Hello, we are Nick and Jayla. Thanks for taking the time to read and learn about our family. We both grew up in the same small town. We first met playing soccer against each other which really didn’t start up much conversation. We then met weeks later when we were both out for a Sunday run. After that we started meeting up for running dates while sharing and finding out we had a lot in common. We then started to go out on dinner dates and spoke deeper about faith, family and future. We both knew very quickly after dating, this was the person God had in store for our lives. 

After one year of dating, Nick proposed and we married nine months later in May 2016. Once married, we decided to find an older home in the historic district of town to renovate. Family, friends and community are very important to both of us, which is why we made this decision. We discussed wanting children soon after marriage. In 2018 we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Seven months later we started trying again and in 2020 we were blessed with a baby boy. Before our son was born we both felt the desire to adopt. We began to pray and talk about adoption more and more. We would love for our family to grow through open adoption, and are so excited to welcome a child and their birth family into the fold!

Growing up, I was a very hyper kid. My parents put me in soccer at age six to basically tire me out. My love for soccer grew from that moment on. I played all the time growing up, into high school and college. I have been blessed to play to this day with life-long friends I have known since the third grade. Playing team sports has helped me to develop a personality and mindset to not focus on myself. 

After college, my love for home building and remodeling truly developed. I love the design process for building and creating something using your imagination. I built and remodeled houses for a number of years (including our home). 

During this time I met my lovely wife Jayla and two years after we were married, we were blessed with our daughter. My career path turned to a city position with the water and sewer department. The city position allowed me to be home more, with great benefits and health insurance for our growing family. My love for our community has grown with my time working for the city.

I love being a husband and dad. Having a job that allows me to be home more with the kids has been such a blessing for our family. We love biking or walking to local parks after work and on my random vacation days. In the winter we head to our church indoor park, play in the snow or go sledding at a friend’s property. With the help of the Lord, I hope to lead, nurture, and love a child joining our family.

As a kid I always loved doing activities; whether it was sports, building forts, making crafts, participating in family game night, or playing with my two sisters. I also loved being around people; kids my age, adults or elderly people. All through my childhood God and family were very important to my parents and me. That is still carried on today and how I want our home to be like with our kids. I was homeschooled throughout all my years of grade school. In middle school and high school I played lots of travel soccer and club lacrosse for one of the local high schools.

In my teenage years, I was able to go on multiple mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Florida. These mission trip experiences were eye opening and helped shape who I am today. After high school I started working full-time for a sign company. I worked there for two years; however I knew this was not my true passion. I wanted to help people! 

I then got a job for a chiropractic clinic helping people get better every day. I love helping patients reach their goals by getting healthier. I work part time at my job and stay home the other days with our amazing kids. On my days off, we often meet our friends at the park, go on hot chocolate dates, spend time with my parents or just hang out at the house. By God’s grace I am able to work on being a better mom each day. I love being a mom and hope to welcome another child into our family.

As we mentioned earlier, our home was a fixer upper in the downtown historic district. Built in 1900, the house needed some attention. Seven years and two kids later, we have fully remodeled and updated our home together.

One of our favorite spots is the kitchen, which opens up to our fenced-in backyard. We love hosting family and friends for cookouts and game nights. The kids love playing with their outdoor toys in the play area, splashing in the kiddy pool, running through the sprinkler and swinging on the play set. We would consider our home very welcoming and love taking care of it. 

We live in a great neighborhood, with close friends across the street and family a few blocks away. It is not uncommon for us to be enjoying a swing on the front porch and have friends walk by and stop to hang out. We have a few elderly neighbors that we check in on weekly, to see if they have any needs. Living near downtown we often will walk or bike ride to local shops, parks and events. We are active in our church that has an amazing outreach for our community. Helping families in need and reaching people for Jesus. Another aspect we love is living in a college town, which brings a lot of diversity to the city with a vibrant and upbeat atmosphere.

Both sets of parents live in town. We see Nick’s parents a few times monthly, whether visiting their house, having them over for dinner or giving us a date night while they enjoy the grandkids. They are very supportive in so many ways and come to most of our family events. 

Nick’s younger sister lives out of town, but visits monthly with her two daughters that are ten and eight years old. Nick’s older brother, sister-in-law and 16 year old son they adopted live out of state. We see them on vacations and holidays. Nick talks to his sister and brother often. 

We see Jayla’s parents multiple times a week. Her parents watch the kids every Tuesday while we are at work. They are very supportive in our parenting and marriage. They have led seminars at our church, and are always there to support us as we navigate life. 

Jayla’s siblings live locally and often pop over multiple times a week. Her middle sister and brother-in-law live down the street near one of the parks we love to visit. The kids love to stop by their house and gather eggs from the chicken coop. We often invite Jayla’s parents, middle sister and brother-in-law over for a cookout or game night. We attend church with her family as well! 

Her older sister and brother-in-law live 40 minutes away with their three children ages five, three and two. We often do weekly dinners with them or fun local events. Both families are very supportive in our adoption process and are extremely excited to welcome another child into our family.

A few of our interests include church, being active and hosting family or friends. We attend a local church and are involved in a small group with families in the same stage of life, including families with adopted children. 

Nick’s hobbies are building projects, running and soccer. He has coached soccer and continues to play in leagues year round. He also takes time to connect with close friends monthly. 

Jayla’s hobbies are crafts, baking/cooking (which she is amazing at), exercising and sports. In the summer she plays sand volleyball with her sisters and brother-in-law. 

Our daughter loves crafts, dancing, running, swimming and playing outside. She is currently playing in a soccer league her uncle is running. Our son loves kicking or throwing any kind of ball, playing outside and swimming. Both kids take swim classes during the winter as a family activity. As a family we love being active together. 

Spring, summer and fall are filled with local events, pool parties and zoo trips. Some of our family traditions include camping trips at Jayla’s family lake cottage, blueberry picking, and annual family vacations. On Jayla’s days off, she and the kids walk downtown for lunch dates. On Saturday mornings, Nick and the kids love eating breakfast in the living room while watching Premier League soccer games. 

One of our Christmas traditions is to pick out our Christmas tree, enjoy ice cream and music while we decorate it, and have a slumber party on the living room floor watching Christmas movies. We’re so excited to share this life with another little one!

Thank you for taking the time to read about our individual and family lives. We appreciate you considering us as adoptive parents. We desire so much to be blessed with another child. We are interested in an open adoption if that is what you desire. If we are the right fit for you, our promise is to love and nurture a child with our whole hearts. As the birth mom, we want you to know that you are prayed for and dearly loved.

We have discussed adoption with our children and they are excited for a brother or sister. We hope and pray to raise our kids to love Jesus, to be confident in who they are, and to give them assurance to know they are dearly loved. We want to honor this child’s ethnicity or cultural background to the best of our ability. Our family is filled with joy for this new chapter of life. This child will not only be loved by us, but by our extended families and a community of friends around us. Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering us as parents and siblings.

With Love, 

Nick, Jayla and kids