Hello! We are Jen, Nick, & Willow from sunny Los Angeles, California. We are thrilled you are reading this and we are humbled by your courage and selflessness that has led you to consider adoption. Thank you. We know this isn’t an easy decision, and we want you to know that we are ready to support you and be an ally on this journey together. We are open, big-hearted people, and we love kids.
We met many years ago in our high school theater program - Jen was a stage manager, Nick was an actor - and we quickly became close friends. When we both decided to go to UCLA, it was only a matter of time before our friendship blossomed into something romantic. Jen had worked at Disneyland, and had two free tickets that were about to expire.
She asked Nick to go with her, and that's where the magic happened. Having built such a strong and time-tested foundation, our love runs deep. We have a shared passion for music, film, theater, travel, animals, the list goes on. In 2015 we traveled to Thailand to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary, and as the trip came to a close, Nick swept Jen off her feet and proposed on a beautiful white-sand beach.
We’re very lucky to have been through this process once before, when we adopted our daughter Willow, two years ago. We love the life we've built together, and we're beyond excited to expand our family. We adore being parents, and we know we have more to give. We both come from families of 4, and we couldn’t imagine growing up without our siblings. Willow is going to be a fantastic big sister. She is so nurturing already, she is going to love having a baby in the house.
First and foremost, I’m a mother. If I could spend all my time with children, swinging at the park and playing with puppets, I would. I love getting to relive the many joys of childhood, so it’s no surprise that I’ve made it my day job! I work as a producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios where we make films like Moana, Zootopia and Frozen. So please know that your baby will be surrounded by kind, creative people who make great movies for families around the world to enjoy. And we get to go to Disneyland any time we want! I love what I do because I get to support artists, appreciate their talents, and be their cheerleader along the way. Outside of work I have many interests, but I find that I am happiest when I am around children. I have volunteered at a sleep-away camp, directed school plays, and read with students on Saturday mornings. All things I would love to do with your baby.
Jen is an absolute inspiration. She never ceases to amaze me with her positive energy, her kind heart, and her dedication to bettering herself. And she is tireless! I like to think of myself as a hard-working person, but she has SO much energy. She’ll wake up early, practice some yoga, and bake a loaf of bread. Then she’ll feed Willow breakfast, kiss me goodbye and head to work while I’m still brushing my teeth. I’m not exaggerating. It’s seriously impressive. Jen has proven to be a truly spectacular mother.
Jen is an absolute inspiration. She never ceases to amaze me with her positive energy, her kind heart, and her dedication to bettering herself. And she is tireless! I like to think of myself as a hard-working person, but she has SO much energy. She’ll wake up early, practice some yoga, and bake a loaf of bread. Then she’ll feed Willow breakfast, kiss me goodbye and head to work while I’m still brushing my teeth. I’m not exaggerating. It’s seriously impressive. Jen has proven to be a truly spectacular mother.
Nick is exactly the kind of partner you want in life. He has a wonderful way of making me laugh like no one else. He is endlessly supportive and thoughtful. He can lift your spirits in an instant with a witty joke and a warm hug. Nick and I make a great team. Whether it is working on a creative project, planning a trip, or parenting, we love to put our heads together and support each other’s ideas. What has delighted me the most is to see Nick become a dad. His love is endless for Willow, and he puts his heart into giving her the most nurturing and loving environment possible. I never get tired watching them together.
We have an amazing adopted daughter named Willow. We love her beyond words and we’re incredibly lucky to have her in our lives. We had a very positive adoption experience thanks to the fine folks at AdoptHelp. Willow’s birth parents are kind and generous people, and we appreciate that they’ve supported us as adoptive parents, every step of the way. We have tremendous love and respect for them, just as we would for you.
Willow is extremely sweet, gentle and loves to be silly. She especially likes to wave hello to strangers, pet every dog, and take good care of her stuffed animals. She also loves music, just like Nick. She bangs on her bongo drums, plays her xylophone and she likes to dance to her favorite band, the “Bee-tles.”
We live in sunny Los Angeles, California. We are lucky enough to live in a cute little house with a big yard shaded by fruit trees. And we absolutely adore our neighborhood. We know the local bakery, we shop at our Sunday farmer’s market and we have Griffith Park just down the street where we love to go hiking. Our neighborhood is a special place and we love to call it home.
We have 2 rescue cats that fill the house with warmth and laughter. We’re planning to raise chickens in our backyard, and we’re aiming to get a puppy to grow up with our family.
Lucky us, we live near our parents, and they live near each other! We spend holidays together and cherish the fact that we can all be under one roof so easily. We see our parents all the time, and they are a constant source of support and love.
We also have a tight-knit group of friends, which are basically like extended family. We love to get everyone together for games of kickball, holidays and barbecues. A few of our friends have started to have kids, and we love them like our own nieces and nephews!
Nick’s Family
I have an amazing relationship with my family. My parents are very kind and down-to-earth people, and my brother is one of my best friends. We grew up in a creative household, filled with music and art. I was born in Montreal, so I have a lot of extended family still living in Canada. We visit often and manage to stay close with everybody!
Jen’s Family
I grew up in a loving home with lots of support for academics, sports and the arts. No matter what, we always had dinner around the table every night and we loved playing Monopoly and watching Disney movies on the sofa (with lots of popcorn). My parents were always eager to teach me life skills, which I carry with me to this day. My mom taught me to bake, and my dad taught me how to use power tools! They were great parents, and it’s been beautiful watching them as grandparents.
Adoption is very close to our hearts. Jen's mom, aunt, uncle and grandfather were all adopted. Nick's uncle as well! We both know how special adoption can be, and we have personal experience with adoptive families and their unconditional love.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story. We promise to be parents who are supportive, encouraging, and nurturing. We want to inspire imagination, and raise children who can grow up to make the world a better place. We can't wait to teach them to read, how to bake cookies, and to have puppet shows and sleepovers in the backyard. We promise to work hard, to have an honest and welcoming household, and to make sure the little ones always feel free to be themselves. Above all else, we will share our love, with the hope that they will bring that love out into the world wherever they go.
