Unlike most couples, we're not exactly sure how we met, but we know it was through a young adult Catholic group and that we became friends through some of our favorite hobbies — a running group, a book club, and a weekly invite to watch Netflix's "The Crown" with friends. But something unexpected happened that launched us into uncharted territories: a semi-date. One of Connor's favorite bands, The Lumineers, was coming through town, and his guy friends wanted to go with dates, so Connor had two choices — skip the concert or go with a lady friend in tow. He procrastinated asking Sarah until two days before the show, though strictly as friends in a “non-date” environment (which apparently isn’t how she remembers it at all).

Connor was nervous the day of the concert for unknown reasons and, in truly uncharacteristic fashion, arrived slightly tardy to pick up Sarah for the show. We chatted all the way downtown, found a clutch parking spot, and made it in time to see the opening act. We both had a great time that evening, enjoying great music, company, and conversation between the acts and songs. Connor remembers driving Sarah back to her place with butterflies in his stomach. The next day, he tried to play it cool to wait for her to text first. He caved. And the rest, they say, is history.

We like to spend our nights and weekends with family and friends exploring the wonderful city we live in. From a glassblowing class to a Halloween corn maze to a new musical, we love to see it all. Connor's favorite annual event with his family each year is the demolition derby at the county fair. He can't wait to share a corndog and funnel cake someday with our child at this fun event! We enjoy working out together, going on walks, and playing pickleball. Connor likes to take his bike out on the nearby trails and play sand volleyball, while Sarah loves to curl up with a good book.

If we're not out and about, you can find us at home on Friday night relaxing with a good movie. We've worked hard to find the perfect popcorn recipe, so it tastes just like the movie theater. Friends also make up a huge part of our weekends. Most of our friends have young children, so from our annual Friendsgiving to monthly birthday parties, our child will be surrounded by lots of little ones to play with.

Sarah About Connor: Connor's thoughtfulness shines through every day. He takes care of so many chores around the house and prepares dinner most nights. He also is the best gift giver around. Sarah definitely feels spoiled! If Connor says he is going to do something, he follows through — even if that means setting his alarm for a 5:30 a.m. bike ride ... no snooze button for him! Sarah loves his integrity and sense of responsibility but also his silly side, which he uses to bring joy to the people in his life. He enjoys a good corny joke, and he makes people laugh wherever he goes. Day-to-day experiences are always more fun with Connor!

Connor About Sarah: Life is so much more interesting with Sarah around, in more ways than one. She is incredibly kind, very in tune with her emotions and those of the people around her, serious when she needs to be and funny and relaxed the rest of the time. One of Sarah's best characteristics is how good a friend she is to those in her life, whether that's talking on the phone with her parents, keeping up with co-workers between class periods, making extra time for her sister throughout the week, or going on walks with college friends. She loves to be an active member of her own cultivated community, and Connor can think of no one better to use those qualities when it comes to being a parent.

We recently moved into our new home, which we made sure would be big enough to support our future family with lots of room in the finished basement for a huge playroom. We searched (and searched!) and wound up falling in love with this home and its perfect location. Connor's mom and grandparents lived in the neighborhood, and we're within walking distance to the church they went to. We love to pop into the chapel to pray or go to a Mass. Our neighborhood is a beautiful suburb of a bigger city, and we enjoy our local community, which offers plenty of parks, tennis courts, and bike trails to keep us active all year long. With some local restaurants and shops only a stroll away, going on walks has become a favorite activity. A special stop is our nearby pool, which has an awesome kid's zone. With Sarah being a teacher, the pool is her top summer spot. Early in the morning during the week, we like to wake up and go to the tennis and pickleball courts at the neighborhood parks. Our friendly competitions usually end with Connor as the winner, but every once in a while Sarah is victorious.We also like to visit our library most weeks. With such a safe, beautiful neighborhood that has other children out playing, we see ourselves here for many years to come. It is definitely the place we want to put down roots and watch our family grow and make memories.

Not a day goes by that we don't talk with our family, and they are so excited to welcome a new child into the fun! Sarah has a sister who lives in town and parents who live a few hours away, and we find lots of time for weekend visits and trips to local football and baseball games. One of our favorite holiday traditions is making Christmas caramels with Sarah's family and passing them out to friends and family, with some goodie bags even making the trip all the way to friends in Peru. People say they wait all year to see us show up on their doorsteps in Santa hats with the caramels.

Sarah also likes to spend time with her goddaughter, who is in middle school, so she's been teaching Sarah how to improve her Snapchat filter skills. Connor's parents live in town at a local lake, and he has one sister out of state. We enjoy weekend boat rides and all the fun that lake life brings. Connor recently became a godfather to the sweetest little baby named Finn, and we love driving up to Minnesota to soak in all the baby snuggles. When we told Connor's family that we were adopting, they couldn't wait for Finn to have a playmate. You know that you're lucky when you can do nothing with your family and have the time of your lives, and we know we're both blessed that is the case.

When we think about what a family is, we don't just think about people. We think about the lasting legacy that is left by their impact on the world around them, and this is what excites us most about becoming parents: the chance to shape that impact for another generation to come.

One of the things that drew us closer together while dating was knowing the importance of family. We have had some of the most fantastic role models to look up to throughout our lives, and we are looking forward to being those role models in our child's life. We talked about adoption early on because Sarah has five cousins on different sides of the family who are adopted, and we saw what a beautiful way this was to make a family. Now after two years of marriage, we are ready to expand our own family.

We both had the chance to follow careers that spark our passions and interests. Sarah has spent the last 10 years as a teacher in Catholic schools. This allows for her not only to share her love and joy with her students, but she also has the opportunity to help form those same students in faith. As a journalism teacher, she spends time outside of school with her students, and they become a "yearbook family," considering her a second mom of sorts. Connor is a data scientist, which allows him to use his logic, reasoning, and math skills to help combat fraud. His attention to detail and dedication ?" plus a few cheesy dad jokes along the way ?" will make him a wonderful parent.

When we first started dating, we were both in the middle of completing graduate school while working full-time jobs. We have always known the value of putting in the extra work and how rewarding perseverance can truly be. At the same time, that hard work is only one aspect of life. We believe it is important to also expand our horizons, experience the world around us, give ourselves time to rest and recharge, and allow ourselves the grace to be human and make mistakes, while we we try to do better the next day.Please know that by selecting us, you are playing the most significant role, not only as a birth parent, but as the person who allowed our family and hearts to grow. We are excited to share your child's growth and experiences with you through letters and pictures, but we also want to give your child the chance to know you well through regular communication like texts and calls. We are already looking forward to sharing the adoption story with our future child from the very beginning, especially about the beautiful woman who gave birth to this special child. We think that everyone should have the chance to truly know their roots, and we think that an open adoption provides an amazing opportunity for this to happen.

You are a strong, courageous, thoughtful person, and the choice you are making shows that selflessness. We are in awe of you and so grateful for this chance to journey with you. We're so appreciative that you would even consider us, and, no matter what happens, you are in our prayers.

Connor & Sarah