We met in college. We were both smitten at a church group roller-skating event. As we fell in love, we would often be seen walking around campus talking late into the night. It was during one of those earlier walks together that Michael said that he hoped that his future wife would always pursue her dreams and passions, and that he would be honored to help her. Lisa decided right then and there that she wanted to marry him. We dated for 3 years and got married over Spring Break.

Michael is a computer guru, and we relocated to Texas for his work. Lisa worked in radio and was a professor. But for now, she is a full-time mommy to John and teaches bible study at our church.

We work hard, but we also like to have fun! Our favorite hobby is skiing, and we try to go several times a year. One year, we were able to spend a whole month skiing in Jackson Hole, WY. We went skiing every day and spent the afternoons walking with our dog around the small town of Jackson. One evening, Lisa was walking their dog, and she came upon the biggest elk, with huge antlers. Our dog, who was used to chasing deer, took off after it! All Lisa saw was their dog running up into darkness and up the mountain in the snow. After searching, he returned panting down the mountain. Oh, the story he would have told if he could have spoken!

Because of our connections with work and church, we have had the opportunity to travel, work, and help people all around the world, including the UK, the Middle East, and Asia.

"We didn't realize we were making memories; we were just having fun."

"Because every picture has a story to tell, ours is that we kinda dig (love madly) each other. And, being dared is the start of many adventures."

We really wanted to have a family of our own. As the years went by and we didn't have luck on our own, we sought doctors, and did various surgeries and tests with no luck. We decided to pursue adoption with CPS after 5 years of failed IVF treatments. Even though we fostered two infants, we were never able to adopt them. After several months with us, they were all reunited with their families.

With our first foster baby, we were called, and two hours later, we were taking a 5-day-old little boy home. We had nothing ready, and our church friends rallied together and decorated a nursery for us, donated all the furniture and baby items, and put it all together for us. Not only did we feel blessed to foster this child, but we were doubly blessed by our friend's generosity.

We chose adoption. And while we have adopted our son, we would love to have another son or daughter to add to our family.

Michael is a born and raised Texan. His parents provided for his education, his first computer, and fireworks. As a family, they would often take vacations and travel. Michael loves watching movies and creating new (sometimes inedible) cooking creations. He also loves technology and computers, and a good cup of espresso.

Lisa was born and raised in a small town in Southern Illinois. Her mother was a hairdresser, and her father was a teacher. They lived on a small farm and raised cows. Everyone knew everybody, and we knew everyone. Lisa didn't have just one mother but a whole beauty shop full of women looking out for her.

Lisa met her best friend on the first day of kindergarten. They have been friends for several decades. She currently lives in Denver, CO. Lisa thinks it's nice to have a best friend who still gets her and can have meaningful and goofy conversations with. They spend time together each year and talk every week. For Lisa's last birthday, they went to the hot springs and spent the afternoon soaking in the warm water and talking nonstop.

Lisa pets all fluffy dogs, even stopping mid-run to say hi. She knows more dog's names around town than people's.

One of our dreams came true in 2022, when our son, John, joined our family through adoption. John is such a blessing to us. He is sweet energetic, joyful boy who loves his puppy and his family so much.

John loves our dog, Wilby. They go on many adventures together. They can't seem to be apart at snack time or bath time. Wilby is always up for playing in the water, digging in the dirt, or exploring outside.

John loves swimming, going to the creek to throw rocks, and feeding Wilby- under the table. We read books every night at bedtime and we have a weekly campfire night. John builds coral reefs out of Legos and blocks so his fishes have somewhere to play. He loves to sing "I got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart."

John has learned all the planets in the solar system and he likes exploring the children's museum where he can pretend to be an astronaut and land on the moon.

We love our neighborhood. It is newer and out in the country. Our house sits on an acre on the top of a hill, so we have lots of country views all around and can see the sunrise and sunset each day.

We have a large two-story house with a big playroom upstairs. Many neighbors call our home "the castle" due to its stately stone facade. Most of our neighbors have small children and we look out for each other. We live in a safe neighborhood with lots of trails and areas to explore. One of our favorite summer pastimes is hanging out with our neighbors and having the children ride their electric vehicles through all of our backyards or watching them play flashlight tag at night. Of course, Wilby is right in the middle trying to catch them.

Currently, we have two large wild bunnies living in our backyard. And a nursery herd of deer bed down for the night there as well.

We are a very active family. We walk, run, and hike on trails. We go to the beach. We play in the sand and in the snow.

We also drive across the United States to see family and friends. Sometimes if we have a few hours, we will drive to nearby towns for exploring and local cuisine.

Becoming parents is one of our lifetime dreams. We've had this dream for a family since we met and you are allowing us to fulfill that dream. We promise to love and encourage your child to the best of our abilities. And, along the way, create great memories and a family that they can depend on and be an integral part of that's filled with laughter, love, and memories.

Being parents has always been our dream. We promise to love, nurture, and guide your child with unwavering faith and devotion. We promise to encourage and educate your child to the best of our abilities. We will be there for the milestones of crawling, walking, and talking. We will be there with a first aid kit and boo boo patch with hugs & kisses for every scraped knee and boo boo. And we will eat meals and pray together.

Our home will be a stable loving place where your child will grow and learn. And, along the way, we will giggle, play games, travel, make cookies, eat junk food and create some great family memories. Your child's life will be filled with love and laughter and covered in hugs and kisses.

So, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to look through this book, we know it can be hard to really get to know someone this way, but we would love to get the chance to talk with you more.