Meet Scott & Shanna
Introduction—
Well hello!
What an honor it is to have you reading this right now. We are so thankful that you are taking the time to learn about our family. While we cannot fully understand what this experience may feel like for you, we want you to know that we are committed to walking alongside you with deep care and respect.
Our family has been forever changed through the gift of adoption and we are thankful every single day for the people and the stories that are a part of that journey.You and your baby are both incredibly valuable and we will approach our next adoption with the same humility and appreciation. We are committed to honoring you throughout this process and in years to come.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We hope that this gives you just a little glimpse of what it means to be a part of the Patton family.
Our Family—
We live in Boise, Idaho with our son Hutch, who is the center of our hearts. We could not have handpicked a better blessing to start our family. We love being together and our days are full to the brim with laughter, joy and adventure!
We love sunny mornings on our patio, family vacations (Disneyland being a current favorite), and just about any adventure, as long as we’re doing it together.
A typical day includes a little bit of everything: playing soccer in the yard, building a LEGO city, practicing writing letters and numbers, playing drums, and cooking meals together. We “weekend hard” with rhythms like Friday Family Movie Night, Saturday morning pancakes and cartoons like Bugs Bunny or Spidey, and time spent with family or friends. Sundays are often spent at church followed by quality family time!
Whether we are on an all out family adventure, or simply folding laundry on a Thursday morning, you can be sure to find us laughing and enjoying one another’s company.
About Shanna
Shanna is truly the heart of our home. From the moment I met her, I could see the kindness and patience she naturally carries into every part of her life. She was simply built to be a mom. The way she cares for people, encourages them, and makes every-one around her feel loved is one of the many reasons I fell in love with her.
Her faith guides the way she lives, loves, and serves others every single day. She has a calm and patient spirit that brings peace into our home, even during life’s busy moments. Shanna is incredibly talented musically and loves playing the piano whenever she gets the chance. Music has always been one of the ways she expresses joy and creativity.
She also loves baking and finding little ways to make our home feel comforting and welcoming to everyone who walks through the door. One thing I admire deeply about her is her passion and discipline in her fitness journey. She approaches it with determination and balance, always striving to become the best version of herself physically, mentally, and spiritually. More than anything, I know Shanna will be an incredible mother because of the way she loves. Patiently, selflessly, faithfully, and wholeheartedly. Watching her care for our family is one of the greatest blessings of my life.
About Scott
Scott is hands down the most generous, encouraging and hard working man I know. He is quick to go the extra mile for others, even when it’s unseen or uncelebrated. He was born and raised in Wilder, Idaho and has loved growing up in the midst of all the beauty and charm Idaho has to offer. He is as gifted as he is kind, and as loyal as he is compassionate. His strength comes from a deep well of growth, determination, and knowing first hand that time on this earth is short, he never wastes a second of it.
He is the most incredible father, always putting every ounce he has into providing for his family and making every second of our lives a dream. In his free time, Scott runs his own Pokemon card trading business that was inspired by his love for Pokemon as a child.
He enjoys making food for family and friends and will take any opportunity to use the Yodoer grill. But most often, he can be found doing just about anything with Hutch by his side. When asking others how they would describe Scott, they used words like loyal, protective and extremely perceptive, and I couldn’t agree more.
About Hutchinson
How do you describe someone who has that special quality that you can never quite put your finger on? Hutch is just different; the way his heart is both tender and courageous, the way he is aware beyond his years in every situation, the way his brilliant little mind works, and the way he can negotiate better than some adults! It’s easy to be biased as a parent, but we truly feel like Hutch was created with so much intention and purpose, and we cannot wait to see the person he grows to be. His quick wit, combined with his kind heart and compassion, is the perfect combination. He is tenacious to his core.
Hutch has been asking, hoping and praying for a “little brother and sister” (he is convinced we need one of each!) since he could talk. He was made to be an older brother. Looking out and caring for others is one of the many things he does best.
Hutch has always known about his adoption from as early as we could begin talking about it with him. it is very important to us that his journey into our family is just as celebrated and special as any other child born into a family biologically. We are so thankful our future children will get to have his older-brother perspective, insight and excitement about adoption, as well as his support in all the experiences they will share as they grow up together.
Our Marriage—
Our marriage is deeply rooted in trust, honesty, compassion, and the commitment to “out-serve” one another. Like many marriage vows describe, we have walked through seasons of “for rich or for poor,” “in sickness and in health,” “loss and grief,” “joy and favor,” and, thankfully, blessing upon blessing upon blessing.
We are devoted to one another in a way that, even when words or actions fall short, the foundation of our marriage never does. We love to laugh together (and sometimes at one another) and choose each day to invest time, energy, and love into each other.
We met in 2010 through mutual friends. We quickly realized this was much more than just a friendship, and became inseparable. We both enrolled in a Theology & Leadership Internship in 2010, graduated together in 2011, and were engaged and married in 2012. Although some may have thought we were too young to get married, we feel grateful we had the opportunity to grow up together as newlyweds in our early twenties. We know we will won’t always get it right… but then I guess we will do that together too.
Our Journey to Adoption—
Shortly into our marriage, we set out to start our family. We had high hopes for lots of kids quickly! Twenty-two-year-old me wanted to be done birthing babies by 28 so I wouldn’t be an “old mom.” (Remember how I said we grew up a lot in our twenties? Well joke’s on me because I was 30 before I became a mom, but God’s timing was perfect.)
Although answers weren’t always clear, we soon found ourselves in the trenches of infertility, and at times the reasons were unexplainable.
After trying unsuccessfully to have children naturally for years, we began to explore adoption. This came with its own set of hurdles, closed doors and, you guessed it, more unexplainable waiting. After a few closed doors from agencies and some failed adoption connections, we decided that trusting in God’s perfect timing was our best and only option.
After nine quiet years of waiting for God to grow our family, it happened— and God wasted no time! In the late summer of 2021, we were introduced to the sweetest birth parents through a mutual friend from church. We had coffee with them on a Friday afternoon, and by the following Monday evening, they were asking if we wanted to be in the room the day our son was born. After nine long years, we suddenly had just 6–8 weeks to prepare to become parents—the most amazing surprise we could ever have!
We are so proud and grateful to have adopted our son, Hutch, from birth in 2021. He has been the most incredible blessing to Scott and I and we are truly honored to be his parents. We have a wonderful and healthy open relationship with our son’s birthparents and love that regardless of where life will take them over the years, we have the ability to communicate with them. We hope and pray that one day, should Hutch want to meet or connect with them, he will have every avenue and ability to do so.
As for the “lots of kids” young Scott and Shanna once dreamed of — not one thing has changed. We can think of nothing better than a home filled with Hutch and his siblings laughing, growing, and getting into a little mischief together.
Community & Support
We know without a shadow of a doubt that we hit the jackpot when it comes to our family, friends, and lifelong community. Our family are no strangers to adoption, as several members have been blessed in one way or another through adoption or foster care. Every single one of our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces & nephews are counting down the days until we can welcome another baby into our home… and into their waiting arms!
Remember when I said God’s timing is perfect? During those 9 years of waiting for a family, we often felt as though we were going to “miss out” on raising babies with our closest friends. It turns out God knew what he was doing all along, as we now find ourselves deep into parenting alongside many of our closest friends, who all had babies within 6-8 months before and after Hutch was born! Hutch and his siblings are surrounded by a built-in group of best friends, ranging from 5 years old to the newest additions just born five weeks ago. Parenting within community is a blessing that is not lost on us.
We are also beyond blessed to have several friends and mentors who have adopted—almost to the point where our adopted friends may soon outnumber the biological! We are equally grateful to live in a community where diversity is celebrated and normalized. Regardless of nationality or ethnicity, we are committed to surrounding ourselves with people who help us celebrate all of our children’s heritage backgrounds. Because our family, friends, and church community are so diverse, we are fortunate to not have to look very far for support, understanding, and the tools needed for any situation.
Our Home
We love our home. We are the perfect distance from just about everything in our community: 10 minutes from downtown, 10 minutes from most of our family in every direction, and a quick two-hour drive from beautiful cabin life and the mountains in McCall, Idaho. Our home is filled with bright, natural light in every room. From sun up to sun down, it feels warm, inviting, and fresh.
You will find evidence of Hutch in just about every room: a pile of Legos in the playroom, a half-finished craft on the kitchen table, or even a hidden stash of “power-ups” tucked away in a closet for when he needs to defeat the next imaginary villain. Our home is often filled with music, with Shanna playing the piano, the smell of Scott cooking a delicious dinner, and Hutch playing his drums as loudly as humanly possible.
Regardless of life’s situations or circumstances, we can always come back to knowing that our home will forever be a safe space for our family and for those who may not have that in their own lives.
Faith Background
Our lives are built on the bedrock of our faith. Looking back over the years, we know it is by the grace of God alone that we have the life we do. We are strongly rooted in our Christian beliefs and seek to apply the foundations of the Bible in all that we do. We feel strongly about raising our children with a deep understanding of what it looks like to follow Jesus in every season of life.
We are very fortunate to have found a local church with a mission that truly reflects Jesus to all people. We have attended for over 15 years, and our family is very involved in different aspects of the church and its ministries.
When it comes to parenting and faith, we feel it is important for our children not only to be told about Jesus, but to experience Him for themselves at every stage of life.
Our Commitment—
Thank you for reading about our life and our journey. We pray that learning about us leaves you feeling encouraged and empowered as you make the best decision for yourself and your sweet baby.
Should you choose us, we would love to leave you with a few of our Patton Family Constitution statements: