Hello! We're Sam, Kendra & Marco. Thank you for taking the time to read about us and our desire to expand our family through adoption...

The Beginning

We met in college, became friends, and started dating a few months later. We dated all through college and were married after graduation. Sam proposed to Kendra by recreating our first date, which was a picnic and a jazz concert under the stars! We feel that we really are soul mates.We were married in 2000. Our ceremony was held in a beautiful little chapel in the woods. Two hundred of our friends and family attended with family coming from as far away as England, California, Seattle, and Texas to share our day.

About Us

Sam grew up on a farm with an older sister and two younger brothers. Sam was raised in a home that believed strongly in the importance of Christian faith and hard work. He had the love and support of a large extended family all around him and has remained close to all of his family today. Sam’s parents now live in Florida, but everyone returns to the mid-west for big family gatherings frequently. His family also comes to visit us here and we get to visit them at their beach home! Sam's field of work is in computer technology. He has flexible work hours and can even work from home occasionally. Sam enjoys participating in intramural sports through his company and has made lots of friends.

Kendra grew up in the Midwest with her sister and parents. Kendra’s family is very close and Kendra is lucky to have a very loving grandmother who visits regularly and adores Marco. Kendra was raised in a Church that placed a strong emphasis on spirituality. Kendra’s parents now live only a short drive away. They come to visit us frequently and we go up there to have fun and enjoy the woods and lake around their house. Kendra’s sister lives with her husband in Missouri. Kendra is an attorney. Each day is exciting and she is proud of her work. Kendra’s job is very flexible and she can take time off or work from home whenever needed. She plans to take significant leave when we welcome a new baby into our home.

We adopted Marco in October of 2006 through A Child’s Hope. We really believe that Marco was meant to be our baby, and we’re so glad that we found each other. We’re now waiting for the second child that is meant for us. Marco’s birthmother asked for us to keep her updated, and we have regularly sent her letters and lots of pictures. She is an honored person in our home, and we tell Marco about how much she loves him and what a beautiful person she is. We kept the middle name that she gave Marco when he was born, and hope that our next child’s birthmother will give him or her a middle name. We both have flexible jobs and can easily be home if our children are sick or need us. Our family comes first and we always have time for them. Marco was baptized in the fall in a beautiful ceremony with a church that was very meaningful for us. Kendra’s parents’ minister officiated and our family and friends joined us.

For Fun

We love to travel! Seeing and experiencing new things is a big part of our lives. We have been fortunate enough to have friends and family around the world who welcome us for visits. We’ve taken trips to The Caribbean, England, Russia, Northern Europe, and around North Carolina and the rest of the United States. We have already taken Marco to Boston, St. Louis, and Indiana to see family and friends, and we’re planning a beach trip to visit Sam’s family this spring! We have a great group of friends who often feel more like family. Our closest friends all have babies, and many of our friends have adopted too! Our friends are a diverse group and we enjoy sharing in their cultures and heritages through food, music, art and travel. We enjoy our time spent with this exciting and vibrant group of people!

We never take ourselves too seriously. We like to have fun and love playing with our son Marco. Some of our favorite activities are peek-a-boo, reading books, spending time outside, and going to our favorite park where Marco loves to feed the ducks. Sam and Marco are great musicians, and they love to play instruments and we all dance together.

Our Families

We are both proud of our families and the fact that they are full of strong and diverse people. Our families are excited about our plans to adopt again and adoption is nothing new to our families. Family is important to us and will always be a part of our childrens’ lives. We know that our children will feel comfortable in a large and diverse family. Our families visit often and have welcomed Marco lovingly into their lives. Kendra’s mom even stayed with us for three months to help take care of Marco and plans to do so again for our next adoption. Marco is the center of attention at all family gatherings and our families can’t wait to have another baby to fuss over! Our family is proud of its diversity. Kendra’s sister is married to a Vietnamese-American man. Kendra also has two aunts who were adopted from Korea. Several of Sam’s cousins are biracial with an African-American father. Sam also has a cousin who has adopted biracial children.

Our Home

We love our home! We own a townhouse with 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths. We enjoy taking Marco on long walks through the neighborhood around the pond and to the neighborhood playground for slides and swings. Marco also loves the neighborhood pool in the summer! We really enjoy having pets! We have three cats named Fantine, Malcolm, and Link. They are fun to come home to and cuddle. We also spend a lot of time dog-sitting for Kendra’s parents’ dog, Ralph. He’s a friendly, yellow lab mix who loves playing with children.

About Adoption

We have talked about adoption since before we were married and always planned for it to be a way to complete our family. We went through infertility treatment and learned that Kendra is unable to conceive. We were of course saddened by this news, but also excited because we are so happy with the idea of adoption.

Sam is a great dad because he loves to play and coach sports. He loves teaching Marco about science and nature and loves playing music with him. Kendra is a great mom because she is very patient and nurturing. She loves reading bedtime stories to Marco and doing art projects with him.

We want to let you know that we will offer a nurturing and loving home that allows your child the opportunities to achieve all of their hopes and dreams.