Hello! We are Jonathan + Amanda

Hi! We're Jonathan and Amanda + Josie, Charlotte, Ellie, and James

We're honored you would take the time to get to know our family. We’re praying for you as you consider making an adoption plan. It’s a big decision to weigh with many emotions and we admire your courage and strength as you decide what is best for you and your child. We have four beautiful children through adoption and are thankful you would consider us as loving parents for your child. While we've gone through adoption before, we know that every situation is unique. We promise to honor and respect you, following your lead on any level of openness you desire.

Our oldest daughter likes to tell us how much she loves adoption because it means "more people to love and love her" and she's exactly right. May this be the start of something beautiful for you and your child.

We hope you get a good idea of who we are and what life would be like for your child in our family. Remember that you are not alone and that you are loved.

Our Story

Back in 2010, after several years of being friends, we got into a deeper conversation at a bonfire one night. As we were talking, sparks literally flew…as in, a GIANT BOLT OF LIGHTNING struck nearby and we both screamed in excitement. A few days later Jonathan asked if I wanted to go on a date for ice cream. I said yes and the rest is history! Early in our marriage we discovered that we were likely permanently infertile so we began the adoption process just after our second anniversary. We adopted our first daughter Josie in November 2014. Two years later, in December 2016, we adopted our daughter Charlotte. Two years after that, we adopted our daughter Ellie in September 2018. As the little girls began to grow up we realized we had more love to share and entered back into the adoption process, welcoming home our son James in 2024. The big girls are obsessed with James - they love holding him, dressing him, playing with him, and cheering over every milestone he meets. They’re the best big sisters and they’re ready to do it again with another little sibling. James is ready to have a buddy close in age he can play and grow up with.

We always hoped for a big family of at least five children. We imagined a house full of kids running around, swinging on the backyard playset, and chalk art on the driveway. We chose to build our home close to Amanda’s parents and brother’s family so we could get together for weekly dinners, swimming in Papa’s backyard pool, and our children could grow up beside their cousins.

Our family is our world and as it's multiplied over the years, so has our love and capacity to share that with another child.

Home Sweet Home

Our two-story home has just about 3,000 square feet. We have 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a fully fenced in backyard complete with a large garden, fruit trees, and an outdoor playset. We have a playroom on the main level that our children adore - it’s where they practice piano, build with magna-tiles and duplo, and dress up in costumes. Upstairs we have a loft space that is perfect for our nightly family read-alouds before bedtime prayers and tuck-in snuggles. In the basement we have our office space where we work from home in addition to a movie theater room. Our children love watching movies on our giant u-shaped sectional in the basement (though everyone inevitably ends up piled together because we’re snugglers!!)

We live in a quiet and safe neighborhood with many young families just outside of a major metropolitan area. The church we attend is two minutes walking distance from our front door. Our neighborhood has many young families - it’s very normal for kids to show up at our house to ring the doorbell to see if our girls can play. We have a tight-knit community of families whom we share life with.

Favorite Family Traditions

• Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for Amanda’s family with a giant spread of food, games, and a silly Turkey Trot around the block

• Going to Church every Sunday as a family and staying afterwards for community and fellowship

• Friday night family nights where we make homemade pizza from scratch and choose either a game or a movie to enjoy together

• Apple picking at the local orchard every fall

• Looking at Christmas Lights every December with homemade hot cocoa & cookies

• Easter egg hunts in Papa & Grandma’s backyard

• Rainbow pancakes get served on everyone’s birthday for breakfast followed by a fun outing and a family birthday party

Things That Make Us Happy

• Playing with our Golden Retriever Brinkley

• Camping and exploring the great outdoors

• Teaching our children about Jesus and his love for us

• Brewing our own kombucha and making our own yogurt

• Exercising hospitality - we all love hosting others in our home!

• LEGO

• Visiting our favorite farm to cone ice cream shop

• Having open relationships with each of our children’s biological families

Our Promises to You

We promise to maintain an open and honest relationship with you. We don’t take your trust for granted. If you want to call, visit, video chat, or receive photos, we want that too. Your lead will guide the dynamics of our relationship and it's OK if this shifts and changes with time.

We promise to always love unconditionally and to teach your child about where they come from. We promise to teach them the culture of their ancestry and family traditions so that we can pass those important things down to them. The stories of their birth and the intimate nine months spent with you will be shared with reverence. We promise to always honor and welcome you in our lives, as much or as little as you are comfortable with.

Our family core values are love, creativity, and adventure. In parenting, we prioritize connection, allowing your child the freedom to explore the world with our unwavering support. Grounded in faith, understanding, empathy, and respect, our parenting approach fosters a partnership with your child, guiding them to choose the right thing for the sake of integrity, not out of fear or wanting to please us. We promise to always be there for your child. We will encourage diverse interests so they can discover their God-given gifts and cultivate them. We will be there to support them when they succeed and comfort them when they fail. We promise to read lots of books and keep screen time to a minimum. We promise to get out in the sunshine at least once a day and to foster curiosity about our world.

We promise to continue cultivating friendships with fellow adoptive families so your child will have friends who understand this part of their story. Our goal is to create a supportive community that enriches their sense of belonging and understanding.

You may be uncertain, afraid, worried about the future. But we want you to know that your brave decision to give life to your child will be an incredible blessing, regardless of how our shared story unfolds. You and your baby are truly a gift to our world.

With great love,
Jonathan and Amanda
+ Josie, Charlotte, Ellie, and James