Jeremy & Mandy

Hi there!Thank you for considering our family to care for andlove your little one. Although you may be experiencingan array of emotions, we want you to know that you arecourageous, compassionate, and selfless. We have alsocharted through challenging situations, and even thoughwe have not experienced exactly what you are goingthrough we try to empathize with the emotions you arehaving.

We will provide your child with a home that loves God,prioritizes kindness, and believes in self-sufficiency andhard work. We would love for you to be involved in ourlife if you choose to allow us to parent your baby! Asyou continue to look through our family’s album, wehope that you will see people, adventures, and a homethat you would want your baby to grow up in.

We love living simply and are both the happiest whenwe are working with our hands. We are so excited toshare our skills and knowledge with a baby boy or girl.“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshineare hard to beat,” Laura Ingles Wilder said. We think shesaid it best!

We are praying for you as you continue on yourjourney.

Jeremy & Mandy

Our story begins back when we both were in seventh-grade math together.We were friends but went our separate ways throughout the rest of gradeschool. Fast forward to senior year English class, and we were in the sameclass again! Mandy’s friend asked Jeremy if he had a date to prom, and hesaid he didn’t. Then, she replied, “Mandy doesn’t either. Why don't youboth go together?” Jeremy turned around and asked Mandy if she wanted togo to prom with him. Mandy finally agreed!

Once our prom date was settled, we went out for the first time togetherwith a group of friends. Mandy went home and called her best friend rightaway. She told him that she knew she was going to marry Jeremy. Her bestfriend told her that she had lost her mind! But, four years later he started hisspeech at Jeremy and Mandy’s wedding reception with, “If anyone had toldme that these two would be getting married today…" It has now beennearly 16 years since we were married in front of that little white gazebo!

How our love story began

North Carolina Natives

Our path to adoption

We have struggled with infertility for seven years. We both believe thatGod’s will for our family is to grow our family through adoption.Although we may have walked different journeys to understandingGod’s plan for us, we are so excited to watch His goodness unfold andour family get bigger!

AboutJeremy

Carpenter | Gardner | Loyal | Hard-working

From the first day that Jeremy and I hung out, I knew that he was mybalance. We may be very different in our approach to things, but ourvalues and goals are aligned. Jeremy’s dad and grandparents taught himhow to do woodworking, work on machinery, and gardening skills, tojust name a few! Jeremy is always eager to learn, and he will still look atvideos online on how to take things a part and put them back together. Ifthere is ever a problem we encounter, he will always find the solution. Heloves helping others who are in need or asking for assistance.

Mandy's perspective

"I love how involved he iswith our goddaughter. UncleJeremy is her favorite! Hewill be a fantastic Daddy whounconditionally loves, caresfor, teaches, and protects hisfamily."

Mandy is the wisest person I know. She reads everything and usesher knowledge in every facet of her life. She always does more thanasked of her and never turns down a challenge. Her profound faithin God is the foundation of her life and purpose to living a life ofgoodness and generosity.

Mandy pours into others with her time, energy, and skills. She lovestaking care of others, myself included, often at her own expense.She has patience that I cannot comprehend. She enjoys bakingfancy desserts for the holidays, sewing quilts, and making soaps. Shealso has a huge heart for animals. One time, we had a chicken witha broken leg and Mandy splinted it with popsicle sticks and athletictape for six weeks. The chicken’s leg was as good as new!

About MandyJeremy's perspective

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Anyone or anything put into her care will be well fed, taught allkinds of things, and loved fiercely.

Our sweet familiesAll of our family members live nearby. We stay in regularcontact with them and typically will visit at least once amonth or even more frequently! Both of our parents weremarried before they turned twenty and have stayed togetherfor over forty years. Mandy has been a member at thechurch we attend since she was an eight-year-old. Both ofour families have large extended families that we see aroundthe holidays since many of our cousins have moved out ofthe area.

Jeremy's FamilyJeremy has one younger brother and one younger sister.Every family on Jeremy's side has a truck.His family loves going to beaches, rivers, and lakes.They love eating fresh homemade, hosting cookouts inthe summer, and enjoying fireplaces in the winter.They have great longevity and are very artistic.

Family Motto:"Life is a journey." - Mama Dora

Mandy's Family

Mandy is an only child.Most of her family members work in heavy equipment or farming.They love smoking pork shoulders and frying fish.Mandy's family loves living in one place throughout their lives.Every home on Mandy's side has pets.They all believe in taking care of the elderly at home if possible.

Birthdays, celebrations, and holidaysIn early fall, Mandy and her parents will typically enjoy a day trip together tocelebrate their birthdays. Mandy’s family celebrates each birthday either with a home-cooked meal or going out to a restaurant together. Jeremy’s family likes to celebratemilestone moments, like his grandmother’s 90th birthday!

Every Easter, Jeremy is still greeted with an Easter basket when he wakes up and thena picnic or ham lunch. Memorial and Labor day celebrations are traditional cookoutsat someone’s home. We always have fun on the Fourth of July too by eating breakfastout, watching a local parade, having cookouts, and going to see fireworks.

Thanksgiving is at our house with all the fixings! Christmas celebrations begin onChristmas Eve and never end until New Year’s Day lunch at Grandma Flossie’s.

The things that make us happy

Our favorite place to be is togetherA few of our favorite things:

Stores with vintage items that are reasonably pricedRobert Duval, Andy Griffith, Tom Hanks, and Downtown AbbeyHome Improvement StoresMountains and the CaribbeanIce Cream, Cheesecake, and Homemade Breads

Gardening | Antiquing |Traveling | Fishing | diy projects

Our perfect day is waking up without an alarm, enjoying a heartybreakfast, and going antiquing or fishing. Many days we spend onhome projects, and those days give us the most satisfaction.Occasionally a day is spent bundled up on the couch binge-watching our favorite old TV shows or movies with the occasionalsnack run. Mandy is an excellent cook and baker, but we also try toeat out once a week. No matter where we may be, we always havedinner together.

After all, one can'tcomplain. I have my

One of our biggest blessings is the friends who have been in our livesfor over fifteen years. Our friends have stayed by our side through themundane day-to-day activities, to the ups and downs of life, and ofcourse through the milestone moments as well. New relationshipshave surfaced over the past few years through work, churchintroductions, and those who simply fit into our values and lifestyle.We have a standing weekly engagement with our oldest friends andcommunicate or visit with others at least once a month. Now, we are the only family without little ones running around.You can imagine the excitement of our friends' hearts for us whenwe told them we were feeling called to pursue adoption. We aregrateful for the wonderful people that God has brought into our lives.

FRIENDS - Eeyore

homeWelcome to our woodlandsanctuary. the place we call

We have lived out in the country for twelve years.Our home is on a fenced three-quarter-acre plot ofland tucked into the woods. Our taste in decor isvery eclectic. We love bringing home items fromantique shops or making things on our own.

And into the forest I go to lose mymind and find my soul.

- John Muir

One of our favorite pastimes is renovating and maintaining ourbeloved home. We have a couple of big projects left tocomplete, and then we will be down to maintenance only!Jeremy is so excited about that. We have a beautiful view ofcolorful sunsets through the trees and clear skies for moonwatching and stargazing in the evening. In the summertime,you cannot hear anything except the birds, bugs, and owls. Wehave seen red foxes, deer, rabbits, owls, hawks, racoons,opossums, snakes, lizards, flying squirrels, chipmunks andturkeys from our property.

Our puppers

Meet Tigger and Biscuit! Tigger is a two-and-a-half-year-old mutt,and Biscuit is a fifteen-year-old toy poodle. Biscuit sleeps a majority ofthe time, while Tigger loves playing with her frisbee and her toyreindeer, Elliot. For Tigger, a new little human around meanssomeone else to play with, slip her cheerios and goldfish, and moretoys to play with or chew up.

To us, there is no better way to teach a child responsibility andkindness than through caring for animals. As animals cannot speakfor themselves, it is up to the ones who care for them to meet theirneeds and wants.

It is up to us to care for the oneswe bring into our homes.

The baby’s nursery is almost complete! The artwork isbased on an animal and woodsy theme. Each piece wascreated by artisans in London, Russia, and North Carolina.Jeremy built the cedar bookshelves on the wall from hisMama’s reclaimed wood. We are going to put the baby’sname up on the wall on a wood plack with a woodland,mountain theme.

The baby's sophisticated& woodland nursery

I want you to be everything that is you,deep at the center of your being.

- Confucius

In this family,We serve the Lord faithfully. We love one anotherunconditionally. We help those in need. We always maketime for our family dinner.

Our family values:Our actions reflect our love for and faith in the Lord.We will always love, cherish, respect, support, and defendevery member of our family.We will speak respectfully to one another andcommunicate our emotions.We will be honest and transparent in all that we do. We take responsibility for our actions.We work hard, always do our best, and forgive oneanother's mistakes.We can accomplish anything together.

Aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your ownaffairs, and to work with your hands.

1 Thessalonians 4:11

Our sentimentsThank you, again, for reading through our family album. Throughoutthis part of your journey, we hope you always remember that you arecourageous, worthy, and loved. There are countless families praying foryou and your little miracle every day. We hope this brings you comfortand peace!

Back in the 80s, “WYSIWYG,” or “what you see is what you get,” was acomputer term. Throughout this album, we have done our best to showyou who we are and what our lives are like. Our lives may not be perfect,but we know we are blessed in having each other and where we are now.We have roots that run deep in our community, and love, kindness,commitment, and stability are at the heart of both of our families.

We promise that we will provide your child with a home that loves God,loves others deeply, and shows kindness and respect to others. We willalways love the outdoors and learning new things. Your baby will sharein all of our experiences, except of course the occasional date night! Wehope that we get to meet you and share more of our stories togethersoon.

We are praying for you and wish you well wherever God takes you onyour journey.

- Jeremy & Mandy

Thank you for

considering our

family.

Jeremy & Mandy