Our Letter to You

Hello There!

These letters are always so awkward to write. We wish that this was more of a conversation than a letter. It’s probably awkward for you as well, reading letter after letter on profile after profile.

A “thank you” doesn’t seem sufficient, but we truly appreciate you taking the time to check out our profile.

Well, let's get started, shall we?

There are four of us {I'm sure you caught on to that already though, Jayson, Karissa, Jayden (5), and Jane (2 1/2)}. 

Now, we know what you're thinking. That's a lot of J's, right?! And why are they both so similar to Jayson's name?! Well, let us explain. Jayden didn't come to our home until he was 2 1/2 and we weren't able to officially adopt him until he was five, so he had already been named Jayden  and when we officially adopted him we just didn't feel right about changing it. We wanted him to keep that name and always know that it came from his birthmom and the name he had already been known by for his first five years of life. Plus, Jayden just fits him! 
We named our daughter Jane because that has been Karissa's favorite girl's name since she was 12. We talked to her birthmom about it and she wanted us to name her, so we named her Jane and gave her birthmom's name as her middle name.
We are your typical live in a house in the suburbs family. We have one dog (a cairn terrior) named Ruby (or Bowie, if you are talking to Jane). She's amazingly patient with the kids and she is their best friend. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka LDS or Mormon). Our faith is something that we cherish. We love that it uplifts us and teaches us to be charitable, to work hard, to improve ourselves, the importance of family, to have courage, to be grateful, and that things work out.  

Our favorite thing to do as a family is pretty much anything outdoors. We love to camp, go boating, fishing, hiking, etc. Needless to say Summertime gets very busy around here as we try to soak up as much of the Utah mountains and lakes as we can before it gets freezing! 
We also enjoy just being together at home. Having a family movie night, reading stories, and baking cookies are favorites around the house. Jayson is actually the baker in the family and he takes so much pride in it. Jayden once said, "We are baking cookies because we are mans!" 
Oh, and did we mention that we are all social butterflies? (well, Jane is when she warms up to you). You can often find us with our friends and family!

Jayson is good at anything and everything he tries. And he tries a lot of things! He is so curious and has such a passion for learning. He is constantly buying used textbooks online to learn more about various things. He also just loves to read in general, especially anything by Brandon Sanderson. He loves to bake, to build, to destroy (because he works in demolition, haha!), and just work with his hands in general. He is currently learning how to sew so that he can make his own camping gear. He loves to rough house with the kids and to take them to explore the outdoors and to take them on outings. He is also a fabulous story book reader and treat maker.

Many people have told me that Karissa is the one of the sweetest people they know and I would have to agree. She loves people and has a way of knowing how to serve them. She also loves be outside (but only if the temperature is between 40-75), she's obsessed with Cafe Rio, Harry Potter, and Peter Pan, and is constantly trying to convince us to go to Disneyland. She loves to spend time with our kids, whether it's playing around the house, taking them on adventures, or teaching them. 

Jayden might be the sweetest five year old you will ever meet. I'd be willing to bet he knows more about animals than any five year old you'll ever meet too! Animals are his passion and he has the most amazing memory. Family vacations are usually rated by how many animals he was able to see, so usually camping and hiking vacations are a win for him.
He is such a great big brother and he loves being one. Once his preschool teacher said to me, when observing him with Jane, "If I had a big brother I would want it to be Jayden!" I completely agree. I mean, sure, they fight over toys and get mad at each other all of the time, but when it comes down to it he is so concerned for her and he has always been so good with her. they love laugh, rough house, and play on their scooters together. Another one of his favorite things is How to Train your Dragon and could tell you just about anything about the dragons from that movie.
He's has knack for making friends and is constantly asking to play with them. We can't count the number of people that say their kids don't get along with just anyone, but they get along swimmingly with Jayden. Everyone that knows him just adores him. He isn't shy in the least, and is very passionate about having fun. 

Have you ever heard the Shakespeare quote, "though she be little, she is fierce."? That quote has always reminded us of our Jane. She is a fiesty and stubborn one for sure and she has been that way since day one. If she gets her mind set on something there is no stopping her. But she can also be one of the most delightful and sweet kids. She's that kid that will hold her ground with all her might if someone tries to take a toy from her, but will also gladly bring a toy to another kid that is crying. She also loves to make people laugh. Her favorite things are being outside, her swing in the back yard, swimming, trains, horses, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, and sparkly dresses.

We are so grateful for adoption in our lives, both because we not only gained two children through it, but two amazing birth families as well. Jayden and Jane bring so much joy to our lives and are more than we have ever hoped for. We don't currently have contact with either of Jayden's birth parents, but we were able to get to know his birth mom and we love her dearly and wish we could hear from her more. We do see some of his extended birth family and we are so grateful that we have them in our lives and that Jayden gets to maintain that connection with them. We are always so humbled by the kindness that they show to us and we are so glad that they have welcomed us into their lives.
We also can’t imagine our lives without Jane's loving and kind birth family. They have welcomed us  with open arms from day one and they are some of the most loving people you will ever meet. We love that they live close enough that we get see them many times every year. 
We love that they are a part of our lives and that both of our kids will grow up knowing that they are loved by so many people. 

We are also licensed foster parents, however, we are currently taking a break and not taking Foster placements right now. We have been so humbled and have learned so much from our experience as foster parents so far.

We hope that through this you have gotten to know us a little better. We imagine that this is probably an extremely difficult process and decision. We hope that you are guided to the right choice, whatever it may be, for you and your child.