our letter

Dear Friend,

Hi! We are Bryce and Jamie Blake. Whether you have decided on adoption or are exploring the idea of adoption for your child, we are thrilled! It is so noble of you to consider this and give people such as ourselves the opportunity to be parents. We are sure the decision is not easy. For us, adopting our daughter, Veda, has been the biggest blessing in our lives, as it truly is about love. We hope that we can add to our family by adopting another child. Our hope is that this letter will give you a little insight into our lives.

We met in the fall of 2005 at BYU-Idaho and it was practically love at first sight. We both met our first weekend away at college and introduced ourselves to each other in the back of our Sunday school class. Several weeks later, we started dating and have been inseparable ever since! Less than a year later on May 18th, 2006, we were married in the Salt Lake City Temple.

We have now been married for nine years and we currently live in southeast Idaho. After we both graduated from college, Bryce accepted a job offer in California, and off we went to start his professional career. Within the past several years, Bryce has had the opportunity to advance and grow in his profession.  His rapid career advancement has meant many moves for us. We have welcomed the adventure and thought it would be a good opportunity while we are still young—and what an adventure it has been! Since being married, we have lived in Idaho, Colorado, California, and Virginia. After a good opportunity arose, we chose to settle in Idaho Falls, close to our families.

Bryce grew up in Idaho Falls, and spent many summers as a child with his family in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area exploring the Tetons and enjoying the great outdoors. He currently works for Lockheed Martin as an Information Assurance Engineer. Essentially, he makes sure that computer networks are safe and secure from cyber attacks and hackers. He enjoys his job and is pleased with where his career is taking him. Bryce works hard to ensure that we can enjoy our life. When he is not working, he is always up for anything—whether it’s a trip to the zoo, a day drive, or a long bike ride. Right now Bryce has a big love for cycling, and can often be found on his bike during the summer months. Bryce is a wonderful father! Him and Veda have such a special bond. They love to rough house together and have dance parties. One of Veda’s favorite phrases is, “Daddy funny!”

Jamie grew up the youngest of three girls in Layton, Utah.  She received her bachelor’s degree in illustration and has a great love for art. In her spare time, she can be found painting, writing, doing stained glass, quilting, or anything that gives her a creative outlet. But mostly, Jamie just loves being a stay-at home-mom. Veda is Jamie’s buddy during the day—they like to make messes in the kitchen, color with sidewalk chalk, play in the backyard, and take trips to the library together. In 2012, Jamie achieved a life long dream of becoming a published author and illustrator. Her first children’s book, which she both wrote and illustrated, is entitled The Adventures of Buffalo Joe and the Blackbird with the Broken Wing. We hope it will be the first of many. One of the best things about Jamie’s profession is that it allows her to be at home and works well with raising a family—being a mother is something that Jamie has always aspired to be, and she feels privileged that she is living out that dream every day.  

Veda Claire is our charming, sweet, and sometimes sassy two-year-old. She fills our lives with so much joy. We like to call her "Veda Pie," because she is so sweet! She has the bluest of blue eyes and beautiful, crazy curls that we adore. Veda loves to dance—as soon as she hears something with a good beat, she immediately begins twirling and dancing. Veda also has a huge love for animals. She enjoys going to the zoo and seeing all the animals—and she really has no fear. She likes to press up against the glass to get a good look! But most of all, she loves dogs, especially ours. At home, Veda loves cooking in her play kitchen. She likes to say, "I'm cooking, mix a mix a mix!"  Veda has such a giving spirit and loves to share whatever she has, even a sippy cup or slobbered on graham cracker. This is one reason we think she’d be a great big sister!

As a family, we love spending time together! Whether it’s eating dinner together every night, going on a day drive, a trip to the farmer’s market, taking Veda to the zoo, or just staying at home. We love playing outside, and can often be found working in our yard or riding our bikes out front. We also have a happy go lucky dog—a standard schnauzer named Boolean. We love taking him for long walks around the neighborhood. Veda absolutely adores her dog, who she has lovingly nicknamed "Booey.” She loves to chase him around the house and give him lots of hugs and kisses. 

We hoped and prayed and yearned for a little one to bring into our home for so long. Adopting our beautiful daughter, Veda Claire, has been the biggest blessing in our lives. We are privileged to experience the responsibilities that parenthood brings, and we have so much love to give—we would love for our family to grow even more. We hope this letter has given you a little glimpse of who we are. Without knowing you yet, we love you already! Please know that if you choose us as the adoptive couple, we will speak about you with nothing but love and respect. We will be forever grateful to you.

Lots of Love,

Bryce, Jamie, and Veda

(and Boolean too)