15
Iowa
Presbyterian/Reformed
Nathan 14 yr
• passionate about coding
• on a local robotics team
• logical and black and white
• severely allergic to peanuts & tree nuts
• thinks it will be great to welcome another sibling
• loves our family game nights
Deborah 12 yr
• our night owl
• loves to read for hours on end
• a talented artist
• has ADHD
• loves to be creative with both color and words
• has a huge heart of compassion
• thinks it will be so much fun to welcome another sibling
• the thing she loves about our family is having a loving mom and dad
Daniel 10 yr
• all boy
• loves whittling and woodworking
• wants to be a lumberjack
• outdoorsman
• has ADHD and dyslexia
• loves helping the farmers
• tender and loves to snuggle
• when asked about welcoming another sibling he says, "I’ll love him or her like I love my baby brother, Judah"
• the thing he loves about our family is freedom, he says "If I want to cut down a tree, I can"
Ellie 8 yr
• full of life
• if it has sparkles, glitter, or butterflies that's all her
• loves to dance, sing, create
• loves to play with her little brother
• loves to play outside with our dog, Lady, and various barn cats
• thinks it will be FUN! Fun! fun! to welcome another sibling
• the thing she loves most about our family is having friends
Judah 1 yr
• all toddler
• so much fun
• loves life
• full of smiles
• curious as a cat and quick on the move
• loves to sing wheels on the bus, twinkle twinkle, the itsy bitsy spider, and etc.
4
A quick snapshot of us:
• We live in rural Iowa.
• Bryan is a pastor of a Reformed Presbyterian Church.
• Olivia is a homeschool mom.
• We value: faith, joy, and love.
• In our home, kids are safe, wanted, guided, and deeply loved.
How we met:
Bryan is from Southern California, and Olivia grew up in Ohio. We met at a Christian student conference in Virginia while Bryan was serving in the Navy.
Why Adoption:
It's been a long-held desire since we were both kids.
We want an expectant mother to be able to choose adoption with real hope, knowing her baby will be safe, cared for, and deeply loved in a stable home with open hearts and open arms.
Our faith shapes this deeply. In the Gospel, God welcomes those who were not His children and makes them His beloved children through Jesus. We see adoption as a reflection of that love.
(by Olivia)
Character: thoughtful • humble • patient • loyal • protective • teachable
Things he loves: friends and family • teaching • reading • outdoors (walks/camping/hiking) • road trips & national parks • Jesus • coffee • CrossFit • family dinners
Things he's good at: being present and engaged • honest conversations • practical problem-solving (cars, home projects, life) • caring for people • encouraging others • seeing the big pictures • apologizing and repairing quickly
(by Bryan)
Character: loyal, principled, steady, thoughtful, humble, patient, honest, forgiving and loving
Things she loves and enjoys: deep conversation and friendships, meaningful traditions, making intentional memories, cooking/baking, photography, glamping, hiking, traveling, reading, cozy evenings
Things she's good at: Olivia is the queen of logistics, puzzles and problems are fun for her and with a large family it's necessary, being practical, serving others, structure, organization, and deep relationships
We see my dad and stepmom about every 1-2 years and just enjoy spening time with each other, adventures, and good food!
My mom actually lives with us about 2/3rds of the year! It's a blessing to have her so close and have her investing in our lives.
• passionate about coding
• on a local robotics team
• logical and black and white
• severely allergic to peanuts & tree nuts
• thinks it will be great to welcome another sibling
• loves our family game nights
• our night owl
• loves to read for hours on end
• a talented artist
• has ADHD
• loves to be creative with both color and words
• has a huge heart of compassion
• thinks it will be so much fun to welcome another sibling
• the thing she loves about our family is having a loving mom and dad
• all boy
• loves whittling and woodworking
• wants to be a lumberjack
• outdoorsman
• has ADHD and dyslexia
• loves helping the farmers
• tender and loves to snuggle
• when asked about welcoming another sibling he says, "I’ll love him or her like I love my baby brother, Judah"
• the thing he loves about our family is freedom, he says "If I want to cut down a tree, I can"
• full of life
• if it has sparkles, glitter, or butterflies that's all her
• loves to dance, sing, create
• loves to play with her little brother
• loves to play outside with our dog, Lady, and various barn cats
• thinks it will be FUN! Fun! fun! to welcome another sibling
• the thing she loves most about our family is having friends
• all toddler
• so much fun
• loves life
• full of smiles
• curious as a cat and quick on the move
• loves to sing wheels on the bus, twinkle twinkle, the itsy bitsy spider, and etc.
Our Physical Home:
A rural home where kids play outside, there's plenty of fresh air, and the atmosphere is calm and peaceful.
Our Marriage:
• We try to deal with issues the same day, not store them up.
• We check in often: “How are you feeling?” “What do you need?”
• We apologize quickly and make things right.
• We’re a team: different strengths, same direction.
• Our home runs on commitment more than mood.
• We have daily dates at 3pm.
Parenting and Discipline:
• Our goal is a home that’s loving, stable, and well-ordered.
• A family culture where we can be honest and safe.
• Our faith teaches us to confess, forgive, and start fresh. There are new mercies every morning.
• Our goal as parents is to raise children who have the opportunity to love Jesus, serve and love others, and develop their God given gifts and life skills.
Our Experience Caring for Children:
• We’re comfortable with: newborn routines, night wakings, sick days, and the long-haul patience kids require.
• We have help and a great community nearby when needed.
• We believe kids thrive with affection + consistency.
• We have a lot of experience caring for children with ADHD and who struggle with executive functioning.
• We have experience with children who have learning disabilities and have adapted our homeschool to fit their development as well as seek the outside help/resources we need.
Everyday Fun
- pizza, ice cream & game nights
- read-alouds & puzzles
-homeschool and extracurricular classes
-CrossFit
- pool days
Vacations
- hiking & national parks
- camping
Celebrations
- birthdays
- 4th of july fireworks
- thanksgiving nerf battle
- anti-resolution day (ask us about it!)
Faith & Community
- church camp
- vacation bible school
- youth group
- Psalm Sings
