OUR STORY

We’re a fun, strong, committed couple, grateful for each day and counting our blessings.

We live in Phoenix, Arizona and wouldn’t be anywhere else (well, maybe in the summer).  We enjoy the endless supply of sunny days.  Our big extended families and circle of amazing friends are all nearby. Phoenix is definitely our home.   

Home is where the heart lives, right?

Our life’s active!  We enjoy the outdoors, whether it’s going for a hike or run, swimming in our pool or just sitting on the porch with our dog, Gabby.  We can’t wait to share these moments with a child.  Actually playing at the park playground rather than walking past it each day will bring us such joy!  

We met through work, and years later began dating.  Now we happily say we’re married to our best friend.  Really.  There’s no one we’d rather be with, and we share many similar beliefs and interests.  

We balance each other so well:  We're both foodies who enjoy trying new recipes and restaurants (oh, and food trucks).  Dana likes salty foods while John can’t get enough sweets! Dana’s the organized planner, and John’s more spur of the moment. John bleeds maroon and gold (Arizona State University) while Dana loves her purple (Texas Christian University). We both love to read and listen to music.  John loves climbing to new heights and Dana is, well, better off not looking down!   

Most important, we both have a strong commitment to our marriage and our desire to build a family. We can't wait to see what God's design for our family is! 

When we’re not hanging out together, we’re working together -- and love it!  Our successful small business gives us plenty of flexibility to care for a child.  And, the future grandparents are ready to spend plenty of time with their new grandchild.

We believe in making cookies from scratch, learning about the world through travel, sharing hugs, living a healthy, active life and making fun memories along the way. 

John's Thoughts on Dana:

Dana is the only daughter in a close, wonderful family and loves spending time with her parents and older brother.  She’s kind and caring, loving and generous.  The best wife anyone could imagine.  And a great cook (restaurants would love to serve her food)!  She enjoys the fun of holidays and makes sure our home is full of festive decorations. Dana keeps sidewalk chalk on the front porch so that neighborhood kids can leave us drawings and messages.  Being a mom is her biggest dream, and she’ll be wonderful.  A child in our home will have Dana’s entire heart, for life. 

Dana's Thoughts On John:  

John comes from a large, Irish Catholic family.  He has three brothers and a sister who live in the Phoenix area, with their spouses and kids.  He loves all things musical, is adventurous (think swimming with sharks) and is a wonderful writer.  His family holiday parties are HUGE, and we seem to meet a new family member every gathering!   John is an amazing husband, and is going to be an amazing Dad . . . guaranteed . . . because he’s already raised two fantastic kids (and can’t wait to do it again).  He is patient, nurturing, dependable and loving.  Kids are instantly drawn to John's kind heart.

We’ve mentioned family, but they deserve a second “shout out” because we enjoy them so much. We are very blessed to have been raised by dedicated parents who showed us how to build strong families.  We like having two extended families in town, and love that gathering together always means lots of laughter, tons of food, little ones playing (and some chaos thrown in just for fun).  Our families are very special, welcoming and loving.  

As an aunt and uncle to beautiful Antonine and baby J, we know first-hand the blessing adoption can bring to a family, and family members with special needs have taught us new ways to see the world, enjoy and celebrate life.  

A child would instantly be welcomed and wrapped in the love of so many around us.

Our neighborhood is special.  We like living in a large metropolitan city for the options it provides -- great museums, festivals and concerts, parks and mountain trails, and fun, family-friendly restaurants.  But we love that our neighborhood has a great “small town” feel.  We live down the street from one of the best elementary schools in Arizona, and know our neighbors well.  Kids are always playing outside, people are walking their dogs, and dinners with the neighbors often break out on the front lawn – just like that!

That's our life in a quick nutshell… we're a fun, loving, energetic couple who can't wait for binkies, bottles and baby dreams.  John has a great saying: what a child needs most is time with parents. This is so true.  We promise to provide a safe and nurturing home where a child can grow up healthy, happy and confident in the love, joy and devotion of two parents.  We want to provide a child an opportunity to dream big and achieve those dreams, and to be loved unconditionally.