Opening Our Hearts And Home

I grew up knowing what it feels like to be unseen, unheard, and abused.
Those early years planted a seed in me—a quiet promise that one day, if I could, I would become the safe place I once needed.

That promise has shaped everything.

When we opened our home as safety parents, it was never just about providing a roof over a child’s head. It was about opening our hearts wide enough to hold their hurt, their anger, and their fear—and staying with them until the walls around their little hearts began to crumble.

This isn’t just my calling—it’s ours.
My husband and our sons have opened their hearts wide to every child who has come through our door. They have shared their rooms, their toys, their time—and most importantly, their love. What could have been a house divided has become a family united. I’ve watched my boys grow into compassionate young men who understand that family isn’t just something you’re born into—it’s something you give.

"Our sons are also actively involved in all our community projects and are committed to continuing that impact into adulthood. They carry with them a legacy of love, inclusion, and service that will ripple far beyond our home.”

Over the years, we have welcomed children who have been abused, abandoned, and betrayed by the very people who should have protected them. Each one comes carrying a story no child should ever have to carry. And yet, we’ve learned that love — slow, patient, unconditional love — has the power to rewrite those stories.

We’ve seen broken eyes begin to sparkle again. We’ve heard laughter return to spaces where there was once only silence. These children may arrive as strangers, but they quickly become part of us. They become family.

This journey is messy and hard and beautiful all at once. We know we can’t fix the whole world. But we can show up for one child at a time — and sometimes, that’s enough to change everything.

I am called “Mom” by many — some for a season, some for a lifetime. To me, that word isn’t about biology; it’s about being a safe place. It’s about being the arms they run to when the world has been unkind, the voice that tells them they matter, and the heart that chooses them every single day. Every time I hear “Mom,” I am reminded that love has no limits and that family is something you build with kindness, not just blood.

Through this journey, we met our daughter, Kelly Bell — a baby girl who came into our lives as part of the fostering path and, through adoption, became our forever daughter. What began as an act of opening our home turned into the greatest gift of all: the daughter we had always dreamed of.

 

I am called “Mom” by many

A duo baby shower for little Enzo and Kelly