WELCOME TO
OUR ADOPTION WISH
Please pray for our family and the expectant mother who will select us to parent her baby or babies while you read our story.
OUR HOME
OUR FAMILY
OUR FAMILY
Our home has lots of room for kids to grow and flourish. We live in a colorful, cozy, and welcoming home in a rural area. It's located in a very tight-knit community filled with families, outdoor activities, and excellent schools. We are surrounded by families who are actively involved in their children's lives, and we look forward to joining them in creating a safe and nurturing environment for our child.
OUR FAMILY
OUR FAMILY
OUR FAMILY
It is our wish to expand our family through adoption. We do not have any children yet, but we hope to have a large family someday. Family is incredibly important to us, and we are fortunate to have a strong support system. Our parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and close friends are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new addition to our family. We are all excited to shower a child with love, support, and guidance.
OUR STORY
OUR FAMILY
OUR STORY
We are a loving couple who have been married for more than 11 wonderful years. Our hearts are filled with love and excitement as we embark on this journey and expand our family through adoption. We have always dreamed of becoming parents and have chosen the adoption path to grow our family.
How She Describes Herself
How She Describes Herself
How She Describes Herself
I'm a little bit artsy fartsy, a total audiobook worm, colorful in every way, quirky in a (hopefully) good way, funny (I can laugh at myself), competitive, and imaginative. I love playing cards and board games with family. I'm friendly and chatty -- one of those people who never meets a stranger. I enjoy cooking and despise doing laundry (but I do wash our clothes so we don't go around naked).
How He Describes Her
How She Describes Herself
How She Describes Herself
She's one smart cookie. She has creativity running through her veins and she uses her talents to make beautiful sewing projects for our home, friends, and loved ones. She's very passionate about her art and shares her love of sewing with everyone, both children and adults, in fun and imaginative ways. She is dependable and eager to become involved in our children's lives, interests, hopes, and dreams. I would describe that as a pure determination for our child to succeed in anything his or her heart desires. The other words I'd use to describe her would be nurturing, loving, caring, responsible, trust-worthy, respectful, and I think she's really pretty, but I'm more than a little smitten with my wife!
Her Hobbies
How She Describes Herself
How He Describes Himself
I love to get crafty and make things -- sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery top my list of hobbies. Truth be told, I really like playing with all the colorful fabrics just as much as I enjoy turning them into other things! I have recently painted some furniture and I'm learning more about paint removal for a different project (the removal process hasn't been all that fun and might not actually turn into a hobby for me).
How He Describes Himself
How He Describes Himself
How He Describes Himself
My personality is probably best described as quiet until I get to know a person. I'm probably a little geeky too. When I watch television on the rare occasion, I watch action movies, anime, and hunting/fishing shows. I like nearly any food except creamy soups. My steaks need to be cooked somewhere between well done and burnt. I enjoy spending time with my wife in the kitchen whether she is cooking or I am. And I promise I don't wear this hat or these suspenders every day!
How She Describes Him
How He Describes Himself
How She Describes Him
Where do I begin? He is compassionate, a good provider, a hard worker, and he has a kind spirit. He is a strong leader to his employees. He has a natural ability to connect with adults and children. I can see him being the dad who is blowing up balloons for a birthday party or kissing a boo boo before he puts on a bandage. He is honest, caring, fun-loving -- and he will be a wonderful father someday as well. (He already has the dad jokes ready!)
His Hobbies
How He Describes Himself
How She Describes Him
I love listening to music, reading books (the old-fashioned way), watching anime, learning to bake (while test-tasting), fishing, hunting, and spending time with my wife and extended family. It's fun when family and friends come together for game nights. Finding the time to travel is a priority. In the photo above, I am shopping through town on a bicycle in Akumal, Quintana Roo, in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico.
New Family Traditions
Our Parenting Philosophy
New Family Traditions
Her: I love setting a table with pretty dishes, and I use them often for family gatherings. It may all be in my head, but I believe a pretty plate makes the food taste even better. Of course, visiting with family and friends for conversation and laughter also make those mealtimes special. Time spent with family and friends is the most important part of the meal, after all.
Our Travels
Our Parenting Philosophy
New Family Traditions
We both love travel and exploring the world. We are excited to expose our child to different cultures and experiences. We have traveled extensively and believe in the power of experiencing different cultures firsthand. We can't wait to create travel memories as a family.
Our Parenting Philosophy
Our Parenting Philosophy
Our Parenting Philosophy
We believe in providing a nurturing and loving environment where our child can grow, learn, and explore their passions. We believe in setting clear expectations while also fostering independence and individuality. Our goal is to raise a confident and well-rounded child.
Mini Adventures
Additional Preparation
Our Parenting Philosophy
We are always eager to disconnect from technology and enjoy nature any chance we get. We hope to make these mini adventures a new family tradition to include our child and create lasting memories. A mini adventure may be a trip to a local park, going swimming at a state park, fishing with dad, taking a painting class with mom, a few nights at our lake house, or pitching a tent in our own back yard (complete with sleeping bags, a campfire, and s'mores, of course).
Additional Preparation
Additional Preparation
Additional Preparation
We have read books on adoption to better understand the unique needs and experiences of adopted children. We will use our new-found knowledge to help our child understand their adoption story and navigate questions or emotions as they arise. We will always be open and honest about our child's adoption story and provide them with the necessary support and resources to navigate their identity.
Once We Adopt
Additional Preparation
Additional Preparation
We have both arranged for parental leave to ensure that we have uninterrupted time to bond and create a strong attachment. We will always honor our child's birth parents. The birth parents will always be a part of our child's life story because without them, our adoption would not be possible. We want our child(ren) to know he/she/they were not "given up" but, instead, given a chance at a better life than their birth parent(s) may be equipped to provide at this point in their lives. The birth parent(s) are ensuring that their child(ren) are raised in a safe, loving, stable home where he/she/they will have more opportunity and support.
Fun Facts About Us
Fun Facts About Us
Fun Facts About Us
Okay, so maybe this fact isn't fun at all. She eats this Japanese raw meat dish called tataki (yes, that rhymes with hockey!) but she says it tastes soooo good. It's one thing I refuse to taste-test. No, thank you. Not happening.
Day One
Fun Facts About Us
Fun Facts About Us
On our child's adoption day, we plan to have a special celebration filled with joy, love, and the presence of our closest family and friends. We will continue to celebrate this day every year as a reminder of the birth mother's gift in love that brought us together.
What Then
Fun Facts About Us
Fun Fact About Him
We envision a future where our child is happy, fulfilled, and pursuing their passions. We will be here to support them every step of the way and provide them with the tools they need to succeed.
Fun Fact About Him
Fun Fact About Him
Fun Fact About Him
Him: I probably have an unhealthy number of socks in my wardrobe. They're not your normal black or white tube socks, mind you. (Although, I do have a few "normal, plain Jane" pair). Nearly all of my socks are pretty quirky. They reflect my likes -- smiling coffee beans wearing sunglasses, nerdy sayings, tacos, deer heads, and fishing lures. Some were gifts from my wife -- she bought my first pair as a Valentine's Day gift. Since then, I have gotten them as gifts from everyone! The wife and I have a matching set of elf socks. (Don't judge... I can feel you judging!) Among my favorites are the pair with jalapeno peppers, a pair with palm trees decorated for Christmas, and a pair with donuts complete with pink icing and sprinkles. (Okay, I guess you can judge me now!) Wearing "loud" socks might suggest that I am a bold and vibrant person, but I am definitely more reserved and quieter than most. I just choose to express my style in this small, unexpected way.
Fun Facts About Us
Fun Fact About Him
Fun Facts About Us
We like to be adventurous with our meals when we travel. We will try new foods in all the places we visit. We seek out the restaurants or food trucks where locals eat rather than selecting chain restaurants. We often return home and try to replicate the dishes we enjoyed the most. Neither of us are very picky eaters, but we have tried things we would never attempt to replicate. Once, on a vacation to San Pedro del Cabo, Baja, Mexico we dined at a Brazilian restaurant. The food was all charred to a near ashen state. If I had made that at home, we never would've put it on our plates, much less tried to eat it! Thankfully, the town square wasn't far away, and we could enjoy some Mexican street corn on a stick to take the charred taste out of our mouths. A life with us would provide a child many opportunities to taste new foods, try his or her hand at a new language, experience different cultures firsthand, and go on lots of big adventures.
Our Communication Style
Our Communication Style
Our Communication Style
Talking things through is the best way we know to keep our marriage healthy and successful. We are honest about our feelings, but kind and respectful when we express them to one another. Part of our strength is our ability to listen and take the time to understand what the other spouse wants and needs.
Family Time
Our Communication Style
Our Communication Style
Game nights with family and friends are always a great idea. We usually play Uno, Phase 10, and the Family Feud board game. At Christmas we played lots of games -- charades, who am I, and game one where someone had to hum a tune (Christmas song) while the others guessed. We quickly learned we are terrible at charades! Simply doing the same action over and over isn't effective at all no matter how much you think it is exactly what you're supposed to be describing. This year, we also played a game where the object is to get as many marshmallows as possible into a bowl... only you're blindfolded and have to use a wooden spoon to move them. The marshmallows weighed next-to-nothing so it was a lot more difficult than one may think -- or maybe we just weren't good at it! We always have lots of fun with family and friends no matter what we play. It's just great to spend time with the ones we love.
Fun Fact About Her
Our Communication Style
Fun Fact About Her
Her: Totally random factoid here... I have actually written a (pretty good if I do say so myself) rap song. Note: I'm probably the last person in the world my friends and family would believe had written a rap song. I don't normally listen to rap music, but it's true that I got a wild hair one day and wrote a rap song. It has not (yet) made me famous (or rich), but you never know! Of course, I haven't exactly told other people about it until now. It'll be our little secret, ok?
Our Education
Holiday Traditions
Fun Fact About Her
We are both college graduates and attended the same university. Being a part of a large institution, our paths never crossed on the university campus. We did not know one another while we were there. It wasn't until several years later that we met on a blind date. Today, both of us use our educational foundation on a daily basis in our jobs. We feel that education is an important part of the success we've had in our respective career paths. As parents, we plan to emphasize the importance of education to our adopted child. We will support his or her decision to advance academically.
Holiday Traditions
Holiday Traditions
Holiday Traditions
Nearly every holiday gathering starts in the kitchen with the smell of comfort food wafting through the air. Holidays are a time for our moms to bring out their cookbooks and make the family's favorite recipes. We are often guinea pigs for new recipes as well. Everyone seems to congregate near the cook and chat about what's going on in our family. Next, we fill our plates buffet-style and gather around the dining table to give thanks and bless our meal. We fill our bellies with our mom's traditional recipes while we fill our hearts with the love and closeness of family. We gather with our family often -- not just on holidays. We are thankful for any reason to gather with family.
Thank you
Holiday Traditions
Holiday Traditions
We appreciate your prayers and support. It will be through your word of mouth and your sharing of this "Our Adoption Wish" website in your churches, and on social media that will eventually connect us with our future child's birth mother. You are an integral part to our success as Louisiana is a state that does not provide an easy way for us to spread our desire to adopt without the help of adoption agencies or AAAA adoption attorneys. If you are seeing this website on social media, it means someone who knows us directly has shared our page. Please contact your friend/acquaintance who shared our profile to learn more. He or she can contact us directly to obtain the phone/email information for our attorney or adoption agency. We cannot thank you enough for your help spreading the word and your continued prayers for our adoption journey! Much love, J&M
Through OUR Lens: A Visual Journey
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Sophie N. Barksdale, Attorney at Law
Phone: 318-600-4640
