Andy and Sheryl - Nashville, Tennessee

Dear Birthparent,

We must believe as you read this, you find yourself making the most difficult decision you’ve ever made. We can only imagine how unsure life must be right now. But because you’re considering an adoption plan for your child, you’ve already made the most important decision – life. And for that, we thank you.

We are a young, close family in rural Tennessee. We were small-town high school sweethearts, and were married in 2004. We graduated from the same university, and shortly thereafter gave birth to our son Bradley. The three of us love doing things together as a family – camping, going to festivals, and just playing. We’re now ready to add to our family, and we’ve known for awhile that we wanted to adopt. We looked at a couple adoption agencies and settled on Bethany because we really liked their caring staff.

Andy is a mechanical engineer, and in the afternoon coaches soccer. When he arrives home in the evening, he usually spends time with family or playing the mandolin or guitar. He loves being outdoors, whether it be playing soccer, snowboarding, or just playing outside with Bradley. He wants to be both a father and a best friend to his children, and he strongly believes that both are possible.

About Sheryl (by Andy):
There isn’t enough room here to say all the wonderful things about Sheryl. She keeps our family going! She is a terrific mother, who loves her son, her husband, and her God. She is a stay-at-home-mom who devotes nearly all her time to us. She is very deliberate in raising our son. You’ll often find her reading books to Bradley, building Lego campers, or taking him to the park after preschool.

Many have asked us why we plan to adopt, as we do not struggle with infertility like many families hoping to adopt. We have felt led to adopt long before Bradley, even before we were married. We both have a heart for helping others, and what better way to help than adopting. God calls us to look after children in need. To us it just feels like the right thing to do.

Becoming parents has been an incredible journey for us. We love our son more than words can describe. To see the influence we have on him is both remarkable and humbling. It is our desire that our family remain close and honest with each other always. Bradley is only three, but he asks us about the baby that is coming to live with us, or his brother or sister. He wants to teach baby how to do certain things and show off his toys. We think he’s excited to be a brother!

Our faith is very important to us. We were raised in Christian homes, and have been around great people to encourage us throughout all stages of our lives. We aren’t perfect, but we have a Savior who can make us that way. We’ve been around the world sharing the story of Jesus. We are instilling into our son the values and morals that we hold. We have a great church family in town, and are involved in several ministries there. We desire for our children to learn Christian values, kindness, honesty, and sincerity. We want them to know that they are loved, and for them to be happy. We want them to have confidence in themselves and to pursue their dreams without fear of judgment or rejection.

We have large and supportive extended families, which all live within an hour and a half. Family is very important to us, and we want to give our kids many of the same experiences we had. We continue to stay close with our parents, and they love seeing their grandkids! If you decide to allow us to parent your child, baby will have eager aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great-grandparents (and of course a big brother) ready to welcome him or her to the family.

We don’t pretend to know what you are going through, but we do understand wanting the best for your child. So, whether you decide to make an adoption plan or whether you decide to parent this child, we are praying that you make the decision that is best for both you and your child. Thank you for your courage in this decision, and thank you for considering us to parent and love your child.

God bless,
Andy and Sheryl

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