda is very detailed oriented, which brings careful attention to children's well-being. She has an enormous heart for children as seen in the way she engages with them in communication, play, and correction. She knows what makes children tick, what their needs are and provides opportunities for them to discover, learn, and navigate healthy choices which they can own for themselves. Amanda looks for fun and creative activities where children can be children and will foster their development. Amanda is a mother at heart full of love and care to nurture these qualities in a child. Her child development college education and ten years of teaching experience compliments her joy to help bring out a child's best potential.

Our biggest priority in life is to worship God and bring honor to Him. This is displayed through our relationship within our family and in our local community. A high priority in our lives is spending quality family time. This is seen through eating meals, playing games, navigating day trips, and going on walks together. Our ministry work schedule is flexible and will allow us to be involved in the child's life. Upon receiving a child, Amanda will become a stay-at-home mom.

Another important priority is involvement in our local church. We attend church regularly and are also involved during the week through Bible study. Amanda enjoys teaching 1st/2nd grade Sunday school once a month. In addition, we work with international college students. We enjoy welcoming and becoming friends with students that come from all over the world. Building relationships with people representing different cultures is an important part of who we are. Our child will have opportunities to interact with many ethnicities, and our friends are so excited that we are adopting.

We live in a suburb of a metropolitan area in California which consists of a wide variety of ethnicities.

Our community is not only beautiful but also family friendly. We have a handful of children's parks 2-5 minutes from our house. We live 7 minutes from a river which offers hiking and cycling. There are hands-on exhibits in 3 local children's museums which feature art, science, and trains. We also have an aquarium nearby where you can hand-feed fish. A variety of animals live at our two local zoos. We also have a huge annual fair that features rides, farm animals, crops, and children's exhibits. We are so excited to engage in family outings with a child.

Our church campus is just 2 minutes away. They have a wonderful nursery and children's program including Sunday school and mid-week youth group. There is also an annual church kids' camp which includes creative teaching, crafts, and games. There is an excellent private Christian school not far from our neighborhood as well.

We live in a welcoming neighborhood that consists of other families with children. Many of our neighbors go on walks with their children and/or pets. There is a local public school down the street that opens up its playground to the community. We live in a three bedroom house that has a large backyard. Amanda's favorite room in the house is the nursery. There are engaging books, creative toys, and cuddly stuffed animals. We can't wait to welcome a child.

Our family is thrilled to welcome a child. Our parents live 1.5 hours away, so we enjoy seeing them during holidays and special family celebrations. Jeff's parents are retired and enjoy traveling. Jeff's mom is very creative and loves to sew. While visiting their home, you can find homemade placemats, pillows, and wall hangings representing each holiday. Jeff's mom is a retired elementary teacher, so you will find creative children's books in their family room. A tradition is eating mouth-watering homemade cinnamon rolls during holidays. Jeff's parents also enjoy gardening, and we often spend time in their beautiful yard. Amanda's parents are also retired. Amanda's mom enjoys cooking a wide variety of healthy, delicious foods. We often play dominoes, Five Crowns, or Rummikub with them. Amanda's parents also have a pool in their backyard, and we enjoy barbecues and swimming in the summertime. Our parents also come to visit us, and we explore local parks, museums, or river trails together. Jeff has two siblings, and Amanda has one. Our nephews and nieces have young children, and they are excited to have a new playmate.

Thank you for letting us share a bit of who we are. May you catch a glimpse into our lives.

While walking around a lake together on a church camping trip, Amanda discovered Jeff's authenticity and love for God. She knew that he was different from most guys she met. What followed were three years of friendship and then marriage in 2005. Throughout the years our marriage has been anchored in our relationship with God.

We are ecstatic to welcome a child into our family. We are looking forward to loving, nurturing, and equipping a child for life. We have always dreamed of becoming parents. We are excited to spend time together and engage with a child. Whether it's having a child sit on our lap and read a book, to sit on the floor playing a game, we anticipate being present and involved. We visualize ourselves pushing a child in a swing at a local park or going on a relaxing walk on the river trail. Going on outings to local zoos, children's museums, and an aquarium are family outings we foresee. We also look forward to developing and encouraging the strengths and interests of a child. We want to provide support academically whether through helping with reading, homework, or volunteering in the child's classroom. We anticipate providing opportunities to be involved in extracurricular activities that interest the child.

In the hope of adopting, we opened our home to foster children. We had a sibling set live with us for 16 months. The youngest came to us at 7 days old. We became attached to the children. They were reunified with their birth family. We currently have limited contact with them based on the family's needs. Although this has been a very difficult experience, it opened our eyes to the importance of having a compatible relationship with the birth family.

We want to maintain an open relationship with you. Although our loss is different, we have experienced the heartache of not being able to communicate or see children we love. We have a heightened awareness of the importance of contact. Not only will this help us and you but also the child. Having a connection with you will help formulate identity and know the child is loved by many family members. We will send letters and pictures of the child. If you desire, we are also open to emails, texts, in-person visits, and video conferencing. We realize also there may be seasons in your life when you may want different levels of contact, and we will respect your desires. We view our relationship with you as a partnership in raising the child. You are a vital and important part of this child's life and wellbeing.

Our hearts go out as you consider next steps. We are praying for wisdom and direction as you choose the best for your child. We are open to Zooming with you and/or meeting in person, so we can learn more about each other.

Blessings,

Jeff & Amanda