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State We Live in: Michigan
Our Religion: Christian
Stay At Home Parent: Yes
Our Age Preferences: Newborn-3 Months, 3 Months – 12 Months
Our Gender Preferences: Either Gender
Our Race Preferences: Any Race, African American, African American/Hispanic, Asian, Caucasian, Caucasian/African American, Caucasian/Asian, Caucasian/Hispanic, East Indian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native American
Open to Twins: Yes
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Call or text Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784.
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Hi! We’re Sarah and Clayton.
We live in the beautiful state of Michigan, where we enjoy all four seasons by spending as much time outside as possible. Sarah is a stay-at-home mom who loves a sunny day at a farmer’s market and Clayton is the senior pastor at our church with a deep love for freshly brewed coffee.
With more love, time, and energy to share, we can’t wait to welcome another child into our family and to support them as they grow and explore God’s amazing world. We’re praying for you as you consider adoption and would love the chance to walk alongside you as you decide what’s best for you and your precious baby.
A Little About Us
A guy from Texas and a girl from Ohio…We met during our second year of college and have been inseparable ever since. Now we’ve been married for 12 years. We’re best friends who have built a strong marriage and sweet life together.
Here’s a few fun Q & A’s to help you get to know us!
Q: How did you meet?
A: Clayton says: Me and some of my college roommates were walking to the cafeteria one night when I saw a girl I hadn’t seen before (Sarah). I wanted to introduce myself but didn’t want to seem too eager. While we were all walking and I was waiting for the right moment, Sarah’s roommate suddenly ran into a pole. I ran up to ask if she was okay…. and then took the opportunity to introduce myself to Sarah. The rest is history!
Q: What do you like to do together?
A: We like to watch a Netflix documentary or find funny/random YouTube videos to laugh at together after we tuck our daughter into bed. We also like to do home improvement projects, travel to new places (most recently, Niagara Falls), and read through classic books (currently, Frankenstein).
Q: Why do you want to adopt?
A: Becoming parents through adoption has shown us the incredible, unconditional love it brings, and we can’t wait to welcome another child into that love. Being parents has brought us a ton of joy, and we would love for our daughter to get to experience the joy of being a sibling!
Meet Clayton (by Sarah)
Sarah says: Clayton is kind, smart, and really funny. He loves his home state of Texas, cheers for the Astros and enjoys a good, flavored sparkling water on the regular. He can make me laugh until I cry and finds ways to make me feel loved every day. Whether he’s teaching at our church, cooking, mowing the grass, or helping out a friend, he gives his all in everything he does.
As a dad…Clayton is so good at connecting with our daughter through imaginative play. I often see them running around our backyard playing “pirates” with pool noodle swords, or swinging on our playground playing “gorillas”. I know he’s excited to find new imaginary games and ways to connect with our next child. He’s very excited to show another child how to cheer for the Astros, play guitar, and ride a bike!
Clayton’s hobbies:
- Working in the yard & garden
- Watching/wishing he could be “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix
- Working out
- Baking (cinnamon rolls, scones & Detroit-style pizza)
- Hiking, camping, being outdoors
Meet Sarah (by Clayton)
Clayton says: Sarah is a kind, thoughtful person and an incredible wife. She’s great at celebrating the good things going on in the lives of those around her and is always looking for an opportunity to invite people over to share a meal. She makes me laugh like no one else can (we have so many random, inside jokes!). She is my morning coffee date and best friend. I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it.
As a mom…Sarah puts so much love, fun, and intentionality into her motherhood. She loves making memories and finding new places to explore with our daughter. I know she’s excited to read favorite picture books, sing bedtime songs, and help our next child find what they’re most interested in.
Some of Sarah’s favorite things:
- Eating a salty snack while watching a true crime doc
- Meeting with friends for lunch or boba tea
- When a movie quote perfectly fits into a conversation
- Decorating the house for each season
- Baking a surprise treat for us to all enjoy after school/work
Our Family
We’re a family that just loves being together, whether we’re at home, out exploring, or meeting up with friends from our church and community. We’re really lucky to have a close-knit group of family, friends, and church community nearby. Everyone is ready and excited for us to welcome a little one. We’re so thankful to be raising kids surrounded by so much love and support.
Our 7-year-old daughter, Aubrey, is full of imagination, compassion, and joy. She loves her hybrid school, being involved with kids activities at church, and playing with friends. She’s so ready to be a big sister and can’t wait to share her favorite things with a new sibling, like bike rides, silly dance moves, and her favorite picture books.
Our Home & Pup
We live in a cozy brick home in a Michigan suburb. We have a room decorated and ready to welcome a little one right beside our room (though we plan to have baby in a bassinet in our room for the early months). We also have a sweet, 10-pound Yorkie named Piper, who is great with kids. We live close to shops and local restaurants and only 20 minutes from downtown sports arenas, theaters, museums, and the zoo.
Things we LOVE about our home:
- Fenced yard with playground
- Full basement for working out, storage, & play
- Our neighbors who are also our friends
- Neighborhood park and walking paths
Our Promise
We promise that your child will grow up provided for, loved, & fully accepted by us!
As we have with our daughter, we will support and encourage our next child as they develop their own unique personality and interests. We promise we will be their biggest cheerleaders and supporters in whatever they choose to pursue. We will also raise him or her to know and treasure their adoption story and will work to stay connected with you throughout the child’s life, if that’s something you want. We can promise you that life growing up in our family will be filled with love, game nights, laughter, good books, Christian community, and great food!
We’d love to talk with you! Please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.
More About Clayton
Education: Master's Degree
Profession: Senior Pastor
Stay-At-Home: No (but has Fridays off!)
Racial Background: Caucasian
His Favorites:
Late night snack: Popcorn
Hot drink: All coffee, especially pour-over coffee
Childhood movie: Jurassic Park
Candy: Skittles, gummy bears, peach rings
Thing to bake: Homemade cinnamon rolls
Childhood memory: The first (and last!) time I saw it snow in my hometown in south Texas
Travel memory: Going to Bosnia with Sarah
More About Sarah
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Profession: Stay-at-home mom
Stay-At-Home: Yes
Racial Background: Caucasian, Middle Eastern
Her Favorites:
Late night snack: Ice cream
Hot drink: Spicy chai tea or coffee
Childhood movie: Pocahontas
Candy: Chocolate covered anything
Thing to bake: Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Childhood memory: Canada vacations, irish dancing with my sister, Christmas traditions
Travel memory: Visiting my brother and his family in Puerto Rico
Gallery
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More About Our Family
More Q & A's
Q: Who’s the better cook?
A: Sarah says: Clayton, for sure! In an alternate reality, Clayton would for sure be a chef. He loves cooking, especially for a big group or holiday. He always knows the right spices to add to make a dish even better.
Q: What are some things you’ve taught each other to appreciate over the years?
A: Sarah says: Early in our relationship, I introduced Clayton to Harry Potter. I made him watch all the movies and for years we would rewatch them every fall. He’s now a real HP fan. We’re excited about the upcoming HBO series and plan to read the books with our children when they’re old enough!
A: Clayton says: I’ve always loved music, especially alt-rock. I played in bands when I was a teen through college, and over the years I’ve taken Sarah to concerts of artists I grew up loving—Radiohead being a favorite. Now Alexa plays those same bands around the house, bringing back great memories and making new ones.
As parents we will...
- Encourage our kids to pursue their unique dreams and interests
- Take an interest in whatever our kids are into
- Talk about you with love and respect
- Raise kids who are kind, confident, and generous
- Model faith in Jesus and a love for all people
- Instill a love of learning and cultural diversity
- Prioritize fun and laughter!
Favorite Traditions
- Yearly trips to the ocean and Great Lakes
- Big, family get togethers for the holidays
- First day of school: special breakfast, photos, outfit, accessories (we go all out!)
- "Jammie drives": we put on our pjs and go out for ice cream instead of going right to bed :)
- Candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church
- Everyone opens one present on Christmas Eve night
- Hikes, apple cider & donuts every fall (Cider Mills are a big thing in Michigan!)
Our Faith
Our relationship with Jesus means everything to us. We gather with our church, read the Bible, love unconditionally, pray, invite people to share meals around our table, and seek to be generous. We do all of these things because we've experienced the love of God and we want to share that love with everyone around us. Our faith leads us to parent with gentleness, joy, and love at the center!
In Closing
Thank you for getting to know us! Adoption has already changed our lives for the better in so many ways. As parents, we will give your child an amazing life full of love, adventures, security and support. We will share our faith in Jesus with him or her and would love to stay in touch with you, if you're open to it.