Christian Adoptions Alliance

Will & Julie

Marriage Length

8 Years

Home State

Tennessee

Denomination

Baptist

Pets

Children

None

About Us

I would like to introduce you to our family. My name is Julie, and my wonderful husband's name is Will. I am 30 years old, and Will is 31 years old. We have been married for a little over eight years. Will and I met at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. We had both grown up very involved in our churches, so it seems appropriate that we met at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. We were friends for two years before we started dating. Will's kindness drew me to him. We dated and were engaged for a year and a half before getting married in 2015. Will and I love to travel, and some of our favorite places that we have visited are Spain and Portugal, the Grand Canyon, cruises to the Caribbean, and camping at State Parks, beaches, and other beautiful campgrounds around the Southeastern United States. We can't wait to share our love of travel and the world with a child. We spend a lot of our weekends going to football games, camping in our camper, hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, and spending time with family either in East Tennessee or Middle Tennessee. I love to capture family adventures and memories with my camera. Since I am a professional photographer, I love to take pictures while we travel and around the local area. I look forward to capturing precious memories of our adopted child as they grow up.

We are looking forward to growing our family through any of the following adoption opportunities:

Type

Open , Semi-open , Closed

Gender

Any gender

Race

Any Race Bi-racial , Caucasian descent

Circumstances

Twins
Multiples
Sibling groups up to 2

Will's TESTIMONY

I was taught about the Bible and Jesus as a child and developed a “book knowledge” understanding of morality and spirituality. Through high school and college, I began to better understand that my personal relationship with Jesus was the real salvation. I was baptized when I was 22 to serve as an illustration and demonstration as the confession of my faith and to give witness to others of my decision to fully follow Christ.

My daily walk with God is an ongoing and continuous relationship. I allow the Holy Spirit to move and use me. This is displayed when my behavior demonstrates the fruit of the spirit. I try to exemplify God by showing love, patience, kindness, and self-control to those I come across. I also grow and develop my relationship by praying throughout the day and participating in bible studies.

Julie's TESTIMONY

I asked Jesus to come into my heart when I was 7 years old sitting in my bedroom with my mom. We prayed a prayer of salvation together, and I was baptized a few weeks later. I have continually grown in my understanding of who God is and growing in my relationship with him throughout my childhood and now my adult life. I love being able to look back on the times in my life where God has been faithful because they are countless.

I currently use scripture throughout the day to remind myself of God’s love and sovereignty. Different verses of scripture bring me daily encouragement and allow me to encourage others. God is continually stretching and growing me through the adoption process and through infertility. It is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I feel like I have grown so much closer to God and trust Him so much more than I ever dreamed I could.

Letter to you

Our Christian Commitment

Will and I have a deep faith in God. We want to raise our child to know the grace, love, and salvation of Jesus. We know because of Proverbs 22:6 that the most important thing we can do is to "train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it." Will and I want to raise our child to be a light to others and serve others with the talents that God has blessed them with. Our hope is for our child to grow up in the church and allow that to build a foundation for their life. We want to teach them to work hard, but to also know how to have fun and appreciate God's creation around them. As our child grows up, we will strive to encourage them to explore sports, music, art, or any other interest that they may have. We desire to support our child and for them to know that we will always be there for them.

Vision For Raising A Child

Will and I have been talking about adopting a child since we were dating. That has always been a desire of my heart because my uncle, my aunt, and a very close family friend (practically a sister) were all adopted. Adoption has been a part of my extended family for as long as I can remember, so I wanted it to be a part of my family with Will. Will and I agreed before we got married that we would adopt at least one child. Little did we know that we would find out that we have infertility issues. We have both always wanted to be parents, so we decided that the best path for us to grow our family was through adoption. We feel very blessed with the wonderful support system that surrounds us in our families, friends, and church. We have no doubt that our adopted child will grow up knowing how loved they are and knowing how special of a story they have because of a birth mother who loves them so much. Have no doubt that we will always speak to the child about you in a positive light. We want the child to know how much you love them.

our family video

ABOUT Will

Written by Julie: Will is the kindest man I know. That’s what drew me to him when we were just friends. He loves the Lord and leads us well. Will always makes me laugh and has a hilarious sense of humor. He is laid back but also has a strong work ethic. His gentle kindness makes me love him more every day, and his personality balances mine very well. He is a sports expert and loves all University of Tennessee sports, Atlanta Braves baseball, and Tennessee Titans football. He is extremely smart and mechanically inclined. Since he is a mechanical engineer, he can fix anything. Also, you always want him on your trivia team. He grew up watching Jeopardy every day with his parents, and his groom’s cake was Jeopardy-themed. He loves fiercely and will protect those he loves no matter what.

Will is wonderful with children. He plays with our young niece and nephew whenever he gets a chance. Our niece calls him her “Barbie Buddy” because he will always play Barbies with her when she asks. He is so creative in his play with them and constantly amazes me with the ideas he comes up with to entertain them. He is not afraid to be silly and encourages their imaginations. They love their Uncle Will and they know he loves them.

EXTENDED FAMILY

Will grew up in a very loving home in a strong Christian environment. He has an older brother, a wonderful sister-in-law, one niece, and two nephews. Will grew up with an affinity for watching and playing sports. With his family, he traveled to East Tennessee and various beaches in Alabama and Florida growing up. Most of his family lives a little further away, and we try to visit as much as possible. Will’s mother was a NICU nurse for over 40 years and has now retired. This passion and love for small children has her very excited to add to our family through adoption. Unfortunately, Will’s father passed away in 2017, but Will’s aunt and uncle stepped in and supported Will’s mom and family until his mom remarried in 2023.

The holidays are our favorite times of year. We treasure our time with our families and value our traditions. We alternate Easter and Thanksgiving between our extended families. Easter with Will’s family includes church, a big lunch with yummy food, and an Easter egg hunt with our niece and nephews. Thanksgiving is another fun holiday. Thanksgiving with Will’s family includes a meal at his mom’s house and watching football with the whole family. Christmas is our favorite time of year. We spend Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Will’s family. On Christmas Day, we get up and drive to Will’s mom’s house to open presents with his family and have Christmas dinner in the afternoon. We enjoy celebrating with our loved ones!

A fun afternoon spent with our niece and nephews!

Fun playing games on Christmas!

WORK & EDUCATION

Will graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in mechanical engineering. He enjoyed his time in college with his classes, friends, and attending sporting events. Will now works at a research facility. He enjoys his job and loves being able to use his engineering degree to help people in the future with the research he is doing.

HOBBIES & INTERESTS

Here are some fun facts about Will:

Favorite dessert – anything cookies ‘n’ creme
Likes bike riding
Enjoys trying new foods
Likes to watch any sport
Enjoys historical books
Favorite book – The Martian
Hopes to visit all Major League baseball stadiums
Loves anything that has to do with trains

Fun bike riding!

ABOUT Julie

Written by Will: Julie is an amazing woman. She is strong, kind, and loving. One thing I particularly love about her is her passion and persistence. When she sets her mind to accomplish things, her perseverance and determination are a force to be reckoned with. She likes to plan and put things in order. It was easy to fall for her cute smile and kind personality. Everyone who knows Julie adores her sweet demeanor and considerate behavior. She is a great friend and an astounding wife. She likes to laugh, especially at my silly jokes, which is another thing that drew me to her.

Julie loves playing with children. She gets on their level and plays their games. She is kind and loving but is not afraid to correct them if needed. Our niece and nephews adore her. Their faces light up whenever they get to spend time with her. Our niece’s favorite thing to do with Julie is to run through the sprinklers in the yard. Our niece was initially hesitant, but after watching Julie’s exuberance and receiving her soft encouragement, she overcame her fear. Our nephews enjoy reading, and Julie is one of their favorite story readers.

EXTENDED FAMILY

Julie grew up in a loving, Christ-centered home. She has an older sister who is married with two children. She grew up camping with her family on the weekends in the local area and going to the beach every summer. Camping provided some of her favorite memories with her family, and she is very excited to continue the tradition with our camper. Julie's family is very tight-knit, and most of her immediate family live close by. Her grandparents are still living, and she is thankful they are a part of our lives. Her grandmother is so excited for another great-grandbaby that she asks about how the adoption is going every time we talk. She can’t wait to welcome another child into our family.

Julie's extended family on Christmas Eve!

More family on Christmas Day!

WORK & EDUCATION

Julie is a professional photographer and she is proud to use her Business degree from the University of Tennessee to own her own business. She is excited to practice her photogaphy skills on a sweet baby and a birth family can expect lots and lots of pictures as the precious baby grows.

HOBBIES & INTERESTS

Here are some fun facts about Julie:

Has camped her whole life
Favorite dessert – Reese’s cups
Favorite drink – Diet Dr. Pepper
LOVES the beach
Favorite books/movie – Harry Potter series
Likes the TV show - Friends
Played soccer growing up
Studied abroad in Spain

The beach is a favorite place to ride bikes!

ABOUT OUR WORLD

ABOUT OUR HOME

Our home is a lovely, two-level home. We have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, with a bonus room. The first floor consists of an open kitchen, family room, living room, and a dining room big enough to host family and friends. A screened-in porch is located off the kitchen, where we love to eat dinner and relax in the evenings. Our house sits on a quiet cul-de-sac with great neighbors and a fenced yard. We are thankful for our home because it genuinely feels like an oasis to us.

Our home!

The back of our home!

Our screen porch!

The other side of our screen porch with a view of our backyard. We love going out here to relax!

ABOUT OUR WORLD

Our community is amazing. We live minutes from a local park with a fun playground. There are lots of greenways to ride bikes and hiking trails not far from where we live. We also love going camping on the weekend at the many state parks in the area, and we enjoy going to University of Tennessee sporting events when we can.

Also, the school districts are some of the best in our state. It is a wonderful place to raise a family!

Camping in state parks in the area!

University of Tennessee football game fun!

The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains where we love to go for the weekend!

Enjoying a UT football game!