Growing up in foster care, I (Jeremiah) was always moving from home to home. Meeting other kids and hearing their stories always inspired me to want to adopt. I had a less than perfect childhood in the system, but was able to build strong relationships with the people I met along the way. I knew coming our of foster care that adoption was always on my heart. Giving a young boy or girl a childhood that I was never able to have has continued to motivate me to want adoption.

Meeting Jeremiah and hearing his story opened the conversation for adoption for me as well. After experiencing infertility, and being foster parents, we began our journey to adoption because the desire to be a mom and dad is very strong in our hears. We have so much love to give and are excited to welcome a baby into our family.

Jeremiah is a teacher and coach, and I am a school counselor. We met when we were working at the same high school. We began dating after a staff Christmas party, but I think it was love at first sight for Jeremiah. We dated for a little over a year when Jeremiah surprised me on my birthday with an engagement ring. We celebrated 7 years of marriage on our last anniversary and are looking forward to spending many more years together. Our marriage is full of laughs, love, and a whole lot of sports.

Jeremiah is a teacher and coach, and I am a school counselor. We met when we were working at the same high school. We began dating after a staff Christmas party, but I think it was love at first sight for Jeremiah. We dated for a little over a year when Jeremiah surprised me on my birthday with an engagement ring. We celebrated 7 years of marriage on our last anniversary and are looking forward to spending many more years together. Our marriage is full of laughs, love, and a whole lot of sports.

Fun Facts

• Actually a terrible golfer
• Very rarely does he catch a fish
• Never finished high school
• Likes animated movies

Joanie is such an incredible person. Her impact on not only me but with the students throughout the schools we've been at has been everlasting. She has always been caring and an emotional support to all in her life. Knowing Joanie and having her in my life has truly been a blessing.

Fun Facts

• Love watching football and baseball
• I showed lambs when I was growing up
• I love New York at Christmas

Our home is beautiful, and one of the best parts is the neighborhood we live in! We are in a very wooded and hilly subdivision that is full of wildlife. Our backyard is fenced, and deer, birds, and squirrels visit daily. We love that we have large windows to allow the sunlight through, but also the perfect opportunity for watching the wildlife. We are close to several lakes and parks that allow for plenty of outdoor activities.

Bear and Max are our two dogs. Bear is a Great Pyrenees / Anatolian Shepherd mix and Max is a Golden Retriever mix. Max loves to fetch and play while Bear is a little more laid back. They are the sweetest, friendly dogs. They are gentle with kids and anyone they meet. JiJi is our 1 year old cat that we adopted from the animal shelter. She likes to curl up next to us on the couch. Believe it or not, she gets along well with Bear and Max as well.

Joanie has one sister and Jeremiah has two sisters and a brother. Our siblings all have large families and we are so excited for them to be cousins and love this baby. We don't live close to Jeremiah's family, but we make sure we visit during the summer, holidays, and any time that we are able to travel. They are all excited for us to grow our family. We recently moved closer to Joanie's family and are able to have Sunday lunch together almost every week. Joanie's parents are wonderful grandparents and can't wait to welcome another grandchild into the family.

We love spending time with both of our families. We celebrate birthdays together when we can, but holidays are definitely a time for us to gather. Working in the school system allows us to have time off to visit our families. We divide our time between our families so that we are able to spend time with everyone. We both love Christmas and enjoy getting to decorate the house and tree. We look forward to starting our own traditions on Christmas morning like having breakfast and opening presents under the tree whenever we have a baby.

Coaching is a big part of Jeremiah's job, so it's only natural that sports are something that we enjoy. We enjoy going to games and Jeremiah loves to golf. I love the outdoors so riding along in the golf cart is a way for us to spend time together even though I don't play. We love to travel and try to fit in a winter and summer vacation if we can. Jeremiah taught history so we definitely visit historical locations along the way.

Our family farm gives us time to fish and enjoy nature. We love to ride around and feed the cows. I have recently picked up photography as a hobby. I love the opportunities to explore and capture the memories in photos.

We want to thank you for considering us a parents for your child. We understand this is not an easy decision to make and want you to know that your child will grow up in a loving, Christian home. This book is only a snippet of our lives and our families and we understand that you may have additional questions for us. If so, please ask.