We met in Las Vegas, NV through Match.com. Nate had just moved in for work and Joanna had already been teaching 1st grade for a couple of years. Nate sent the message and Joanna's subscription was three days away from cancelling. He was her last shot at finding internet love! April 26, 2011, Nate took Joanna to ride Go-Karts and followed up with dinner at a Thai Restaurant. Nate was late and went to the wrong place because he didn't double check the address. Joanna impressed Nate with how she wore the safety sock and didn't worry about her hair. We got locked into the restaurant at 10:00 PM and sat in a booth while they cleaned for another 30 minutes. One-year later to the day, Nate arranged to have Joanna throw out the opening pitch at a Las Vegas 51's baseball game. He proposed in front of the stadium, among friends and coworkers, at the pitchers' mound.

We have just celebrated our 10-yr anniversary. Through that time, we have traveled from Nevada to Georgia, and now live in Texas. We complement each other very well and find new ways to devote ourselves to each other. We are travel buddies who enjoy camping, ballparks, Europe, breweries and most of all, family. Our four animals (Paouse [pronounced paws], SeeeTeee, Brewtus, and Blackjack) have joined us on our journey and make our lives full, but not complete. We have been looking to complete our family with some children. We are excited for our chance to grow our family through adoption.

We knew we wanted to have kids, but wanted to enjoy a year and a half of marriage before trying to start a family. We got pregnant multiple times, but ended up miscarrying. No one prepares you for the depth of loss for the children you want to have and then lose them. We even tried fertility treatments of IUI's and IVF. The one IVF was successful, but we ended up miscarrying that baby as well. We had to take time to grieve for all of these losses before we could focus on the next avenue of adoption. We always had adoption as an option to have children. We did a lot of research and tried looking for an agency right for us in helping our family grow. We were with an agency before covid shut it down and we had start the process all over. We couldn't be happier with Gladney and have been excited each step of the way to help grow our family through adoption. God has put peace in our hearts as we continue this process of adoption and know we are in the right place. Joanna has family members who have been adopted and have had good experiences. Nate has been adopted himself by his step-Dad. Joanna also has taught multiple students who have been adopted and parents and students have shared their good experience with adoption.

We live in a 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom house. We have a nice yard with raised garden beds, peach trees, a shed, and small grassy area. We live on a diverse street. We have a lot of families with kids of various ages. We always watch out for each other on the street and are very friendly with each other. We often get together with some of families and have BBQ's, game nights, or spontaneous meals at each other houses. We also like to talk and hang out in the street while the kids play.

Our city has a small town feel. The people are very friendly and supportive. We have a great community with the military and those on base.

A modern renaissance man who is convicted in his beliefs and leaves a lasting impression.I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades. My thirst for education has led me to many hobbies such as brewing my own beer, hunting, working on vehicles, camping, welding, woodworking, gunsmithing, and so many more. I'm old school in that the three things that drive me are my faith, family, and protecting the freedoms we share. God has given me a calling for taking care of others in all that I do. Lastly, I'm known to be quite the character. I'm a practical joker who loves to be the life of the party and squeeze every ounce of excitement out of life that I can. I will be a good father, teacher, and role model for your child.

Through Joanna's Eyes

What drew me to Nate :

1. Larger than life personality
2. He has a great sense of humor
3. Has such a big and loving heart.
4. His ability to love my niece and nephews . He acts like a big kid with them. They enjoy having nerf gun wars, sports, video games, or other interests.
5. Nate is such a loyal and brave man.
6. Dedicated: He has been in the Air Force for 17 years and is dedicated to make a lasting impact on the people around him.
7. Has a deep love of hobbies. From brewing his own beer, to working on vehicles, he shows a lot of dedication to each interest. Nate would love to teach these things to his children someday. His constant zeal for life, humor, and loyalty will make him a wonderful Dad.

I love God and I love teaching. I have been teaching for 17 years. Currently I teach first grade at a Lutheran School. First grade is my absolute favorite grade to teach. I love being able to see the amount of growth first graders show in just one year. I love when they take off in their reading and writing skills. I love all of the hugs from students, drawings, and of course my students! When I am not teaching, I love to read (my nose is always in a book), bake, play volleyball or soccer, and spend time with family and friends. I love to travel with my husband whether it is for holidays, summer, or quick weekend trips.

Through Nate's Eyes

An early Americana-style woman who has devoted herself to God and her family.The one thing that drew me most to Joanna was our shared love for the Lord. She is strong and convicted. My rock when I need her. I find new ways to love her each and every day. What I love most about Joanna is her sweet demeanor, selfless caring, and her innocence. As a teacher and a coach, she has dedicated her life to molding children and teaching young girls what it means to be a woman and a teammate. She is a traditional woman who supports me in all my endeavors and has made our house a home. She cooks and cleans, is a provider for others, and loves having people over for food and games. Joanna will be an amazing mother, comforter, and nurturer for your child.

We have 2 black cats that are sisters from the same litter. Their names are Paouse and Seetee. We also have 2 black dogs. One is a black lab mix named Blackjack. The other is a full bred lab named Brewtus. They love attention and are great with kids. They have loved playing with our niece and nephews as well as our friends' kids.

We love to travel together. Whether we are seeing a different city and trying out new food or breweries, we like to explore the different life in various cities. We have enjoyed traveling to other cities as well as to countries like Germany, Belgium, and Austria. We like to also go camping and do hikes.

On our down time at home, we like to do a variety of activities ranging from gardening, watching T.V., playing games with friends. Sometimes we like to play video games with each other.

Faith is a huge aspect of our lives. We go to church every Sunday and pray together daily. We both feel it is important to instill this faith in our children. We would like to have our children baptized and have them go to church and Sunday School. We will say prayers for every meal and say prayers before bedtime. If we can afford it, we would also like to put our children in a Christian school.

We celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with family. We hope to start our own traditions when we have kids either with our families or at home.

Thank you for taking the time to review our lives in this book. We hope that you see how much we love to travel, have fun, and the amount of support we bring each other. We want to thank you for your consideration in possibly allowing us to be the parents of your child. You are showing such bravery to give up a piece of you while also putting faith in the future parents of your child.

We love each other and look forward to the day we can share that love with our future child. We pledge to love your baby, to the fullest extent and give this child a loving home. We also care about you and hope to partner with you for the future of your child. We will work hard to instill their different cultures included with ours. No matter your choice, we will pray for you to find peace in your decision.

With love, Nate and Joanna