Dear Expectant Parent(s),
Hello!
Thank you for taking the time to look at our profile. We hope you feel welcomed into our life. We are really amazed by the brave choices you are making. Though we have had challenging seasons in our own lives, we cannot quite imagine all that you are feeling and thinking right now. We are praying for the different lives we come in contact with in this journey; we pray that you will have peace about your decisions and you will be able to find the family that you feel is the right fit for your child. We are so excited by the thought that we could be the right fit!!
Our story
We met working together at a non-profit organization and became fast friends. After several years of friendship, we started dating in 2005, got engaged in 2006, then married in 2007. Our favorite things to do together is travel and eat food from a variety of cultures.
We are really in sync when it comes to our values. We believe that a life helping others is a life worth living, learning never stops, family and friendships are worth fighting for, and that being at peace with each other is more important than being right. We know that all relationships take work, patience, and grace, and we really try to take care of the health of our marriage. We strive to follow the teachings of Jesus, and live out our faith daily. We love serving one another and making the other feel cared for and special. We really try to focus on how our faith can be put into practice in our families, jobs and life-long dreams.
In 2013, Rhylin's birth mother chose us to be her parents, which has just changed our lives so much in the best ways! Parenting her and seeing her grow is the highlight of our lives. We always wanted more children, we fostered a few kids a few years ago, but those kids all reconnected with family. Through 2020 it became clear to us that our family was still not complete, and we're excited to see another tiny human grow, and for Rhylin to be a big sister to this little one!
Meet Jonathan (written by Tammy)
Jon is such an amazing person! He's kind, generous,loving, and is always looking out for others. Jon is so thoughtful, that if I ever even mention that I'm thirsty, before I even finish my sentence, he's up getting me a drink! He loves stories, whether it's one of his beloved comics, a novel, or a TV show. We always joke that Jon is a jack of all cultures, his heritage being Lebanese- Guatemalan (he jokingly calls himself Lebamalan) and growing up in Hawaii with many Asian cultures. He truly loves cultures, especially ethnic foods!!
Jon's an amazing dad! I can truly attest that he is a natural father. He is so gentle and loving, yet firm when he needs to be. He's so active with Rhylin--they wrestle, play ball, and he takes her to the park across the street. He also teaches Rhylin his love for music; he teaches her guitar chords and the words to some of his favorite songs.
Meet Tammy (written by Jonathan)
Tammy has a big heart for all around her and a passion for helping others grow. She loves to serve and is a wonderful hostess when we throw parties or have people over. She is loyal to me, our daughter, her friends, and she creates space in her life to listen to others. Another big aspect of Tammy, is that she is a lover of cultures. She always loves to learn about new cultures and loves engaging with those who have different perspectives than she has.
She is a great mom. She is so patient and kind helping our daughter. Tammy is very intentional with Rhylin, she tries to make everyday moments special and helps her navigate her emotions and the world around her. Tammy has done a great job at not shaming Rhylin when she does something wrong but points to her strength and the ways she is growing.
Meet Rhylin
Rhylin's name means joy and she is just that in our lives! Rhylin is thoughtful, spunky, and kind. She loves to draw, create, and sculpt. She’s sporty and loves to play catch, but she often just makes up games to play. She’s tender and is sweet to our dogs, Cappy and Winter. She sings often, sometimes songs she knows, and sometimes she’ll make up songs as she goes, she’s got imagination in spades! She's great at school and teachers always tell us how compassionate and helpful she is with classmates.
Our Community
We live in a wonderful suburban community! There's a farmer's market down the street each weekend of the late spring through early fall that we frequent. We live across the street from an amazing school and park. Our park is on a hill that fills after each snow for sledding. There's also a playground, fields, and courts! Behind our home we have a winding creek and an open space with trails. Tammy loves to go for walks/runs and Rhylin and the pups love to explore our area!
We've lived in our home for four years and remodeled this home with many custom finishes! We have three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs. Downstairs we have a family room, living/dining room and a spacious kitchen with an island. Our finished basement has storage and a guest room! One of the selling points when we purchased this house was the sun-room! We love that there's a space we can use just for kids in the main living level. We have books and toys, and a room waiting! (We’re still planning to decorate more once we’re matched.)
Our Commitment
We are committed to making sure you and your story are honored. We have made sure to keep open and healthy lines of communication with our daughter's birth family, and are committed to doing so through this adoption as well. We believe it's so important for children to know where they come from, which is why we plan to stay connected with you as your child grows. We’ve prioritized family visits so that she would know her parents and extended family. We’ve also had several visits with her biological family and plan to continue that as well.
We are committed to ensuring that this baby is incorporated into our lives and deeply loved. Bedtime routine is one of my favorite parts of the day. Thinking about the future, I picture Rhylin, who is such a good reader and helper, reading stories to the baby! When we say good night to Rhylin each night, we pray that she will be the fullest of who God created her to be, we pray to be better parents (because there’s always room for growth), and for her to know how deeply she is loved (by us, by God, by her first family…). We often pray for her biological family, that they are safe and loved. We will pray for those things over this baby, too. We’ll continue striving to be the best parents we can be and to continue growing as people.
