We have both been personally affected by adoption. Justin's older sister and older brother are both adopted. Justin's parents, just like us, struggled having children of their own. They were lucky to be blessed with two separate adoptions before Justin was born. Growing up with adopted siblings was no different than if they weren't adopted. Justin and his siblings got along great, and they had a happy childhood playing with each other. Justin's parents were always there for all of them, and Justin couldn't imagine growing up without them.

Blair has a close cousin who adopted a child 8 years ago. We love going to visit them and play with him. We have both gotten to see first hand how loved and welcomed he has been to both his close and extended family. Lastly, our close friends adopted a child 6 years ago. They talked about adopting a child ever since they got married, and they were blessed to adopt him to join their family. He has an older sister and younger brother who are both not adopted, but who get along great and love each other immensely.

Having adopted family members or close friends and family who have adopted children was a big catalyst to us wanting to adopt. We have both seen first hand the endless love and joy adopted children have felt from their adopted parents.

Justin is very passionate about sports. He loves to watch his favorite teams (Cincinnati Bengals, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Cincinnati Reds) play either at home or out with friends. Since we moved into our house, Justin has developed a passion for building and fixing things. He has built his own cornhole boards as well as some for family and friends. He also built our outdoor patio furniture. He likes to spend his summers renovating and upgrading our house. He recently renovated our half bathroom, and he hopes to start renovating our laundry room soon. Justin is an avid reader, loves to lift weights and train for 5k's or half marathons.

Blair loves to be social with family and friends. She is always up for hosting or planning a dinner party or friend gathering. She likes to cook, read, and has recently developed a passion for playing Mahjong. Blair also likes to lift weights or train for a race with Justin. Blair loves to volunteer and spends numerous hours a month volunteering through work or the Junior League of Charlotte.

Together we go to concerts, sporting events, musicals, markets, festivals, and travel. We love to play with our dog, Sammie, and take her on walks, car rides, or to the beach. We spend a lot of time with family, friends, and neighbors. We enjoy hosting our family for holidays, and having cookouts or watch parties for big sporting events.

Justin About Blair: I love that Blair is so caring and nurturing. She is always asking friends, family, and neighbors how they are doing. She isn't just being polite, she is doing it because she cares. If someone she knows is sick, injured, or has had a loved one pass away, she is always the first to send a get well soon card and cook a meal to help ease the pain and burden. She is always thinking of others before she is thinking of herself. I know that the care and love that she shows towards her friends and family will be the same care that she will show for our adopted child.

Blair About Justin: The thing I love most about Justin is how great he is with kids. I have never seen someone be so calm and collected with kids like he is with his students. He treats every kid like they are his own, and they all look up to him. I love each year when I get to volunteer and help him out during Field Day. I get to see him in his element where he is full of energy and laughter. I know that the passion, love, and calm demeanor that he shows towards his students will be the same for our adopted child.

We live in a beautiful house located approximately 10 miles from uptown Charlotte in a quiet, child friendly neighborhood. Our house was built in 1999 and has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and one half bathroom. We routinely host family, friends, and neighbors for barbecues, game nights, holiday parties, and sporting events, but we also like to spend quiet nights alone watching movies, playing with our dog, or reading. We have a fenced in backyard perfect for fun activities that opens up to a cul-de-sac where neighborhood kids ride their bikes. Our neighborhood also has a wonderful playground area filled with slides, swings, and climbing opportunities.

Our neighborhood is conveniently located to all the wonderful things that Charlotte has to offer - explore the Whitewater Center for outdoor fun; cheer on our local professional sport teams at a football, soccer, basketball, or baseball game; explore Discovery Place, our children's interactive museum; or attend a concert, musical, or play at multiple locations. More specifically, our neighborhood is located within walking distance or a short ride to parks, pools, bike/walking trails, playgrounds, restaurants, and shops.

We feel fortunate that our neighborhood is zoned for highly-rated schools. Being zoned for such great schools is a big reason why our neighborhood is filled with lots of children of various ages and backgrounds. Our quiet, safe neighborhood is often a main reason why we will consistently see children playing in the streets or neighbor's front yards with each other.

We both come from loving and supportive families. Justin has an older sister, older brother, two nephews, and one niece. We visit Justin's dad and his sister's family in Ohio multiple times a year. We love watching his nephew's swim competitions and his niece's acting in musicals when we come to visit. We can't wait to visit his brother's family who recently moved from Ohio to Oregon and go on some great hikes that they keep telling us about via FaceTime.

Blair's younger brother and parents both live within 20 minutes of our house. Blair's parents love to host parties, come over for dinner or to play with our dog, and travel. Every year we go on vacation together to the beach. We recently discovered the board game Rummikub that led to some fun nights filled with laughter and competition.

We alternate major holidays between our families each year. Our families are very flexible, and we love having the ability to share different traditions with each family. Whether it is sitting at the top of the steps on Christmas morning to see if Santa came at Justin's dad's house, wearing matching pajamas on Christmas Eve at Blair's parents house, or enjoying wonderful, home cooked meals at both houses on Thanksgiving, we both love getting to spend special moments with our families.

All of our loved ones and closest friends are excited and supportive of our journey to adopt. They cannot wait to help us welcome a child into our family.

Thank you for getting to know us through our profile. We would like to acknowledge that this may be a challenging time for you and your decision to place a child for adoption can come with a host of emotions and challenges. You have our respect, support, and encouragement. While we cannot truly know or understand what you are going through during this process, we would like to recognize that it may not be an easy decision and it may lead to feelings of grief and loss. Our hope is to remain supportive of you and the child's welfare throughout this process and beyond.

We have faced many challenges and coped with grief and loss during our attempt to have biological children. However, our desire to have a family and raise children led us to you. The journey has been extremely difficult and, at times, unforgiving, but we look forward to establishing a family. You can help us live that dream.

If you select us, we cannot promise the child will become a doctor, lawyer, or professional athlete. What we can promise is to raise the child with unconditional love and the belief they are worthy of all the opportunities life has to offer. To ensure the child's life is filled with love and a sense of worth, we promise to:

We love each other very much and have a strong commitment to our marriage. We want to share that love and commitment with a child. Our extended family and friends are very excited for us to become parents, and will also welcome the child into their lives. We look forward to making a child part of our family, friends, and community. We will also do everything within our ability to help them grow into a loving and caring person.

We are open to yearly communication and at least one visit with you within the first 5 years to support you and the child, and we are also open to more frequent communication or visits if you are interested. We openly acknowledge a child will want to know his/her birth parents and would like to facilitate a positive, ongoing relationship. However, we are willing to wait until you are ready. Whether it's today, tomorrow, or 20 years from now, we promise to be open to communicating or coordinating a meeting. We believe it's beneficial to both you and the child.

We pass along our hopes and prayers to you during this process. We truly appreciate you considering adoption for your child. Whatever decision you make, thank you for considering us and we wish the best for your future and the child's.

Justin & Blair