Dustin & Andrea

Welcome

2011-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us better. Let us know if you have any questions as you learn more about our family. We look forward to getting to know you better.

Love,

Dustin, Andrea, and Avery

Our Family

2010-04-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dustin and I were married September 2003. We met when Dustin's family moved to Draper, UT in 1994. We were in the same ward for about 3 years before our ward was split. We attended the same high school and even had a class together, but never went on a single date.

We ran into each other at a 5k run after I returned home from teaching English in China and Dustin returned home from his mission in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dustin called me up to "hang out" and we immediately hit it off. For the next year, we became really great friends, but he was still too chicken to take me on a date. Other guys began to show more interest in me and it made Dustin nervous. He felt like I was going to run off with someone else and he'd never see me again. So, he finally decided he'd better at least take me on a date to see if there was any chemistry. There was definitely chemistry and 4.5 months later we were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

Dustin and I were married for a year a half when we felt very strongly it was time to start a family. Like most couples, we hoped and prayed we would get pregnant quickly. After struggling for many years, we had the feeling it was time to look into growing our family through adoption.

In October 2008 we were blessed through adoption with our first daughter, Avery. We love adoption and are grateful for the opportunity it has given us to be parents.

Our wedding day.

First time holding Avery.

Avery's sealing and blessing day.

Avery's 2nd Birthday

About Avery

2010-04-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Avery Leigh
3 years old
blue eyes
brown hair
Caucasian
adopted, open adoption

Avery is the most loving, happy, and sweet little girl. She laughs constantly and loves to play. From the day she was born, Avery has always been very alert and attentive. She never ceases to amaze us with how quickly she catches on to things. She is constantly on the go and has to know everything that's going on around her. She loves people and is always so willing to give kisses and hugs to anyone who wants them. She enjoys playing with her baby dolls, reading books, swimming, painting, blowing bubbles, going to the park and playing with friends.

Avery has brought so much love and joy into our home. We couldn't imagine life without her and feel so blessed to be her parents. Avery loves babies and is always commenting how cute babies are when we see them at the store or church. She keeps asking if we can have a baby. We know she will make a great big sister someday.

Hobbies/Interests

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We love spending time as a family. Some of our favorite things to do are traveling, playing board games, enjoying the outdoors and watching movies and our favorite TV shows.

We have traveled to Brazil, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Lake Powell, Washington DC, Jamaica, and most recently, we took Avery to San Diego and Disneyland. Avery had so much fun playing at the beach in San Diego and seeing and meeting all the Disney characters at Disneyland. Traveling has been such a great way for us to spend time as a family and make fun memories.

We also own a large collection of unique board games. We enjoy getting together with friends and family to play board games and hang out.

Lastly, after a long day at work, we love cuddling up on the couch and watching some of our favorite television shows, which include: The Amazing Race, Survivor, The Office and Modern Family.

At my cousin's cabin. July 4, 2009

Park City

Going for a walk.

Hiking as a family.

San Francisco. September 2009

Hogle Zoo May 2010

Disneyland February 2011

About Dustin

2010-04-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dustin

30 years old
6'5"
hazel eyes
light brown hair
Caucasian
Web Developer
Bachelors in Multimedia Communications

(Andrea writing about Dustin)

Dustin is 30 years old and the second of 9 children. He has 6 brothers and 2 sisters. Dustin is kind, loving, hard working, and has a great sense of humor. He has a way of cheering anyone up when they're having a bad day. He is someone I can always count on for love and support.

Dustin is an amazing father and husband. When he gets home from work and Avery hears his voice, her face lights up and she runs to greet him. It is so cute to watch.

Dustin is very outgoing. He loves to play sports, especially basketball. He also really enjoys playing and collecting rare board games that are out of print and hard to find. He is always excited to introduce new people to the board gaming world.

Dustin loves music, especially the Avett Brothers, so much so that we took a road trip to Las Vegas to see them. He's always in search of new bands and artists. He is a very positive and happy person to be around.

About Andrea

2010-04-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Andrea
29 years old
5'10"
blue eyes
brown hair
Caucasian
Stay at Home Mom/Child Safety Advocate
Bachelors in Public Health

(Dustin writing about Andrea)

Andrea is 29 years old and the fourth of six children. She has 2 sisters and 3 brothers. Andrea has a great way of making everyone feel loved. She's super nice and always happy. Some of the first things I noticed about Andrea were her smile and contagious laugh. She laughs at all the dumb things I say, and it makes me feel good. Andrea is always concerned with others happiness, health and well-being. She is a great listener and wants the best for everyone around her.

Andrea enjoys collecting children's books, playing volleyball, traveling to new places, and most of all being a mom.

Letter to You

2010-04-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend(s),

Words cannot express how you must be feeling at this moment. We want you to know how courageous we think you are. We are praying for you and hope you know how much your Father in Heaven loves you. We know he is aware of your situation, and we have come to know he is aware of ours as well. He has a plan for you, for us, and for your sweet baby. You can rest assure your name will be spoken of with the utmost respect in our home. We will teach your child how selfless and loving your decision was.

Our greatest desire in life is to raise children. After years of sorrow through infertility, and through the wonderful reassurance of the spirit, we have felt that our children would come to us through the miracle of adoption.

Our feelings about Adoption:

In October 2008 we were blessed through adoption with our daughter, Avery. We love adoption and are grateful for the opportunity it has given us to be parents. We share an open adoption with our daughter's birth families and consider our relationships with them a huge blessing in our lives. We love birth parents and have so much respect for the loving decision they make for their child.

Words from Avery's birth mom:

“During our first meeting, I asked Dustin and Andrea if they would be willing to have an open adoption. They agreed, but none of us knew how open we wanted it to be. Now, almost 3 years later, I couldn't be happier with the way everything has turned out. I don't just think of Dustin and Andrea as 'The people who adopted my little girl', I think of them as very good friends, even family. Dustin and Andrea have been so good to me through all of this. If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't have gotten through this difficult decision as well as I did. I love adoption and there is not one thing I would change about the way it turned out.”

We would like to thank you for taking the time to get to know us and pray the Lord will be with you as you make this very difficult decision.

Much Love,

Dustin, Andrea, and Avery