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State We Live in: Alabama
Our Religion: Christian
Stay At Home Parent: No
Our Age Preferences: Newborn-3 Months, 3 Months – 12 Months, 1 and 2 Years, 3 and 4 Years
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
Sibling Group: Yes
With oldest up to 4 years old
Open to Twins: Yes
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Call or text Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784.
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Welcome to our page! We are excited that you are here and wanting to know more about who we are. Our names are John and Lauren and we are currently living in Alabama. John’s job with the military has allowed us to experience living in many different places, some of which we never imagined we would be in. We love being able to experience different cultures and climates and have found something unique and fun every place we’ve lived. We are thrilled to begin our parenting adventure here in Alabama. We have been married for about 5 years, and have been trying to grow our family for 3 of those years. After receiving a clean bill of health from the doctor and a note that said, “unexplained infertility”, we took that as our sign to begin the process of adoption.
About Us
We met in college and have been married for 5 years now. Our favorite everyday pastime is teasing each other and sending funny videos to each other. On the weekends, we enjoy taking our two dogs to the farmer’s market and buying some locally grown produce, after stopping by the bakery tent for some homemade cinnamon rolls. We also enjoy walking around the many beautiful parks in our area, hiking up to waterfalls, and enjoying lookouts that offer an amazing view. In the evenings, you can usually find us on the couch, cuddling with the dogs and watching a TV show. We are excited to experience the joy and challenge of being parents.
About John
Lauren says: John is excited to become a dad. When our friends began having babies of their own, he was usually found holding one (or two) and entertaining them with silly faces or fun songs. When he is not acting as the group babysitter, he is either outside doing yard work or playing with the dogs. He recently got a smoker and has added that to his list of outdoor activities, much to Lauren’s delight. Growing up in a large family, he has always wanted a large family of his own and is looking forward to seeing how God brings everyone together. John enjoys hosting friends and family and has recently begun planning regular board game nights, an activity he grew up doing with his family. In addition to board games, he is also a fan of fantasy books and will often have one on audio book to listen to driving to and from work. He is a Lord of the Rings expert, and will not hesitate to jump into a discussion about it. He is looking forward to showing our children the world of reading and imagination, and can’t wait to read those bedtime stories when the time comes, specifically “The Sleep Book” by Dr. Seuss.
About Lauren
John says: Lauren thrives on pouring into her friends and family on a deeper level. She loves cooking for others and welcomes any opportunity to have people over, either for a meal or just for a chat. Over the years, she has perfected her chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it has remained the number one request from her dad whenever she visits. My favorite day is when I come home to the smell of fresh baked bread. Lauren usually has the butter and honey already out by the time I get to the kitchen. While she enjoys cooking and baking in the kitchen, she also loves being outside in the sunshine whether that means yard work, planting flowers, or just relaxing in the hammock. She has loved being able to put her own touches around the house in the form of plants and flowers, and a bird feeder in the front yard. Lauren has always wanted to be a mom and is excited to step into that role and share the beauty of the world with our children.
Our Extended Family
John is the 5th child of 6. He has three brothers and two sisters who are all married, except one brother. His parents and three siblings live in northern Colorado, one sister and her family live in Wyoming, and his oldest brother and his family live in New Mexico. He has three nephews, a niece, and a niece or nephew on the way. He also has a multitude of aunts, uncles, and cousins all over the US, making trips home an exciting and busy time catching up with all the relatives.
Lauren is the oldest of three kids. Her parents and younger sister live in southwestern Colorado, and her brother is currently in Virginia. Her mom’s only sibling lives in central Colorado with her family and has adopted all three of her children. Lauren has two grandmothers; one lives on the same property as her parents and one lives in Washington.
Now that we once again live in the U.S., we are excited to see our families more than once or twice a year. We alternate holidays between the two families, though with the size of John’s family, we don’t always get to see everyone at the same time. Whenever we do get to see everyone, we never miss an opportunity to have a meal together, which is typically followed by a good board game or two.
Our Home in Alabama
We purchased our first house when we moved to Alabama. It is a 4-bedroom, tri-level house located on top of a hill in a quiet neighborhood. The upper level contains bedrooms that overlook the backyard. The main level includes a sitting room where we drink coffee in the morning and do our devotional before John goes to work. It also serves as our relaxing spot where we’ll often listen to a record on the record player and unwind from the day. The downstairs level includes one of Lauren’s favorite characteristics of the house, the bookshelf wall with a built-in desk and cabinets for all the board games. We built a fence around our backyard when we moved in so our dog, Penny, would have space to chase squirrels and run around. It came in handy when we got our second dog, Jethro, shortly after moving in. There are big shade trees that offer plenty of cool shade in the summer, and Lauren is currently working on starting a wildflower garden. We are 10 minutes from a fabulous walking path, playground, dog park, and sports fields where Little League and soccer games occur throughout the week in the Spring. We are also 20 minutes from our downtown area, where we enjoy checking out the local restaurants and arcade.
Our Promise
We are excited for the opportunity to raise a child in our loving home. We know there will be times when life is chaotic and crazy, but it is our hope that our child knows they are loved every single day. Especially as first-time parents, we know we are going to get things wrong and mess up, apologizing and making amends will happen frequently, but we know with God’s help and a good community around us we will learn and grow with our child to become better than we were before. It is our hope that we will have an open adoption, if you desire, where we can share milestones, struggles, and victories with you. We believe that our child should know where they came from and the love that brought them to us.
We’d love to talk or answer any of your questions. Please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.
More About John
Education: Bachelor's
Profession: Military
Stay-At-Home: Part-time
Racial Background: White/Caucasian
His Favorites:
Season: Not Summer
Food: Pad Thai
Place in the house: Backyard
Holiday: Easter
Pastime: Snowboarding
Childhood toy: Legos
Cookie: Monster Cookie
More About Lauren
Education: Master's
Profession: Behavior Therapy
Stay-At-Home: Part-time
Racial Background: White/Caucasian
Her Favorites:
Season: Fall
Food: Steak and Thai food
Place in the house: The bookshelf wall and the backyard
Holiday: Christmas
Pastime: Reading and being outside, sometimes at the same time
Childhood toy: Barbie dolls
Cookie: Chocolate Chip
Gallery
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More About Our Family
Our Special Interests
Because of the military, we have lived in many different places. This has allowed us to grow in our interests and learn how to interact with cultures that are different from what we experienced in our hometowns. We enjoy getting to know the area we are in through the local cuisine, and when we travel we like to take cooking classes to further deepen our understanding of the culture. Some classes have provided a cookbook for us to take home and we enjoy making the dishes we learned about in a different country in the comfort of our kitchen, though ingredients are a little harder to find.
Our Faith
We were both raised in a Christian home. During college, we both made the decision to continue growing our relationship with God. We attend a small church that loves and supports its members in any way they can. We have multiple families that have adopted their children, and even families that participate in foster care. We try our best to keep our focus on God through the craziness of everyday life, and one way we have found that encourages us toward that goal is to begin our day together by reading the Bible.
Our Pets
We both grew up with a variety of pets, from dogs to chickens, to goats and sheep. We currently have two dogs of our own, a Lab mix named Penny that we got when we first got married, and a German Shepherd named Jethro who we got when we moved to Alabama. Penny is a world traveler and has been with us at every place we have lived since we got married. She loves to cuddle, and when John leaves for work in the morning she will join Lauren in bed for an early morning snuggle session. Jethro is still a puppy at 9 months old but has already become taller and heavier than Penny. We have enjoyed teaching him how to play fetch, and he can now be found with one or two balls within reach at all times. Pets have always been part of our lives even before we met, and we are excited to raise our children with animals of their own to learn responsibility, empathy, and the special, unconditional love pets bring.
Our Jobs
John is a Combat Engineer officer in the Marine Corps and has been so for the last five years. Currently, his job is diverse and he is responsible for the regional Toys for Tots campaign, providing military honors for veterans’ funerals, and training Reserve Marines. While these responsibilities require long hours, weekends, and international travel at times, it has helped him understand how to make the most of the time together with Lauren at home or when visiting with friends and family. If he decides to exit the Marine Corps in the next fifteen years, he plans on working in the Geospatial Sciences realm. If not, he is attempting to go to school for his Master’s degree in order to better serve the Marine Corps.
Lauren is a behavior therapist and really enjoys her job working with kids with Autism. She is working on becoming a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) so she can work with kids in schools and partner with their parents and teachers to better support their needs. In addition to patience and understanding, her job has taught her valuable information on childhood development, which she feels will help when it comes to parenting. She is currently working part-time hours and would like to remain at that schedule as it allows her time to be home and take care of chores and other things around the house. Her long-term goal is to find a way to continue working as a BCBA and still be intentionally present for and enjoy our kids as they grow up.
In Closing
Thank you for taking the time to read our story! We respect and honor the decision you are making for you and your baby. We hope that we have adequately shown you a glimpse into our lives, and would love join with you in an open adoption as we embark on this journey together. We look forward to connecting and learning more about you!