Family Profiles
A Letter from Doug and Jill
Hi, Birth Mom,
God bless you already! You are an incredible, courageous, young lady that’s making an unselfish decision. No one can understand the emotional and physical strain you must be feeling right now, but God is in control. Our prayer for you is that you will find a special comfort, healing, and strength in God over the next few months. As we venture through this journey together, may we all be at peace and find companionship with one another. God has a special plan for each of us—you, the little life you are carrying, and, prayerfully, us.
A Christian foundation begins in the home with a Mom and Dad setting the guidelines and being role models. A family is nurtured and finds support in the Christian-based church. We are members of the First United Methodist Church where we have felt like family since the first day we walked through the doors. Doug also speaks for youth rallies and occasionally fills the pulpit when needed.
We are a blessed family of four—Doug, Jill, Mattie, and Jazzie—who live in a small, oil town on the Canadian River in the Texas Panhandle. We’ve lived here for three years and have found this community to be full of supportive, caring, and loving people. Our brick home is comfortable and cozy with three bedrooms and a spacious yard. There are trees for shade and room to romp and roam.
Our two precious girls are cherished gifts from God. They are both adopted, but were growing in our hearts before we even knew it. Mattie Celeste, age six, just started Kindergarten. Wow, she’s growing up. She loves to watch movies, run on the track, be in her daddy’s shadow on the basketball court, and is a computer whiz. Her younger sister, Jazzie Caige, age three, is a go-getter! She plays; she’s tough; she talks non-stop about nothing; and she has a strong will to be as independent as possible. She definitely makes us choose which battles are worth fighting or to let her be herself. As for number three, we know that’s in God’s hands, too. Everything happens in His time if we are patient and faithful.
Coach Boyd is what Doug answers to most as he is a coach of the Lady Cat girls’ athletic program in the high school. His positive and spiritual influence carries over to the girls as he stresses the importance of a relationship not only as teammates, but with God as well. He also teaches eighth grade science in the junior high. In his spare time, Doug enjoys fishing, golfing, and his favorite—long distance bicycling. All of these are just hobbies as the top of his priority list is family. His love and dedication to Jill, Mattie, and Jazzie is unending. He is a devoted husband and father who lives each day just to laugh, play, and share his time with family.
After teaching fifth grade for 12 years, Jill is now teaching first grade. Wow! What a shock first grade was as the little bodies and minds are always busy, but now it is a wonderful change. Just to see a little face light up when they can read a new word or learn to add numbers with a song or spell a two syllable word is priceless. Keeping up with the girls and their daddy keeps her busy, but she does find time to shop, collect crosses, and give the walls in her home a new look. The special part of her day is when everyone returns home and settles down together.
Both of our families live in Oklahoma, no more than three hours away. Being close and having the benefit of extended holidays and summer vacations, we are able to spend valuable time with parents and siblings. Our times are treasured when we come together whether in our home or theirs. All of them look forward to having a new member of our growing family.
In His grip,
Doug and Jill Boyd
