Welcome! Meet:

Michael + Jessica

Sales Representative for Krey Distributing / High School English teacher

Missouri

Caucasian

Christian

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

All About Michael & Jessica

Hello! We are Michael and Jessica Leonard. We are high school sweethearts and have been married for 9 years this December and have been together for 15 years. We are from the same small, rural town that we now have the privilege of living in, working in, and raising our son in! Jessica even teaches in the high school where we met as teenagers! After struggling with years of infertility, we chose the adoption route in 2018. In January of 2019, God blessed us with a little boy (Lincoln) from birth and we still have a beautiful relationship with his birth family. We live on 3 acres of land in a beautiful farmhouse that we just built last year. We have two boxer dogs, Rousey and Creed, one cat, Scout, and 8 chickens! We are a very goofy, fun-loving, family that loves sports, riding four wheelers, traveling, and going on new adventures together any chance we get. We are extremely blessed to be able to add to our family again through the amazing gift of adoption. We look forward to chatting with you soon and please know, once you choose us, we will forever consider you a part of our family!

Why Adoption?

After two years of trying to conceive naturally and with the aid of a fertility specialist, Jessica was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and was also told that her left tube was blocked, so it would be very difficult for them to get pregnant. After much prayer to guide us on what their next steps would be, Jessica and Michael felt that it was heavy on their hearts to pursue adoption instead of the invetro route, so that they could share their love with a baby, whose birth parents also loved and wanted to have a forever connection with. In 2018, Michael and Jessica pursued adoption, due to God’s strong calling in their hearts, and in December of that same year, they were matched with a courageous expectant mom, Torri, and in January of 2019, our little Lincoln Michael Carter was born. The whole adoption process was so beautiful and miraculous that we were definite that God’s hand was a part of our journey the whole time and still is as we raise our rambunctious and loving, 3 ½ year old boy. We chose to pursue adoption again because we feel that it is a special gift that God has given us. We want nothing more than for Lincoln to have a strong connection with his future baby sister or brother and we feel it deep in our heart’s that God’s promises with continue to be revealed to us during this time around too.

Family & Home

We would describe our homelife as country living and playing outside any chance we get. We live on 3 acres of land in a beautiful farmhouse that we just built last year. We have two boxer dogs, Rousey and Creed, one cat, Scout, and 8 chickens! Our neighborhood is very quiet and peaceful and there are also a lot of kids on our street, and since there are three acres between each house, the kids are able to run around and play together with plenty of space. We would describe our community to be very close-knit and supportive of our adoptions and they have even donated to many of our fundraisers that we put on to help us financially support both adoptions. Jessica’s has some family in town including her mom and her two cousins and their families and we are very close to them. Michael has a sister and her family and a cousin and her family in town, which means that we also have 9 nieces and nephews ranging from ages 14-6 and we are very close to them! Our farmhouse styled home has 3 bedrooms and two full bathrooms upstairs, a full bathroom and bedroom in the basement. Our home is just over 2,200 square feet and we have a flat yard on the whole 3 acres that Lincoln loves to play in the dirt, ride four wheelers outside with us, and play on his swing set, play catch and hit off his tee, and ride his many bikes!

How others describe me

Jessica would describe Michael as hard working, selfless, goofy, caring, strong willed, consistent, and a Godly husband and father.

Michael would describe Jessica as loving, patient, caring, selfless, good mother, God loving, dedicated.

How We Met

When Jessica was 14 and Michael was 16, they were both at the same baseball fields since they were both so into sports. Jessica did not have a phone, so she asked Michael (a stranger to her at the time) to borrow his phone to call her mother and he let her. Once her mom got there to pick her up, she asked Michael if he needed a ride to the newly built athletic fields in town and he said sure. Fast forward a week later, Jessica was going to the baseball fields again and had remembered that the guy whom she had met last week may want to come along and she remembered that his number was still in her mom’s phone. She called Michael to invite him and he said yes. They have been together since!

Advice to Future Child

To our future child, please know that we all pray for your and your mommy and daddy daily. We believe that God has already chosen you to be placed with us, which has guided your loving parents to reach out to our family. We cannot wait for the day where we get to meet you and we vow to always make sure you know how much your birth parents and birth family loves you, in all seasons of life. We also vow to lead you Jesus Christ and raise you in a Christian home where we make mistakes, learn from them, and always lean on God during the easy times and difficulties in this life. We cannot tell you enough how much we already love and cherish you and please know that with us, you will always be cherished, adored, and loved, no matter you you become in your future.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

We will honor whatever the birth parents decide when it comes to what kind of relationship they want to have with us and baby in the future, whether that be an open, semi-open, or closed adoption and will support their wishes no matter what, without any form of judgment or ridicule. Currently, with Lincoln’s birth family, we have an open adoption with them, and we visit them in Florida twice a year. We also have a text thread with them, Lincoln FaceTimes with them, and we even exchange presents during Christmas. We consider them family and love them very much. We could not imagine our lives without them in it!

Favorites

Michael

Favorite Movie: I Am Legend
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: I love Christmas the most because it is a special time to make memories with my family and watch our child’s eyes light up Christmas morning.
Hobbies/Interests: fishing, spending time with friends, coaching little league and high school baseball
Dream Vacation: The Bahamas all-inclusive
If I Could Choose a Superpower: Time travel

Jessica

Favorite Movie: Steel
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: I love Halloween and my favorite tradition is attending the yearly trunk or treat event that is held on our road every year!
Hobbies/Interests: singing, hanging out with my friends, going to the movies, and traveling
Dream Vacation: Hawaii
If I Could Choose a Superpower: to fly