Welcome! Meet:

Kevin + Alanna

Elementary School Media Specialist / Integrated Marketing Coordinator

South Carolina

Caucasian

Christian

All About Kevin & Alanna
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Kevin & Alanna

Hi from Kevin and Alanna! Thank you for taking the time to look through our profile and learn a little bit about us! We live in a small city in South Carolina and we have been married for seven years. Kevin is an elementary school librarian and Alanna does marketing and communications for a local college. Kevin grew up in the country, not far from the city where we live. Alanna grew up in Florida but had family in the same town we live in now. She would spend summers up here as a kid, so when she and her parents moved here for good, it was just like coming home. We love spending time with our families, camping, traveling, singing and playing guitar, reading, and cooking. We have a really fun and ridiculously cute Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Lola, who might be the most spry 11-year-old dog we’ve ever encountered. She loves watching animals in the backyard, taking rides in the car, and she loves children. We are hopeful and excited about growing our family (and Lola is excited about it, too)!

Why Adoption?

Early on in our relationship we discussed our thoughts on and hopes for parenthood. We both saw qualities in each other that we felt meant we’d be great parents when the time came. Alanna was also upfront with Kevin from the beginning that she was unable to have children on her own. We knew adoption was one potential path toward parenthood but not the only one. During our first couple of years of marriage we talked about IVF treatments or surrogacy and fostering, as well as adoption. We wanted to wait until Kevin finished graduate school and earned his teaching certification before we pursued any option; however, we kept researching and talking through possibilities. The more we discussed our options, the clearer it became to us that adoption was where God was leading us.

Family & Home

We live in a small town in South Carolina in a home that sits on over five acres. There are open fields, a big yard to play in, trees to climb, and hiking trails to explore. The property is next to family land owned by Kevin’s uncle, around 13 acres. We often see rabbits, deer, and even turkeys in the fields by our home!

We have a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. Two years ago we remodeled the kitchen and great room. Last year we remodeled one of the guest rooms into a nursery. The home is about 1,300 square feet with an adjoining carport. There is a workshop and we have a few garden spots, too. We live about 10-15 minutes from both sets of parents and Kevin’s brother and his family. Our home is just a few minutes from schools, a hospital, and grocery stores. We can live the rural life, but we are close enough to town to have conveniences from there, too.

Kevin’s family is very-close knit. We have supper together most Saturday nights with his parents, brother, and his brother’s family. We all attend the same church, with Kevin, Alanna, and his dad singing in the choir and Kevin’s mom serving as a substitute organist. Kevin and his brother are very close. He was the best man in our wedding, and Kevin usually seeks out his advice on major decisions and ideas.

Alanna has a close relationship with her parents and we usually get together once a week with them for dinner and we spend holidays together. She grew up with two brothers with a rare genetic disorder but they have both passed away. She considers being their sister a great honor and taught her much about life, patience, understanding, and loving fully. Another very important person in her family is her uncle (her mother’s brother). He has a developmental disability and he and Alanna have always been buddies. We love hanging out with him and sometimes having him over to our house for a sleepover. Alanna’s birth father, stepmother, and paternal grandmother also live in the same town as us. She didn’t get to see them much growing up so she loves that she gets to see them more often now. She also has an older half-sister and an 18-year-old niece, who live about an hour away. It means so much to her to have them in her life and to keep up with all the fun things her niece is doing!

How others describe me

Kevin on Alanna: Alanna has the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met. These eight years together I have seen her as a caregiver to grandparents, as a volunteer helping families with children affected by a rare disease, as a Vacation Bible School song and drama teacher, as a loving aunt, niece, friend, and daughter. She is rock steady in her faithfulness to her family and to me. She is patient and assertive in our relationship. We rarely argue. She has a way of gently getting her point across. We find ways to clearly talk with one another and meet each other halfway.

When we first met, I remember thinking that she would be a great mom someday. I wondered if she’d be paired with me to go down that path, and here we are. She helps run the household. She plans our vacation trips and makes sure we have fun new experiences in our lives. She makes sure the dog gets to the vet, checks to see how I am doing, and tells me what “flavor of fine” she is feeling at a given time. Her support of me makes me a better man. I trust her. I love her heart. It is a mother’s heart with a mothering love.

Alanna on Kevin: When I look at Kevin, when I watch him working on assignments for his students or interacting with children, I see a reflection of the father he is going to be. He is patient and kind. There have been so many times when I’ve been nervous or panicked about something, and Kevin is able to put me at ease and let me know that everything is going to be alright. He’s creative and talented, always thinking of fun ways to instill a love of reading and learning in his students or coming up with activities for the children’s Sunday School at our church. I love watching him with our nieces and nephews, the joy on his face and theirs when he’s playing with them or talking to them. He is strong in his convictions and his faith. I love his heart for God and his desire to serve Him and serve our church. He is as devoted to my family as he is to his own. And he is an amazing cook! I could probably write a book detailing everything I love about him, but since I can’t, hopefully this gives you a good glimpse into the kind of man he is. As much as I love him now, I know I’m going to love him even more when he becomes a father. He is going to be an amazing daddy!

How We Met

We met on a blind date! We were set up by Alanna’s cousin, who attended church with Kevin and his family. We’re so glad she played matchmaker and that we took a chance on each other! We knew early on that we had something special. After six months, we got engaged. We married about a year later.

Choosing to share our lives with each other was the best decision either of us have made. We’ve been married for seven years now and we’ve loved every minute of it, even during the not-so-fun and the hard moments.

We talked early on in our relationship about being parents someday. We both love children and wanted to share our life with a child. How and when were the questions for us for parenthood. When the time felt right, we took that leap of faith and started this journey!

Advice to Future Child

Always remember that you are a beloved child of God and that we love you, too!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and you’ll be led in the way you should go. We are here on that journey with you, no matter what. Even when times get tough, nothing will change our love for you and you can talk to us anytime about anything.

Be kind to yourself and others. Do all the good you can whenever you can.

Seek that place where your greatest joys and the world’s greatest needs meet.

Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open (we will, too) as we will no doubt learn some of this advice stuff together as we all grow!

Perspectives on Open Adoption

We respect that open adoption is the trend now for most adoptions. We want our child to know about where they came from and will answer any questions about their birth parents. We want them to have connections with their birth family if they choose to and feel ready.

We also want to make sure healthy boundaries are clearly established that will be best for the child and our family. We are okay with sending letters and photos once or twice a year. We want to be careful about more contact than that, at least at this time. We know there is a learning curve with this, though, and will seek advice from our attorney, our support group and other adoptive families to navigate the process of open adoption.

Favorites

Kevin

Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: We have a two-day Thanksgiving family reunion in what was my grandmother’s home (now home to our cousin Mark and his fiancee). This is the family on my mom’s side. Prior to COVID it had taken place every year since at least the 1930s. We paused for a year or so, but we are back in full swing now! We have a traditional gathering on Thursday. Friday folks return for a barbecue and family games, traditions and storytelling.
Hobbies/Interests: reading, camping, photography, playing guitar, gardening, kayaking, spending time with family
Dream Vacation: anywhere with Alanna
If I Could Choose a Superpower: blink and have a clean house

Alanna

Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love waking up on Christmas morning, having a cup of coffee and opening gifts with Kevin, then heading out to spend the day with our families.
Hobbies/Interests: singing, playing guitar, reading, writing, traveling, spending time with family and friends
Dream Vacation: visiting Glacier National Park in Montana or Olympic National Park in Washington
If I Could Choose a Superpower: clean and organized house with one snap of my finger