While I sit here thinking of the adjectives that best describe my best friend, the one that comes to mind the strongest is peaceful. Chase one hundred percent brings out the fun and laughter in any and every situation. He loves to laugh and can find the good in even the hardest of times. He is the most stable and secure person I have ever met. He is incredibly intelligent yet humble. He has a passionate love for Ohio State football, learning, computer programming, and board games! He is the person you want on your side, on your team, and in your life. The most special part of life with him is watching him be a dad. He laughs and plays, kisses Emry's ouchies, plays on the playground, teaches her new skills, says bedtime prayers, and teaches her that she is beautiful and brave. Out of everything he has accomplished in life, he considers being a dad his true calling!

If I had to pick one thing that most attracted me to Brittany, it would be her massive heart. She is by far the most loving and caring person I have ever known, and that fact was apparent from our first conversations over the phone before we ever met. My mom insisted that I make the drive down to help her and her family move into their new home, and after those first conversations I no longer needed to be convinced. My mind was made up as soon as I walked through the door. Since that day, I have seen so many other incredible aspects of who Brittany is. She is intelligent, empathetic, generous, and an amazing mother. She gives her time and energy to anyone who needs her until she has nothing left, and that is especially true of Emry and our future children. We have always had a fun and playful family. Whether it is rolling on the floor laughing while playing a board game or having a family dance party, we can have fun anytime, anywhere. While having fun and laughing are priorities for our family, Brittany also has huge dreams, and she encourages Emry and I to dream big just like she does.

Chase's mom is fully responsible for our relationship. Well, her and the Lord if we are giving credit where credit is due. Brittany worked with Christy for a year, and throughout that year Christy kept saying, "You should meet my son Chase". The thing is, Chase was in the Army and stationed in a different state. But, a year later, Brittany and her family moved and they ended up a mere 4 hours away from his base. Chase jumped at the chance to meet Brittany, and made that drive as soon as they arrived in their new home to help them move in. We quickly learned we shared a heart for missions, adoption, and to trust God for the desires in our hearts. We had known each other for a matter of hours, yet knew we were meant for each other. Two months in, we were looking at venues and Chase proposed! It was a gross and rainy day but one we will never forget! Brittany of course said yes and we got married only eight months later. We had found our person and knew we would figure everything else out together.

Fast forward one year from our wedding. The week we found out Chase was being deployed to Kuwait, we also found out we were pregnant with our miracle baby. He left three weeks after we got the news and by the grace of God he returned THE DAY I was being admitted into the hospital to be induced to deliver our girl. Emry was born at four pounds and was every ounce feisty and pure joy. Emry lights up any room she is in. She says whatever comes to her mind, will make you belly laugh, gives the best snuggles, has a love for learning and cannot wait to become a big sister. She tells us the baby is "her" baby!

Our faith and philosophy of parenting truly go hand and hand. We strive to make Jesus the center of our lives. We are not perfect people or parents, but we believe in grace, forgiveness, and that every day is a brand new day. Our parenting style is filled with a lot of affection, laughter, and room to be yourself all while learning respect and manners. Our heart's desires for all of our children are to not only equip them with the tools to walk into the calling that is on their lives but to also have the faith, wisdom, and character to lean on Jesus the whole way through.

From the bottom of our hearts, we want you to know adoption is not our Plan B. We whole-heartedly believe it has always been God's Plan A. We individually wanted to adopt before we ever knew one another. We have been on mission trips that flung our hearts and minds wide open and that is where the seed for adoption was planted. When the time came to agree with Brittany's doctors to not have any more pregnancies, we knew God had planted that seed for adoption in our souls years ago, for a reason. We consider being a part of your adoption journey our greatest honor.