Our adoption journey looks a little different. Mandie was born with two rare genetic conditions - Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) and growth hormone deficiency. CCD has impacted her bones, specifically her teeth, and growth hormone deficiency made her "vertically challenged". There is a roughly 50% chance of passing one or both conditions on genetically, and CCD can range from the mild form that Mandie has, to severe enough to impact daily living. She knew from an early age that she did not want to pass either on, and decided she would investigate adoption as a possible path to starting a family.

James knew he wanted to be a dad, and actually started looking into adoption before he met Mandie. We were both pretty surprised to find out adoption was the way we both wanted to grow our family, even before we had met!

Like many people these days, we met online, talking for two months before meeting in person. Later on when we talked about it, we discovered that we both left our first in person date knowing that we had found the one. We got engaged right as COVID-19 was ramping up, so wedding planning didn't go exactly how either of us had pictured, but we loved our small, intimate wedding in our backyard! We decorated with purple and black (Mandie's favorite colors) and invited our immediate family over for a quick, socially distanced ceremony. Mandie's brother Jay got ordained so he could be the officiant. Our friends were still able to participate - one had a beautiful cake delivered and several drove by to wish us well. While it wasn't what we had pictured, it ended up being perfect!

Mandie is the most kind and compassionate person I have ever met. She is quick to smile, laugh, and tell others how much they mean to her. If family or a friend is ever in need, she does everything she can to be there and help with whatever they need. I thought I was a big reader before I met her, and now I aspire to read as much as she does. She is an animal lover, and will pet and play with any animal first thing when entering a home. She loves a good workout, and being in water is as natural as breathing for her. My greatest joy is seeing her smile.

Facts About Mandie

Favorite Childhood Toy: A stuffed white cat (that she still has!)

Favorite Toy Now: Funkos

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Food: Hummus!

Favorite Video Game: Spyro the Dragon

Hobbies: Reading, sewing, working out, swimming, and crafting

James is my absolute favorite person in the world! He is so kind and caring, and incredibly smart! His friends and family mean the world to him, and he is always available to help when someone is in need. He is a problem solver - he won't rest until he's figured out a way to solve it! He loves to nerd out - whether that's playing video games or D&D or reading and collecting comics. His laugh is infectious, and I can't imagine my life without him!

Facts About James

Favorite Childhood Toy: Stuffed Bear

Favorite Toy Now: Lego's

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Food: Does ice cream count?

Favorite Videogame: Every Legend of Zelda

Hobbies: Reading (books and comics), watching anime, writing, swimming, playing and D&D with friends, and painting miniatures

We have a sassy calico cat and an energetic shepherd/lab mix dog, both sweet as can be. We were nervous when we moved in together, but they got along from day one!

We are both close with our families. Mandie's parents live right up the road, and frequently come over for movie nights and dinner. One of her brothers and his wife, Jay & Selena, also live close by. Her youngest brother and his wife, Shawn and Sydney, live in another state, but come to visit at least once a year. Both brothers are very excited to be uncles, and Selena and Sydney will be excellent aunts!

James's mom and stepdad also live close by, and also spend as much time as they can with us. His brother, Jason, lives just a couple of towns over, and often comes over to help with projects James is working on. His dad and stepmom live a couple of hours away (they have several acres of land and two sweet pups), but drive up to see us monthly.

We have a very close-knit group of friends, many of whom are close by and who also have kiddos. Everyone is so excited to welcome a new little one into the group, and they've already started collecting baby things!

We moved from our old home of many years into our new one just over a year ago, and love it! We are in a nice suburban area in north Texas, in a great school district, and with lots of parks, museums, and plenty of things to do! It is also the house that James grew up in, as his father designed it when James was in the fourth grade. It has large open rooms perfect for playing in, a big backyard, pool, and Mandie's favorite place, a library that James just finished building! We have also started putting together a gender neutral under the sea themed nursery.

Thank you again for taking the time to look through our profile and get a glimpse into who we are, and how we can meet your dream of the life you want for your child. We hope that you will consider us in your adoption plan. Know that if your child makes a home with us, we will be honored to have him/her as part of our family. We promise to love and cherish your child with all our hearts. We will do everything we can to bring up your child in a happy, healthy, and supportive environment with every opportunity to succeed in life.