Basic Info
Annie
Ethnicity: White
Religion: Christian
Jon
Ethnicity: White
Religion: Christian
Annie & Jon
Texas
Intro
About
Work & Education
Annie
Education: PhD
Profession: Psychologist
Jon
Education: Bachelors
Profession: Corporal in Sheriff's Dept
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Environment
Country: USA
State: Texas
Parent Relationship: Married
Parent Neighborhood: Urban
Parent Years Together: 10 to 15 years
Parent Residency: House
Parent Pets: 3 dogs
Children At Home: No children
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual parents
Preferences for a child
Age: Newborn to 1 year of age
Gender: Either
Multiple Children: Twins, Triplets or more
Race/Ethnicity: African American (Full), African American (Half), Caucasian (Full), Caucasian (Half), Hispanic (Full), Hispanic (Half), Asian (Full), Asian (Half)
Special Needs: Open to discussion
Certification 
Gladney Center for Adoption verified this family completed an adoption homestudy including: background checks, character references, official interviews, required training, home inspection, financial review, etc. and are approved for adoption.
Photos of our life together
Annie
Jon
Hello! We are Annie and Jon. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about us and our dream to grow our family through adoption.
Why We're Adopting
We had both always been open to the idea of adopting a child and had discussed this possibility.
We had both always been open to the idea of adopting a child and had discussed this possibility, but when we decided we were ready to begin to expand our family we first tried to conceive naturally. After a miscarriage we pursued some fertility treatments without success. During this time a close friend adopted a precious child whom we all instantly adored. We recognized that we were faced with a decision, continue to pursue fertility treatments or instead meet our child through the adoption process. After attending an information session at Gladney and meeting a group of incredible birth mothers who shared their stories, we had no doubt that life had led us to this place for a reason and that adoption would be our chosen path to growing our family.
We had both always been open to the idea of adopting a child and had discussed this possibility, but when we decided we were ready to begin to expand our family we first tried to conceive naturally. After a miscarriage we pursued some fertility treatments without success. During this time a close friend adopted a precious child whom we all instantly adored. We recognized that we were faced with a decision, continue to pursue fertility treatments or instead meet our child through the adoption process. After attending an information session at Gladney and meeting a group of incredible birth mothers who shared their stories, we had no doubt that life had led us to this place for a reason and that adoption would be our chosen path to growing our family.
How We Met
We feel so grateful for the life we have built together with a strong relationship, supportive network of family and friends, our loving dogs, and rewarding careers.
We met in bush Alaska
We met in bush Alaska in 2003 after moving to the same small town the same week. Jon moved out to train a dog sled team with his best friend from college and to write for the local newspaper. Annie came for a job at the local women's shelter as a children's advocate and to live with her best friend from high school. It turned out our best friends were buddies and so we were soon also friends and playing together in a band. A few months into our friendship Jon volunteered to help Annie wrap Christmas presents for the shelter holiday festivities and as we stayed up late in the night wrapping and talking and laughing, we both began to sense that we had a future together outside of the band!
After a couple years of dating, we decided we were ready for some warmer weather and a new adventure. We then spent a year traveling- first visiting friends and family all over the US and then sightseeing, taking Spanish classes and volunteering in Mexico and Central America. All of these adventures and challenges just strengthened our bond and in 2006, we relocated to Texas to be closer to family and to begin to set down roots. We were soon engaged and we celebrated our marriage with friends and family in the spring of 2008. We then supported each other's decisions to go back to school in order to follow our passions into careers that were personally meaningful and could also provide us with financial security. We feel so grateful for the life we have built together with a strong relationship, supportive network of family and friends, our loving dogs, and rewarding careers. We have long desired to be parents though, and believe the one piece of our family that is missing is a child to love and nurture.
After a couple years of dating, we decided we were ready for some warmer weather and a new adventure. We then spent a year traveling- first visiting friends and family all over the US and then sightseeing, taking Spanish classes and volunteering in Mexico and Central America. All of these adventures and challenges just strengthened our bond and in 2006, we relocated to Texas to be closer to family and to begin to set down roots. We were soon engaged and we celebrated our marriage with friends and family in the spring of 2008. We then supported each other's decisions to go back to school in order to follow our passions into careers that were personally meaningful and could also provide us with financial security. We feel so grateful for the life we have built together with a strong relationship, supportive network of family and friends, our loving dogs, and rewarding careers. We have long desired to be parents though, and believe the one piece of our family that is missing is a child to love and nurture.
Annie by Jon
Annie is the most compassionate and empathetic person I have ever encountered.
At 4 corners
Annie is the most compassionate and empathetic person I have ever encountered. Her ability to quickly understand and deeply listen to people makes her relationships rich and fulfilling. It doesn't take long after meeting her to recognize she cares about everyone, even total strangers. Annie's passion for social justice and dedication to self-improvement through education is an inspiration.
Her love and knowledge of music and frequent desire for a dance party first attracted me to Annie. Since those early years in Alaska, I have come to know there are countless wonders she possesses which have caused me to fall in love with Annie many times over. Her brilliant mind combines with her big heart to make her a successful psychologist, but her quick wit and sense of playful mischief makes her a delight at the dinner table or around a campfire.
Annie's sense of adventure has remained strong and she takes planning and plotting our next trip seriously, approaching it almost as an academic research project! Thanks to her love of wonder and drive to wander, we enjoy several small and one or two big adventures each year.
Her sense of style is constantly at work around our home and camper which keeps our spaces feeling both comfortably homey and fresh. Through seeing her work with children in her jobs at a shelter, elementary school, and youth focused non-profit and watching her spend time with our 14 nieces and nephews, I have learned that children adore Annie and she adores them. I know she will be a wonderful, loving mother.
Her love and knowledge of music and frequent desire for a dance party first attracted me to Annie. Since those early years in Alaska, I have come to know there are countless wonders she possesses which have caused me to fall in love with Annie many times over. Her brilliant mind combines with her big heart to make her a successful psychologist, but her quick wit and sense of playful mischief makes her a delight at the dinner table or around a campfire.
Annie's sense of adventure has remained strong and she takes planning and plotting our next trip seriously, approaching it almost as an academic research project! Thanks to her love of wonder and drive to wander, we enjoy several small and one or two big adventures each year.
Her sense of style is constantly at work around our home and camper which keeps our spaces feeling both comfortably homey and fresh. Through seeing her work with children in her jobs at a shelter, elementary school, and youth focused non-profit and watching her spend time with our 14 nieces and nephews, I have learned that children adore Annie and she adores them. I know she will be a wonderful, loving mother.
Jon by Annie
Jon is one of the most universally loved people I've ever met, and I feel incredibly lucky to call him my husband!
Jon and one of our dogs
Jon is one of the most universally loved people I've ever met, and I feel incredibly lucky to call him my husband! He has a soothing and patient presence that instantly calms me and others. He loves chatting with strangers, sipping on coffee, and watching life unfold from a porch. He places great value on slowing down and savoring the moment and helps others to do the same.
Jon currently works in a sheriff's department and was voted by his peers as employee of the year in 2019. Whether it is connecting with people in moments when they feel most lost or afraid, talking them through a crisis, or providing comfort following a loss, he excels at his job because of the compassion and joy he brings to his work.
Jon is an incredible cheerleader who always celebrates others' victories. He is also very quick-witted and routinely makes me laugh until it hurts. He is devoted to his family and works hard to be a supportive husband, brother, son, and cousin. He is never afraid to speak up for what he believes is right no matter the cost. People recognize that he is a man of integrity-which I believe is why he keeps being asked to officiate people's weddings! I have learned so much from Jon, and I know he will make an incredible father.
Jon currently works in a sheriff's department and was voted by his peers as employee of the year in 2019. Whether it is connecting with people in moments when they feel most lost or afraid, talking them through a crisis, or providing comfort following a loss, he excels at his job because of the compassion and joy he brings to his work.
Jon is an incredible cheerleader who always celebrates others' victories. He is also very quick-witted and routinely makes me laugh until it hurts. He is devoted to his family and works hard to be a supportive husband, brother, son, and cousin. He is never afraid to speak up for what he believes is right no matter the cost. People recognize that he is a man of integrity-which I believe is why he keeps being asked to officiate people's weddings! I have learned so much from Jon, and I know he will make an incredible father.
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Certification
Gladney Center for Adoption verified this family completed an adoption home study including: background checks, character references, official interviews, required training, home inspection, financial review, etc. and are approved for adoption.
Posts
Our Promises
We promise to raise your child in a loving home and to be patient, attentive, and fun parents. We have faced challenges, both individually and as a couple and have grown through these experiences. We believe the resilience we have gained along the way will help when it comes to the tough but rewarding work of parenting. We promise that when your child faces the inevitable challenges of his or her life we will be there to listen and to offer our guidance and support. We are committed to providing a nurturing, positive environment for your child to develop and discover who they are. We believe that openness about adoption and the love which motivates it are an integral part of your child growing up to feel confident and secure.
Our Dreams
We have dreamed about doing many things with a child... o Swimming and picnics at the lake with family o Walking with our pups to the neighborhood park to play o Making family dinners together and teaching our child how to cook yummy, healthy food o Singing lullabies and reading bedtime stories together o Making costumes and trick-or-treating with our neighborhood friends o Instilling a love of the outdoors through time together in nature on hikes and campouts o Attending family reunions where our child will get to hang out with all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents o Participating in the annual Thanksgiving fun run together as a family o Sharing our values, spiritual beliefs and practices o Decorating our Christmas tree while listening to holiday music and visiting with friends and family at our annual Christmas party o Encouraging our child to recognize the importance of service by volunteering together as a family
Our Home & Community
Our home is nestled on a quiet street a few minutes from the downtown area of a major metropolitan city. The house needed some love and some updating when we bought it, and after years of reading house magazines and watching HGTV, we were excited to take on the challenge. We have learned a lot about renovating (and about working as a team) over the past 10 years as we have turned our 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, single story home into a lovely, light-filled, space with a designated nursery ready to be decorated and a large, fenced yard for a little one to enjoy. Within a few minutes walking distance is an elementary school that is in the midst of a beautiful remodel and a large city park with community center and pool. A children's museum, walking trails, and children's hospital are all within a 5 minute drive. We also have a cozy, vintage camper that we love taking places and a vacation home near Annie's family with great access to lakes, trails, and parks.
The Dog Pack
We did not ever expect to have a pack of three pups, but we feel so grateful that these canines came into our life and have brought us more joy, comfort, and laughter than we could have ever imagined. Dolly was a stray pup who found her way straight from the streets to our family and never looked back. We have had her for 9 years and from the beginning she has taken lounging and cuddling very seriously. She still loves her daily walks to the park and occasional hikes and is a big fan of all of our friend's children. Charlie was the next to join our family about 5 years ago. He was found at an elementary school which is no surprise given his deep love of little ones. Several young neighborhood friends make a point to visit with him at our fence, and he is generous with his licks. He keeps us all laughing with his silly, sweet ways. Betsy, who is around 7 years old and came to us 3 years ago, was originally Annie's older sister's dog. When they came to visit us, Betsy and Charlie got along so well no one could bear to separate them and the rest is history. She is incredibly loyal, sensing when anyone needs a little extra love or attention. People can't believe her silky fur and fox tail, and she eats up all the attention.