We met in 2012, got engaged in 2013, then married in 2014. We live in a suburban town in
Tennessee, where Kyle serves as the high school math specialist for the local school district, and
Amanda worked as a physical therapist but now is a stay-at-home mom. We love our town
because of all of the activities that it offers, the great school system, and the many young
families that we have made friends with. We enjoy spending time together as a family and
traveling whenever we can. Most of all, we love to laugh and have fun together.
We have two biological children. Mia is almost 6 years old and Eli is 3. Mia absolutely loves her
little brother and is very nurturing. Eli is more reserved and cautious, while Mia is energetic and
adventurous. They both love spending time with family, playing outside, and learning all about
the world around them. Mia frequently talks about her excitement towards having another
brother or sister, and Eli loves holding little babies.
Adoption is especially close to Amanda’s heart because her brother was adopted when she was
in 8 th grade. They share a special sibling bond. Ever since her brother’s adoption, she has felt
called to adopt as well. Even when we were just dating, we talked about adopting one day and
knew that adoption would be a part of our story together.
After Eli was born, we knew God was leading us to adopt a third child. We began the process in
2021 and have been waiting for the right situation to come our way. We have been waiting for
about 2 years, but we know that God is still calling us to adopt.
We live in a family-oriented neighborhood, with many playgrounds, running trails, a
neighborhood swimming pool, and amusements nearby. Our home has 4 bedrooms. Our favorite
place in our house is our bonus room, which is full of books, blocks, toys, and an indoor
trampoline. We also enjoy our backyard where the kids can run around and play on the playset.
We have an area to do art and play doh, a shelf full of board games and puzzles, and a piano in
the living room.
Amanda has 2 sisters and 1 brother. Every year her mom’s side of the family gathers together for
a family reunion. Amanda’s parents live 90 minutes away, so we see them about once a month
but talk with them frequently. Mia and Eli enjoy going to stay at Mimi and Granddaddy’s house.
We live in the same town as Kyle’s parents and brother. Because of that, we get to see them
frequently. Mia and Eli love playing at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Kyle’s parents are
available to help us often as they are retired and their main hobby is spending time with the
grandkids. Mia and Eli love getting together with their cousins and they all share a special bond.
What we value in Raising a Child:
We value attending church as a family and strive to teach our children about Jesus. We will
always love our children unconditionally and we parent in a way that builds positive self-esteem
and confidence.
We value education and have started college funds for each of our kids. Kyle has a unique way
of making learning fun, and he is a gifted teacher. We will do our best to create opportunities for
each of our children to be successful in the classroom, with their extra-curricular activities
(whether is athletics, art, music etc), and in life.
We also want to raise our children to experience different places. We love to travel as a family.
We have taken the kids to multiple states across the US as well as Canada. We enjoy the beach,
the mountains, different zoos, children’s museums, and fun and unique activities.
From the beginning, we knew that we wanted to have kids. Adoption is also something that has
been on our hearts for a long time now. Amanda’s brother was adopted from Russia when she
was 13, so adoption has played a huge role in her life. For years now, even before we were
married, we have both wanted to adopt.
We love to travel, experience new places, go hiking, relax at the beach, go to the zoo, visit parks,
and take plenty of pictures. These moments are very special to us, and we cannot wait to share
our adventures with your child.
We live in an area with quite a bit of diversity: in the neighborhood, at our church, and in our
local school system. Our church has a large population of families who have adopted children
including many families that have adopted interracially. We enjoy getting to know people of
other races and cultures. Of course we don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about
every culture, but we love to learn! We have already asked friends of different ethnicities to help
us navigate and learn more if we adopt a child of a different race. Cultural heritage is important,
and we want to protect and celebrate it!
We promise to uphold these each and every day as part of our loving family:
WE PROMISE to unconditionally love and cherish your child.
WE PROMISE to encourage and support your child in pursuing his/her
dreams in life.
WE PROMISE to share our love of Christ with your child early and often.
WE PROMISE to honor and respect you in your child’s story.
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