Karen & Andrew Are Hoping to Adopt!

' Let us just start by saying that we commend your braveness and strength! You are so courageous! With that being said, we are so thankful and blessed that you have taken the time to read our profile.

We are Andrew and Karen and are so very excited to start this journey with you! We have waited for such a long time to begin our family and feel like we have come close so many times before. Six years ago, Karen gave birth to a little girl who was premature at 27 weeks. Sadly, she was with us for only 7 glorious weeks until she passed away. We have been given an overflowing amount of love, nurturing spirits, and funloving personalities that we can't wait to pour out onto your child.

We are truly honored that you are considering us to be adoptive parents, and after reading through our profile, hope that you find that we are a perfect match for you! We are already so grateful for you and want to personally say thank you. We wish you nothing but the best!

Sincerely,

What I love about ...

Andrew is a kind and loving man who lays his heart out for everyone to see, that’s the reason why I love him so much. He comes off shy and quiet at first interaction with him, but once you get to know him, he opens up and becomes more relaxed and shares his thoughts and interests. Andrew works hard and plays hard. He knows the importance of family and always places that first. I had the privilege to see firsthand what a committed and selfless father he will be. Andrew is also dedicated in everything that he does, whether he is hard at work as an active duty Army soldier, his devotion to his faith, or just supporting me in everything that I do. Andrew is my best friend! I love the fact that he balances me out. He always knows what to do when I feel upset. His silliness is just the perfect match for me!

What I love about ...

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Karen is the most wonderful and caring person I know. She naturally puts others before herself without a thought. She is always volunteering to help out; whether it is to watch a friend's child while they go to a doctor's appointment, leading a homeless ministry with our church, or helping watch and teach children Bible lessons within the Mothers of Preschool Students (MOPS). Since she started her journey of faith, I have seen a huge change in her and this tenderhearted, full of love and compassion person has surfaced!

Karen is my rock! When I am feeling down, she knows exactly what to do to cheer me up; whether she puts a smile on my face by being silly or just listens to me when I have had a bad day at work. She is always around to be supportive of me! I feel that I would truly be lost without her! She takes care of me and makes sure I always have what I need.

Karen is very outgoing and I love that about her! She is willing to start conversations with anyone and happy to ask questions and get the 4-1-1. She helps me become engaged with the people around me!

She has been through so much (with the loss of our daughter and then her mother) and she somehow holds together like glue. I don't know how she does it! She is so courageous and I know that she will be an excellent mother!

We live in a quiet, safe, little housing community that is tucked away down in a valley. Neighbors here are very friendly and often offer the occasional chat when passing by. Children are always playing outside with their friends. Our home is very quaint, we would say. It lies off of a private drive, slightly revealing the creek behind the fence line. Many clear and calm nights are spent outside just stargazing after an evening of grilling. The creek adds to the charm and character of the neighborhood, allowing many residents the peace and tranquility it brings. We find that living on the corner and having only one direct neighbor adds to that tranquility. Our home is very spacious, inside as well as our backyard, for us and our dog with plenty of room to spare.

Down the street from our housing community is a large park equipped with a nice playground and both basketball and tennis courts. Being an active duty army family, we really enjoy the fact that the neighborhood (as tucked away as it is) is close to the military installation. This allows for great cultural diversity. Many military families choose this neighborhood because of the close proximity to the installation, which allows for great mixture to take place.

What we like to do As a couple, we have many similar interests. One of those interests that we enjoy is just about anything outdoors. We have found that living in Hawaii is a great place for that because it is nice year round and there are many outdoor activities. The island also offers many trails that are perfect for hiking, which we also love to do as a couple! However, the best outdoor activity that Hawaii has to offer is the beach!

We also share a love for sports! We might not always agree on a team, but we are big fans who either try to attend a game or just simply try to watch one on television. Over the nine years that we have been together, our taste in music has grown very similar and so we have attended many concerts together.

Being a part of the military community, we have the privilege and opportunity to live all over the world. We were in Germany for 3 years and while there fell in love with traveling. We took any advantage we could to travel to many of the surrounding countries and loved every minute of it! That might even be where our love for outdoor activities started because of the many hiking trails and walking paths that are in Europe. A huge plus is the many lasting friendships that we have made that might not have happened if we were not in the military.

Even though we love to do activities as a couple, there are some activities that only interest one of us. Karen loves taking pictures. She's not a professional, but takes about a million pictures of every place we go and every activity we do. She doesn't consider herself creative, but sure loves to scrapbook our memories for later enjoyment! Andrew likes to read books on science, space, and history. He also likes to relax from a hard day's work by playing the occasional video game. He has a goal after he retires from the Army of walking the Appalachian Trail.

Even though being in the military provides us opportunities that we might not have ever had, it does come with its challenges as well. Visiting family is sometimes a struggle. Having been stationed in Germany and now in Hawaii, the holidays look very different than if we were within driving distance to family. However, we make the most of it! We have adopted the military mentality of creating a very large extended family through the friendships in which we form. Every military installation that we have been, we have involved ourselves in various social groups... such as Bible studies and church organizations that have become like family to us. We all gather together for the various holiday celebrations when we can not be with our own family.

When we are far away from family, we are able to create new traditions. Christmas time always comes with a pine tree and lots of wonderful decorations to bring joy and cheer to the home. Other holidays come with either romantic evenings out or parties with friends.

When we are able to visit with parents, in laws and cousins, we make sure to have a great time! We feel so blessed with parents and extended family that we tend to forget that we are both only children!

In 2010, we were pregnant and so excited!

Our daughter was born premature at 27 weeks and was immediately placed in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We loved her so much! We felt like our hopes and dreams of having a family were coming to a screeching halt when her little lungs weren't developing in the way they should have been. We had to say good bye to her just after seven weeks and three days. We were devastated and heartbroken. Even though little Gracie Jane is not with us, she will always be a part of our family.

Our Family