Dear Friend,
My name is Dani. I am going to do my best to paint a picture for you of my amazing little family to see if we encompass the beautiful world you picture for your child to grow up in. We send you so much love as you read through our profile and others and try to find the best fit for you and your situation.
Dani
I am first and foremost, a mom. Every morning feels like Christmas when I wake up and remember that my son exists – even on the mornings when I wake up to a kick to the face or an accident in my bed that he crawled into in the middle of the night! He brings so much joy and laughter to our house … and noise … so much noise! Fire engines, bells on his bike, helicopter noises, whistles, guitar, harmonica (with the dog howling along), singing, cartoons, videogames … so much noise! And despite my natural inclination for quiet, I love every minute of it!
I love being a mom. I am beyond grateful for every second we get together and I suck up as much time as I can with him because it goes by so fast. He is our biological son. I cannot have any more children of my own but my heart aches for another. Seeing the world for the first time through the eyes of a child was (and still is) pure magic and I am so excited to have the opportunity to experience it again. I want to share my love and passion for life with another beautiful little soul and I want my son to have a sibling to play with and fight with and love like crazy.
Along with being a mom I am also a marketing director and specialize in digital communications. I love my job. Higher education is important to me. I have a Bachelor’s in English, a Master’s in communication, and I hope to eventually go back for a PhD when my kids are older. We created an education fund for our son as soon as he was born and will do so for any future children. I grew up on government assistance programs and no one expected me to be much of anything. I worked hard to get where I am and will provide every opportunity and expectation for my children to follow their passion. If higher education is part of that path, it will always be an encouraged option.
I had a friend once explain me as a big pine tree with solid roots, and all of my friends and family are the squirrels and birds that find shelter and safety under my branches. I have always been a stable refuge for friends and family. I am sympathetic to the plight of others and I am extremely protective of my family, friends, and employees. I love to read, write, go to concerts and take photos of my boys. I am passionate about all things health and make it my mission to keep my family healthy.
Alan & Dani
I fell in love with Alan when we were 17. We had PE class together and he excelled at every sport we played. We dated on and off all through high school and college and we were married 10 years after our first date.
We have a solid and secure marriage. We are just different enough to challenge each other but enough the same to get along well. Alan pushes me to be more confident and step out of my comfort zone and I push him to be more grounded and enjoy the everyday joys. We have grown up together. We know everything about each other and we continue to grow together as we get older and wiser.
Alan
Waylon is Alan’s best friend. They are always teasing each other (and me), doing silly voices, making fart jokes, dancing, doing home projects and yard work, and going on outdoor adventures. Alan always makes time for Waylon and truly enjoys being with him. He is patient and loving, but still makes sure to create and hold solid boundaries. Alan is that “big kid” that all the kids crowd around at gatherings with friends and family. He plays an excellent “monster” and has all the kids hopped up and squealing with joy. The neighborhood kids come over to see if both Waylon and Alan can come out to play!
Alan has every other Friday off of work, which the boys have named “Dudes’ Day” and they plan out their adventures for that day all week! In the summer they go canoeing and mountain biking, in the winter they go skiing and sledding.
Alan is a civil engineer and manages a team of other nerds who adore him. He has a Bachelor’s in engineering and a Master’s in business. He volunteers his skills in our community designing and building bike trails and bridges. He volunteers at a farm sometimes so we get to go play with the baby animals and get fresh eggs!
Alan is an amazing skier. He also loves to kayak, mountain bike, fly fish, camp and really do anything he can to be outside. He is extremely passionate about the environment and is always aware of his footprint on this planet while persuading others to be more aware of their own footprint as well. Alan is always questioning the expectations of society and authorities. He does not follow the crowd – he always makes his own path and is often a great leader without ever intending to be. He is confident, outgoing and full of life. He will do anything for friends and family.
Waylon
Waylon has been on skis since he could walk and rips down ski hills and mountain bike trails like a little stud. He loves soccer, trucks, being outside, and arts and crafts with mom. He is outgoing and loud around us, but very shy and introverted around new people and new situations. He is often wise beyond his years and is extremely sensitive to the feelings of people around him. He eats broccoli without the promise of dessert, loves reading books together before bed, and does not like to break rules. He is thoughtful, caring and so full of love.
Waylon has been talking about his little brother/sister since he was two. When he was three I got him a baby doll little sister that he named Jackson. He brought her everywhere, fed her and sang her to sleep at night. Last summer Waylon asked me how you wish for a baby because he was tired of waiting. So that night we snuggled up on the hammock, found the biggest star we could find in the sky and we made a wish for a baby to join our family.
Stella
Waylon’s best friend is our three year old lab, Stella. He got her for his third birthday. He dresses her up in various costumes, tackles her, lays on her, and sneaks her up on the couch when we are not looking. They run around in the backyard and play soccer and she sleeps at the foot of his bed at night. She adores him.
Our Family
By the time we had Waylon, we were legit ready for a child and beyond grateful for him. We are a super close family and prioritize time together. We love to hike, bike, ski, canoe and camp together on weekends.
We are huge dorks for holidays! We have done family Halloween costumes since Waylon could tell us what he wanted to be. I spend weeks planning and decorating the backyard for Easter and thinking of creative alternatives to candy. We have one of those Elf on the Shelf thingies and tons of other fun traditions for Christmas that Waylon talks about all year. Waylon and I make homemade decorations for every holiday and have fun decorating the house.
Grandma and Grandpa are moving into a house a block away from ours! They are retired teachers and we are excited to have some help with Waylon and his schooling. They are the most amazing grandparents and so excited and supportive for us to adopt.
Our Household Rules:
- Sharing is caring. Waylon is an only child so this has been a hard lesson to learn!
- We always get back up – both metaphorically and physically. We cannot control the people and world around us, but we can always get back up and keep going. We know there is always light at the end of the tunnel and tough times help shape us into great people.
- We know that our perception defines our experience so we have to pay attention to our feelings and thoughts and how those are shaping our current situations.
- Gratitude is a huge part of our lives. Every night before we go to bed, we share what we are grateful for from that day.
- We know that what we eat reflects how we feel, so we eat healthy organic food as much as possible and take quality supplements. We try to get good sleep and lots of exercise, but we also have fun and eat pizza and cake pops sometimes!
- We accept and appreciate the differences and uniqueness in all people, knowing variety is what makes us stronger as a culture.
- We respect that others have certain belief structures that may not always align with our own, but are true to them. We remain open to new ways of thinking but decide for ourselves what our individual truth is.
- We shoot for the moon and do not let anyone else define who we can be or what we can achieve. We don’t let others hold us back and we don’t hold ourselves back.
- We are who we are without apology. We strive to always be true to ourselves and express that truth with pride.
We will love your child and move mountains to make sure s/he is healthy, knows how loved and wanted s/he is, and grows up to be a solid human who loves and respects her/himself and others. S/he will always know our immense gratitude toward you and your great love for her/him. We welcome continued communication that is focused around what is best for the child. How great is it for one child to be so loved by so many?!
We are surrounded with love and support from friends and family as we head down this path and we all send you so much love and support on your journey.
