We're looking to grow our family!

Dear Birth Mom,

We are Charlie, Laura, Mason and Walker, a Navy family living locally in Hampton Roads. We have been married for nine years. We became parents for the first time in 2001 and again in 2004. In addition to the people in our family, we also have two dogs, Jake - a schnoodle who is 11 years old, and Jovie - a boxer/lab mix who is two years old, and a turtle, Mr. T, who our oldest son, Mason, found in a local pond.

We're pretty sure we aren't the first family you have considered to raise your child. Our hope is that by the time you are done looking at our website you will have a better understanding of who we are and what kind of life you can expect your child to have. It's important to us that your child knows and understands where he or she comes from, which is why we will work with you to find a level of openness we are all comfortable with.

About us

Charlie and Laura met in the summer of 1999 at a Country-Western dance club in Knoxville, TN. We started out as dance partners, then started dating. Laura knew from the beginning that we would get married - she shared that with her mom just moments after our very first date! We dated for six months and were married in February 2000 in a small ceremony at our church. Laura's parents and an aunt and uncle, Charlie's parents, brother and grandparents, and a few friends were present. We chose to have a small ceremony where the focus of the day was our marriage, not the wedding. We are active in our community and have made many friends in the area. We enjoy camping, swimming, going to movies, and spending quality time with our family and friends.

About Charlie

Charlie was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. He has one brother and two stepsisters. His family is in Knoxville, Miami and upstate New York. His mom is the primary caregiver to her parents, a job that keeps her extremely busy. His dad works for the Food & Drug Administration and his stepmom is retired. They also own a hair salon where one of Charlie's stepsisters works. His dad's family is in New York.

Charlie joined the Navy two months after we were married. He's been in for nine years and plans to stay in to retire. Thanks to the Navy, Charlie earned his Bachelor's Degree and now works in Submarines. He has deployed very little in his career and doesn't anticipate leaving this area for several years to come. He enjoys most outdoor activities - especially fishing, he leads Mason's Cub Scout den, and helps out with Mason's baseball teams each season.

Laura says, "Charlie was born to be a dad. He is strong, yet sensitive; funny, yet serious. He's a great teacher and is very patient. I am blessed beyond measure to call him my life partner."


About Laura

Laura is an only child. She was born in east Tennessee and raised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents are retired and live in Knoxville. The rest of her family is scattered about Tennessee and Florida. Some of Laura's favorite childhood memories are summers she spent on her grandparents farm in Tennessee.

Laura is a stay-at-home mom, something that she always dreamed of doing. She spends her days running the household (which is a full time job all by itself!), volunteering for various childhood cancer organizations and is a member of a local mom's group.

Charlie says, "Laura is kind, considerate, loving and uplifting. Together we have created a wonderful little family in a beautiful home."

Our kids

We have two boys, Mason and Walker. Mason is a bright, energetic, imaginative eight year old. He is in second grade and loves to read. He stays busy playing with friends, scouting and baseball. Walker, who would be five if he hadn't passed away in 2008 during cancer treatment, was loving, funny and bright. The boys were best friends and Mason misses his brother terribly. Our next child will have a great time growing up with Mason, but will always know he or she has not one, but two, big brothers.

Our home

We live in a two story, four bedroom home in southeastern Virginia. Our neighborhood is fairly small, and our home is located in a cul-de-sac. We have a great backyard with a pool, decks, swingset and open space to play baseball, kickball, soccer, or whatever else the kids come up with! Our home is full of love and laughter and is open to our friends and family whenever they want to drop by, which happens a lot! Laura enjoys walking two miles in our neighborhood each day, and has come to know more of our neighbors that way. We are just minutes from Mason's school and our church.



We're so glad you found our website and we look forward to having the chance to meet you in person. If you have anymore questions or want to talk to us personally, you can reach us at charlieandlaura@cox.net or you can call or text us at 757.506.6781 (24 hours a day).