Hi! We are Mitch and Mary Anne, and we are grateful you are considering us to be parents to your child.
Life throws us all curveballs—yours in facing this decision, and ours in trying to have a child naturally. It would be our greatest honor to love your child unconditionally and give them a warm, comfortable home, a strong education, delicious food, hobbies that bring them joy, and a supportive family. We are excited and hopeful for what is to come.
Relationship/Journey
Twenty-four years ago, our college friends set us up on a blind date, and we immediately became best friends. That friendship grew into romance and eventually sixteen years of joyful marriage. We still make each other laugh, share every part of life together, and still feel like we’re growing up side by side. Our journey has shaped us as a couple and as individuals who champion each other’s dreams. We love traveling—nearby and abroad—trying new restaurants, visiting friends and family, and spending time with our cat, Clementine. We also cherish quiet moments at home: cooking together, watching movies with popcorn, and snuggling under a blanket on the couch. We truly are each other’s person, and we cannot wait to welcome a third into our lives.
Why Adoption?
We believe that life prevented us from becoming parents naturally because we were meant to grow our family through adoption. When we first considered this path, we reached out to two sets of friends who had gone through the process, and everything about it spoke deeply to us. We plan to be hands-on parents—cheering at sports games, clapping at dance recitals, watching school plays, and pretending to understand robotics competitions if that’s their path. Our parents supported our passions growing up, and we want to do the same. We hope to volunteer at their school, teach them about community, and help them know they come from a strong, courageous family who made a loving and selfless decision.
Home
Our neighborhood is full of families—many with young children—and is close to highly rated childcare, schools, and several playgrounds. Just down the block are a pizza place, a deli, a 24- hour drugstore, and two coffee shops. We’re also only a couple of blocks from the levee, where we walk, run, bike, and watch the city fireworks on the Fourth of July and other special nights. During Halloween and Christmas, one neighbor builds a huge hand-painted Disney yard display that brings families from all over. Many of our favorite restaurants, grocery stores, and doctors are within a 10–15 minute drive. Our home has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a big fenced-in L-shaped backyard with a porch perfect for a future swing set. Our enclosed garage has been everything from a music room to a painting studio to a workout space—but in our hearts, we know it’s meant to become a play area.
Travel
Travel is one of our favorite teachers. Experiencing new places and cultures helps us grow, and we can’t wait to share that sense of adventure with a child—whether it’s their first beach trip or their first passport stamp. We take several beach trips to Florida each year and always try to make at least one football game at our college alma mater. We already picture sandy beach days with our future little one, building lopsided sandcastles and slathering sunscreen on a moving target. Someday, we hope to explore the world as a family. France has been our favorite country to visit so far, but Mitch’s dream trip is Japan and Mary Anne’s is Italy. And yes—we fully expect to be those parents in the Rome airport with a tiny backpack-wearing toddler leading the charge.
Hobbies
Mary Anne is a big sports person. Growing up as the only girl in a neighborhood full of boys meant she played every sport in sight. She also plays the drums, runs, loves college football, collects sports cards, and occasionally gets hooked on fun trends like Labubus. Mitch fully supports Mary Anne’s collecting adventures—sometimes a little too much. He played many sports growing up and is now enjoying golf (on the swings where the ball cooperates). He loves video games, devours audiobooks, works out, plays basketball, and is drawn to anything tech. Together, we share a love of food, new restaurants, cooking, and cozy movie nights. Clementine’s hobbies include napping, eating, and napping again. We can’t wait to share our interests with a child and discover what hobbies become theirs.
Pets
Clementine is one of the greatest joys of our lives. A few weeks after our previous cat passed away, our vet called to say a “little white ball of fur” had been found in a ditch and brought in by a good Samaritan—and she immediately thought of us. It took about five seconds for us to know she was ours. Clem is now 11 years old. She loves playing “cards” (we toss them, she catches them), naps on every piece of furniture, and spends long stretches sitting on the porch. We think she’s going to make an excellent big sister. Pets have a way of teaching gentleness, responsibility, and love—and we’re excited for a child to grow up with that, too.
School & Work
As the daughter of a teacher and a librarian, Mary Anne grew up in a home where education was everything. Mitch’s family shared that same belief—learning was always seen as the gateway to opportunity. Today, we each hold a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree. After an 18-year career in the film industry, Mary Anne now works at a local car dealership and recently earned her real estate license. Mitch serves as the Chief Information Technology Officer for a local credit union. Your child’s education will always be one of our top priorities. We believe college can be a wonderful path, but we will fully support them if they choose trade school or any direction that fits their strengths and dreams. We’ve worked hard in our careers and continue to learn every day—we promise to pass that same love of learning on to a child.
Our Extended Family
While most of our parents have passed away, we are blessed to have Mitch’s retired mother, Sheryl, his brother Zeb, and a fantastic extended family spread across several states. We are also Godparents to one of Mary Anne’s cousin’s children, and our aunts, uncles, and cousins are ready with celebration, support, and all the kid advice we can handle. Something especially meaningful to us is the group of “aunts” and “uncles” Mary Anne gained after her mom passed away. Her mother left a strong legacy at her church and the school where she taught, and the people from those communities have become a permanent and loving part of our lives—and will be part of our future child’s life as well. We’ve both maintained friendships from kindergarten through college and into adulthood. Blood family is important, but the family we choose is just as powerful. In that sense, we are surrounded by people who love us and can’t wait to love a child, too.
Family Traditions & Holidays
Three words: Honey. Baked. Ham. For as long as Mary Anne can remember, this was her mom’s holiday tradition, and it’s now one of ours. Of course, we have some family-favorite recipes too—oyster dressing, chicken parmesan, and the best smash burgers your child will ever eat. We love hosting friends for holidays or special occasions, especially those who don’t have family in town. Our door is always open. Christmas brings some of our favorite traditions: driving around to see lights and having our annual dinner at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans to enjoy their incredible decorations. We decorate for every holiday—including Mardi Gras—and every few years we take a trip to New York to soak in the Christmas displays and catch a Broadway show. Christmas and birthdays are especially meaningful to us—the warmth, the rituals, and the joy of celebrating the people we love. We probably go a little overboard sometimes, but celebrations become memories, and memories are the thing we treasure most. And cake isn’t just mandatory…it’s destiny. We can’t wait to share these traditions with a child—and to build a lifetime of memories together.
