To us, being parents is one of the greatest responsibilities and honors a person can be gifted with. We both feel that being parents means ultimately being responsible to protect, care for, and support and nurture a human being that will grow into their own person with their own interests, passions, and ideas. We know that being a parent will mean long hours, countless ups and downs, many trips to the doctor, sports games, and heartfelt conversations consoling our child. We know that not all moments will be sunshine and rainbows. However, we also know that we will be able to love and nurture a child - providing them with a safe home, lifelong memories, a strong sense of self-esteem, and help them discover their place in the world. Julia is an incredibly compassionate, loving, and nurturing woman who will make sure a child always feels welcomed, safe, and supported. Brent prides himself on being kind, funny, and creative and can't wait to make sure a child feels welcomed, at home, and supported to find themselves through their life.

In our free time, we typically play games, watch movies, listen to music, and cook. When we cook dinners together, we try new recipes or make old family favorites. Generally, this time is spent with music playing, laughter, and talking about our day.

When the weather is nice, we like to be out in nature. We go for walks or hikes, play with our dog, Lucy, in the backyard, or treat ourselves to an ice cream.

Brent spends time each day reading. His favorite books are fantasy, but he enjoys non-fiction books and newspapers, too. He also likes to swim both for exercise and fun.

Julia does Graphic Design for a living, so she enjoys writing, being creative, and curling up with her cat to watch a show. She also likes to bake cookies and cakes for her family.

We hope to share our love of reading, music, and nature with a child and show them what adventures can be had both in a story and outside. We can't wait to cook with our child someday and share our sweet tooth and recipe experimentation with them.

We feel strongly that in order to raise a child with a global and culturally sensitive awareness, it's important for us to expose them to as much cultural diversity and heritage as possible while they are growing. We plan to enroll our child in an international school so that they will be exposed to different languages and cultures from a young age. We also plan to participate in some of the different cultural heritage festivals and events that take place near us. It's also important to us that we educate ourselves on the child's cultural and ethnic heritage by incorporating food, music, books and literature, and influences into our daily lives. We are also committed to adjusting our lifestyle including friends, living location, and travel plans to help our child be exposed to more of their birth culture and heritage in everyday life. Making sure our child grows up understanding and feeling proud about their birth heritage and culture is a major priority for us.

We live in a beautiful, active community in North Carolina that is close to many parks and schools. Our house sits on a quiet, tree lined street in a family-centered neighborhood with children from all different backgrounds and ages. Whether it's Trunk-or-Treat at Halloween or an Easter Egg hunt, the community regularly hosts holiday parties for the kids at the clubhouse that includes games, food, and music. Our neighborhood also includes a community pool, tennis and basketball courts, picnic areas with playgrounds, and access to the lake! Neighbors are constantly outside walking, playing with their kids, or doing yardwork.

Our house backs onto a wooded area with a small stream. We regularly see deer, birds, and bunnies in our backyard. Our house has a lot of open rooms for family and kids as we start our family. Our favorite room is our theater room that has a projector screen, a large couch, and chairs so we can enjoy movie and game nights.

Between our friends, family, and community, there is no shortage of friendly kids. We also live towards the end of the street, near a cul-de-sac, so a child can play safely with the neighborhood kids.

We are lucky to have family members on both sides that are supportive and bring different ideas and perspectives to our family. Julia's family lives in Arkansas, and she has one older brother. Her dad is a retired diesel mechanic, but still loves to work on cars in his free time. He enjoys cooking and grilling, laughing, and telling stories. Julia's mom is a retired office clerk who enjoys gardening, being creative, and studying the Bible. We typically see them two to three times a year. Julia's family is centered around faith, family, and food.

Brent's immediate family is spread out between multiple states, but has extended family in Arkansas. Brent's younger sister lives thirty minutes from us and we visit her and her husband every week. His mom is a retired homemaker who lives with us and we have weekly meals and game time together. In her free time, Brent's mom enjoys puzzles, movies, and reading. His dad is a Computer Data Engineer and lives in Florida. Brent's family is centered around family, games, and exploration.

Both sides of our family are thrilled to welcome a new child into the family! That child will have an incredible support system and be surrounded by unconditional love.

Before we start, please know how deeply grateful we are that you are looking at our profile and considering adoption. We cannot fathom your situation or the thoughts and decisions that are on your mind. But, we respect and are thankful for you. May God grant you peace, wisdom, and strength each and every day.

Our story of adoption came to us a little differently than we originally planned. When we got married 14 years ago, among the many discussions of future plans was children. We both agreed that we wanted at least two kids, but also had a passion for adoption. Our plan was to have a biological child(ren) first and then adopt. The saying goes, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Well, in the past two years of trying to grow our family, God began to make it immensely clear through our church and friends that we were to adopt first.

"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.' This is the Lord's declaration." (Isaiah 55:8)

We know that He has abundantly more in store for us than we could have ever planned or imagined. We are truly excited to be a part of this unfolding story and will honor this adoption by upholding the following promises:

We promise to lead a safe and supportive environment. To us, this means being their biggest cheerleaders and a constant advocate for their best interest. We will teach and guide them to be a kind, confident, and faithful human while also supporting who they are and who they want to be. We promise to do everything in our power to give them opportunities and open doors where possible so they can experience as much as possible. Down the road, if we have other children in the home, whether biological or adopted, we promise to give each child the same love, devotion, and opportunities.

We promise to be good stewards of their story. From the moment we bring them home, we will be open to them about their adoption story and their birth family. We will make it a priority to have open conversations with them as they grow and answer questions when they come up. We understand that every child is different, but we want to create a Lifebook to give them the opportunity to know their story and where they came from. This is not our story to tell, so we will protect it until they are ready to share it with others.

We promise that they will be surrounded by unconditional love. All of our friends and family are beyond excited and can't wait to meet the new addition to our family. We have a strong village full of amazing people from all backgrounds, along with two loving pets that are excited to have a child to play with. We also attend a church that supports adoption and offers plenty of resources and community to lean on.

We promise to make changes in our lives and educate ourselves and our family to support and honor the child's background and heritage. We know that a child from a different cultural or ethnic background will encounter different experiences as unconscious bias and prejudice still exists in daily society. Both ourselves and our family are prepared to continuously educate ourselves and challenge our own unconscious bias daily while also immersing children in activities, friend circles, and mentorship with individuals who help them connect with their birth culture and values.

We can only imagine that finding the right fit with adoptive parents might be an exciting, yet overwhelming decision. We are humbled to have this opportunity and truly hope that you will consider us for adoptive parents. From making Christmas cookies to going to the beach in summer, our entire family is ready to share our love, traditions, and home with a child. We also look forward to sending updates on the child and their journey in letters/emails and photos. God bless you and the adventure ahead.

Brent & Julia