In Jim Slayton's and Rob Hradsky's living room, a verse has been painted in flowing script over the camel-back sofa. It reads: "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

For the two men, that simple saying is indicative of their life's work, joy and sacred pledge to the care of their four adopted children and the reason for their move into a 6,500-square-foot Colonial-style home in Woodstock, Md.

"We have a commitment to adopting," said Slayton, a nurse in the Howard County Public School System. "We just grew and grew out of [our] house in the Holofield Station development."

Wanting a large, open area for the boys to play, the Woodstock home - built in 1999 and sitting on 2 acres of land - fit the bill. Slayton and Hradsky purchased the home for themselves and their sons in 2002.

The family includes Michael, age 18, who was adopted at age 4; Avery, 17 and adopted when he was 5; Mike, also 17, adopted at age 14; and, finally, 11-year-old Robbie, who came to the family when he was 9.

In addition to the selling price, Rob Hradsky, dean of students at American University in Washington D.C., estimates spending $150,000 on updates to the home such as laying ceramic flooring and granite countertops in the kitchen, painting the entire interior, installing oak hardwood flooring in the living and dining room, re-carpeting the entire second level and installing an in-ground pool surrounded by a large stone patio.

There is no doubt the house works for the Slayton and Hradsky family. With a love of cooking and entertaining, both men take advantage of their large kitchen that features glazed maple cabinets, updated appliances in black enamel and a large center island.

Slayton particularly loves the large family room (with what he calls its "wall of windows") accessible off the kitchen and the center hallway. It is here, as well as in the living room and several other areas of the house, that he has placed several pieces of antique furniture he refinished, including an oak serving table and several oak and cherry chairs.

While the oldest son Michael has opted to move into one of the lower level's two bedrooms, his old room is being prepared for an adopted child soon to be part of the family.

"Each of the boys got to pick the color of their bedrooms," said Hradsky of the five bedrooms and three bathrooms on the second level.

The home is a showplace of impeccable design and decor befitting its grandeur, yet Slayton insists that he and his family have made it a comfortable place where, he says, "friends can grab a drink from the fridge."

"We feel very, very blessed," said Hradsky, standing in the home's large foyer under another scripted verse painted over the front door that reads, "Live well. Laugh often. Love much."

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Making a dream home

Dream element:: The Slayton and Hradsky home is a palatial, two-story Colonial-style design that sits on 2 acres of property in Woodstock, Md. The house is accessed by a long driveway to the front entrance. Patapsco State Park lies just yards away from the east side of the property.

Design inspiration:: As befitting the interior and exterior architectural design, Jim Slayton and partner Rob Hradsky have gone with a traditional decor. Rich paint colors in an early American pallet of burgundy, slate blue and warm yellow adorn the walls and contrast with cream-colored molding. An oversized suite of furniture upholstered in a plaid design is perfectly scaled to a great room that features a 20-foot cathedral ceiling. Other wood pieces in the home include an oak kitchen set with captain's chairs, an expansive entertainment unit in cherry and a dining room suite in pecan, a family heirloom.

Personal touch: : The men's love for, and commitment to, their four adopted sons is reflected in the personal memorabilia displayed throughout the home. Framed artwork done by the children, myriad vacation photographs and travel treasures, such as African masks, are hung on the walls. Paintings on slate of their first two homes, along with a watercolor of Slayton's hometown in upstate New York are reminiscent of happy years past. A sentimental touch is found on a corner wall of the living room, where Slayton, a nurse in the Howard County School System, has hung a collage of photographs and the nursing school diploma of his grandmother.