We always thought we would have biological children one day. Within just a few months of being married, we started trying to get pregnant on our own. We spent 2 years charting, doing ovulation tests each month, taking all the vitamins people recommended, exercised more...we did all of it, but had no success. We then spent the next 3 years trying different fertility treatments, from IUI's (Kelly called it the turkey baster method - this was his way of making us laugh during a very difficult time) to IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). From the beginning and upon all initial tests, our doctors told us our odds were very good. We had an 80% chance we would get pregnant through fertility treatments...even multiples were discussed! However, after 3 failed IUI's, and 5 failed rounds of IVF, 2 being chemical pregnancies, there was no baby, no light at the end of a dark tunnel, no miracle. We had put our hearts and marriage thru 5 years of ups and downs and disappointment after disappointment. We knew continuing down that path was not healthy for our marriage, so...we took a break. We took a break from all the doctors, testing, charting my cycles, hormones, basically all of it and just focused on US. And once we stopped, we began to heal and accept our situation for what it was. After about 2 years, we decided that we still wanted to expand our family and began looking into adoption. We have several people in our lives who are either adoptive parents or an adoptee and see how happy and well adjusted they are and just knew this was the right thing for us moving forward.

We love children, and still very much desire to grow our family through adoption. We have many friends and family with children of all ages, ranging from newborns to 16 years old and we take every opportunity to be around them. When we have family gatherings and we look at all the photos, we can't help but long for the day those photos along with the memories will include our child(ren). We, along with our dogs, are a family, even without children. So, to say we want a family is not accurate...we want to expand and grow our family. We want to hear this child's laughter in our home, we want to get sick of watching the same kids shows/movies, we want to know all the words to all the nursery rhymes, we want to meet up with friends and share stories about what crazy thing our child(ren) did, we want to step on toys in the middle of the night, we want to have play dates; the list goes on. We want to adopt because we want to share the love we have for each other and our families with this child. We know that we can give this child so many opportunities, so much love, protection, stability, laughter...a chance. We know that this child will not only bring joy to our family but will enhance it in a way we can only imagine. And we will love this child unconditionally.

It all began with an online match and date 12 years ago at a bar. And funny thing is, we BOTH said it was the last date we would go on (which we didn't realize that till later once we got to know each other better). Kelly was late and I (Stacy) almost left without ever meeting him. But had I left that night, we wouldn't be where we are today. We had a strong connection it seemed like instantly. I (Stacy) at first glance thought Kelly was the most handsome guy with the best southern manners. I (Kelly) thought Stacy was so beautiful and a little goofy. We laughed and joked all night and now looking back can't believe we were so lucky to have found each other. We have a very playful relationship and truly enjoy spending time together. If you ask the both of us what is one of the most important things in our marriage, we would both say we laugh together.

We dated for 4 years before marrying in October of 2015...which was no small feat if you ask me (Kelly). It took me (Kelly) 4 times trying to ask Stacy to marry me. Each time I thought of a creative way to ask her, she would shoot down the idea (which in her defense, she had NO idea what I was trying to do). I finally asked her at our home while making dinner one night. I got down on one knee and said, "Will you marry me Stinky?" (which is my nickname for her and an inside joke). The story of our engagement has been told over and over, each time bringing laughter to the person hearing it (which goes back to who we are). When we first talked about getting married, we wanted to go to the justice of the peace and then have a big informal party after. But at the behest of our families, we had a big wedding. We danced all night, we laughed, we cried, and we made so many amazing memories. It truly was one of the best days of our lives.

The next chapter in our story has not yet been written but know this child will play a very important role in it. We are excited beyond words to be parents and know they will bring so much joy to our family. We have a lot to give and hope you can envision the wonderful life your child will have in our home that is full of love, laughter and respect.

I never believed that there was such a thing as a soulmate, until I met Stacy and she changed that for me...because she is mine. She has so many great qualities and I will do my best to not go on forever...

She has this ability to make me laugh, even when I am not in the mood. She believes very strongly in her principals and combining that with her drive to always do her best is why she has achieved so much. Our dogs test her patience with their shenanigans daily, but she shows them the love they crave, when most people would lose their patience. She loves to dance and sing, even if her voice can make our dogs start barking. One thing she is not a fan of is waking up...whether it is from a nap or getting up in the morning. If you remember the grumpy cat meme, that is her when she wakes up, grumpy and pouty. But I actually love that about her, and the thing is, she knows this and uses it against me. She shares her love with all our family members every chance she gets. She has a very goofy side and when it comes out, it can put anyone in a good mood and is just one of the many things I love about her.

At her work she is the person that puts in the extra time and effort to make sure everything is done correctly and on time. The amount of patience she has is unbelievable to me and her co-workers are amazed by it as well. One of her younger co-workers looks up to her so much that she has labeled Stacy as her second mother. Everyone on her team at work recognizes her leadership skills and asks her opinion with work and home issues.

Everyday Stacy amazes me, whether it be her delicious cooking, or the insane amount of organization we have in this house! Other times it's her stories...boy does she love to tell me about her day. From crazy things that happened at work, or something she saw out shopping, I have to stop whatever I'm doing to listen, and wouldn't change it for anything. I know that I am blessed to have her in my life, and I can't believe that I am this lucky.

It's hard to put into words how I feel about Kelly. But the first way I would describe him is, he is my BEST FRIEND. Kelly is goofy, caring, strong and dependable. He can make me laugh on my worst day,. He is my rock. He believes in me even when I don't. He is truthful to a fault and makes you feel safe and protected.

"I can't help that everyone loves me. I'm just a good time." - Kelly. And as much I hate to admit it, he's right. Everyone loves him. He's a good person with a kind heart and makes friends easily. Kelly likes cars, hunting, gun shows, and good food. Whether he's hanging out with his friends working on a car or going shopping with me, he's happy. He's just happy to be around the people he loves.

When Kelly and I first started dating and were getting serious, his mom said something interesting to me. She said, "Kelly is like a mother hen, he likes to know where all his little chicks are at all times". I didn't really get what she was saying at the time, but later understood. When I'd have my mom or a friend over to our house, or be doing something in another room, it would kill him if he wasn't involved, and he would insert himself into whatever was going on. I mentioned it one day to his mom awhile later and she reminded me of what she told me about his little chicks...

Kelly has been a swim coach, a car mechanic, a roughneck (offshore oil rig worker), and salesman. Kelly is smart...like he knows a lot about a lot. He still surprises me with all the knowledge he has in that head of his and how much "worldly experience" he has. He simply never ceases to amaze me. When I think about all the times our future child will ask "why" or "how come", I know Kelly will literally have an answer for everything.

I honestly can't imagine loving Kelly any more than I do right now, until I think about Kelly as a dad. He is going to be an amazing parent. He can be serious when he needs to be, and funny when the situation calls for it (and sometimes even when the situation doesn't call for it and he didn't read the room). I could not be more grateful for adoption so that Kelly gets a chance to be the amazing father and parent I know he will be.

Our home isn't a physical place...it is being together regardless of where we live.

We have lived in 4 houses within the last 12 years of being together, each one better than the last. Our house we live in now was a labor of love. We basically completely renovated it over several months and poured a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. But with that said, it's by far our favorite.

Let us paint you a picture... Our house is 1 story (which is our first one story and after this, we will probably never go back to a two story haha), with an office, large open kitchen looking into the living room and open to the separate dining room. The main bedroom is off the living room and there are 2 additional bedrooms with one set up as a guest room and the other is a "work in progress" as a nursery (super excited about this one). We have a large backyard that wraps around both sides of the house. And to say our dogs love it is an understatement...by the way, we have two dogs, Titus, and Max, and they are our fur babies.

We have several different playgrounds around the neighborhood and two large ponds that have ducks and turtles you can feed along with several walking trails that we frequent. Our neighborhood is very family friendly and extremely diverse. Our close neighbors are all very excited for us as we navigate through our adoption journey.

Both sets of parents and my (Kelly) sister all live within 20 minutes of us along with my (Stacy) step-sister and her family being less than a mile away!

We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to live where we do and have the space in our home and hearts to expand our family through adoption.

Meet Titus (aka Tity baby) & Max (aka BooBoos), our fur babies. Titus is 10 and Max is 8. They say dogs tend to pick "their person" and our dogs did just that.

Titus is my (Stacy) baby. He is white and gray with dark eyes. Titus is a big cuddle bug and is very lazy. He likes to "yell" at me when he wants my attention. And by that I mean he will stand in front of me and bark, wagging his tail like, "MOM...I am telling you a story and I need you to listen and understand me!!". He is scared of fire alarms, thunder and fireworks. He will also do just about anything for a cookie, "aka" treat.

Max is my (Kelly) baby. He is tan and white with the biggest floppiest ears (we call them his radars). He is full of energy and loves to talk. He is very vocal and oh so theatrical...even the vet says he's a ham. Max is our bombproof dog, not much rattles him. He did have an adjustment period to our new house with it being all hardwood floors so we had to lay yoga mats all over the house for months! Max also loves his toys very much and can't wait to share them with the baby.

We honestly could not imagine our home without our boys in it and just know deep down they will love this child as much as we do, if not more.

Stacy's Family

My parents divorced when I was 2, so my mom was both parents as a matter of speaking, as I didn't see my dad regularly. My mom's sister and her family (uncle and 2 cousins) all live in the same city as we do, and growing up, my cousins were more like my siblings, as I am an only child. I love when we have our family gatherings because we laugh, play games, eat good food, all the things! My dad lives a few hours away and we see him a couple times a year. I also have a stepfather and stepsiblings. My stepsister, who lives a couple blocks away, has 2 sons (10 and 15) and a baby girl on the way and we see them regularly, as we are very close. Both sets of grandparents have passed away but growing up I did spend a lot of time with them during summer breaks and over the holidays. I had a good childhood and always felt loved and provided for. I love my family very much and can't wait to bring a child into such an amazing group of people.

Kelly's Family

My parents grew up in a small town of 5,000 people. They moved to Oklahoma after they were first married for my dad's work and then again, several years later to England, where my older sister was born. After being in England for a couple years, my dad's work moved them back to the states, where I was born. My sister and her wife have a very beautiful baby girl, who steals my heart more and more each time we are around her. Our family is very close, and we have family gatherings regularly. I have many aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides that are spread out all over the US. During my childhood, I spent time with my grandparents during the summers, however both sets of grandparents have since passed away. I was very blessed to have the great childhood I had. The love I have for my family and their excitement for another member to join us is wonderful.

To say we like to travel is an understatement.I (Stacy) used to take road trips with my family growing up to West Virginia where my mother's parents used to live. Each year we would take different routes, visiting different states along the way.I (Kelly) growing up was lucky enough to travel outside the US with my parents to Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Singapore as well as I backpacked through England and Scotland with my sister. In addition, in my early sales representative career I was able to travel to Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, just to name a few.

After we met, we started traveling together taking cruises mainly, as that was a good way to see many different countries in one trip. Cruises also gave us a chance to be cell phone free (since you don't get a cell signal in the middle of the ocean). We have been to Mexico, Dominica, San Juan Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Lucia, St. Martin, Barbados, Belize, Bahamas, Grand Caymans, and Key West (although this is in Florida). We have also traveled together to California (for a wedding), New Mexico (road trip), Louisiana (I (Stacy) had never been), and Florida (to cheer on my (Kelly) sister in an Iron Man competition) . One of our favorite things to do is take road trips. We recently, for our 5-year wedding anniversary took a road trip through the Hill Country and stayed at a wonderful little bed and breakfast that was on Canyon Lake.

As much as we like to travel to different places, eat different foods, shop at the local stores, and stay in a hotel where we don't have to make our bed, we know things will be different once we are parents. Different in that instead of listening to what we like, it will be kid's songs on road trips, hearing "are we there yet" a million times, ordering chicken nuggets instead of sampling the local cuisine, going back to the hotel to take naps, and much more. And to tell you the truth, we can't wait.

We are not perfect, and we will not be perfect parents, as there really is no such thing. But we will love this child with every ounce of our beings. We will care for them, teach them, provide for them, and do everything in our power to keep them safe and happy. We will teach them right from wrong, to treat others as they want to be treated, to love without prejudice, and to be a good person. We both grew up in very loving households and our parents made sure we had everything we needed and set a great example of a loving home.

This child, your child, will be loved beyond measure, by not just us, but by our entire family and friends. It's been said it takes a village to raise a child, and your child will have that with us. We promise to share their birth story and to talk about the courage it took for you to place them with us so they would have a fighting chance in this world. Not only will your child be a part of our family, but so will you. You will always be talked about, and you will never be forgotten. If it was not for you, we would not be parents.

Thank You.

Stacy's stepsisters' oldest son Alex, 15 years old, wrote a letter for us...

Stacy's stepsisters' youngest son John Anthony, 10 years old, wrote a letter for us...

This letter is written by Stacy's best friend Kristen of 30 years.

This letter is from Jackson & Paola who we have chosen to be your baby's guardians. We trust them fully and know they will love this child, our child, your child, as their own.

Shauna is Stacy's stepsister, who lives just 1 street light away. Shauna recently gave birth to our neice, Irene. We also were asked to be Irene's Godparents, which really meant the world to us.

Shauna's letter for us was 2 pages long, which if you knew Shauna it makes sense, so we are showing just a small paragraph. If requested, we are happy to share with you the whole letter.