Amy and Michael Monroe

Phone: (972) 315-9628
E-Mail: tapestry@irvingbible.org

Amy and Michael Monroe have four children – Grant, Kate, Miles and Carter. They serve as leaders of Tapestry at Irving Bible Church, and strongly believe that the local church should play a unique and essential role in providing community, encouragement and information for adoptive and foster families as well as those considering the adoption or foster care journey.

By day, Michael is an attorney for a private oil and gas company, and Amy, formerly an elementary school teacher, is the chief operating officer of Monroe, Inc. – a family operation consisting of one husband, four children, a dog, a house and endless amounts of laundry, shopping and errands. But their greatest passion is sharing with others the blessings they have experienced first-hand through the miracle of adoption.

Read more about the Monroe’s adoption journey.  You can also read stories and articles by Michael Monroe as well as Amy’s occasional blog posts, where she shares about the joys and challenges of being a mom.

Kristin and Anthony Violi

Phone: (972) 395-6694
E-Mail: ktvioli@gmail.com

Kristin and Anthony, and their two sons Luke and Cade, have been involved in Tapestry for over three years. They lead Tapestry’s Waiting Families Groups and also help set the direction for the overall ministry and its activities. Kristin and Anthony have experienced firsthand the blessings of walking the adoption journey alongside others who “get it,” and they are committed to reaching out in Jesus’ name to the “fatherless” and the families that love and serve them.

Anthony is an executive for a local bank and Kristin is a former speech/language pathologist who, at the age of 28, took an early retirement to start a long-awaited second vocation of being a mom.

Read more about their adoption journey and the important role that their local church community of adoptive families played.

Annie and Scott McClellan

Phone: (817) 454-5898
E-Mail: amcclellan@irvingbible.org

Annie and Scott McClellan brought their oldest daughter, Elise, home on Christmas Day 2008. Tapestry was and continues to be a vital part of their adoption journey, so they’re thrilled to serve as part of the Tapestry leadership team.  In May 2011, Annie and Scott welcomed their daughter, Maggie, to the family, so Annie hung up her teacher hat to stay home full-time and help out Tapestry. Scott is an editor/writer and conference director. As for Elise and Maggie, well, they are learning how to be sisters.

Read more about Annie and Scott’s thoughts during their long wait as well as Annie’s thoughts on the connections she and Scott share with their daughter Elise.

Jim Clawson & Carmen Scroggin

Phone: (972) 898-0277
E-Mail: carmen@carmenscroggin.com

Jim and Carmen were first introduced to Tapestry at the beginning of their adoption adventure when they discovered the Tapestry Conference while searching online. Being new in the process they decided to attend the conference to learn more and connect with others also traveling the adoption journey. After attending the conference, they began attending one of Tapestry’s Waiting Families Groups, which became an essential element in helping them ‘wait well.’

Since bringing their daughter, Almaz, home from Ethiopia in December 2009, they have continued to be involved with Tapestry. After meeting the wonderful people in the adoption and foster care community, and becoming a part of that community, Carmen and Jim are excited to serve others on the adoption and foster care journey. While being passionate about adoption, Carmen and Jim’s primary focus is orphan care, particularly giving orphans who will never be adopted the skills, knowledge and tools needed to be successful. Jim is a veterinarian in Coppell, and Carmen is a licensed professional counselor with a private practice in Dallas.

Read more about Jim and Carmen’s journey to adopt Almaz, and “what’s next” for them.

Ira & Valerie Kirkley

E-Mail: vvkirkley@yahoo.com

Valerie and Ira are trading in farm animals for children. In 2010, after nearly 20 months of waiting, they finalized the foster adoption of Brett (4) and Alexia (2). In exchange, they gave away all of their chickens. At the end of 2010 they chose to foster Brett and Alexia’s newly-born brother, Joshua. They gave up their beagle in return. They are gun-shy to get anymore animals for fear that it might result in more kids. But most days they feel like shrewd negotiators.

Valerie has a passion for at-risk youth. She holds a Masters in Family Studies and spent several years working with kids from hard places. She was particularly adept at recruiting her husband for volunteer work. She has taken a long sabbatical to care for her family. Ira works as an executive in the home-remodel industry. He has an educational background in Biblical studies and adult education. The Kirkley’s can remember a time in their marriage when life was easier, but it has never been more meaningful.

Read more about Ira and Valerie’s foster care and adoption journey.

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