Waiting to Adopt
Jen
Hello! Hola! Bonjour! I’m Jen, welcome to my profile. Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and my family. I could not be more excited to adopt. I strive to be a kind, generous, loving, responsible, fun, and open-minded individual. I have always wanted children and cannot wait to shower a child with love, learning, a safe home, and a life full of laughter and opportunity.
Most importantly, I want you to feel empowered to make the decision that is right for you and your child at this moment. Be assured that I am 100% supportive of you and trust you to make the best choice for you and your family, whatever that may be.
You are brave, capable, and selfless, and I am very much wishing you peace and guidance in your journey.
Things I Can’t Wait to Do as a Family
PLAY together in my parent’s pool! Not only is learning to swim an important skill to learn, but it’s so much fun!! There’s a shallow end perfect for kids and all the pool toys a kid could want… not to mention my nephews and nieces who will be SO excited to have another playmate.
GO to the beach together and watch them put their toes in the sand, splash in the water, and create vacation memories together. Some of my favorite childhood memories are going to the beach in Galveston or Florida, collecting seashells and sand dollars, and building castles in the sand.
CELEBRATE all the holidays – from hanging stockings and decorating the tree at Christmas, to coming up with fun Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating, to hunting for Easter eggs, to dressing up in red, white, and blue and watching fireworks on Fourth of July, to cooking together and acting goofy with the family Thanksgiving afternoon and then sitting down to a fabulous meal.
MAKE a monster mess in the kitchen while making chocolate chip cookies together…one of the first things I learned to cook on my own!
VISIT the excellent Fort Worth zoo and additionally send them to zoo school to learn about animals and nature.
GET MESSY with art projects of all sorts. Paint, playdough, chalk, colored paper, you name it! It is my genuine desire that they learn to express themselves in any way that makes them happy while developing their creativity.
TEACH them to plant a tiny seed and give it love, food, and water and watch it grow into a beautiful plant, how fun it is to play in the dirt, and where our food comes from. I have fond memories of my family’s vegetable garden growing up and it’s given me a great appreciation for the outdoors, which I hope to pass on.
PLAY peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek, and when they get a bit older, Uno, Monopoly, and backyard water wars complete with water guns and water balloons.
TEACH them about music! We’ll start by singing songs in the car together and dancing in the living room to our favorite tunes and later I’d love to send them to music lessons so they have an appreciation of music. The music world will be their oyster.
TAKE walks to the beautiful parks nearby and play on the playgrounds. I live near some of the most coveted parks in all of Dallas and we will take full advantage of it!
My Immediate Family
I am exceptionally close to my immediate family, all of whom live nearby in Fort Worth, where I grew up. I have four younger siblings, two of whom have young children. I speak to my mom and sisters on almost a daily basis and they’re my best friends who I lean on regularly. They are so excited that I’ll finally have a child and can’t wait spend time with them! My mom and grandmother are incredible cooks. My grandma took French culinary lessons and passed this down to family members.
We are also an exceptionally athletic family. Everyone is involved in a sport of some kind whether it’s swimming, gymnastics, baseball, diving, track, volleyball, you name it. All family members have successful careers whether it be healthcare, financial and accounting, interior design, or engineering so we’re always calling each other for advice and support. Holidays are especially fun! We always get together for every holiday… carve pumpkins in advance of Halloween, trick-or-treat with nephews and nieces, cook and then sit down together on Thanksgiving, color Easter eggs in advance of Easter and then do a backyard hunt on the day of, etc.
Hobbies
My hobbies include cooking, creating art (largely paintings, but other types as well), gardening, working out (I love Pilates, yoga, and my Peloton), using my language skills (French and Spanish, but I’d love to learn others!), traveling (I’ve lived in 4 countries and traveled to 81), I’m a novice cello player (though I have a love for all string instruments!), trying new restaurants, and I enjoy salsa dancing.
My Home
I live in a beautiful area of urban Dallas with tree-lined streets. I’m three short blocks from some of the most desirable parks in all of Dallas/Fort Worth. There are always people out and about pushing strollers, walking their dogs, exercising, and socializing. I own a 2 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo in a small community with sweet, thoughtful, watchful neighbors. We have a lush garden in the center of our condos and I have my own personal garden and patio. I love my home and neighborhood!
Parenting Philosophy
My parenting philosophy will be to shower a child with love both in my actions and words, make them feel safe and secure at all times, and provide the tools and environment to learn and grow into the strong, confident, and kind person they were meant to be. It’s my desire that they would grow up in an open-minded, tolerant household that teaches them to appreciate all cultures, races, languages, religions, and sexual preferences. I hope to inspire a sense of adventure, exploration, curiosity, and wonder about the beautiful world we live in. Lastly, I intend to educate a child about their roots, birth family, and life story so that they’re always comfortable and open about exploring this important component of their background.
Pets
My sweet Fira dog passed away a year ago. She was a rescue and I had her a short 5 years before she passed away from cancer. I hope to get another pet at some point in the future. I love animals, but especially dogs!
What Adoption Means to Me
To me, adoption is the opportunity to give a child a loving, happy, joyful home, but it’s also so much more than that. It’s the opportunity to be the best parent I can be — offering unconditional love, protection, an education and a strong family unit. It’s about building a deep connection with my child so they never doubt that they are supported and cherished no matter what. Adoption means a child knowing their birth story and parent(s). I want my child to know that their biological parent(s) made a very difficult decision. It took a lot of courage and it’s one of the greatest displays of love. Adoption, to me, is also the highest form of trust on the part of the birth parent(s). That trust and the privilege of raising their child will be the most important things in my life moving forward.
5 Things About
Jen
I grew up in a large family and I’m the oldest of 5 children. I was 15 when my youngest sister was born. We’re all very close and I see family often. There are currently 4 nephews and nieces so it’s always fun when we get together!
I coached gymnastics for over 10 years to little ones of all ages. Additionally, I substitute taught at Fort Worth ISD for elementary through high school. I loved the impact I was able to have on young, developing minds. All this to say, I’ve spent my life around children and have always wanted children of my own.
I’m passionate about travel and languages. I’ve lived in 4 countries and traveled to 81. I speak Spanish and some French. And, no, I really don’t have a favorite. I love them all! The cultures and customs I’ve encountered are rich and beautiful in their own unique ways and I can’t wait to teach my little one another language and to appreciate people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. I will show them just how incredibly beautiful this planet can be!
Because of my travels, I’m fortunate to have friends scattered around the world of all races, religions, and cultures. I’ve built a network of diverse, interesting people. I hope one day I’ll get to introduce them to my child, while fostering my little one’s sense of adventure and exploration.
When I’m not leading large projects for my employer, you can find me playing the cello, creating art (I paint), gardening (I love my colorful flowers), and cooking (I’m particularly good at cakes and desserts). One of the things I’m most looking forward to is watching my child develop their own interests and supporting them every way I can. If they love soccer, I will be the best soccer mom I can be. Ballet? Baseball? Volleyball? I’m all in!
Get In Touch with Jen
If you think I might be the right match for you and your child, I’d love to hear from you! You can send me a message online or call my adoption agency, Adoption Advocates, at (512) 477-1122 / (800) 966-HOPE to get connected.
