Our Story Thank you for considering us as parents to welcome this child into our hearts and family. We appreciate the selfless choice you are contemplating, and we believe that it takes a loving person to create an adoption plan for their child. We have also chosen adoption out of love and have always felt it was the natural way for us to have children. There is a saying, “An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break.” We believe this more firmly than ever, every time we look at our son Sayles, who we adopted as an infant and is now a toddler. We began dating in high school and have been together ever since, more than 15 years total. During that time, our relationship has grown and matured. It’s hard to express how excited, honored, and happy we would be to expand our family to include another child. Laughter, education, and a sense of community are very important to us and are the values we plan on instilling in a child.

Meet Andrew Andrew is smart and funny. He loves hearing and telling new jokes, and he has a loud, infectious laugh. Every time we are at a social engagement, Andrew is usually entertaining a crowd of people who cannot stop laughing at what he has to say. As a physician, the best part of Andrew’s job is seeing the quality of his patients’ lives improve as they begin to feel better. Even though work keeps him busy, Andrew makes time for family and friends. In his free time, Andrew loves nature and being outside – waterskiing in the summer, hiking in the fall and spring, and warming up by a fire pit in the winter. Andrew’s grounded and good-natured personality make him a great dad. His normal evening is playing with our son while I cook dinner. During this time, they read books, make up games, and sing silly songs. Andrew’s secret dad talent is making amazing animal noises, especially elephant and horse sounds.

Meet Alyson Alyson is very kind, compassionate, and patient. She loves volunteering and helping out in the community. For most people, volunteering is work, but for Alyson, it’s a hobby. From a young age she began volunteering, and to this day she remains committed to making her community, and the world, a better place. She works as a lawyer with an insurance company, which gives her the opportunity to learn something new almost every day. In her free time, she loves reading, cooking, art, and visiting any type of museum. Alyson may not admit it, but she is very cultured. Being a mom comes naturally to Alyson. She loves everything about parenthood, from endless giggles to even the mess. She looks forward to sharing her love of knowledge and providing experiences to develop a child’s natural interests and talents.

Sayles is a happy, funny toddler who loves to climb and dance. He also loves people and animals, especially dogs. We adopted Sayles as an infant, and we cannot wait to watch him become a big brother. One of the most fulfilling parts of being adoptive parents is the awe of discovering his inherent traits and talents. Sayles seems to be musically inclined; he naturally claps, taps, and dances to any music he hears. We love encouraging his interests and are grateful to have the resources to allow him to explore all of them. We are very excited about the idea of Sayles having a sibling and being able to share his experience of adoption with another child. We think that having a sibling confidant with a similar background will form an important bond between them. We have been open in making adoption a part of Sayles’s story, and we plan on doing that for the next child we can welcome into our home.

Home Our hearts and home are ready for another child. Our home life centers around the kitchen island – whether it’s cooking, spreading out art projects, or gathering with family and friends, the majority of our time is spent in the kitchen. Alyson loves to cook and plan special treats, especially during the holidays. Andrew, on the other hand, is the grill master and a great taste tester. In the evenings, we enjoy sitting on the porch and eating dinner outside. We love the outdoors, and we have the perfect yard for hide and seek, climbing trees, and exploring nature. Our neighborhood is perfectly located to get outside – we are within walking distance to downtown, as well as a park with a playground and picnic tables. Most of our best friends live within blocks, so there are lots of playmates around. We live in a small city in South Carolina. We have the perfect mix of city life while being relatively close to rural areas for getting away. Our favorite attraction is the cultural center, with revolving art shows, plays, and classes for children and adults. It is an easy drive to the mountains and the beach. Both of...

We love holidays and the traditions that come with them, especially Christmas carols, Thanksgiving turkeys, and Easter eggs. But, above all, our favorite holiday is Halloween, and our neighborhood goes all out. This year, Alyson made Sayles an eyeball costume and looks forward to coming up with themed sibling costumes in the future. During the summer, we spend a lot of time at Alyson’s family’s lake house. We can’t wait to pass on our love of swimming, skiing, and the water to another child. For the most part, we enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, watching movies, and walking around the neighborhood when we have free time. We also enjoy traveling and experiencing new places, ideas, and cultures. We have fun taking Sayles on adventures and will continue to travel as our family grows, so we all can expand our horizons and understanding of the world.

Thank you so much for taking the time to review our book and getting to know us better. We won’t pretend to know what you may be feeling, but we do know you will ultimately make the decision that is right for you and your child. We would be honored beyond words if that decision includes selecting us to love and raise your child. We will love and encourage the inherent traits and talents you pass on to your child. These will continue to grow with the child, and we look forward to sharing them with regular updates and photos. Sincerely, Alyson, Andrew, and Sayles