We met in college in October 2014 at a Clay Walker concert. Kirsten's cousin set us up on sort of a blind date. As the saying goes, "the rest is history". We dated for about a year and a half before Matt proposed. Exactly two and a half years after we met, we got married in April 2017. From the beginning, we have had a very fun and supportive relationship. We are truly best friends and enjoy being able to go through this journey of life together.

Adoption has always been something that we felt was placed on our hearts. We discussed the desire to adopt while we were dating. Of course, we also wanted to have our own biological children. Once we were married, we very quickly started trying to have a baby. We tried for almost 6 years. In March 2022, we got the devastating news that we had a very low chance of ever conceiving our own child. After receiving the news, our doctor gave us a few paths that we could choose to grow our family. We prayed very hard for God to help us to figure out what His plan was for us. All of the signs kept pointing toward adoption. When we finally sat down and officially decided to adopt, we immediately felt like it was the right decision. We feel like adoption was meant for us from the very beginning. We plan to adopt more than one child in order to grow our family. All of our future children will be able to share in the uniqueness of being adopted. We are so excited to be on this journey and look forward to meeting the wonderful people that will be bringing life to our future children.

We recently just bought our first home in Louisiana about twenty minutes from Kirsten's hometown. Kirsten's cousin that introduced us in college lives about a mile down the road. We are very close to him and his wife. Matt's family lives only an hour away and we visit them often. It is very quiet and peaceful. The house sits on 6 acres of land, so we have plenty of room for a child to play. We have a four bedroom, three bathroom house. Two of the bedrooms are ready for a child and the nursery has its own bathroom. We are so excited to grow our family in our new home!

Matt is a true gem. I am so blessed that he chose me to walk through this journey of life with. He is so thoughtful and kind. He does the little things to make you feel special. Matt is very humble and hates when the attention is on him. He is an introvert and needs his alone time in order to recharge. He loves going hunting, not just for the sport of it, but because he finds peace in being alone in nature. That is his happy place, which is why I am happy even when he often comes home with no meat for the freezer. Matt is an extremely hard worker. He gives 110% to everything he does, which is a big reason why I know he will make the best father. He is a petroleum engineer at a family friendly company. He will have the flexibility to be home for our children's most important moments. He is a true provider, often putting himself on the back burner just to be sure that his family has what they need. Matt is a lifelong learner, always trying to learn more about the subjects that interest him or researching ways to improve himself. He is a huge overthinker, but it's only because he truly cares about being the best version of himself for his growing family. He is my biggest supporter in life. Always trying to make sure that I am doing things that make me happy. We have been through a lot together and I couldnt imagine having anyone else by my side through the tough times. I love him more and more each and every day. Kids absolutely love him. Although he is usually more reserved, once you get to know him, he is very silly and goofy and fun to be around. I think my nieces love Uncle Matt more than they love Nanny. I believe that's because children can sense just how genuine he is when he interacts with them. He will go above and beyond to make sure that he is providing the best life for his children and I can't wait to watch him become a father.

Kirsten is the kindest person I know. She is very sociable and extraverted. This is very much the opposite of me! Although, we are starting to balance each other out. I realized pretty early on that no one had anything bad to say about her. And my family and friends loved her. Some of us have even compared her to her grandmother who she is close to and we all love very much. Our personalities are very much opposite in a lot of ways. But because we share the same values and desires in life, this makes us a great team. Kirsten is smart and trustworthy. She loves holidays and spending that time with family. All three of her nieces would probably say that she is their best friend. Her godchild loves her. Her love for photography will mean that our child will be photographed a lot! Her experience as a teacher and now as a counselor, leaves me no doubt that she will make sure her kids educational needs and emotional needs are met. She will probably skip math homework and teach them about whales instead! And they may even be suckered into watching too many Hallmark Christmas movies. My capacity for love has grown since Kirsten entered my life. I can't wait to see her become a mom so that we can grow our family even larger and share our travels and journey through life with them.

Rosie and Ranger are litter mates. They are an irish setter/golden retriever mix. They are four years old. Rosie is very gentle and the protector of the house. She is very vocal and her signature bark lets you know she wants to be heard. She loves chin scratches and running freely outside. She is a daddy's girl. Ranger is a big ole baby. He is always hungry and loves his belly rubs. He loves to swim and gets very jealous anytime Rosie is getting attention. He's very loyal and is a Momma's boy. They are very spoiled and receive the finest care, food and treats. Everyone they come in contact with falls in love with them. They are so ready to have a human sibling that may sneak them more food and treats!

I promise to provide a safe and loving environment. I will create a space where they will know that they can voice their feelings and opinions without judgement. They will know that they have a mother that will help them learn to cope with those feelings so that they will be able to handle any situation that life may throw their way. I want them to feel comfortable coming to me about anything, even if they did make a mistake. I want them to feel heard. As a school counselor, I have noticed that so many children nowadays don't feel like what they say matters. I want my children to know that what they have to say is important and it does matter. I will raise them to be kind and caring always. They will learn to respect adults and how to respect themselves too. I will teach them how to love themselves because God created them to be exactly who they are for a reason. I will always be their biggest supporter in anything that they choose to do. I want to help them find their passion in life. I will teach them to believe in themselves and to always keep trying, even if things get hard. They will know that they will have a mother in their corner, always. We will have fun and be silly. We will laugh and play games and have family car jam sessions. I will provide the best experiences for them. I will love them with everything in me.

Love, Kirsten

I will lead by example. As someone who is always striving to better myself and be the best version of myself, I know I will provide for them what a father should provide. I promise to be a protector and a mentor. I will be present. I will make them laugh. They will have the best education and eat the best food. They will travel and see other places. As they grow up, I will help them find their calling and purpose in life. I will be supportive and provide the resources for them to be the best version of themselves. I will show them how to be respectful to others and be respected by others. It will always be my mission to provide them happiness and peace in their lives. My son will know how to treat a woman. My daughter will know how she should be treated by a man. By watching my own actions, they will see how to be a great friend, spouse, sibling, student, teammate, worker, and one day, a parent themselves. When they become an adult, they will have the tools and support to tackle the problems that life may throw their way. Me and Kirsten are committed to building a life together and I know we have great things ahead of us, and they will be a part of the journey. Their character will be a reflection of how I'm doing as a father. I will inspire greatness and I hope they will inspire greatness in others as well. I want them to create a life worth admiring. I want them to be proud of themselves and someone you would be proud of as well. I want to see our child do great things in life.

Love, Matt