Rodney & Sophie 

Thinking about an adoption plan is the most selfless thing a person can do. We are inspired by your courage and know you will make the right decision with or without an adoption plan. Because a mother’s love for their child is the deepest love in the world.

Our Story:

We’ve known each other since we were 24/20 years old and were introduced by friends in our yoga community. And while they wanted to match us up when we first met, it took 10 years until we were able to start dating (I am now 37 and Rodney, 33 years old).

But it wasn’t like the usual dating. I (Sophie) was about to move out to California for a job and needed a room to stay. Our  friends suggested I should ask Rodney to stay in his extra room. I was hesitant at first, since I knew about the matchmaking plans of our friends. But since I liked him, I decided to give it a shot. And then, I never moved out. :) 

Our friends and community were right all  along. We are a great match for each other. Rodney proposed 10 months after I moved in, with the most romantic proposal I could have ever dreamed off. We got married 8 month later in the US (picture right) and a year later in Germany, which is where I am from.

Our family:

Originally, I am from Germany and immigrated to the US in 2009. My whole family as well as several high school friends are all residing in Germany and we visit them at least once a year.  We are excited to raise our child bilingual (German and English) and offer them the opportunity to have a family here in California and in Germany. I have 3 smaller siblings who live with my Mom and Dad in Germany, 2 aunts, 5 cousins, grandparents, and a bunch of friends who I consider as my extended family. 

Rodney was born and raised in  Los Angeles, California. We regularly see his grandparents, great aunt and mom who live in the San Fernando Valley. His dad and brother live in Atlanta and his extended family include 3 uncles and aunts, and 5 cousins. My mom always joins our Thanksgiving dinners with Rodney’s family and the only thing missing is a little munchkin joining us. 

Hobbies:

Rodney and I have a lot of the same interests. We love the outdoors and like to explore all nature has to offer, either by going on hikes, kayaking, the beach, picking fruits, paddle board, and camping. One of our favorite yearly adventures is to go to Big Sur to camp and hike and completely unplug from the fast pace of life. 

Due to my German origin and my love for German bread, Rodney also bakes Sourdough bread and is providing us, and others often, with delicious homemade bread and pizza. My favorite part of coming home is when  Rodney has baked and the whole house smells like freshly baked, warm, crunchy bread.  

Both of us are into the musical arts. My whole family are professional musicians, Rodney’s mother is in the film industry, and Rodney himself has been playing the piano since he was six years old. We love to go to concerts, plays and play music at home. 

For our German wedding, as a surprise Rodney even played a piece with my dad as a surprise for me.

Christmas is one of our favorite times of the year, where we decorate the house with a lot of German knick-knacks, bake traditional German cookies and share them with our friends.

Values: 

Our marriage is anchored in our Bhakti-Yoga tradition. We believe in an all-loving God and constantly work on building that loving relationship with the Divine in our everyday life through meditation, yoga, reading sacred texts like the Bhagavad-Gita, and community building. Rodney also works with his alma mater, CSULB, to teach college students about meditation as a means for reducing stress and anxiety. 

 The core of our spiritual practice is that serving others and the divine is the ultimate path to happiness. Therefore, we believe that serving a child by caring for it, nurturing and loving it unconditionally is one of the greatest gifts we can give to the world. 

Hopes for our child:

We wanted to become parents quickly after getting married, but God had other plans in mind for us as we discovered we couldn’t have biological children. Adoption was always an option we talked about early on and now we are excited to be on this journey together. 

My friends have always told me I am a natural with children that are not my biological ones, as I was able to put their children to sleep every time we  hung out.

We want to give our child the feeling of being unconditionally loved just the way they are. We want for our child to explore many activities including practicing musical instruments, the arts, as well as sports. Both of us love to learn new things and explore different cultures, which is something we want to pass onto our child.

We also think it is important for children to have lots of time for free play. The flexibility of our  jobs (I am a University Professor, Rodney a Sales Executive) allows us to set our own  schedule, which will give us the opportunity to be around our child a lot and let them be themselves. We want to raise our child to be honest, kind, loving, and God-conscious, and have courage, wisdom and strength just like their birth mom!

Final Thoughts: We can’t wait to see our child building sandcastles at the beach, splashing in the ocean or community pool, reading, dancing, goofing around, playing with our friends & kids in the neighborhood park. Our families are excited to become grandparents, aunts and uncles and are very supportive of our journey.

We’d want our child to know about their courageous birth mom and can’t wait to tell them how special they are and are looking forward to exploring the different levels of an open or semi-open adoption. We are inspired by your brave journey into finding the best path for your child and are looking forward to a possible future together. 

With Love, 

Sophie & Rodney