Torie + Brandon
Welcome! —
We’re Torie and Brandon! You might not see us hiking a mountain or traveling the world, but we’re always together, always laughing, and always on the hunt for some authentic street tacos! We are quality time people who believe in the saying, ‘Home is Where the Heart Is’. We try to keep faith and joy as the center of our marriage and parenting.
To an expectant mom that might be reading this, we realize this is a huge decision you’re making for your child. If you are leaning toward making an adoption plan, we would be honored and grateful to be part of your story.
We’ve shared some basics on this home page, and on our ‘About Us’ page, you’ll find more specifics about our adoption story, and our family and values. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us!
With all our love, B+T
Our Heart For Adoption —
Before we were married, we knew that adoption would be part of our story. We are blessed to have gone through the adoption process in 2022 in Florida, after meeting our son’s birth mom through social media. Not a single day goes by that we are not grateful for Mama K for choosing us to be his parents. We also understand that our greatest joy is also her grief and sorrow, and that is something we will never take for granted.
We trust that God is still building our family, as we have dreams of a large diverse family in a home full of joy and love. We know that family is not necessarily those related by blood, but those that you choose to do life with. We are devoted to sharing life together and maintaining an open adoption relationship with biological relatives, because they are always part of our family.
Since becoming adoptive parents, we have thoroughly enjoyed getting involved in the adoption community, helping others on their journey, and listening to birth parent and adoptee stories.
A Little About Us —
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WE BELIEVE IN JESUS
Faith is a huge part of our lives. We will always prioritize teaching our children about God’s love for them. We are very involved and enjoy serving in church as a couple and our church community is like family to us.
WE’RE PRETTY CHILL
We find so much joy in the simple things and being together at home. When we’re feeling adventurous, we love a nice restaurant or a quick off-road mountain drive.
WE’RE LOVING PARENTHOOD
We have fully embraced our new lives as parents. From adventures to the zoo or just an average grocery trip - it is so much fun! Our day-to-day routine is centered at home and lots of learning through play. We hope to teach our children the values of kindness, joy, and confidence in themselves and who they are.
WE’RE OPPOSITES AND ALIKE IN ALL THE BEST WAYS
Brandon can be introverted but loves the company of a small group, while Torie is 100% an outgoing people person. While we are different in many ways, we agree on the most important things like crunchy peanut butter, the color blue, and a shared hate for mushrooms.
WE’RE ANIMAL PEOPLE
We have a Corgi named Teddy Roosevelt, and recently lost our Aussie Lincoln. Brandon always had a family dog and we can’t imagine our kids growing up without animals. We dream of having land one day with chickens, goats, and maybe a cow.
WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
We own our townhome which is located in a safe, family-friendly neighborhood with many parks and walking trails just outside our door. We enjoy our neighborhood activities such as farmer’s markets and food trucks.
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DETAILS ABOUT US
RELATIONSHIP - Married 8 years (together 10 years total)
AGES - 31 and 33
CHILDREN IN HOME - 1 Adopted Son
RELIGION - Evangelical/Nondenominational Christian
LOCATION - Utah, USA (Willing to travel within the United States)
HOME - Townhome, homeowners.
NEIGHBORHOOD - Suburban/Rural
PETS - 1 Dog
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ADOPTION PREFERENCES
AGE - Given our son is over 18 months, we are open to a newborn/infant/toddler younger than him.
GENDER - Either
RACE/ETHNICITY - All
MULTIPLE CHILDREN - Open to twins or sibling sets.
DRUG EXPOSURE - Open, without judgement
SPECIAL NEEDS - Open to discussion
LEVEL OF OPENNESS - all contact: phone calls, texts, video chat, in-person visit before adoption placement, sharing photos, texts, letters after placement, visits and birthdays after adoption placement, etc,.
While we have a heart for open adoption, what ever level of openness the expectant parent(s) desire, we will honor and respect. The door will always be open for additional relationship openness.
Our Promises to You (Expectant Parents) —
We promise to be open and honest.
Our goal is to share details of our lives authentically, so you can envision whether your child would fit in our family. We will never pretend to be someone we are not just to get you to choose us.
We promise never to judge you.
Regardless of your circumstances, choices, or background, we will accept you for who you are. We will always speak highly of our children’s birth parents and any mom who may consider placing her child with our family.
We promise to respect your right to parent your child.
What if you change your mind prior to placement? That’s ok! We have walked down this road before with a few expectant moms, and actually supported them in their desire to parent by helping them find resources, and contributing to their baby registry. We trust that you will feel peace knowing what is best for your baby, and if it’s not adoption, we respect that.
We promise to prioritize our relationship with you and keep our word.
If you do choose to make an adoption plan and place your child in our family, you’re stuck with us - LOL! Our son’s birth mom and dad are considered family to us - point blank - you would be no different. We have no intention of ever disappearing and cutting off contact. We realize that open adoption, like any relationship, takes work and effort and we’re committed.
Follow our journey on Instagram.
