Hi! We’re Sam and Andrea. Thanks for taking the time to read our profile as a way to get to know us a little bit better. Infertility has kept us from having a biological child and we know our lives will not be complete until we hear the pitter patter of tiny feet and the happy squeals of a child’s laughter in our home, so we have turned to adoption to fulfill that dream.

We want you to know that the love you are demonstrating by choosing adoption for your child is humbling to us. We can only imagine what an emotional decision this must be for you, and it must have been a journey that required great strength and courage. We are privileged that you are considering us for your adoptive parents and want you to know that should you choose us, your child would always know how much you loved him or her. We would treat your decision with respect and honor. Your child would be the long awaited answer to our prayers and we would be forever grateful for the unselfish act that gave us what we could not give ourselves.

The Beginning

Sam and I met in college. Just friends at first, that friendship grew into a deep and meaningful relationship and we knew we were meant to be together forever. We were married in the spring in a picturesque chapel surrounded by dogwoods and azaleas in full bloom, officiated by both of our childhood ministers and with our friends and families by our sides. We had a glorious honeymoon starting in England and continuing on to Italy and France. It was a fairytale trip and the beginning our passion for travel.

About Us

Sam and I have a strong, loving and committed relationship. We have trust and respect for each other and recognize the importance of good communication. Dealing with life’s inevitable difficulties, such as the heartbreak of infertility, has only served to make our marriage stronger. We are supportive of each other, and although we recognize that we both have faults, we also recognize that our strengths outweigh them. These are all important aspects of our marriage, but the absolute best part is that we not only love, but like each other. We just have a good time together, no matter what we are doing.

Andrea about Sam

Sam is a warm, loving, kind, funny, super smart and very energetic guy. Kids love Sam because he is tons of fun to be around, and not afraid to do “goofy kid things” with them. Adults love him because he keeps them laughing and motivates everyone around him with his “can do” optimistic attitude. Sam works in real estate. He works hard, but he recognizes that happiness in life requires balance, so he makes time with family and friends a top priority. Luckily, his schedule is very flexible and he is able to work from home at times. Sam is nuts about model railroads, and has his own “train room” set up with tracks and trains. He is a gadget and computer whiz and has already bought several cameras to capture our child’s every moment. He also likes to play golf, read, work out and grills a really mean steak. He is such a special person, a wonderful husband, and I know that he will be an awesome dad!

Sam about Andrea

Andrea is warm, sweet and nurturing and I have always known she will be a wonderful mom. She enjoys gardening, baking, antiquing, reading, music, art and travel.  She has a background in Interior Design but recently left the business world to take a break and just be home. Andrea looks forward to being a stay-at-home mom. Children are naturally drawn to her. She cherishes the time she spends with our nephews. I can't wait for the day that Andrea rocks our baby to sleep, bakes cookies with our child and showers them with endless hugs and kisses. 

Our Home

We live in a sunny two story home in a family oriented neighborhood full of kids of all ages. A little one in our household will have lots of playmates to have fun with. Our home is located in a cul-de-sac that is often full of parents with strollers and toddlers on bikes or in wagons. Our home is cozy and casual and decorated to withstand sticky fingered kids and dogs without a fuss. It has a large fenced in back yard with plenty of room for running and playing, and the perfect place to add a big swing set and sand box. Beautiful parks are also nearby, along with movie theatres, shopping and restaurants.

Sally and Baxter are our adorable Jack Russell terriers. They are full of energy and keep us laughing with their comical antics. They “help” us garden by digging holes in the back yard, and they like to run off with our gardening gloves in hopes we’ll play “chase”. They have been raised around lots of kids, so the sights, smells and sounds of a little one are not foreign to them at all. They are gentle, loving dogs, and they will be so excited to have a little person in the house, especially when the child is old enough to toss a tennis ball!

Our Lives

We like to have fun! We’ve never been ones to sit around much, so our free time is usually spent doing something active. In addition to our individual interests some of the things we enjoy doing together are traveling, snow skiing, dancing, home improvement projects, going to amusement parks, working out, walking the dogs, church functions, riding horses and working in our organic vegetable garden. It is rare that a weekend goes by without us getting together with family or friends. We get together to grill out or go to a movie or try a new restaurant. When we are in the mood for a quite, low key evening we typically cook something fabulous and curl up with the dogs to watch a movie or read.

We have traveled to Europe several times, as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Recent trips have included Washington D.C., New York City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Amelia Island, Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, Savannah and Charleston, as well as many trips to the North Carolina beaches and mountains. Some of these trips have been with family, some with friends, and some just the two of us. We believe it is an important part of a child’s education to experience different cultures, whether near or far, and we look forward to sharing our favorite places with our child.

Our Families

Sam was born and raised in the city in which we live. His parents live only fifteen minutes away and they are so excited about our adoption, as this will be their first grandchild! They live on twelve acres of land with a large swimming pool and beautiful gardens. They also have a home in the mountains where we head to cool off on hot summer weekends, along with cousins and other relatives. We enjoy traveling with Sam’s parents and extended family and have taken several trips together. Sam’s parents love children and can’t wait until they have a grandbaby to cuddle and spoil!

I was born out west, but my family moved to North Carolina when I was a teenager, and I have lived here most of my life. My mother, brother, sister, and their families live in the same town only an hour and a half away by car, and we get together all the time! My mother loves spending time with her grandkids and is their biggest cheerleader, attending every event, large or small.

Sam and I have made it a point to be involved in our nephew’s lives and are always on hand for their birthdays, basketball games, soccer games and church events, as well as being together for the traditional holidays. For many years my entire family has gathered at the beach for a fabulous week of playing in the ocean, building sandcastles, fishing, swimming, playing games, puzzles, miniature race track, banana boat rides, water slides and, of course, the annual surf and turf extravaganza. Sam is famous for his “beach breakfasts”, and I am in charge of swim lessons and sandcastle building with the kids. It is great fun and we look forward to this family time all year long!

Both of our families are ecstatic that we are planning to adopt, and eagerly await a new baby in the family!

Our Friends

We are extremely lucky to have close friends we count as family. Most of them have children of their own and have volunteered for babysitting and to be “on call” for those late-night-new-parent questions. They are all super excited about the news that we are pursuing adoption because they know how long we have wanted a child, and they will provide love and support for our child as if it was their own.

Our Traditions

Both Sam and I were raised in Christian homes and religion plays an important part in our lives today. We attend a Methodist church where we have many close friends. We want our child to grow up attending church and learning Christian values with the love and support of a church family as we did.

Every summer we will have our beach trip with my family, as well as our annual trip to somewhere fun with Sam’s family. Although we see our families on a regular basis, there is something special about these times together that we all treasure, and we look forward to the day when our child can join the fun!

We feel that holidays are meant to be spent with family and friends, and the more the merrier. Thanksgiving and Christmas are big deals for us, with way too much delicious food, lots of decorating, music, and bustling housefuls of people. Easter you can find us having an Easter egg hunt with the nephews and their friends. The Fourth of July is usually spent at the lake boating and grilling out. On New Years Eve Sam and I go to the beach, just the two of us, for some time to reflect on the past year and plan for the coming one. This New Year’s Eve was full of hope that adoption will finally bring us a child to complete our lives.

About Adoption - We Can’t Wait to be Parents!

We are fortunate to have been raised in loving homes by wonderful parents. We want our child to experience that same happy childhood. We want to provide an environment that will encourage learning, compassion, empathy and respect for others. We will teach our child the necessary skills to make good decisions, good friends and a good marriage. We will encourage our child to set goals and strive to achieve them. We will instill in our child that hard work and perseverance equal success. We will help our child develop their individual talents. We will use consistent, gentle and loving discipline. We will teach our child the importance of words like “I love you”. We will give our child the gift of our time. We will make our home a safe haven, full of music, laughter, friends, family and pets. Our child will be allowed to make mistakes. Our child will be encouraged to color outside the lines. Our child will be permitted to jump in puddles. Our child will always feel special. We believe hugs and kisses are mandatory. We believe in the power of prayer. And most importantly, we believe in unconditional love.

Thank you for your time. We hope this letter has helped you get to know us. Good luck, and whether or not you choose us for your adoptive parents we hope you will have complete and total peace with your decision. Take care, and we hope to hear from you soon!