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Meet Jerry & Vanessa

A video message from Jerry & Vanessa

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A Letter from Jerry & Vanessa

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We’re a happy, fun, Christian family of three who loves to be outside, help others, and make memories together. We have been married for 15 years and are excited to grow our family. We would love to have your child become part of our family where we will play outside, hang out with family and friends, learn about the cows on the farm and have fun at church and community events.

About Us

Our passion for agriculture brought us together, and we now raise cows and grow hay on the family farm. After we were married, we experienced infertility and felt led to grow our family through adoption. We were blessed in 2017 to adopt our wonderful daughter, Mia. She is thriving, is very active and is such a joy! Being parents is truly a greater gift than we ever dreamed. We send regular email updates that include photos to her birth mom. When her birth mother replies, we save those messages so we can share them with Mia as she grows up.

We can often be found outside playing ball, watching Mia ride her 4-wheeler, grilling, and walking to the creek. We have cookouts with family and friends throughout the year and are also Youth leaders at our church. We look forward to growing as a family and sharing our love for the outdoors and our farm with our children.

About Jerry (written by Vanessa)

Vanessa says: Jerry makes everyone feel like an old friend. He has a big heart, and his wonderful smile welcomes everyone he meets. He is loving, caring, and has a witty sense of humor and a distinctive, infectious laugh. Jerry is a fantastic cook and likes to grill steaks, hamburgers, veggies and whatever else we can fix on the grill. His baked ham and desserts are family favorites!

Jerry is a wonderful dad, and I love to watch him teach Mia about the cows, tractors and more on the farm. You’ll find him outside a lot. He likes to play catch and show Mia how to hit a softball. He looks forward to doing these things and other fun activities with our future child/children as well!

About Vanessa (written by Jerry)

Jerry says: Vanessa loves to create lasting memories. She writes about family trips and funny things Mia says and does in her journal and hopes to write a children’s book one day about our family’s adventures on the farm. You’ll often find Vanessa playing a board game or outside with Mia, and they both love to sing along to all kinds of music. Vanessa also likes to support the church youth by cheering them on at ballgames and other activities.

At work, she combines her passion for public relations and agriculture. Vanessa sees a story in everything around her. She likes to teach kids about agriculture, including presenting to Mia’s class, and to take photos wherever she goes. Vanessa looks forward to reading to our children, writing about their experiences, and playing games together as a family of four (or more).

Our Daughter and Family

We adopted our daughter, Mia, in 2017, and we love watching her grow! Her favorite place is anywhere outside. She loves to ride horses, play with our dog, and zoom around on her bike or 4-wheeler. She also likes to have playdates with her friends, go to cheer camp and help with the cows on the farm. We are certain she will make an amazing big sister.

Our family and friends are so excited for us to welcome more children into the family. They are ready to shower additional children with love. Though Jerry’s parents have passed away, we live close to his sister and to childhood friends who are like family! From holidays to weekend get-togethers, we love hanging out together with them and their kids. Vanessa’s family lives in Missouri, and we regularly talk, text, and visit with them. We are a close family even with the miles between us.

Our Home In Tennessee

Jerry’s grandparents built our home in 1938, and we are proud to continue to make memories in it. It’s a modest, three-bedroom house with an inviting front porch where we sit in the summer to enjoy the beautiful Tennessee mountain air. With a large yard and wide-open spaces on the farm, we have a lot of room to play and explore. We are working on the nursery and look forward to decorating it more! When inside, we spend our time in the family room where we laugh, play games, watch movies and tell each other stories.

Our Promise to You

We are so excited and ready to welcome more children into our home and give them all the love that we can. We promise to laugh often and love always. We’ll provide them with the best education possible while teaching them to follow their dreams, to show compassion for others, and to find joy in all life has to offer.

We look forward to hearing more about you. We are open to letters, photos, and annual visits. Let us know how you’d like to stay connected.

To learn more about us, please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.

Learn More About Jerry & Vanessa

  Jerry Vanessa
Our EducationCollegeCollege
Our ProfessionsJerry farms full-time. He raises cattle and grows alfalfa and hay.Vanessa works in public relations and loves to write about agriculture.
Stay-At-HomeNo, but Jerry is always around working on the farm.No, but Vanessa works from a home office.
Our Racial BackgroundCaucasian Caucasian
Some of Jerry & Vanessa's Favorites
AnimalCows and dogsOur dog, Jax...and cows
Sport/sports teamFootball, Denver BroncosBaseball, St. Louis Cardinals
SeasonSummerFall
Memorable childhood momentSpending time with my granddadHaving my big sister take me to get my ears pierced when I was 5
Vacation spotCharleston, South CarolinaMaui, Hawaii
CandySnickersPeanut M&M's
Activity with MiaPlaying outsideReading bedtime stories together
More About Our Family
Mia, big sister to be

Mia is eager to be a big sister and wants to teach her sibling(s) how to be kind to others, share toys, cook, and – her favorite – how to ride horses. She is ready to show her sibling(s) around the farm and her favorite places to play.

Family time=Fun time

We live in a beautiful part of Tennessee that is full of fun family opportunities. We enjoy family time together at the events our area has to offer – especially the local zoo! We love to see the lions and tigers up close and are fascinated by the monkeys swinging overhead. We like animals of all kinds, and we also enjoy seeing the sharks, octopus, and alligators at the aquarium. Taking time to focus on our family is important to us. We look forward to returning to the zoo and aquarium as a larger family soon.

More about our family & friends

Vanessa grew up with her brother and two sisters. Although we live far apart, we remain very close. We stay connected through FaceTime, cards, and visits. Her family is so excited to welcome another child into the fold and already have begun making plans for visits.

We live close to Jerry’s childhood friends, whom we consider family. They have several children with whom Mia loves to play. They are a fun, energetic, adventurous family who likes to spend time outdoors, camp and build things. We spend most holidays with them as well as attend church with them.

Our youth group

As the youth leaders, we try to make memorable moments with the youth whether it’s at our weekly Wednesday lessons, camping at the farm, or during our annual mission trip; we’ve built new floors, laid hardwood and tile, painted walls and so much more. Most of all, each trip gives our youth a chance to learn about other cultures and become closer to one another.

We Prefer a Child Who Is...
Age of Child

Newborn to 2 years old

Twins

Yes

Gender

Boy or girl

Sibling Group

Yes, with oldest up to 4 years old

In Closing

Thank you for considering our family for your child. We are excited to welcome your child and watch the sibling bond grow between them and our daughter. We look forward to watching them play outside together and to teaching them all about the farm. Let us know if you would like to stay in touch through letters, pictures, or visits. We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about you!

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