Our Story
What started as a "cousin sleepover" the night before Thanksgiving in 2015 quickly evolved into a life-changing journey my wife, Katie, and I never imagined. At the time, our immediate family consisted of myself, Katie, Emme (3), and Easton (2). When five-year-old Everly arrived at our house on November 25, 2015, concerns arose surrounding her biological mother's health and behavior. We soon learned that both of Everly's biological parents were struggling with severe drug addictions that were deeply affecting her quality of life and future.

After six months of learning more about their addiction issues, offering help with rehabilitation efforts, and facing repeated dishonesty, Katie and I—with support from my mother and other family members—made the decision to legally fight for Everly's future. On June 21, 2016, we appeared in the Fort Bend County Courthouse for the first time, beginning our custody-to-adopt case. That same day was Katie's 31st birthday, and just days prior, we had learned she was pregnant with our third child, Ellis.

Approximately two years later, following numerous court appearances, mediation, court-ordered rehab, weekly visitations, and thousands of dollars spent, we won the custody battle and were granted the right to move forward with the legal adoption process. On November 16, 2018 (National Adoption Day), nearly three years after that initial sleepover, we formally adopted Everly Frances into our family.

By October 2016, nearly a year into this process, we became acutely aware of the significant financial, time, and emotional toll required to fight for a child's best interest. More importantly, we realized how many children face similar situations without the massive support system Everly had. During a family gathering that month, we decided to organize a fundraiser called the Pecan Grove Turkey Trot to raise money for child adoption causes. Through these efforts, we formed The Thankful Ones, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Everly turned 16 on June 23, 2026. She recently began her sophomore year of high school. Everly loves hanging with her friends and is active in theatre arts and floral design. While our journey has had its struggles and balancing the needs of all our children is constant, Everly will always be our oldest daughter and a big sister to Emme, Easton, and Ellis.

#ForeverFamily #SupportAdoption #WeAreTheVillage #Thankful
The Thankful Ones is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization (Tax ID# 81-4247715) that will ultimately provide financial support to the families in the process of adopting a child of addictive parents, and bring awareness to the topic of adoption and addiction and how children are affected by both. The adoption process is a grueling one that requires a lot of time, patience, money, support, faith and prayer. Until one gets involved in something like this, one cannot imagine how complex, time consuming and expensive the legal system is regarding adoption.
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