Sam & Joan

Hello, we’re Sam & Joan. We honor and respect you for your decision to make an adoption plan for your child.  Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and our desire to build a family through adoption.  We have been married since 1996 and have always wanted a son or daughter.  If you choose us as adoptive parents, we pledge to love, cherish, and accept your child into our caring and supportive circle of friends and family.

In the Beginning

Joan was born in the mountains of western North Carolina in a small town. Sam was born in the flatlands of eastern North Carolina in a small town. We met near the middle of the state while we were both in college, fell in love, became engaged, and were married.

We met when we were both members of the marching band in college. Our “unofficial” first date was the state fair, and our “official” first date was to see the movie “U2: Rattle and Hum.” Sam proposed while we were sightseeing on the Pamlico River in Eastern North Carolina and we were engaged for seven years before marrying. We were married in Joan’s home church in western North Carolina, with lots of family in attendance and we honeymooned in Nantahala National Forest and in the country of Ireland.

About Us

Joan works as a technician testing water to make sure it is safe for people to use. When not working, Joan loves to bake! She makes awesome cakes, pies, and banana pudding. Joan enjoys sharing her passion for nature and animals.  She is excited by the prospect of teaching a son or daughter about wildlife.  She also enjoys music and photography.

Sam works for a nonprofit organization doing research and writing on public policy issues. The organization he works for identifies issues and makes recommendations for improving the way government serves all the people of our state. When not working, Sam enjoys woodworking. He likes to build furniture and toys and to tinker in his workshop. Sam is a member and past president of his civic group. The organization sponsors fun community events like carnivals and raises money to prevent child abuse and domestic violence. We both like movies, crafts, outdoor adventures, reading and traveling.

Vacations

We love to travel! We like visiting new places and seeing zoos, aquariums, museums, and historic sites. We have vacationed in Ireland (twice); England; Washington state (twice); San Diego; New Mexico; Texas; New Orleans (twice); Orlando (twice); Atlanta; Savannah (twice); Charleston (3 times); Tennessee (many times); Virginia (many times); Washington DC (many times); Philadelphia; New York City; Boston; and Maine. We especially love traveling in North Carolina. We have been all over the state — from the beaches to each section of the mountains, and every part in between.

Our Family

Joan’s parents were high school sweethearts who were married after her dad served in the army. Her mom still lives in her hometown while her dad passed away in 2007. She has one brother who also lives in western North Carolina and she enjoys visiting her large extended family. We like to travel to the mountains to be with Joan’s family at least one weekend per month.

Sam’s parents met when his father came from Virginia to North Carolina to visit his brother. Sam’s mom had been widowed and was living across the street with Sam’s future half brother and sister. The pair met, married, and Sam came along later. Sam’s parents both passed away before we married, but we stay in close contact with his extended family and even go on vacations with them. Sam has two nephews, one niece, and two great nieces.

Our Faith

Christian faith is a cornerstone in our relationship. We both grew up in small churches where we attended regularly with our families. We first began going to church together when we were dating and consider worship and participation in church activities an important part of our lives. Joan teaches the 4th and 5th grade Sunday school class at our church, and Sam teaches the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade class. We both have held leadership roles in our church. Our church has lots of kids of various ages and sponsors many events and trips for kids and parents.

Home and neighborhood

Our house is a farmhouse that was built in 1930. It was moved to its current location, renovated and modernized. It has three bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms. Our yard is large and has lots of trees and flowers. Sam is looking forward to building a big playground in the backyard! Our neighborhood has a mix of families with young children and older residents. Our neighbors are friendly and would welcome a new child into our home.

There is a county park with a fishing lake and walking trails just down the road. There are playgrounds at the two nearby elementary schools and at our church. We also live near a YMCA with a swimming pool and there are three horseback riding farms close to us.

We have a wonderful cat named Katface. She was a stray cat who chose us as her family. We named her Katface because when we first saw her she was looking into the window of our family room. She is a fun cat who is shy at first but loves people. Her favorite toy is a canvas mouse on a string.

About Adoption

The proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” means a lot to us. We have a close community of family, neighbors, and friends that are eager to offer love and support and to help us raise our child. We have several friends and family members who have adopted children or who are themselves adopted children. Our community is caring, open, accepting, and supportive of our decision to adopt.

We would like to become parents and we believe in adoption. We acknowledge and affirm that since Christ teaches in the third chapter of the Gospel of Mark that we are all brothers and sisters, that we should love and care for each other as adopted members of the family of God. We want to share our loving and caring home with a child.

We like to have fun. We are a close couple and we love children and are looking forward to spending lots of time with our son or daughter. We like to play games, do projects, and crafts. We enjoy playing with and teaching kids. We have been married since 1996 and have a loving relationship. Our household would be a loving, safe, fun, and stable place to be a kid.

If you’d like to learn more about this family contact us by either calling our birthmother hotline operator at 1-877-890-4673 (HOPE) or by e-mailing us.