Darren & Jen

We are a loving couple who believe the important moments in life, whether a meal, memory, or family, are made with love, patience, and care. We are very familiar with adoption as Jen and her brother were both adopted. Through faith, hope, and love, we are ready to grow our family on our adoption journey.

Our Story (As told by Jen)

We met while working at a local restaurant, where Darren was the executive chef and Jen was the pastry chef. After becoming friends, we started dating and have now been together for over eight years. Our life is filled with laughter, love, and care for one another. For many years we have dreamed of sharing this love and devotion with a child. After seven years of fertility challenges, we believe that adoption will be the blessing through which God gives us the opportunity to become parents.

We share a passion for cooking, gardening, hiking, and traveling. We love being crafty and often spend winters working on knitting projects together. We’ve built an outdoor cooking area where we host friends and family throughout the year. We also enjoy quality time with loved ones, bowling, playing mini golf, and watching football games.

Whether it’s watching a show, playing board games, cooking, or relaxing in our garden, spending time together is what brings us joy.

About Darren

Growing up, I took part in karate, snowboarding, soccer, and baseball. I was lucky to travel with my family to Japan, Italy, France, Belgium, and England when I was younger. I enjoy sports and competitions and have a creative side that includes crafting, knitting, and art. My creativity sparked a passion for food, which turned into a 20-year career as a chef. After cooking, becoming a cat owner has been one of my biggest interests. Lately, I’ve taken up motorcycle riding and carpentry as new hobbies. When Jen and I bought our house, we were thrilled by the possibilities of having a big yard and starting our own little garden farm. I now spend much of my free time in spring, summer, and early fall growing fruits and vegetables and taking care of the yard.

I hope to share with our child so many things that my parents shared with me, things like gardening, cooking, sports, and relentless help with my homework. I’m also excited to share my passion for comic books, Legos, and video games with our child. I can’t wait for the opportunity to learn about what interests them too.

About Jen

I’m a lifelong learner who loves taking on new adventures. I’ve flown on a trapeze, released baby sea turtles into the ocean, and hiked part of the Pacific Crest Trail. I enjoy being creative and working with my hands—knitting, crafting, sewing, drawing, and recently refinishing furniture. I’m passionate about baking, making bread weekly for our home, and preparing desserts for auctions.

Being a mom has always been my dream. I love spending time with kids and have years of experience working at a childcare center and teaching Sunday school. Through these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of letting children just be themselves. I’m excited about teaching our child to engage with their surroundings and explore the world, providing them with a foundation of love and faith to lead a fulfilling and independent life. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve family traditions during the holidays, and I look forward to creating new traditions with our child.

Our Family

Jen’s Family: I was adopted at 6 months old by a loving Christian couple who had adopted a newborn son 2 years before me. My parents raised me to be kind, strong, and independent. My mom will always live on in my heart. My dad is now in his eighties and is not very mobile. We talk often on the phone, and he is my go-to for advice. My brother recently relocated back to Washington to take care of our dad. We travel to see them about once a year. I also have a close relationship with both sides of my birth family and have birth siblings whom I see on a regular basis. We have many extended family members living nearby and frequently get together for celebrations and cookouts.

Darren’s family: My family has always been close, even living as far as we do from each other. I see my parents and sister a couple of times each year. I am very close to my sister. She is someone I have been able to count on for support, advice, and guidance. Food and cooking are always a central part of our gatherings when my family gets together. My mom and I enjoy catching a play or going to the theater together. With my dad, we enjoy riding bikes, hiking, or watching sports. The best part of my family is that I have always felt loved and cared for. With their love, support, and encouragement, we felt confident to pursue our dream of adoption.

Our Home in Washington

Our home is our favorite place and where we spend much of our time. It’s a cozy four-bedroom house with a finished basement. There is a small shop out back, which is great for any projects that might get messy. Our yard is completely fenced in for safety and privacy.

We live within a few blocks of several neighborhood parks and within walking distance of K-12 schools. Our neighborhood has a diverse community, with several families having young children. The library and riverfront park are also close by. The riverfront park has bike and walking trails, baseball fields, basketball and pickleball courts, and several large play structures that are great for climbing and exploring. The park hosts several family-friendly events year-round. One of our favorite events showcases local artists’ creations and has local food trucks accompanied by live music.

Our Promise

Honesty, along with kindness, is the most important value to us. We believe in encouraging one another and helping others. We follow Jesus’s teaching to love, support, and not judge others, regardless of their situation. We promise to share these values with your child and provide a safe, loving home that is supportive, welcoming, and encouraging. We would love to stay in contact with you through pictures, letters, and possible visits if you wish.

We’d love to talk or answer any of your questions. Please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.

In Closing

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We take the responsibility of adoption very seriously, and we understand that while we hope to bring home a baby that we can love and nurture, we also commit to raising a joyful, well-rounded human being. We would love to share more about ourselves and learn more about you.