Hello, and thank you for taking the time to get to know us!

We’re Sheila and Alexander (or Xandy), a loving family living just outside of Denver in beautiful Arvada, Colorado. Sheila is a fifth-generation Coloradan who grew up in Buena Vista, while Xandy was raised in Northern California, just north of San Francisco. Our journey together began at the University of Colorado at Boulder (go Buffs!), where we met in college, quickly fell in love, and have been inseparable ever since.

Together for nearly 20 years, we married in Boulder in 2011 and have shared a life filled with adventure, love, and deep commitment. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working and running businesses together, traveling to 25 different countries, and living in Seattle, Atlanta, and the mountains. But our greatest adventure began in 2022 when we were blessed to adopt our sweet daughter, Maya. She has brought endless joy into our lives, and we are so grateful to be her parents.

From the very beginning, we’ve dreamed of being a family of four, and we know in our hearts that there is still one missing piece to make our family complete. Both of us—and Maya, too!—are beyond excited to welcome another child into our home, to love unconditionally, and to share in all the little and big moments that make life so special.

We hope this book gives you a glimpse into our lives, the love we share, and the warm, supportive community surrounding us. Thank you again for considering us—we are truly honored.

When I first started dating Xandy, my friends would always say, “He’s so friendly and outgoing!” And while his ability to connect with anyone is something I love about him, it’s just one of the many qualities that make him the love of my life.

Born in Colorado but raised in Northern California, Xandy grew up surrounded by a big, loving family—his cousins are more like siblings to him. He has always been passionate about sports, playing football, baseball, and even rugby as a kid. But more than anything, he loves being outdoors and is excited to teach Maya—and her future brother or sister—how to ski, swim, and fish.

Xandy is an incredible father—hands-on, patient, and full of love. Every day, he and Maya share special “Daddy-Daughter” time, whether it's playing at the playground, visiting the butterfly pavilion, or cooking together in both our real kitchen and her pretend one. I adore how he can teach her to use tools and play sports, then turn around and spend the afternoon baking bread, making cookies, or brushing her hair while helping her pick out accessories. He finds so much joy in teaching her new things, and every night before bed, she smiles and asks, “Adventure tomorrow, Daddy?”

Beyond being a devoted father, Xandy is also a hardworking business owner. But what I admire most is his ability to balance work and family. Since he works from home with a flexible schedule, he’ll be just as present and involved when we welcome another child into our family. I know he is beyond excited to have another little one to love, teach, and take on adventures.

Sheila is my best friend in the entire world, and I still don’t know how I got so lucky to have her in my life. She is incredibly kind, intelligent, and intuitive—always knowing exactly how to support the people around her. She has a deep passion for helping others, which was evident even in college when she worked for a small non-profit while putting herself through school.

Growing up in a small mountain town, Sheila has always had an adventurous spirit, a kind heart, and an amazing ability to be both structured and spontaneous. Whether it was learning the violin at age five, launching her first "business" selling worms with her cousin at the town lake at age eight, or going on mission trips to Haiti at sixteen, she has always embraced challenges with enthusiasm and determination.

Sheila comes from a close-knit family with two brothers and a sister, and she is absolutely adored by our nieces and nephews. They look up to her for advice, love spending time with her and Maya, and always get excited for the creative art projects and activities she organizes for them.

But above all, Sheila is an incredible mother. She loves our daughter, Maya, more than anything and fills each day with laughter, learning, and endless cuddles. She has an uncanny ability to anticipate exactly what Maya needs—whether it’s a healthy snack before heading to the park or noticing when Daddy may have done her ponytail just a little too tight. And when Maya sweetly asks, “Mama…hold you?” multiple times a day, Sheila is always ready with open arms for extra hugs.

As a stay-at-home mom, Sheila is beyond excited to welcome another child into our home. She is ready to share her endless love, patience, and warmth with another little boy or girl, and I know without a doubt that this child will be just as cherished as Maya.

Our daughter, Maya, came into our lives in 2022 and has shown us firsthand the beauty and love that adoption brings. We were incredibly lucky to be there the day she was born, and from that moment on, she has filled our world with joy. We share a wonderful relationship with her birth family—regularly seeing her birth mother and staying in touch through texts and photos. We couldn’t imagine life without Maya, and we love her with all our hearts—just as we will love our next daughter or son.

Maya is full of energy, kindness, and laughter. She is smart, funny, and absolutely adores being around other children. She frequently asks us when her baby brother or sister will arrive, and we know she will be an amazing older sister. Our extended family absolutely adores her, and they can’t wait to welcome another little one into our lives through adoption.

If Maya could design her perfect day, it would look something like this:

She’d wake up early and run into our room, singing and jumping on the bed until we both wake up. Breakfast would be fruit and pancakes, followed by getting dressed with Mommy and spending the morning playing games, doing art projects, and dancing. After a banana and PB&J for lunch, she’d enjoy a nice afternoon nap before heading out on an adventure—maybe a trip to the park to make new friends, a visit to the Nature & Science Museum, or a hike in Boulder. She’d end the day with a salmon dinner with Mommy and Daddy, some cuddles on the couch, and a fun splashy bath before bedtime. Mommy would read 'Hot Dog' (her favorite Mickey Mouse book), followed by 'Goodnight Moon', and then we’d sing her a lullaby before she falls sleep.

We can’t wait to share our love and joy with another child.

We couldn’t imagine living anywhere else but Colorado, and in 2017, we found our perfect home in Arvada. Nestled between the excitement of the city and the beauty of the mountains, we love that we’re just 20 minutes from downtown Denver and 20 minutes from Boulder. It truly gives us the best of both worlds.

Our neighborhood is a wonderful, family-friendly community. Our church is just a short bike ride away, and we have a community pool down the street. A beautiful park—complete with a large lake, walking trails, and a playground—is just a block from our home. We’re also fortunate to live within walking distance of two excellent elementary schools, with the local high school less than five minutes away. It’s the perfect place to raise children, and we love spending our days exploring all the fun things our area has to offer.

Our home is a classic two-story, three-bedroom house that was beautifully remodeled just before we moved in. We’ve made it our own over the years, especially our wonderful backyard, which we’ve redesigned into a cozy space for play and relaxation. All of the bedrooms are upstairs, and we’re excited to convert our home office into the new baby’s room so they’ll be extra close to us. Most of our time is spent downstairs—cooking and baking in our open kitchen, listening to music in the den with Maya, or enjoying the backyard. We also have a large unfinished basement, which we plan to transform into a fun hangout space as the kids grow older.

We truly love our home and can’t wait to welcome another child into it, filling it with even more love, laughter, and family memories.

We are incredibly fortunate that most of our family lives right here in Colorado, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for playdates with cousins, visits with grandparents, bike-riding lessons from uncles, and—most importantly—an abundance of love and support.

Both of us grew up in loving and diverse families. Sheila’s family is from the San Luis Valley in Colorado, with most still living just a few hours away. Xandy’s family is originally from Napa, CA, and while they are now spread across the country in places like California, New York, and Oregon, we stay closely connected through visits and plenty of FaceTime. Our entire family is overjoyed about our adoption journey and can’t wait to welcome a new little one into our home!

Beyond our families, we are also lucky to have a wonderful circle of lifelong friends—from childhood, college, work, and church. Whether it's trips to Central America, camping adventures, or visits to the Children's Museum, we love making memories with our friends and their families. There will be no shortage of playdates, family outings, and adventures to share as we welcome another child into our lives.

Both of our families have wonderful traditions, and over the years, we’ve created a few of our own as well. We can’t wait to share these special moments with another little one.

One of our favorite traditions is our annual family road trip. Every year, we take a trip to explore Colorado and visit Sheila’s family in Southern Colorado. Whether we’re renting a camper van or RV, we love spending time together fishing, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors.

For the holidays, we alternate between spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with each side of the family. No matter where we celebrate, we always make a special craft to commemorate the year and bake Xandy’s family’s famous Harper House dinner rolls.  We love taking Maya to pick pumpkins, see dazzling Christmas lights, and visit Santa—traditions we can’t wait for her to share with a little brother or sister.

Another tradition we cherish is our annual family getaway, where we unplug and enjoy uninterrupted time together. Recent trips have taken us to Boston, Canada, Belize, and California.  As our children grow, we hope to take them on adventures all around the world!

Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about us, our family, and our home. We cannot wait to grow our family through adoption. 

We are praying for you and the hard decision you have to make. We want you to know that, if chosen as an adoptive family, we will welcome you into our lives with open hearts in an open adoption. We have a stable, caring, and nurturing home for the baby, and will shower him/her with love, support, and affection forever.  

We have been waiting for God to bring the right child into our lives and make our family complete, and we cannot wait to meet both of you.

Blessings, 

Sheila and Xandy