When I’m not teaching, I fill my time by going to movies, reading, planning trips, seeing my friends, trying new restaurants, and putting gifts together. Also, I love everything about going to see movies and live shows, including concerts, plays, and musicals. My favorite thing to do is to get up on Saturday morning to go see a movie at the earliest time by myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love going to the movies with friends too. I just love a good solo movie date a little more. When it comes to live shows, I saw Hamilton in New York City, and it changed my life. Now I go to Beef & Boards dinner theater to see local shows! (An additional fun solo date I have come to love!) I enjoy traveling as well, almost as much as I love planning trips in between trips! There is nothing more exciting than having a new trip to plan and put together just for me! In my adult life, I have tried to go somewhere every year. It may not always be somewhere far, but a trip is worth it either way for me! My last big trip was to Italy, and ever since then I have been plotting a way to get back to Europe! I had the most amazing time! I love going to Disney World, too!

The last hobby I mentioned was putting gifts together. I have an aunt that I would crown as the world’s greatest gift giver. She did not give huge or expensive gifts, but they were always really thoughtful. I have wanted to be like that all my life, and now with so many babies in my life, I get to plan and prepare gifts so much that I would consider it a full hobby.

Maisy (Best friend and past roommate in and after college who teaches at the same school as me, my closest friend): “As someone who grew up knowing I was meant to be an educator and teach in an elementary school, I always thought of myself as someone who loved children. Alana and I have been best friends for years, but it wasn’t until she began working at my elementary school that I saw the most essential quality to her character. Seeing her pour love, motivation, and selflessness into her first graders unlocked a level of self-reflection that I had as a teacher, and therefore made me a better one today. I realized that although I knew I had a love for kids, Alana has a level of love for children that many people might not ever obtain in their character. I always knew my purpose in life is to be a teacher, but Alana was always meant to be a mother.”

Carley (still-close friend since middle school): “Alana understands the importance of nurturing and uplifting children and will be a fantastic mother.”

Liz (Very close friend since middle school): “Alana has a naturally maternal way about her—warm, patient, and deeply attentive to the people she loves.”

Leah (family friend who I babysat/nannied her since I was 14): “There aren’t enough words to describe how deserving and perfect a mother I know Alana would be. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s wanted to be a mother and I know she would be the best. I have seen firsthand how she is with children; I am one of them. She is loving, selfless, and caring, and also knows how to guide you on the right path for your life. I know for a fact that Alana would do anything and everything in her power to give a child the best possible life.”

Koele (Leah’s little 14yo sister who I also nannied since she was 6 weeks old): “My big sister is one of the greatest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. She is more deserving and qualified to be a mother than anyone I know. I’ve had the honor of being one of the first babies she cared for, as she practically raised me from birth to present. Alana has always supported me through every milestone and made life in general more enjoyable and exciting. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her guidance. She also has many years of experience with teaching and babysitting. She is not only a wise and compassionate person, but a best friend that I can’t imagine my life without.”

Alyssa (a close friend who’s like a sister to me): “Alana effortlessly portrays what it means to be a person who shows unwavering loyalty and unconditional love. She is beyond selfless for those around her and has a natural nurturing sense about her. To know her is to love her, genuinely.”

Emily (a co-worker and friend who co-teaches with me in my classroom): “I have had the great pleasure of co-teaching with Alana over the past few years. Watching her teach, it is clear that she will also be an incredible mother. She brings an innate sense of patience and genuine loving kindness to every child in her classroom. When students face challenges, Alana has a remarkable ability to encourage them to be brave, persevere, and believe in themselves.”

Lynsey (my closest friend since 3rd grade who has a little girl that calls me Auntie Lana): “Alana would truly be the most loving mother a child could ask for. As a teacher and one of my closest friends, her heart for children is truly something special, she loves deeply, gives selflessly, and always puts a child’s needs first. Any child welcomed into her life would grow up surrounded by warmth, encouragement, and a steady, unconditional love that makes a house feel like home.”

Alex (my friend since elementary school): “I have known Alana for about 20 years, when her family moved in down the street from my family. Not only is Alana the most caring and empathetic person I know, her family is also incredibly welcoming and loving. Raising a child takes a village, and her village is filled with unconditional love and open arms to anyone new.”

My family is little, but their support and love spreads wide. I have a mom who was pretty much born to be a grandma, and a dad who I love and can count on for just about anything. I also have a younger brother who is an adventure-seeker who just finished hiking from Mexico to Canada! My family was not always very stable, but looking at where we are now, I could not be more proud of what we have overcome.

I grew up with a single mother who did everything in her power to make sure we did not feel the weight of the world like she did. My dad used to struggle with alcohol use disorder, and I spent a lot of my childhood feeling like my dad loved drinking more than parenting me. But as I have grown up and learned more about him and alcoholism, I began to see his addiction for what it was. My dad is almost 7 years sober now; I am so blessed to be his daughter. I cannot wait to see him as a grandpa too!

I am one of those people that considers their friends to be family. As a teenager, I was making sure to pick my friends in a way that would one day benefit my future child I would adopt. I can say now that I think I did a pretty good job. My friends are everything to me, and their support is really what makes me feel capable of adopting a child by myself. I know any child I am blessed with will feel a love like no other from their many chosen “aunts and uncles.” I am “Auntie Laney” to all of my friends’ kids, and I couldn’t ask for better little babies to love. I even have stockings on my fireplace mantel every year for each of my little “nieces and nephews.” I want to make sure they always feel at home at Auntie Laney’s house. I have never missed a milestone in my friends’ babies’ lives, and I know they will all be there when it’s my turn.

I live in a small neighborhood that has only two streets. It is the perfect size for a good after-dinner walk. My neighborhood has a pond and a playground where a couple of really sweet kids play. My house has a big, beautiful tree in front that turns almost every color throughout the year. I have a fenced-in backyard that I just finished having cleared out so there is room to run and play. I live in a town that is close to everything and everything else is not a far drive at all. I love to walk anywhere by water, but my town also has a really cute “Main Street” I walk on too. I love thrift shopping and ice cream shops, along with my local burger place. In addition, I take my friends’ babies to the zoo and the children’s museum as often as I can! My town also has some super cool kids’ places that are close by. And I love my local library! I go every month to collect books for my classroom and can’t wait to join the Read Aloud sessions when I am a mom. The library was a big deal to me when I was little, and I want to help a child feel that same magic as well.

As a teacher I have learned a lot about what kids need and how to help them grow, to be successful. The most important thing I have learned about kids is each and every one of them are so different. I love their differences because it makes my job so fun. I hope to be a parent that sees a child’s differences and helps them bring them out proudly. I want to be the parent that stands up for their child, but also helps them find their own voice so they are able to stand on their own someday. Something else I have learned from teaching so many different children is that discipline looks different for each child. I believe in conscious discipline, which means kids should know what is expected of them and their consequences are clear because of that. In my classroom, I make sure each kid understands their consequences rather than just making them feel like they are “in trouble.” This gives them a sense of power in their choices and they often choose the smart choice because they clearly understand their consequences. I also plan to be a consistent parent who will try not to shock my child by lashing out because I am having a bad day. I know bad days are going to happen, but I want to do my best to make sure my emotions don’t get in the way when I need to step in to give a consequence. In other words, I don’t want to “lash out” because I had a mom who never did, and I use that thinking as a teacher as well.

Something else my mom did that shaped me is, raise me as a Christian. I grew up in church, church clubs, and camps, and I could not be more grateful now. My faith is an important part of me and is something I hope to share with a child. My mom did it right though, I would say. Meaning, she never forced it on me. She never told me I had to go to church, or I had to choose this life. She just led by example. She showed me what life was like loving Jesus and let me choose that life for myself. I don’t plan on forcing that on a child, but I do plan on showing them the option and showing them love the way Jesus does. That being said, whatever life the child I am blessed with chooses, they will have the ability to do so with no judgment from me. I want to always be in their corner and hold onto hope that they know Jesus’ love like I do. I do not have a home church yet, as I am waiting to receive a placement to find a church home full of people who look like them and show love in a no-judgement way.

My ethnicity is mixed, or better known on every application ever as “other.” My mom is white and my dad is black. Growing up, I never felt like either race. I was always too white for my black friends and too black for my white friends. My mom did her best by taking us to churches and other places where the community was mostly black, but that was not always in her comfort zone.

As I have gotten older, I have come to love both sides of my ethnicity. I am in more spaces that include more races. I work in a school that is mostly made of kids who are diverse. Almost half of the kids in my school are from a different country. I love this because each month we get to celebrate a different ethnicity openly at school, and the kids are able to share their cultures with each other. I think understanding your ethnicity is important, which is why when I find out the ethnicity of the child I am blessed with, I will make it my duty to find doctors and professionals who look like them. I want them to go to church and community centers with people who look like them. I want them to have friends who are of the same ethnicity as them as well as other additional ethnicities. I want them to see people for who they are and learn to love learning about other cultures, just as I have.

My very favorite tradition growing up was for every Thanksgiving and Easter we spent them with different families. My mom had a lot of friends and each year, we had an invite to someone’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. I think it’s important to include friends in the holidays, and I try to keep this tradition alive by spending those holidays with my friends as well.

One tradition I have to this day is my annual Christmas Eve Eve party. Every year on the eve of Christmas Eve, my friends come to my house dressed up super fancy for a Christmas dinner with games, crafts, and good food my mom cooks for us. My brother dresses up too and serves us food with some of his friends. I started this tradition my senior year of high school because I knew my friends and I were all going on different walks in life, and I wanted a reason for everyone to come back together. Now, I have added new friends from college and different work friends I have made, and the table is almost too big for my house now, but I couldn’t have a Christmas season without this! This year will be the 12th year, and I stay excited all year long for it!

I have two Old English Sheepdog puppies! They are both girls and their names are Miley and Lemon. They are almost 2 years old and have finally started to calm down from their puppy stage (just in time for a new addition to the family!). They have somewhat hypoallergenic fur that doesn’t cause a lot of allergies. I also keep their hair short so they do not shed as much. They love to go for walks around the neighborhood and also in new places. They love everyone, even other dogs they have met. They are sometimes guilty of showing too much love, but are always able to calm down. They love snow and racing each other in the backyard. They love treats and using the bells on the backdoor to go outside to earn their treats. They are both crate trained and almost potty trained fully. They sleep with me and their nightly routine is to watch me get ready for bed while they wait for a goodnight kiss before I turn out the lights. My favorite time of day with them is when I turn on smooth jazz on the tv so I can read my books, and they snuggle next to each other and fall asleep to the soft music. It really is so sweet! We can’t wait to add a little one to this bedtime routine of ours. Someone to snuggle and enjoy calming music with us would be a dream.

This is my promise to you:

I think adoption is one of the most amazing human interactions because it is a display of love. Adoption is also one of the bravest things a human can do and that goes for both ends. Adoption was never a question of “if” for me, it was always “when.” This may not have always been your plan like it has been mine, but the courage you have for making this difficult decision is unmatched. I promise this child will know of your courage, and they will understand that it came from love. I promise to talk about you often, so much so, that this child feels the love you have for them as much as anyone else in their life. I promise to make a life book for them to show them where they came from and how love and bravery brought them to me. I promise to make sure you are the hero in their story. I promise to stand up for this child, and make sure they feel not only loved, but supported and comfortable and free to be who they were born to be. I promise to keep communication between us open, if that is what you wish. If communication is something you need time to get used to, I promise to be open and ready for it when you are ready. Lastly, I promise to do my best to provide a life for this child that’s full of love and courage, just like the love and courage they were brought into this world with.