We are Darrin and Emily from Texas

Hi there!

As we sit to write this letter we are filled with emotions: excitement and nervousness, just to name a couple. We can only imagine that this is an emotional and quite difficult time for you as well. We hope that as you learn a little about us that the adoption process will seem a bit less daunting.

We met 18 years ago in college and got married pretty young. The following years were full of changes as we finished school, moved several times, began careers, and started having children. We love kids and decided to have four of our own! All sweet little girls. Our family settled in a great neighborhood, with lots of young families, close to schools, church, and work.

We fell into a pretty comfortable life and felt for a time that our family was complete. But, God had other plans for us. We couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more we could do to make the world a better place for a little somebody. One morning Darrin woke up with a strong feeling that we should adopt, and when he shared this with Emily, she felt like it was a calling. We had talked about adoption many times before but knew it was the time to start taking our first, official steps. Now every time she prays or talks about adoption she can’t help but tear up. The idea that there may be a mother and child out there who may become part of our family has completely filled our lives with joy.

You might be wondering what your child’s life will be like if they join our family. We love to be active! We go hiking, go on bike rides, play sports, go to the beach, and go fishing. We like to travel both for fun and to see family. Day one in our home will likely start with waking up to smiling faces of adoring sisters. Once the girls are off to school we will have lots of one-on-one time to snuggle, play, and nap since Emily is a stay-at-home mom. After school can be busy with girls’ activities, but Darrin is always home pretty early from work to help. Evenings are family time. We eat dinner together, play, and hold family devotional every night. Your child’s day will likely end as it began, surrounded by loving family.

Over the last 13 years, we have learned a lot about parenting! Practice makes perfect, right? In our experience children develop best when they feel safe, loved, and valued. We have found that our kids follow our example. When we are happy, optimistic, kind, calm, and helpful they follow our lead. Likewise, if we yell, argue, or are grumpy, so are they! (Hey, we aren’t perfect). In our home, we value faith, education, and hard work.

Your child will have a loving and supportive community beyond parents and sisters. A set of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and 8 cousins live minutes away. Other grandparents and cousins live in other states, but we FaceTime regularly and try to visit them often. Our church is very close and your child will have the support of a great faith community. Being experienced parents with a strong support network helps us be open to your situation. No matter what your child’s gender, race/cultural identity, or special needs are, we feel confident that we can adapt our lives to meet their needs.

We want your child to know how much love and courage it took to trust their life to us. We feel it is important for them to be connected to you in whatever way works best for you; whether that be regular visits or occasional letters.

You are reading this letter because you are looking for a happy home for your future child. We are writing because we are looking to share our love and family life with another child. Maybe we are looking for each other?