Dear Birthmother,

We’ve been married 14 years and our core values and beliefs come from our commitment to put God, each other, and our children first. The bulk of our time is given to raising our children, but we make the time to feed our marriage spiritually and emotionally. We plan weekend getaways and regular date nights and we truly enjoy each others’ company and choose to put each other before ourselves.

About Us:
Dessica is a special education teacher but we are committed for her to be a stay-at-home mom. Shawn is co-owner in several local businesses. This enables him to be his own boss and take the time he needs to attend all of the children’s activities.

As a family we enjoy: taking family vacations, summers at the lake, playing games in our family room, hosting lots of parties for friends and family, or just relaxing with a movie and a bowl of popcorn. In the winter, we enjoy sledding and snowmobiling and the boys like to go ice fishing. We spend a lot of time together as a family but also emphasize individual time with us as well. We want each of our children to know they are special and unique!

Our Children
We have five children, three of which were adopted, and all of our kids are incredible blessings! Vinnie is our oldest, at age 14, and we adopted him in 2003. He is known for his big smiles and laughter and has a charm that other people find contagious. Maddie is our 13 year old daughter and she has a spiritual depth and maturity beyond her years. Our son, Javaris James (also known as J) is 11 years old and we adopted him in 2003 with Vinnie. J has a huge heart and loves to help others. Kader is seven years old, and we were able to adopt him at birth. He is very passionate about his thoughts, but is also the comic in the family. Our youngest daughter, Mareyn, is seven years old and she is wonderfully independent with many great ideas and opinions. Mareyn can’t wait to become a big sister!

Our prayer for all of our children is that they grow into mighty men and women of God and use the gifts God has given them.

Our Home and Community:
We live in a wonderful and very supportive community in Minnesota that truly advocates for adoptive families. There are numerous transracial families and we enjoy getting together with other diverse families.

We built our spacious seven bedroom home three years ago with our children in mind. Our home is located in a newer area at the end of a cul-de-sac where the children are free to ride their bikes and play safely. Our house and yard is often a gathering spot for the neighborhood. We also have a dog named Chewie who is loved by all five of our children.

My Best Friend, Shawn
Shawn has an infectious personality. He has a natural charm and compassion about him that attracts others. His natural ability to affirm others and make them feel good about themselves is a quality that he is passing on to his children. He is loyal, smart, “handy” in just about anything that needs to be done, and one really fun dad! He plays with our children and is an involved father. Whether it’s wrestling, having a tea party, giving great big bear hugs, or saying prayers before going to bed…..my children have their dad’s full attention. Shawn enjoys hunting, fishing, and a good action movie. He is a wonderful provider and I am truly blessed to share my life with him.

My Best Friend, Dessica
Dessica is amazing! I have never met another person who is so organized, energetic, and fun. Dessica is wise beyond her years. She is a caring and sensitive mother for our children. Dessica enjoys reading, summers at the lake, family trips, exercising, decorating, and creating special moments for our family….like a picnic on the floor in the living room or dinner by candlelight. After fourteen years, she still takes my breath away.

In Closing
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter and getting a glimpse into what our family is like. We believe that God has given us the blessing of creating our family through adoption. Contact Lifetime Adoption at
1-800-923-6784 to learn more about us. We’d love to learn more about you as well.

Click here to learn more about us.
Click here to contact us, or call 1-800-923-6784 24 hours a day.