Sandy and Don

Love works miracles every day, and as you read this, we want you to know that you are our miracle. We are so thankful that you are taking the time to get to know us, and we are humbled that you might consider us as the parents who will forever love, cherish, and nurture your child. You are facing one of the most important decisions of your life, and we admire your courage and selflessness.  We look forward to getting to know you and hope that we can be a part of your journey.

We have so much love, warmth, and family to give a child, and we could not be more excited to be parents!

Our whole relationship started because of Don’s love for coffee. While Sandy was getting her teaching degree she worked many early mornings at a coffee shop. Don came in nearly every day, and Sandy would watch for him and rush to the counter so that she could be the one to make his mocha latte. She remembers saying “I’m going to marry him” to a friend, the first time she saw him!

Since then, 15 years have passed in the blink of an eye. Our lives are simple and stable, revolving around home cooked meals, quiet nights on the couch, and having everyday fun with family and friends.  We love to see the world, but always find ourselves appreciating home that much more afterwards.

Sandy gave birth to our daughter Jovie Eliza in 2018. Sadly, Jovie passed away due to a congenital birth defect, but her presence lit up our world for the short time we had with her. Meeting her made us more excited than ever about becoming parents.

I grew up near Allentown, Pennsylvania in a close-knit, hard-working family of four. Growing up, I and my younger brother Randy (yes, rhyming siblings) knew nothing but love, support, and encouragement from our doting family. And unlike most teenagers, we actually wanted to spend time with our parents. Marching band and theatre were a huge part of my life and became a whole family affair, with Mom serving as booster club president and Dad as the band’s biggest cheerleader!

You can often find me curled up with a book in the home library Don built for me. I’m extroverted, but also appreciate quiet cuddling time, and can’t wait for that reading to become children’s books, read aloud to a little one.

Now, I am a high school English teacher, but not the kind who bleeds red pen across students’ papers correcting their grammar. I relish going to school every day because I love learning and get so excited watching my students grow. I care about them beyond the classroom, celebrating their smiles and sharing their frowns along with them each day.

Don says: Sandy is always levelheaded, making sure that everything is organized and all the boxes are checked off. She goes above and beyond with everything in her path, just trying to make it perfect, which I see every day in how she’s so dedicated to her students. She fights for what she wants and those she loves; that’s how she got me!

I grew up an only child with my mom and dad’s full attention in central PA. As a kid, I took piano lessons, played Magic The Gathering with my buddies, and biked around my neighborhood. I have always loved individual sports like skiing, snowboarding, and being a skate guard at the local YMCA. After my parents’ divorce, my amazing mom raised me and taught me how to help around the house and be a gentleman. She was also a backpacker, so she often took me on camping and hiking trips, activities I still love to this day.

I’m the primary cook and caretaker around the house. I know that most husbands aren’t so enthusiastic about household chores, but I take pride in doing a job well. I love making chicken a dozen different ways and trying to perfect my mom’s Pumpkin Meringue Pie recipe.

I have been working on cars for 20 years (my specialty is hybrid vehicles). My friends and family know me as a jack-of-all-trades, though, because I’ve taught myself basic carpentry, electronics, and computer programming, and I love fixing things… and sometimes take them apart just to see how they work!

Sandy says: Don is the most amazing and generous caretaker. He’s honest, calm, and dependable, which means he’s a great listener and helper. He’s also very smart, especially with numbers, science, and practical hands-on things. I love that he is an animal-lover, too; he’s definitely the Cat Whisperer. But most importantly, I love that he’s silly and playful, with a good sense of humor because he always brings a smile to my face.

Most of our daily interactions are with Sandy’s family because they live so close. We love taking vacations with Sandy’s parents to a cabin in the mountains each summer. They cannot wait to bring a grandchild along soon! And Sandy’s brother Randy is one of our best friends; we often go to New York or the movies with him, and are always up for one of his delicious home-cooked meals.

Every Tuesday night you can find us all gathered around Nana and Pap’s table for spaghetti. We celebrate with aunts, uncles, and cousins often for things like birthday parties and fourth of July picnics. Plus, Sandy has a special relationship with her thirteen-year-old cousin Sadie; they plan “cousins’ days” together to have adventures and do craft projects. We know that we all have each other’s backs, no matter what.

Don has always been exceptionally close to his mom; unfortunately, she passed away from cancer in 2019. We miss her dearly, but also celebrate what an incredibly amazing woman she was and all the experiences we had with her (She and Sandy even went camping together once!). We see Don’s dad several times a year, and he is so excited that we’re starting a family.

Don has TEN sets of aunts, uncles, and cousins who are spread out all across the country! We load up the car and take road trips to visit them whenever we can.

We live in a cozy ranch, on a corner lot in the heart of Hellertown, Pennsylvania. Our yard has a perfect climbing tree and lots of space for a sandbox or swing set. We love our neighborhood because it’s safe and quiet, but there are lots of kids. We’re walking distance from the hub of our charming town with its ice cream shop and farmers’ market. Hellertown is a place where everyone knows everyone, straight out of a Hallmark channel movie.

Our home school district is always one of the top academically ranked in the area, but it’s still a small, neighborhood school where everyone can find their place.

We may be biased, but we think we live in a pretty special area. We are just a short drive away from so many exciting places, and we can’t wait to take our child to climb the steps of the Statue of Liberty, visit museums in Washington, D.C., play in the Atlantic Ocean surf, and see the lions at the Philadelphia Zoo. And of course, on the east coast, we celebrate all four seasons: blooming gardens, patio picnics and fireworks, colorful leaves, and, of course, snowmen.

Thank you for taking a small glimpse into our hearts and lives. Our dream is to begin a new chapter of our story that includes a child we can love forever. We are so grateful that you’re considering us to adopt your child, and no matter what you choose, we wish you peace, love, and happiness.

We Promise That…

Your child’s life will be filled with family, love, & laughter, even on the tough days.

We will make sure your child receives an education to support all of their hopes & dreams.

We will teach them the values of love, compassion, & kindness above all else.

We will guide them to be an open-minded & thoughtful young person who believes they can make a difference in the world.

Finally, we promise that your child will know of the incredible, selfless gift of family you have given them. As Albus Dumbledore said to Harry Potter, “Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves it’s own mark. To have been loved so deeply, will give some protection forever.”