Being a parent is a gift, a challenge, a blessing, a tremendous responsibility, and the greatest blessing we've ever experienced. There's nothing in the world that requires giving of yourself as much as being a parent does…but there is nothing in the world more deserving of our time, devotion, and love than our children. Your child is an extraordinary blessing and gift, unique and special in God's eyes – and ours! We have loved watching our oldest daughter grow and delight in the world around her and we cannot wait to nurture your child as they grow, develop, and discover all life has to offer!

Mary-Kathryn cherishes being a stay-at-home mom. She has a gift for incorporating children's evolving interests into fun routines and activities that foster growth and development.

Andrew loves being the family's guardian and protector. Even after a tiring day at work, he prioritizes spending quality time as a family in the evenings and on weekends. His favorite part of the day is reading our daughter bedtime stories, and he can always be talked into "just one more story". We cannot wait to share in your child's joy as they discover their own unique passions and interests!

We are certainly not perfect – but we believe that an essential part of parenthood and family life is learning to apologize, forgive, and accept and receive grace from those around you. Your child will always be assured of the unconditional, unwavering love and devotion we have for them as parents.

We are an energetic family who enjoys a wide variety of interests and activities! Year-round, we love to hike our beautiful state parks and visit scenic landmarks. We have a membership at the zoo and visit often. Our whole family especially enjoys feeding the giraffes, who at this point probably recognize us!

We enjoy skiing in the winter, amusement parks in the summer (bring on the fun rides and water slides), apple picking, pumpkin patches, and our annual trip to the mountains of West Virginia in the fall. Andrew is an avid fisherman who patiently untangles Mary-Kathryn's and Hannah's fishing lines from various trees ;-).

We are a homeschooling family, which is such a blessing! Mary-Kathryn loves tailoring lessons to individual interests and learning styles, but even more so, loves being together each day. Homeschooling allows us to visit our city's science museum or library during the week, as well as check out the museums and natural wonders other places have to offer when we travel (Pilgrim settlements! Real battleships! Seals and whales up close!) We have a wonderful community of homeschooling families with nearly 100 children; Mary-Kathryn enjoys teaching science to the older children and preschool to 2–3-year-olds. We feel confident homeschooling will strengthen the bonds we have with our children, as well as the sibling bonds our children have with one another as they grow up learning and playing together each day.

As children, we both understood adoption as a beautiful way families are created. We each have cousins who were adopted, with whom we share fond memories of growing up and bonds that continue into adulthood. Mary-Kathryn vividly remembers being touched watching a Sesame Street episode where a couple adopts a little boy named Miles and thinking, "that's so nice for all of them!"

As adults, we understand adoption certainly is a beautiful way families are created, but we recognize now, as hopeful adoptive parents, that the greatest answer to our prayers comes from your difficult and extraordinary sacrifice. Through adoption, you are choosing to give your child what you would have given them under different circumstances, while giving us the greatest gift and blessing we could hope for.

Because of this, we believe it is so important for your child to know their story and where they came from. Adoption will always be an open topic of conversation in our home. It is part of your child's story, born of your love and sacrifice for them. We have incredible admiration for your selflessness through undoubted difficulties. Your story is inspirational, and you are the only person who could have given this child their unique DNA, gifts, and talents. We will always speak about the heartfelt love and gratitude we feel for you. Your child will always know the tremendous sacrifices you made for them, and how deeply loved they are – both by us, and by you!

We live in a delightful home on 9 acres that we purchased with children in mind. The property has plenty of space for children to explore, have adventures, play games, and build their imaginations! We have two fenced-off fishing ponds that we love to enjoy with our family and friends. Every year a family of geese nest and have babies there – feeding them and watching the babies grow is one of our favorite things about springtime! Andrew and his friends built a great children's playset in the backyard with swings, slides, and climbing ropes. Mary-Kathryn has big dreams for starting a vegetable garden, with help from the kids! The past 3 years, we have hosted an Easter egg hunt for over 40 families from our church, homeschool group, and community - a tradition we will continue for years to come!

The inside of our home is inviting and cozy. Last winter, we remodeled an upstairs space into a huge children's playroom and homeschool room. We love spending time in there as a family, playing games, building forts with sofa cushions, and making huge Lego and train track creations! In the kitchen, Mary-Kathryn loves to cook and has already cultivated a love of baking in our daughter. We look forward to having another little helper and cookie taste-tester!

In the winter, you can find us gathered around the fireplace sharing popcorn and a movie, and in the summer, you'll most likely find our family at the community pool!

Mary-Kathryn's parents and Andrew's parents are very involved in our lives and are so supportive of our adoption plans. All of them cannot wait to love (and spoil!) a new grandchild!

Mary-Kathryn's parents (Nana & Grandpa) live 20 minutes from us. We enjoy seeing them frequently and get together for dinner most Sundays. Mary-Kathryn's mom is especially helpful to us by babysitting Hannah so we can enjoy a date night together as a couple. Andrew and Mary-Kathryn's dad enjoy watching golf together and created a history book club together.

Andrew's parents (Grammie & Grampie) live two hours from us. They live in a house on the water, where we go kayaking, fishing, boating, and walking on the shore together. A children's arcade with mini golf, a movie theater, and tons of games just opened near their house that we've already frequented several times!

Something unique about our family is that we spend holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) with both Andrew and Mary-Kathryn's parents all together. It's been a wonderful tradition to create in our family, and we love that our children will have memories of holidays with all their grandparents involved.

In addition to our immediate families' support of our adoption plans, our cousins who were adopted and Mary-Kathryn's cousins who are adoptive parents have been immensely helpful to us on this journey, and we know they will continue to be a tremendous source of support and fellowship as our family grows through adoption!

Thank you so much for welcoming us into your world and allowing us to share a bit about ourselves with you! We want to acknowledge the stress and emotions you must be feeling, and what an overwhelming task reading though these profiles must be. We are humbled and grateful for your taking the time to get to know us and considering us to be the parents of your beloved child ?" the answer to our greatest prayers! We are so excited to be parents again…our hearts burst with joy at the thought of welcoming your precious child into our family and nurturing them as they grow and develop! We are praying for you and look forward to the chance to walk alongside you and supporting you.

Our names are Andrew and Mary-Kathryn, and we've been happily married for over eight years. Our home consists of us, our four-year old daughter, Hannah, and our two rescue Labs, Brody and Findlay. Hannah is a caring, kind-hearted four-year-old who adores babies. She has so much love and affection to give a sibling ?" we know she will love her little brother or sister with all her heart!

Andrew is an Army combat veteran and physician at an academic hospital. He grew up with his mom, dad, fraternal twin brother, and older sister. As a child, he enjoyed playing hockey, lacrosse, and the trombone. He loves to read, visit historical sites, and fish. Andrew thinks being a dad is the best job in the world and never complains as he baits Hannah's (and Mary-Kathryn's) hooks while fishing on our ponds. Andrew is dependable, generous, and a trustworthy friend.

Mary-Kathryn is a stay-at-home mom (her dream job come true!) She grew up with her mom, dad, and beloved grandfather, who lived with them. She loved sports as a child and played tennis and softball, swam competitively, and played the piano. Mary-Kathryn leads the "Moms' Group" at our church and plans weekly get-togethers, playdates, and field trips for toddlers/preschoolers and their moms. She teaches science and preschool for our homeschool co-op and vacation bible school at our church in the summer. She loves to read and crochet. Mary-Kathryn is empathetic, thoughtful, and funny. Together, we enjoy watching "Chopped" in the evenings.

We met in early 2014 - Mary-Kathryn thought Andrew was very handsome and admired his generosity, strong work ethic, and service to his country. Andrew was attracted to Mary-Kathryn's smile, faith, and kind heart. We always wanted to raise a family with several children. We were thrilled to welcome our daughter, Hannah, in 2019. We absolutely cherish being parents ?" it fills us with greater joy and meaning than anything else we've done in our lives. Mary-Kathryn suffered complications after the birth and passing of our second daughter in 2020 that prevent her from being able to carry more children, and therefore we have turned our hearts towards adoption to grow our family. We are so excited at the prospect of continuing to grow our family through adoption!

We fully realize the answer to our prayers for another child comes from your extraordinary, courageous sacrifice. We promise your child will always know of your deep love and selflessness in giving them the greatest gift of all: life itself. We will be open with your child about you and their adoption story, and we promise to celebrate the many wonderful traits, talents, and gifts they inherited from you. We hope to stay in touch with you and share updates and photographs of your child as often as you desire.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us! We understand making an adoption plan for your child is a huge deal, and we are filled with gratitude at the possibility of being chosen to be your child's parents. We know that no matter what plan you make for you and your child, it will be the right one for you both. We are praying for you and wishing you all of God's graces and blessings in your life!

With our gratitude and admiration,

Andrew & Mary-Kathryn