We are a work hard, play hard family. Since we met at work as health care providers caring for children with cancer and blood disorders, our passion for our jobs and commitment to our patients is a huge part of our relationship and what we admire about each other. However, our patients have also taught us to embrace life's challenges and live each day to its fullest. We are lucky we only work 2-4 days per week at the hospital, which gives us plenty of time to spend time with each other and would allow one of us to be at home with a child most days.

Our mutual love is being outdoors and active. We both enjoy hiking and camping. Lauren likes to run, and William has shared his passion of bicycling and rock climbing with her. Our dog Annabelle loves to lounge in the backyard but also demands at least a daily walk, which we happily agree to.

We love to travel both domestically and internationally. We have traveled to Mexico, Belize, New Zealand, and Honduras together as well as England, Ireland, Canada, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and the Virgin Islands individually. William grew up traveling to different states and national parks with his family, which is a tradition we hope to continue with our family. When not exploring the great outdoors, we enjoy either cooking a new recipe at home together or trying a new restaurant.

We believe not only embracing but also celebrating cultural diversity is essential to being good parents. While we both grew up in small towns, we are fortunate to have parents who sought to expand our horizons through travel and education. As adults, we have had the opportunity to live in cities that are rich in diversity and cultural heritage. One advantage of working in a large, academic hospital is the diversity of our colleagues and friends who grew up not only across the United States but also around the world. They have been generous in telling stories about their experiences growing up as well inviting us into their homes and sharing traditions with us. We are committed to expanding our knowledge and appreciation of different cultures, whether that is through our love of travel, seeking out diverse communities through church and work, attending museums and festivals, as well as reading at home. We know that this has enriched our own lives, but we also recognize that it is essential as we embark on the journey of becoming parents.

Lauren About William: William is undoubtedly the most loving and attentive person I know. More important than grand gestures, he pays attention to all the small details like making sure my wireless headphones are recharged before I realize they need it or having the perfect cup of tea waiting for me when I wake up. He supports me every step of the way including sharing equally in all the household chores and holding me tightly when life gets a little stressful. He's an amazing dog dad to our dog, Annabelle, who is obsessed with him (even though I adopted her before we began dating). Watching him with children at work or when with friends and family, I know he will be an equally amazing father.

William About Lauren: I love how caring Lauren is and how she puts her whole heart into everything she does. Lauren does many small things to show me she cares from packing my lunch before work to hiding small notes for me in my suitcase when I travel. I love that she is fun-loving and playful. Impromptu games of limbo or a song about walking the dog makes me smile and enjoy every moment with her. Seeing Lauren play and care for our nieces and nephew affirms how wonderful a mother and role model I know she will be. I respect her ability and desire to continue to learn and grow personally and professionally, and she is the smartest person I know.

In the fall of 2021, we moved into a 100-year old 3 bedroom bungalow that had been lovingly restored in the historic district of a medium-sized city in Tennessee. Our favorite part of our house is the large front porch with a porch swing. On the inside we love the high ceilings and tall windows which bring in lots of natural light. The old wood floors and historic details makes the house feel cozy and comfortable. We have a fenced in backyard where we planted raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry bushes and started a vegetable garden. Across the street from us is an elementary school that has an emphasis on International Studies including an annual International Festival.

Our neighborhood is a diverse and vibrant family-friendly community that is home to many local artists and musicians. We love the charming architecture of the older homes and that the sidewalks are always dotted with families walking dogs and kids riding bikes or in strollers. We really enjoy being able to walk to several local and independent shops and restaurants. Our favorite is a combination bakery and BBQ shop that makes delicious beef brisket and an amazing brownie-stuffed chocolate chip cookie. A highlight of the community is the weekly farmer's market on Saturdays. Our neighborhood also has an active community association group that plans fun events for everyone such as Porchfest where 40 different bands use various front porches as stages each spring.

We are both the middle child of 3 kids. William has two brothers, and Lauren has an older sister and younger brother. While both of our families live in different states from us, we are lucky to live within driving distance of both. Although we do not get to see our families as often as we would like, holidays are important to us. Luckily, Thanksgiving is the main family holiday in William's family while Christmas is for Lauren's family. Thanksgiving is a multi-day event for William's family with a traditional Thanksgiving meal at his parents' house with siblings, aunts and uncles, and cousins on Thanksgiving Day. On Friday we go to the small town where William's mom grew up for more delicious food and lots of card and board games. Saturday evening is filled with college football. For Christmas, Lauren's extended family gathers at her mom's house for dinner and to watch a Christmas movie. We read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas every year on Christmas Eve (even when we are not all together we continue this tradition by FaceTime) and often go to midnight Mass. On Christmas morning we have a leisurely breakfast while opening presents and stockings, and then the extended family meets at Lauren's aunt and uncle's house for a Christmas dinner.

We currently have two nieces and one nephew, so both of our families are very excited about the possibility of another grandchild/niece/nephew to join in holiday festivities!

We are grateful that you have taken the time to read our profile and learn a bit about us, yet the word grateful does not seem large enough to express what it means that you would consider us to parent your child. We cannot imagine the emotions you must be feeling and the many hard decisions you face. While our profile and this letter only offer you a peek into who we are, if you choose to move forward with an adoption plan that includes us, we promise to be open and transparent with you always.

We met 9 years ago at work when Lauren moved to DC to start her Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship at the hospital William worked at as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner within the Oncology Department. William helped Lauren learn the ropes of the hospital, and a friendship quickly formed as we bonded over our southern roots and love of the outdoors. A little over 3 years later we started dating on New Years Day 2017 and got engaged the following year in New Zealand. We have been married for 3.5 years and moved from DC to Tennessee almost 3 years ago. We continue to work together, and while some people may find it stressful to work with their spouse, we couldn't imagine it any other way! We love our jobs caring for kids fighting cancer and blood disorders, and we have learned so much from our patients and their parents.

Our lives together and with our dog Annabelle have been so fulfilling thus far, but we have always wanted to be parents. When we considered all the possible ways to become parents, we felt strongly drawn towards adoption as our first choice for how to continue building our family. We live an active lifestyle and love to explore and experience new places, foods, and cultures. We are both happiest when outdoors and exploring a new place. We are eager to share these experiences with a child one day as well as to nurture and support his or her interests and passions. While we look forward to grand adventures, we are perhaps most excited for the everyday moments: cuddles morning and night, walks with Annabelle and a stroller, family meals, and bedtime stories every night.

If you choose us to parent your child, we very much look forward to building a connection with you. We understand if you are unsure how much contact you would want, but we will always be ready and willing to have you as part of our lives. We will send letters and pictures, but we'd also like to make a yearly photobook to send to you and imagine this will be a fun activity to share with our child as he or she grows up. Since we love to travel and Lauren collects postcards from all our travels, we would love to start a tradition of sending you postcards from our trips. We are also open to phone or video calls as well as occasional visits. Equally important as sharing our lives with you, we hope you may be willing to share some of your family's traditions and recipes with us so that we can incorporate them into our family.

Over the past 9 years, we have grown from co-workers to friends to spouses, and we cannot wait to become parents together. Regardless of whether you choose to walk this adoption journey with us or not, we are so appreciative of the time you have spent learning about us and admire your strength and courage as you make difficult and loving decisions for your child. We know that there are so many caring families who would make wonderful parents, but if there is something in our profile that touches your heart, we hope you will reach out to learn more about us.

With warm thoughts and prayers,

William & Lauren