We are honored to be considered as a potential loving home and family for your child!
Hi! We are Jeff and Melissa, and we are so thankful for you taking the time to get to know a little more about us. We know this is a courageous decision for you and we are honored to be considered as a potential loving home and family for your child. We are very excited about the possibility of adopting a child to complete our family! We hope that our story will show the kind of people that we are, and more importantly, the kind of loving and caring parents we would be if we were so fortunate to raise your child as part of our family. We have so much love to give, and would be so blessed to provide a loving, stable, and safe home for your child.
Relationship/Journey
We met later in life, but instantly knew that we would spend the rest of our lives together. We married in 2019, and we live in Prairieville with our beloved dog, Rhyder, and our cat, Soxie. We have not yet been able to have children of our own, but adoption has always been in our hearts especially since Jeff was adopted by his Dad. We both have so much love in our hearts and are excited and hopeful about the possibility of completing our family. In addition to the unconditional love we have to offer, we also have the means to provide for a child so that they grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home, but also have access to private education, exposure to the arts, travel and extracurricular activities, and so much more. The miracle of adoption will hopefully answer our prayers and open our home and our hearts to a beautiful child and complete our family.
Home
We live in a 3 bedroom/2 bath home in Prairieville, LA with a large backyard. Our small neighborhood has many families with young children and in fact, one of Jeff’s best friends and two of his Godchildren live on the next street over from us. We are currently designing our “Dream Home” for the lot that we bought in a gated community in Baton Rouge. Our gated community has a large pond, boat ramp to a bayou, and is minutes away from shopping, restaurants, and fun activities.
Travel
We love to take trips as a family. We also like to take day trips to the zoo, aquarium, or a football game. A family tradition is to take a vacation each year. We enjoy exotic locales such as Hawaii and the Bahamas, as well as the snow-tipped mountains of Colorado. Throughout the year, we also take long weekend trips to places closer to home. We recently went back to Texas to spend time on the Wilson Ranch (Melissa’s mom). We rode horses and let the dogs run around the pasture. We are always trying to find new places and experiences to explore. We cannot wait to go to Disney World, and are also planning a trip to tour some of the National Parks out West. We are excited about having a child to bring with us so that we can experience all that the world has to offer as a family.
Hobbies
We love spending time with friends & family, and we also enjoy hosting get togethers at our house. Jeff enjoys playing golf and loves to cook, and Melissa is the co-founder of her ladies Bunco group. We are both big New Orleans Saints and LSU fans, and we love to go to the games in the Superdome and Tiger Stadium!
Pets
We have two fur family members. A dog named Rhyder, and a cat named Soxie. Rhyder is 1.5 years old and a Lab mix. He loves to go to School (Camp Bow Wow) to see all of his friends each week. He is friendly and loves to give hugs and kisses. Soxie is 10 years old and very sweet. Rhy and Soxie love to play together.
School & Work
Jeff attended LSU, and Melissa went to Randolph Macon in Virginia. Jeff is a Civil Engineer and works for a large engineering firm managing the design and construction of roadways and bridges. Melissa is a Realtor, and also a Content Manager for national conferences.
Our Extended Family
Jeff has a large family. On his mom’s side, there are five aunts and uncles with nine first cousins and their fourteen children. On his Dad’s side, he has five more aunts and uncles with thirteen first cousins and their fourteen children. Jeff’s Dad passed away when Jeff was younger, but his Mom remarried and he has two step-siblings. Melissa’s family is not as large, but it is a very close knit bunch. She has step-parents on both sides, as well as a younger brother. Both her Mom and Dad live on ranches just outside of Houston and have horses. While you cannot choose your family, there are those friends who become family over the years. Jeff and Melissa have been fortunate to have so many friends that have become like family. This bond has become so strong over the years that Jeff has been blessed with four Godchildren with only one being a blood relative. And Melissa has been a sister to her best friends, Amy and Erin, for close to 30 years and is “Auntie MoMo” to Amy and Erin’s children since each of their births. Jeff and Melissa love getting together for family gatherings at all holidays, and we make it a point to get together with our friends and extended family as often as possible.
Family Traditions & Holidays
Every Thanksgiving, we have dinner with Jeff’s family, and we spend Christmas with Melissa’s family on both her Mom’s and her Dad’s ranches in Texas. We always cook a big meal and then exchange gifts by the tree. Early evening, we go to the candlelight Christmas service together, then head home for some hot chocolate, holiday music, and games. Special events and holidays are important to us, and we like to celebrate them with family, friends, lots of good food, and sometimes even some homemade cookies that make the whole house smell like the Holidays. Melissa is a natural at event planning, and she does a great job making it all come together and so special. Another tradition outside of the Holidays that is special to our hearts is Jeff’s annual charity golf tournament. He started this all on his own, and he donates all of the proceeds to a different Charity each year.
Find Out More
Would you like to learn more about this family or the other families waiting to adopt a baby? Contact the caring counselors at St. Elizabeth. There’s no pressure—we’re just here to help you decide what’s best for you and your baby.
