Alan’s Cousin’s Wedding

Alan is second of 2 children. His brother is married and has two children. Alan and his brother have a very close relationship and manage the family farming business together. Alan's brother's wife is a high school teacher in our local district. His brother lives next door and our children and theirs spend many hours together. Alan's parents were married for 28 years when his father died unexpectedly and his mother passed away 3 years later. We are blessed to have Alan's four grandparents within 5 miles and a close network of aunts, uncles, and cousins to lean upon for support. Alan's extended family has made sure that our children and his brother's know about their grandma and grandpa in heaven through the many stories they tell.

Sarah’s Parents, Sister, Brothers, and Spouses

Sarah is the second of 5 children. All of her siblings, except her youngest brother, live within 20 miles. Sarah's older brother is married and has four children. Our children and theirs have 'sleepovers' almost every month. Her sister is married with two children. Sarah's second youngest brother is also married with two children. Her youngest brother lives a couple hours away and will be getting married next year. Sarah's parents live 6 miles down the road and have been married for 37 years. Sarah's parents have 12 brothers and sisters between them, which resulted in 59 cousins with whom Sarah sees several times a year.

With both of our families being devout German-Catholics, there is a great emphasis on togetherness. We get together for holidays, birthdays, and any other reason that may need celebrating. Our families are supportive of our adoption plan, as they were for the first time, and eagerly wait for our family to grow.

Our Home

We live in a four-bedroom, one and a half story home with a full basement. We built our home seven years ago on the family farm. Our home is situated on 15 acres and is surrounded by more acres of farmland. In our backyard you will find a swing set/slide/sandbox/clubhouse area that Alan built for Natalie and Kyle, our garden, and an above ground swimming pool. There is plenty of room for running and playing.

At Our County Fair

The second floor of our home has been designed with the kids in mind. Natalie's bedroom is on one end, while Kyle's is on the other. The middle room is a large toy room. The main floor of our home has a large country style kitchen, a family room, farm office, and a master bedroom. A spare, fourth bedroom is waiting to be reconverted into a nursery for your baby. We are currently finishing the basement, which will be an entertainment area and game room.

Our neighborhood consists of all farming families. Alan's brother and his family live next door. The rest of the neighbors are families that have known our family for generations. Some are like additional grandparents and others are young families like us. The school district we reside in is an excellent one with about 100 students per grade.