Simply put: Because we have more love in our hearts to share! We had always considered adoption as a possibility for our family. An unexplained infertility diagnosis lead us down that path. In 2018, our son joined our family as an infant. We are forever grateful to his birth parents for allowing us to raise him! We then received the biggest surprise when we found out we were pregnant. Our daughter was born in 2021. It has been the most joyous experience watching the sibling relationship between Josiah and Lucy grow! We would love to grow our family again through adoption.

We met each other online in 2013. We never really thought that meeting online would blossom into such a wonderful lifelong relationship! We had so much in common that emails and phone calls soon turned into in-person dates. We explored every park and town in the states separating us, and tried to make the most of long distance dating. We would both describe our dating relationship as fun and laid-back. The relationship felt natural from the start. In 2014 we were married and more than happy to be living in the same state as one another. Our relationship as husband and wife has certainly grown and changed since adding children to the family, but it has been so fun watching each other take on roles of mom and dad.

Melissa's sense of adventure has always been one of my favorite qualities of her's. (Really, who moves to Africa in their 20's to run a medical clinic?!) Whether the adventure is seeing a new place on the other side of the globe or loading the car with the dog & kids for a trip to the cabin, she knows how to make good memories! If I had to describe her in one word, it'd be "caregiver." When she's at work as a nurse practitioner, she's comforting patients and their families during the hardest times of their lives. At home she's making muffins for the kids for the third time this week or reading the kids their favorite book yet again. I'm most thankful for her strong faith that she leans on when times get tough. She learned it from her parents and it's such a blessing watching her pass that down to our kids too!

I fell in love with Jesse's smile and kind spirit. He is laid back and can chat with almost anyone. As we have been married for about 9 years, Jesse has offered me countless hugs on our tough days that we have endured together.

Jesse is a pilot who not only works hard for the family, but also uses his spare time to find adventure in his hobbies. He enjoys cycling and cross country skiing and loves teaching the kids about these hobbies, or helping them explore something new. Jesse is very proud of the fact that he taught Josiah how to ride a bike without training wheels when he was just 2 years old! Since then the boys have enjoyed short mountain biking adventures together. Jesse also has some musical talent and enjoys playing his guitar and singing songs with the kids.

Josiah is a ball of energy. His strong-willed spirit makes him jump into any task with gusto. He loves anything where he doesn't have to sit still. This includes biking with Dad or jumping off of the swing set. Yet, he will always snuggle up on the couch for a good book about construction vehicles. Josiah has embraced his role of big brother and loves teaching little sister new things! He has taught her the alphabet and is trying to teach her everything he knows about garbage trucks. He can also be found asking Mom when it will be snack time.

Lucy is so sweet and empathetic. Others often comment "Is she always this smiley?" She adores her big brother, and wants to do whatever he is doing. She can otherwise be found pushing her babies in the stroller, asking to be pushed on the swing, or eating guacamole. She points out every baby in church and cannot wait to be a big sister!

We have a home built on love. Love is not always perfect, but it is patient, forgiving, and kind. Love is not always easy, but it is steadfast. It encourages learning from our mistakes and from each other, and supporting each other through it all. It includes weathering life's storms together, cheering each other on towards accomplishments, and enjoying the happy moments together. We hope to emulate the love that Christ has displayed to us.

We hope to raise this child knowing that he/she was loved from the start. Adoption can be a very difficult decision, but it certainly is a very loving decision!