THANK YOU.

Those two little words seem so inadequate in capturing the beauty of what you're doing, but we hope you truly feel the sentiment behind them. We want to take a moment to acknowledge your strength and bravery. We've never been in your shoes, but we know someone who has, and we've witnessed the consideration, love, and sacrifice that go into the decision you're making.

We are honored that you're taking the time to get to know our family. We have three boys, Trystan and Oliver (twins, age 8) and Harvey Lew (age 4). We adopted Harvey Lew in 2016, and the entire process was so humbling and beautiful. We are a strong, Christian family and truly believe that God is calling us to adopt once again. 

From our hearts to yours,

Thank you.

Love,

Andy & Sam

We met on our high school cross-country team in 2003. However, we didn’t really “hang out” until 2007, after Sam serendipitously drove by Andy while he was out for a run and honked at him. We hadn’t seen each other for a few years, but that brief encounter led to an AOL instant messenger conversation later that evening. We ended up meeting up at a local park just to “catch up” but both almost immediately felt a deeper connection.

We started dating (long distance, as Andy was at West Point at the time) shortly after that first meeting and were married in 2009. Andy deployed to Afghanistan a month later, and we finally moved in together when he returned in December 2010.

As a couple, we love just chilling out at home together, watching Netflix, playing Scrabble and Super Smash (on the Wii), and spending time with our kids. We both share a nerdy passion for Star Wars and entered the reception hall at our wedding engaged in a lightsaber duel.

For the record, Sam won.

We've always dreamed of having a big family, but we struggled for a long time to conceive our twins. The fertility treatments Sam underwent were hard on her physically and emotionally. When we were ready to have more children, she knew that if we pursued further treatments, she couldn't be the active, engaged, and emotionally-present parent that our kids deserved. 

Having already considered adoption in the past, it was a natural and easy decision for us. Not only did we want to bring another child into our home, but we also wanted to honor the strong, selfless birth parents out there who were hoping to place their children with a loving family.

We adopted Harvey Lew in 2016, and we feel the time is right to bring another child into our family through adoption. We love being parents and watching our kids grow, learn, and show compassion every day. Parenthood is a privilege and a gift, one that has expanded our hearts in ways we didn't even know were possible.

Adoption is beautiful. It's a process of endless giving: It's a mother giving her child the life she wants for him or her. It's a family giving a mother the comfort of knowing her child will be safe, loved, and cared for. It's a woman giving a family the most beautiful gift of all. And it's a child giving everyone involved the gifts of hope and possibility. We see adoption as the epitome of love.

One thing that I’ve always admired about Sam is her honesty. She has this amazing ability to articulate exactly how she feels in speech or in writing, without having to think twice about it. I also love Sam’s mind. She’s one of the most intelligent people that I know. She's sharp-tongued in conversation, and she can delve deeply into issues to have more meaningful dialogue. Sam has never been one for small-talk or casual friendships, and I love her for this.

Sam is an incredible mother to our three boys. She loves being a stay-at-home mom (and a freelance writer/blogger), and plays such an active role in our children's lives. Her most important long-term goal is to raise our children to be kind, compassionate, and tolerant human beings. The world is such a broken place right now, and Sam truly believes that if we raise our kids to love and communicate properly, they can join together to become the band-aid that heals it. I feel incredibly blessed to be married to Sam, and parent alongside her. 

Fun Facts About Sam:

• I collect Potato Heads
• I was class valedictorian in both high school and college
• My favorite dessert is my mom's homemade banana cake
• My favorite Disney movie is Aladdin
• I ran a 50-mile trail race in Maine when I was 21
• I stir peanut butter into my ice cream. It's delicious. I think everyone should try it. (For real, GO TRY IT!)
• My hair has been every color of the rainbow at some point in my life
• I love Winnie-the-Pooh!

I love Andy's passion, dedication, sense of humor, sincerity, and genuine love of life. When he commits to doing something, he does it full force, whether it's teaching, gardening, parenting, or playing a video game. His willingness to listen and adapt, to be humble and open to suggestion, are a major part of what makes him such a loving and dedicated husband, dad, and high school teacher.

I often tease Andy for looking like a big cartoon character because when he's having fun, his smile is so genuine and goofy that it's almost comical. He lights up around our boys and finds so much joy in seeing them play, grow, and thrive. Andy has always supported me and makes sure I know that I'm loved, valued, and appreciated as often as he can. He loves me and our kids with his whole heart. He also allows me to pick at his pizza and pie crust, and I will forever love him for that!

Fun Facts about Andy:

• My Role model is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's wise, strong, and brave.
• My favorite dessert is peach pie.
• I was on the triathlon team at West Point.
• I first told Sam "I love you" over AOL instant messenger.
• I can make disturbing facial expressions with my unusually large mouth.
• The first Lego set I bought with my own money was the Royal Knights Castle set from Toys 'R' Us for $100.
• I prefer instant coffee over freshly brewed coffee. Sam finds this very odd.
• My favorite Disney movie is Moana.

Trystan (8) is smart, empathetic, artistic, creative, and kind. He loves to build his own Lego sets, color, do crafts, make his own books, comfort others, and read about science (especially outer space).

Oliver (8) is smart, athletic, meticulous, clever, passionate, and determined. He enjoys Legos, playing pirates and Star Wars, jumping on the trampoline, reading, and making up his own games based on books or movies he likes.

Harvey Lew (4) is a lot of energy wrapped up in a little body. He loves imitating his big brothers, reading (especially Pinkalicious and Curious George), and eating sweets. He has a compassionate soul and is always quick to offer "snuggles" if he sees that someone is sad.

The boys are very active and play together constantly. They like to roughhouse, play make-believe and board games, jump on the trampoline, read, make crafts, and listen to "cowboy" (Western) music. They're very excited about having another sibling to play with!

We also have four feline family members: Snickers, Dennis, Bravo, and a rescue kitty our kids have dubbed Cotton Ball. The boys love chasing them around the house and cuddling with them.

We own a ranch-style home in a rural area of Northern Indiana. It's surrounded by farmland, and we love how quiet and peaceful it is. The sunrises and sunsets here are gorgeous! 

We encourage outdoor and imaginative play as much as possible. We have a large wooden playground, trampoline, and vegetable garden in our backyard. Our kids especially love playing on the giant pirate ship playground! It has three levels, a tube slide, firefighter pole, and swing-set. Sometimes we have picnic lunches or reading parties inside of it. Daddy and the boys even had a sleepover below deck once!

The inside of our home is very open and spacious. We have a long hallway that makes a great bowling alley for the kids. We are also huge Harry Potter fans and have an entire room dedicated to Harry Potter decor!

We live within driving distance of several parks and trails. Sam's parents are only four miles away, and we live in a fantastic school district. This truly is a wonderful place to raise a family, and we wouldn’t want to live anywhere else! 

Andy’s Family

My parents live in Tennessee, across the street from my sister, her husband, and our three nephews. We stay in contact via phone calls and FaceTime and try to get together a few times a year. We enjoy trying new restaurants and recipes together. We're known for having a competitive streak, which comes out whenever we play games.

My mom is thoughtful and generous. She's willing to drive hundreds of miles to spend time with our family, if only for a couple days. My dad can fix almost anything and will always lend a hand to me or my sister when we need help with a home project.

My family has always been both supportive and enthusiastic about our decision to adopt.

Sam’s Family

I have two brothers, one sister, and amazing parents who live only four miles away. My mom is strong, kind, patient, and thoughtful, and I consider her my best friend. My relationship with my dad is mostly based on me breaking various things around the house and asking him to fix them in exchange for a home-cooked meal. Ha! Joking aside, he is an incredibly hard-working and dedicated husband, brother, and father, and we're very close.

The boys love going to MeeMaw and Papa's house for sleepovers and cookouts. We also spend a lot of time with my sister and her fiancée, having Nerf battles, water fights, and game nights. They're excited to welcome another member into the family!

We are a Christian family that strives to live as Jesus did: with peace, compassion, tolerance, acceptance, and love.

Our greatest wish for our children is for them to grow up knowing that they are loved and valued by God, and for them to share that love with the world around them. We encourage EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, and UNDERSTANDING in our daily living. We pray every night as a family, and that includes each of us telling God what we are thankful for.

We do our best to allow our faith to guide our parenting choices in order to foster an environment of peace, love, and patience. We attend a small Wesleyan church ten minutes away from our home. It has a great children's ministry for the kids, and we enjoy the practical and relevant nature of our pastor's sermons.

Although our faith is an integral part of who we are, we are raising our kids to respect and learn about other religions so that they can make an informed decision as to what faith they practice when they're older. When our children don't understand something or someone, we want them to ask questions rather than pass judgment.

One quote we strive to live by in our parenting is this: "When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it's our job to share our calm, not join their chaos." --L.R. Knost

We love Star Wars, Super Mario, Nerf battles, reading, pancakes, playing outside, Harry Potter, jumping on the trampoline, water fights, and just hanging out at home together.

Our kids are master Lego builders. We have an extensive Lego collection and a Lego table designed for playing and building. One of our favorite things to do as a family is have "Lego battles" where we each design our own Lego Army and battle one another. We love using Legos as a vessel for creativity, imagination, and fine motor skills. Sam has even used Legos for birthday decorations and math lessons.

We're not shy about the fact that we're a goofy family. Andy is known for making weird faces, and our kids are following in his footsteps. They think Snapchat filters are hilarious. Sam prides herself on her elaborate "fruit plates" and odd photoshop creations, which she packs as lunch notes for Andy and the boys. We let our kids jump on the bed and run around in their underwear, as long as they're being safe and kind to one another!

Life is short, and we want to enjoy it. We can't wait to welcome another little one into the fun.

Some of our Favorite Traditions: 

• Sam’s themed scavenger hunts around various holidays
• Decorating and delivering Christmas cookies
• Visits from a mischievous elf named Winkle every December! 
• Making homemade birthday decorations
• Annual Halloween parties at Sam’s parents’ house, complete with costumes, games, and prizes!

If there's one thing we can promise you for certain, it's this: If you choose us to become your child's family, he or she will be loved COMPLETELY, IRREVOCABLY, AND UNCONDITIONALLY.

We will make it our mission to ensure that your child always knows how much he or she is loved: by us, by our families, by our friends, by God, and by YOU. Your child will grow up knowing he or she had a generous, brave, loving, and STRONG mother who selflessly sought out the best life she could for her baby. And your child will know how GRATEFUL we are to you for choosing us as the recipients of the most precious gift imaginable. We would love to send you updates and photos as your child grows and flourishes, if you’d like to receive them.

We also promise your child will get pancakes at least once a week. Life is more fun with carbs!