WHAT HEATHER REALLY THINKS ABOUT JARROD
Oh my Jarrod. This man is everything to me. I never had to wonder if I could trust him with my heart,  as the answer was yes from day one. He loves me with a passion that is unmatched, it’s slightly more than the passion he feels watching those close Purdue basketball games.  I can’t seem to keep him calm! I can’t tell you how many times I have to say “I know! I’m watching the same game as you!” When my second pregnancy resulted in the loss of our child and a subsequent hysterectomy, Jarrod was an amazing support to me. He was always willing to comfort me and hold me close. He never complained about the “slack” around the house and the extra things he took on while I was recovering.

Watching him become a daddy has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. He has transformed from a man who had never held a baby to wanting to be the one to get up and change diapers and feed our girls. Admittedly, his girls have him wrapped around their teeny tiny fingers, but he totally owns it and would never let someone give him a hard time about it. He always thought 2 kids was plenty, but if you ask him now, he’ll tell you that he needs AT LEAST a basketball team! Jarrod is such a hands-on dad and loves teaching the girls new things. He loves encouraging their curiosity and making sure they feel safe when trying something new. He is always eager to hear about their day and makes his time with them a priority.

WHAT JARROD REALLY THINKS ABOUT HEATHER
I have answered this so many times and every time it is different. What do I say? Her kindness, her compassion, her ability to be friends with anybody? Then someone asks me if anything is difficult about being married, or if Heather ever just gets on my nerves sometimes? The answer is yes and no. I love this woman with all of my being, so I tend to put up with her quirks. She totally owns it, which makes it hard to be annoyed! She sighs after she takes a long drink of water, she asks what’s for dinner tomorrow while eating tonight’s dinner, she gets sick EVERY YEAR during our anniversary. Okay, so maybe these are small things, and maybe allergies are to blame. But what do I really think about Heather? She has this incredible ability to connect with people. Anyone who spends 5 minutes with her can’t help but be friends with her. She is such an engaged mother with the girls and is so patient, creative and active with them.

ABOUT JAILYN
Jailyn Renee is our 5.5 going on 16-year-old.

Jailyn about…Jailyn. My favorite things are spending time with my family, school, ballet and playing games. My favorite room of our house is our bedroom because me and my Jaclyn get to sleep together and because mommy painted it for us when we moved in. When it’s just me and mommy, I love going to Chick Fil A. When it’s just me and daddy, I love going to Chipotle. (We love going on individual dates with the girls). Kindergarten is so fun and now I can read!

ABOUT JACLYN
Jaclyn Marie is 2, but talks like she’s 4 and is the size of a 3.5 year old.

Jaclyn about…Jaclyn. “I’m Jaclyn and I’m 5!” -No, baby, you’re 2! “Okay, fine.”

My favorite color is purple! My best friend is Sis. My favorite animal is a giraffe and Malibu (our dog). I love going to gymnastics and Miss Jodie’s (mommy & me music class!). I love reading books and coloring. My favorite room in the house is me & Sister’s room. *Runs to room, throws arms open* It’s beautiful!

OUR FAMILIES
We are very close to both of our families! Heather’s family lives 2 hours away but we see them often. She has 2 brothers & 2 sister in laws. We have 1 niece and 1 nephew. We love camping with them and getting all the cousins together! We FaceTime with them all at least once a week! Jarrod’s dad lives 5 minutes away and his brother lives 30 minutes away. We see his dad at least once a week and his brother whenever we can. We lost his mom a few years ago and as hard as it was, we are all closer than ever!

OUR HOME
Our house overlooks a large pond just beyond our fully fenced backyard. Our neighborhood has 2 playgrounds and 2 pools. We also have several playgrounds within walking distance outside of our neighborhood. We love doing family walks where we hit all the playgrounds together! We have 3 bedrooms, a large loft, HUGE dining room table for hosting and a full basement. The girls both say their favorite room is the room they share. They chose to share and it’s been amazing. Jarrod says, “as much as I love cooking for friends and family, the dining room is where it all happens because it’s where we’re all seated around the table together talking. Having Heather’s dad and grandpa build us the massive table is a testament to our desire to host and be “the place” where people want to come to be together. Heather and I loved doing the stain work, so we still feel like it’s a labor or love.” Heather’s favorite room is…the shower! Ha Jarrod & Heather love improving our home together and we knocked out the 2.5 ft shower and built a 7 ft shower. We have a dog named Malibu, she’s a boxer. And 2 cats, Oliver and Roe’n!

OPENNESS
Openness is extremely important to us. We’re sincerely hoping for a “family” feel to our relationship. We would love regular communication of pictures and videos via text or email. We’re also open to meeting up and spending time together. The openness we have with Jaclyn’s mom is, unfortunately, less than what we had hoped. We send regular updates and emails often, but we don’t hear a lot back. We’re hoping that as she gets older, we will form more 2-way conversations with her family so she can know them as well. We can’t wait to get to know you!!