Tom and Lyndee

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From Us to You

We understand that this time in your life may be difficult and we want you to know that we pray for you and your little one. We pray for peace and wisdom as you consider the best choice for you and your baby. We cannot even imagine what you are going through and the decision you are having to make for your child, but we want you to know that we believe in you and know that you are strong. Thank you for considering us and taking the time to learn more about us.

The decision you are making is giving us the chance to start a family. We have both always dreamed of becoming parents. After years of struggling with infertility, we realized God’s plans for our life was to welcome a child into our family through adoption, just like he has adopted each and every one of us as his own. After we made the decision to adopt, Lyndee came across a pamphlet from church that was titled “Adopted.” It started out with a little girl telling her friend about being adopted by her parents. She told her that her birth mom knew she could not give her the life she wanted her daughter to have at that time, so she made the hardest decision of all and placed her with a family she knew could give her that life. She then continued on to tell her friend, “but I have actually been adopted twice!” Her friend was confused as to how this could be. She then told her friend about Jesus and how God has adopted us as his own children. With all this being said, we are eager to not only share the amazing story of love and sacrifice you gave for your child, but also share that same love and sacrifice the Lord has given to each one of us.

Our family is exploding with love and we can’t wait to share it with your baby! From grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends that are like family, we are so blessed with our support system! Our family and friends are also praying for you during this time in your journey. Our family is definitely one of a kind. We love to laugh and enjoy getting together any chance we can, whether it be a backyard BBQ and swimming at an aunt and uncle’s house, to snow day fun at home, or running through the pasture at the grandparents’ chasing the baby goats! Holidays are very special, especially Thanksgiving with Lyndee’s family & Christmas with Tom’s family, which even includes a visit from Santa!

A few of the things we love are traveling, Disney, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Star Wars, and superheroes.  We enjoy attending sporting events, going to the movies, having game nights with friends and family, or just having a quiet night at home putting together a puzzle.  We are excited, and can’t wait, for those busy weeknights and weekends going to watch and cheer on your child in the activities they are interested in. We can’t wait to take a family vacation to the beach and introduce your child to the beautiful sand and ocean, to Disney to meet Goofy for the first time, weekend trips to spend time with Lyndee’s parents, and even fun Saturdays at the park chasing each other around.

We promise that your child will be raised in a home where they will be shown unconditional love and encouragement, and where there is endless laughter.  We will cheer them on just as God does for each one of us. They will be celebrated and encouraged. They will be taught right from wrong, how to work hard, follow their passion(s), and know that they are safe and wanted. Above all of this, they will be taught about YOU, their first mom, and the selfless act of love you showed them.

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Why We Are Choosing to Adopt

Even when we were dating, we talked about how God had given us both the desire to be parents one day, so when we got married, we knew we wanted a family of our own. We have struggled with infertility issues and haven’t been successful in starting a family of our own naturally.

Years ago, I (Lyndee) was on a mission trip to South Africa, with my home church.  I still, to this day, remember God laying adoption on my heart and telling me it would be a part of my story one day. I had no idea that moment would reveal itself so clearly years later, but we know that this is the plan God has for us. While we were dating, I had shared my desire and what God had laid on my heart to adopt to Tom, and he told me then he was open to however God put together our family. I also have cousins who have adopted and have personally seen how their children completed their family.

We find ourselves at this moment with open hearts, open arms, and open minds.  We are open to all races in our adoption journey because we understand the importance of honoring your child’s background and heritage, both at home and in our external support system. We have many biracial children in our family and know that any child would be lovingly accepted and celebrated in our family.

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About Lyndee, by Tom

On November 21st, 2014 I met a wonderful woman named Lyndee.  We proceeded to have our 1st date at a burger spot, and even though my nerves were showing (sweat coming down my forehead) she agreed to go on a 2nd date. I vividly remember on our 3rd date, while we were eating dinner, Lyndee told me she liked Star Wars, from then I knew she was the one!  Lyndee is an amazing wife. She is very caring and motherly and loves being out in the country at her parent’s house (this is how I learned about raising goats and stock shows). She also loves to have fun by going to the movies, Texas Tech sporting events, or indulging my Star Wars cosplay and my nerdy habits (all things STAR WARS).  She is very family-oriented and especially loves going to her family Thanksgiving and being with all her cousins, uncles, and aunts.  She even took my crazy, big family in as her own. She has been very supportive and caring during hard times or just when I need a boost.  When I see Lyndee with our nephews, our cousins’ kids, or our friends’ kids, I see that motherly glow in her eyes, and I know she will be a wonderful and amazing mother.  She sacrifices her wants for those of others to ensure they are in a good place.  Again, there are many words to describe Lyndee; she is motherly, caring, patient, empathic, thoughtful, loving, fun, and full of joy.   I can’t wait for the day that Lyndee and I can dress up our child in a little Star Wars costume and bring a smile to others.  I know Lyndee will be an astounding mother.

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About Tom, by Lyndee

When I think about all the things I love about Tom, my mind always goes back to our first date.  I remember how nervous, and a little bit awkward, he was and it ALWAYS makes me smile, because now all of that, is mine!  As Tom and I dated, I saw the undeniable bond Tom had with his family, especially with his only nephew.  Many thought his nephew was his son because of how inseparable the two are.  I knew then, Tom was going to be an amazing dad. Tom is not only passionate about his family (and my family now too), but any Texas Tech University sporting events, Star Wars, his cosplay, building/making things, and anything pertaining to me.  I tell Tom he will always be my biggest child, but it is just one of the many things I love about him.  He is constantly always trying to make anyone laugh, especially me. His love and passion for me and our families are overflowing, and I cannot wait to see him be a dad.

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Our Lifestyle

Our lifestyle is best described as meaningful.  We both work in fields that we love, we live in a modest home and drive practical vehicles. Our faith and walk with Christ is a huge part of our lives and are actively involved in our church, not only attending church weekly, but also being involved within the church where we can. There are so many things that we love to do as a couple. We love spending as much time with our families as possible, going to the movies, and attending non-profit events like cancer walks and visiting the pediatric floor at the hospital with the Star Wars cosplay group Tom is a member of. We are huge Texas Tech University fans and love going to their sporting events (football, basketball, and baseball) whenever possible. We love to travel; whether it be going on a new adventure or going back to one of our favorite places, Disneyland, and visiting our friends in San Diego, California. The thing we both love the most out of everything is being together and just being our goofy selves. We love to make each other laugh and are truly each other’s best friends. We love living this life together and looking forward to whatever adventures God has for us. We will share our love for all these things with your child and we will support them in finding their individual passions and loves.

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Our Story

We met through a mutual friend and hit it off immediately.  Since we met a bit later in life, we knew the other was the one we had been praying for. We were married less than a year after our first date. Over these past 5 years of marriage, we are always there for each other with whatever obstacles and celebrations have come our way. These struggles have brought us closer together and made us a stronger couple. Our faith is very important to us both and we know that it is only through the grace of God that we found each other and He is with us every step we take. We love to have fun and we believe the best medicine is laughter. We love to work on projects around the house together, but we also like a lazy day together just watching movies. We recently went back to our friend who first introduced us and asked how she would describe us as a couple. She shared that she loves being around us because we are compassionate, loving, selfless, very family oriented and just so much fun to be around. We believe these qualities will help us in our next chapter of becoming parents.

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Home & Neighborhood

Our home has an open-concept living, kitchen, and dining area, with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a large fenced-in backyard. We live in a quiet, well established, family friendly neighborhood with lots of neighborhood children. Our home is within walking distance to the neighborhood elementary school and one of our many local parks, and also walking distance to the newly built community center, complete with a pool/water park and many other family friendly activities. We truly love our neighborhood. We live in a large town that has a small-town feel and we are centrally located between both of our jobs. Our town has museums, amusement parks, science centers, and many other activities that we can’t wait to explore as your child grows up.

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Our Families & Friends

Family is a huge part of our lives and we love spending time with them every chance we get. We both come from families with a strong Christian faith and strong work ethics.  Tom comes from a very large family.  His immediate family lives in the same town as we do, so we like to have family dinner at least once a week. Tom’s dad is 1 of seven kids and most of his uncles, aunts, and cousins also live in town. Lyndee’s immediate family lives about a 3-hour drive from us on a farm. We see them as often as we can, and once we have a little one, they will take more trips here to see us and spoil their new grandchild.

We also have several close groups of friends through our church’s bible study class, Tom’s Star Wars group, and Tom’s work. We like to spend time with our friends by getting dinner, going to the movies, or hosting game nights at our house. Our family and friends have all been very supportive and encouraging of our decision to adopt.  They are all so excited to welcome and love on a new addition to our family. Your child will be unconditionally loved and supported not only by us, but by so many.

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Our Relationship with Our Parents

Family is one of the most important things to us and it is due to the relationships we have with our parents. Our parents have shown us unconditional love, support, hard work, dedication, and encouragement since the day we were born. They are true examples of unselfish love. Our parents have been some of the biggest supporters and encouragers for us to pursue our dreams of becoming parents through adoption.

Sadly, in early 2020, we lost Tom’s dad.  It was so unexpected and heartbreaking.  Tom and his dad were very close and he was so influential in Tom’s life. We know how proud he would have been to be a granddad again. We remain close with Tom’s mom and she and Tom also share a unique bond.   As our child gets older and starts to be involved in activities, we know there will be many family members (us, all grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins) on the sideline cheering them on.  They might even get a little embarrassed by how loud their cheering section is.

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Our Faith

Our faith is the foundation of who we are as individuals and who we are as a family.  We were both raised in Christian homes and we both believe that we are saved by God’s grace and redeemed through our faith in Jesus Christ.  We know that through our faith God has an amazing story and plan for our life, your life, and your child’s life. When we think about God giving us the opportunity to adopt, it also reminds us about how God adopted us into his family. Because of our faith and wanting to continue to grow our relationship with Christ, we are active members of our local church. We attend church regularly, are also involved with our Bible study group, and volunteer to help with community events, like Halloween Fest.

Many of our close friendships were born within our current church family as well as churches we have attended in the past.  We have both had challenges in our lives and it has been our faith that has gotten us through these difficult times. Our journey to starting a family of our own has stretched our faith, but we completely rely and trust God on His timing. We want to provide this same foundation for your child. We know that you are who we’ve been praying for and that God wanted our paths to meet.

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Cultural Diversity

Between our family, our friends, our community, the school down the street, and through our work, we feel we have created a safe environment for a transracial family.  We want to be an open book with your child and we want them to be proud of who they are and where they came from.  We want to celebrate your child’s heritage.

Tom works in the retail industry and because of his work he has been exposed to many different cultures from his employees to the customers. Lyndee’s work in the non-profit world has exposed her to different cultures as well as people with disabilities. Our transracial family members, as well as working in diverse environments, have helped us learn and prepare for parenthood. We will do everything we can to understand, honor, support, and love them for who they are.

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Family Traditions

Our family traditions are very fun and just a few of the many things we look forward to throughout the year.  Two big traditions that have spanned generations in our families are Tom’s family’s Christmas and Lyndee’s family’s Thanksgiving.  Tom’s family’s Christmas was born from a time when Tom’s grandmother Agnes would have all 7 of her kids and their families get together to celebrate the holiday. On her passing, all of her 7 children promised to keep Christmas celebrations a tradition.  So every year, normally on the 3rd Saturday in December, all of the family gathers at one of the aunt & uncles’ homes with tons of festive food. Santa always comes to visit the children.

We typically spend Thanksgiving with Lyndee’s family. This is also a large gathering at either her parents’ home or one of her aunts and uncles’. Lyndee’s grandmother Shirley’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving.  She told her 4 kids that she didn’t care how or who they spent Christmas with, but she wanted them all together for Thanksgiving. As Lyndee’s Mamma (Shirley) got older, she was unable to host it anymore, so her children decided to rotate Thanksgiving between their homes. We have so many aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of our families who are excited for us and can’t wait to love on your child.

One of the other smaller traditions, which Tom’s dad started, was hosting a Super Bowl party for a few friends and family. Since Tom’s dad’s passing, we now host the party (Go KC Chiefs).  We also have smaller traditions we do throughout the year with our immediate families and friends.  We are looking forward to creating new traditions with your child and setting up memories that they will carry into their own future family.

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Our Hobbies

We share similar hobbies, but we also have our own personal interests too. One of our hobbies that is top of the list for both of us is just spending time with each other, with our families and with our friends.  Other hobbies we both enjoy are traveling and getting to experience new things together. We love all things Disney and watching movies.  We both love going to sporting events, especially to go watch our Texas Tech Red Raiders play. We can’t wait to introduce your child to these activities.  We hope they enjoy them, but if these are not their things, then we will do what they want to do too, and those will be our new interests as a family.

Tom loves all things Star Wars and superheroes, so much so, that he has found a love and a passion for creating and putting together cosplay costumes.  With the cosplay, he gets to build things, sew, and be creative. He loves being able to think outside the box on how to create things and being able to use his hands to build.

Lyndee loves being in the kitchen cooking up new recipes and baking. In the last couple of years, she has also taken up cycling.  Lyndee works for a non-profit and puts on a cycling event every summer.  Seeing her participants’ love of cycling encouraged her to take it up herself.

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Travel & Leisure Time

One of the things we love to do is to travel and take vacations when we are able.  Sometimes our vacations are a 3-day weekend trip to get out of town and spend  time together or with family or close friends. We also enjoy spending our weekends, long or short, at home relaxing, watching movies, or going to sporting events. If it is a short trip somewhere, it normally is to see Lyndee’s family, go to the Metroplex or the mountains in Ruidoso. Occasionally we take a week-long vacation. One of our favorite places to go is San Diego where one of our dearest friends lives. While in San Diego, we love going to the Zoo, spending a day at Coronado Beach and then driving up north to spend a couple of days at Disneyland. We can’t wait to take your child to Disney to experience Disneyland or even Disneyworld through their eyes. One of the other places we love to travel is wherever Star Wars Celebration is being hosted. Star Wars Celebration is a 4-day convention held every other year with ALL things Star Wars.  You will see a majority of those attending dressed in Star Wars cosplay costumes, including Tom.  We are excited to have a little one who we can dress as The Child (baby Yoda) and Tom be dressed as the Mandalorian (Lyndee might even dress-up too). We do realize that once we have a child our priorities will change and our travel and plans will center around their dreams, and we are completely on board with that.  We hope we can pass along our love for Disney, movies, travel, and adventure to your child!   We can’t wait to have weekends and vacations that are scheduled around activities they like, such as sporting events, theater, 4-H or whatever else they might be interested in.

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What We Will Teach

We both grew up in faith and family centered homes.  This is the foundation of what we will teach your child.  We believe that our faith is central to all we do, and so we will raise your child as part of our church.  In terms of what we will teach your child, we will draw from our own upbringing.  In addition to raising them with strong faith, we also believe in a solid education, hard work and following your dreams and passions.  We know how important the early years are for your child and we are excited to provide them with a great early childhood experience.  We will research and ensure that when your baby isn’t with us, they are in a safe and loving learning environment.  We also want your child to find what they love and to shoot for the stars, whether that is a sport or two, a musical talent, a love for dancing or theater or even a love for taking care and raising animals. Whatever that dream is, we will teach them that hard work and dedication will take you far. Other things that are important to us that we want your child to know are how important volunteering is, how important family is, how much we have prayed for them and you, and how much we all love them.

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Our Promise to You

We promise your child will be loved, feel loved and know pure unconditional love, not only from us but also from our family and our friends. We will also teach them the sacrifice you made and how much you love them. We promise your child will always have a roof over their head, food on the table, and will know they are safe.  We promise they will get an education, will learn how to work hard, and to follow their dreams. We promise we will support and encourage them in whatever their interests are (sports, dance, music, agriculture, art…) and love them for who they are.  We promise to be there for them and comfort them when they are sad or they have had a bad day, and to celebrate their accomplishments, big or small. We promise you they will feel love and know they are loved by our words and our actions every single day. Finally, we promise to honor you in our home and teach your child how brave and amazing you are for giving us the chance to be a family.