Our home is full of natural sunlight, color, and warmth. Our favorite spot is the library, where we built custom floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for reading and listening to records. A bright bedroom with a built-inwindow seat is ready to become a cozy room for a child. Out back, our dog loves our large, fenced yard, surrounded by the shade of our neighborhood’s mature trees.

We live in a lively, walkable community where we take evening strolls to the local ice cream shop, coffee shop, or library. Nearby, we enjoy a community pool, fishing pond, playground, and trails. Our neighborhood hosts fun events like 4th of July parades and outdoor movie nights, and when we venture out, we love swimming at Central Texas watering holes or cheering at Austin FC soccer games!

Meet Miska and Joey! Joey, our rescue cat, was saved from a tree by Emily nearly two decades ago. She has been by Emily’s side through two university degrees and remains the undisputed, lap-loving boss of the house. Miska is our gentle 100-pound giant (though we joke she’s mostly fur!). Known for her calming presence and sweet habit of sleeping with her tongue peeking out, Miska is an absolute hit with kids. She loves sunbathing in the yard, tagging along on road trips, or relaxing on restaurant patios. Our furry duo doesn’t interact much with each other, but they do enjoy the patio together in the mornings.

Hi there, 

We are Jim and Barb Hammett, Emily’s parents. We met in college and just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. It took us a long time to start a family, so when Emily was born, she instantly became the joy and center of our lives. Before anything else, we want to say thank you. Thank you for the immense love and courage it takes to make plans for yourchild’s future. We know this path is not easy, and we deeply respect your strength. Your love for your baby shows in every single choice you make.

To give you a glimpse into who we are: Barb spent her healthcare career working with children, many of whom had special needs. They taught her patience, kindness, and how to see the world in different ways. Helping children feel safe and comfortable was the joy of her career, and now retired, she continues to serve our community by volunteering at a local food pantry. Jim built a career in sales, but always made family his absolute top priority. He intentionally turned down jobs that required heavy travel because he wanted to be present for Barb and Emily every single day. For Jim, being there for the big and small moments mattered far more than any job title.

Now that he is recently retired, he is enjoying spending even more time at home and working on his favorite hobbies.

Some of our absolute favorite memories are the family trips we took together, and making sure we were at every soccer game, school play, and Daddy-Daughter dance for Emily. We are still deeply involved in Emily and Zac’s lives. We love traveling together as adults, and we cannot wait to include a grandchild in those adventures.

As grandparents, we promise to be there for the everyday things, whether it's caring for a sick little one, helping with school pickups, or cheering at soccer games. We want to be the grandparents who show up for preschool Grandparents'Day, read bedtime stories, make s'mores on cold winter days, and teach them to ride a bike on a warm spring afternoon.

We promise to love, honor, and cherish your child with all our hearts. We promise to always speak of your bravery with the utmost respect. And we promise that your child will grow up knowing they are deeply wanted, fiercely protected, and infinitely loved.

Warmly,

Jim & Barb Hammett

To a Courageous and Brave Young Woman,

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We cannot begin to describe the immense respect, gratitude, and awe we have for the choice you are making. Our greatest hope and prayer is that you might thoughtfully choose our son anddaughter-in-law, Zachary and Emily, to be parents to your precious child. Our hearts are already overwhelmed with joy at the thought of welcoming them.

To help you understand the family your child would grow up in, we want to share a piece of our history. Our family has been beautifully built on resilience, faith, and chosen love. Years ago, my first husband, Tom, passed away whenZachary and his sister were young. Through that deep loss, I watched a profound strength grow in my children. They learned early on that together, they can overcome anything. I know Zac recognized that same resilient, beautiful strength inEmily when they met at university, as she had just lost a grandfather she loved dearly. Their bond is unbreakable, and they put family above all else.

Adoption is a deeply personal part of our family legacy. I was a young, single mother to Zachary for three years before meeting Tom. By the grace of God, Tom didn't just love me; he wholeheartedly adopted and chose Zachary as his own son with endless love. Three years later, Zac's sister came along, and our family was complete. Today, our family has grown even more. After reconnecting with my high school friend, Keith, we were married, and he blended seamlessly into our lives. We often joke that we are a beautiful, joyful'misfit' of people coming together; we are all 'adopted' into this family in one way or another, and it is absolutely wonderful. When we are all together, it is pure, delightful chaos!

Through our family history, we hope you can see the absolute love, acceptance, and non-judgmental respect we have for one another. We live to support each other through the good times and the hard times. We don't give up easily. Through our faith, we endure, and through the Lord's grace, we lift each other up.

This is the village waiting to surround your baby. Not justKeith and me, but aunts, uncles, and cousins who live by this same unconditional way of love. Thank you for letting us share our hearts with you. We are praying for you, your peace, and your future.

Blessings,

Keith and Lisa Owens

We are so fortunate to have our families close by! Emily’s parents live just thirty minutes away, and we enjoy going over to their house for game nights, family dinners, and backyard grill-outs. A short drive down the highway brings us to Zac’s sister’s home for poolside fun, or out to his parents’ cozy ranchito. Getting away to the ranchito is one of our favorite weekend getaways to be surrounded by nature, goats, chickens, and donkeys. We love spending evenings sitting around the bonfire and stargazing.

Our life is anchored by joyful traditions, big and small! Every Thanksgiving, Emily’s parents host an open-door feast for friends and family, and Christmases are spent making homemade tamales with Zac’s family. We love hosting our annual Halloween party, going on Friday night dates to our neighborhood Mexican restaurant, and taking Miska along for our Saturday morning coffee walks. Every year, we look forward to a trip, whether it’s a local Texas town, beach days on the coast, or visiting family as far as Australia. As our family grows, we look forward to visiting local Christmas tree farms, joining storytime at the library, and taking our child along on every adventure.

Together, our shared love for travel has taken us on incredible journeys from kayaking to rock climbing on an island in Hawaii to living the houseboat life in the Netherlands. Stateside, we love visiting state and national parks across the country and visiting the coast. When we can, we like to visit friends and family across Australia, and friends in Spain. Locally, we love attending live concerts, cheering at sports games, playing disc golf together, or spending weekends on house projects. Individually, Zac stays active as a runner, while Emily enjoys weightlifting. Our favorite moments are spent outdoors, even when traveling.

As "Tía Emz and Tío Zac," we are deeply woven into the lives of the little ones around us. Our home is an open door where friends and family know they can drop in, relax, and find a helping hand. Whether we are cheering at youth soccer games, celebrating birthday milestones, or stepping in so parents can grab a much-needed break, being a constant, loving presence for these kids is one of our greatest joys. We are lucky to have a rich mix of lifelong friends from childhood, close bonds from our university days, and wonderful neighbors who all feel like family.

Our village is beyond excited to welcome our future child into the fold. Both of our moms are already gathering hand-me-downs and baby clothes, and our friends near and far are eagerly planning their visits to meet the new addition. From neighborhood block parties to group get-togethers, this baby will grow up surrounded by a built-in squad of friends and an extraordinary crew of honorary aunts, uncles, and grandparents ready to shower them with love.