We met in 2013 when Drew fell out of a tree...literally!

Drew (a senior in college) was climbing a tree on campus with some friends after a night out on the town. Drew slipped and came crashing to the ground, right as Amanda & her friend Sara were walking by. Thinking he was hurt, the girls helped him up and got him home. Luckily, Drew ended up injury-free and with his future wife's number! He messaged her the very next day.

Since that night, we have worked together to create a life we love - full of friends, family, and adventure!

Met: August 2013

Started Dating: September 2013

Engaged: June 2017

Married: July 2018

Where We Call Home: North Carolina

Kids: Not yet, but praying!

Pets: 1 Dog named Wibby

This world is a better place because of Amanda.

She has changed my life in so many ways and impacted others greatly through encouragement, support, and unconditional love. Amanda has a nurturing spirit that can evoke positivity in everyone that she encounters. After any type of interaction with her, one will walk away feeling empowered and understood.

Amanda has a strong thirst for adventure that might never be quenched. Whether it be cave diving, cliff jumping, jet skiing, or even just tending to our bees, she does everything with a smile. She pushes me outside my comfort zone and helps me expand my overall worldview.

My dream is that she can help our future child in a similar manner. I hope they will feel the same way I have felt the past ten years for the rest of their lives. I often dream about watching Amanda celebrate our child...whether it is the first day of Kindergarten, going to their first dance, or catching their first fish. No matter what the memory might be, her eyes will be glimmering and she will be there beside them to cheer them on with genuine excitement.

HEY YA'LL, I'M AMANDA!

I grew up in a small town in Maryland. So small, that my high school had a working farm (cows, horses, chickens...you name it), and we had a "drive your tractor to school" day! It was a great place to learn and grow up.

My Mom and Dad raised my sister and I to be independent, prayerful, curious, honest, and kind. I pray that when people meet me, that they feel that I am genuine and have a love for life.

I crave adventure, and love to travel and try new things! I've been all over the world, but my favorite place to be is in the mountains with our family.

I work in Senior Living, and I absolutely love what I do. I'm a certified dementia practitioner and have a passion for serving persons living with dementia and their families.

You can always find me with a cup of coffee nearby (:

CAREER

Executive Director at a Senior Living Community

LOVES

flowers, coffee, mountains, honey bees, ice cream, live music, dogs, cowgirl boots

HOBBIES

gardening, hiking, beekeeping, photography, running, reading

Anyone who knows Drew knows how lucky I am to do life with him!

Drew's the type of person that can talk to anyone, and would have our house filled with family and friends every second of the day if we could! He likes to make sure everyone feels included and would go to the ends of the earth (without a second thought) to help a friend in need.

Drew gives 100% to everything that he does: whether it's trying a new hobby, getting a promotion at work, or cheering on his beloved Pittsburgh sports teams. He goes ALL IN and works so hard on things that he is passionate about.

He's the guy that can make everyone in the room laugh but can become serious and a good listener when needed.

My favorite thing to do with Drew is to travel and spend time on/by the water, get ice cream, go on hikes with our pup, or spend time with his family.

I know Drew is going to be a great Dad by the way he treats me, his family, and his friends. Drew makes me feel safe, confident, & loved every single day. I can't wait to watch him dance with our future children in the kitchen, read to them at night, and help them catch their first fish! I can almost cry thinking about the smile on his face when they reel one in.

With Drew, my life is filled with laughter and more happiness than I could have ever dreamed of. I can guarantee you've never met anyone like him!

HEY YINZ, I'M DREW!

I was raised in the suburbs north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I grew up living very close to both sets of grandparents that I developed a strong bond with. My parents taught us many different values during our development including family, honesty, empathy, hard work, and to remain eager for life.

I have two little sisters and have many friendships I made in elementary school that still hold true to this very day. My friends & family bring out the best version of myself. I learned to lean into my community and pray that I can provide the same to my future children.

As a psycho-therapist, I have developed a love for a person's story. It is a privilege to hear so many people's truths and secrets. My career has helped challenge my beliefs and taught me to lean into discomfort including the ability to be vulnerable. I have learned it is a risk to be vulnerable but it has the potential to be the birthplace of so many positive emotions.

CAREER

Psycho-therapist at a private practice for counseling and psychological testing

LOVES

sports, people, the beach, tacos, dogs, being outside, live music, holidays

(especially Christmas)

HOBBIES

fishing, ice hockey, golfing, pickleball, tennis

Wibby is the sweetest, funniest, & most wild pup you'll ever meet! He loves people (his tail wags a billion times a minute) and he will do almost anything for a treat or an ear scratch.

His collar tracks his steps, and he often gets more than 50,000 steps a day. He's almost ALWAYS on the move. We try to take him as many places as we can, because he doesn't like being alone.

When he sleeps, he sleeps hard! He loves to cuddle up with his own blanket or in his "cozy cave."

Our lives wouldn't be the same without him!

Birthday: July 30, 2019

Breed: German Shorthaired Pointer

Named After: Our favorite brewery - Wibby Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado

Nickname: Wild Wild Wib, Wibby John, Scooby, Bubba

Loves: Walks/runs, carrots, going on the boat, swimming, hunting lizards, dancing with mom, pup cups

We bought our home in the Summer of 2019 (sight unseen because we are crazy), and we don't think there could be a more perfect spot for us!

We live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, on a little less than an acre of land. We have a fenced-in backyard that has a large deck, garden beds filled with flowers and veggies, a "bee yard", a bonfire pit, and even a stream!

Our home has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a cozy living room, and a front porch with rocking chairs where we like to sit and watch the sunset. Amanda has already picked out a paint color for the nursery.

Our favorite part of our home is our shed which we turned into a cool hangout spot! We love to have friends over to play darts, listen to music, or watch sports.

We love taking our dog for walks around the neighborhood or taking him across the street to the local elementary school to play fetch on the weekends.

We are so thankful to have made a few friends who live in the neighborhood, who love to come over for a campfire, or will grab a drink or bite to eat downtown.

Our home is warm, comfortable, and safe, and we will always have room for you at our table.

We could not have asked for better families, that are always showering us with love, support, and encouragement.

Everyone is so excited to meet our future child, and we have no doubt that they will welcome them with open arms and love them unconditionally.

Our cousins live nearby (about 20 minutes), and they have four kids that we love like they are our own. We dream of future playdates or vacations with them and our children.

We have a beautiful Goddaughter named Peyton, who was born in December 2023. We pray that we can always be who she needs as she grows.

Since we started dating, we both knew we wanted to have kids and create a family of our own one day, but we were not sure when or how.

After we got married, we started dreaming of how much more fun our adventures would be with children to share them with! With a loving and safe home, a community that supports us, and growth mindsets, we felt the strong desire to have children, and experience parenthood together.

After years of trying to grow our family on our own (with many hills and valleys along the way) , we're still praying and optimistic for the day we can bring a child home and become parents! Amanda was always adoption curious, and felt deep down that one day God would make it part of our story.

We have so much love to give, and adoption is the right next step for us to share it!

to love unconditionally

to create a home warm, secure & friendly home

to be honest & communicate openly

to live virtuously

to respect your boundaries & feelings

to encourage their independence

to tell them how brave and courageous you are

to show them the world

to foster a learning environment

to nurture their dreams

to pray for them and pray with them

to provide them with opportunities for success

to help them understand their story

to share all the laughter a lifetime will allow

& to make each of their tomorrows the best they can be.