Since we first met, we quickly learned how much we enjoy traveling the world together. We've loved meeting new people, experiencing different cultures, and seeing the beauty of the world outside of our hometown. In 2019, we took a trip to Europe where we hoisted steins at Oktoberfest in Germany and experienced the breathtaking views of the Scottish Highlands. At Oktoberfest, we ate dinner with people from all over the world and enjoyed learning about everyone and their life stories. When we stayed in a cozy cottage in the Scottish Isles, we had the chance to relax and watch the sunrise on a coast in the countryside. The connections we made with people and the special moments we shared with one another along the way made this trip truly unforgettable.

We are so excited to create special memories with children on future trips we take to visit places both near and far. Having the opportunity to travel isn't just fun – it's a way to learn about the world outside of ourselves and we feel it will be a great way to support our child's growth. We can't wait to introduce them to the beauty and diversity of the world – it's an adventure we are really looking forward to as we go on this journey together!

After 11 years of marriage, we continue to feel the call to become parents, and we know that adoption will make our family feel more complete. We are most excited about expanding the love that we share in our family with a child, and experiencing the joy of everyday moments. Aiden is most excited to help a child learn about the world, explore nature, and appreciate the small things in life. As a mom, she will always have a watchful eye to make sure a child is safe and healthy. Ben is most excited to see a child grow into their own unique personality and share new experiences with them - and play a video game together every once in a while. He'll also make sure we all have some fun and step out of our comfort zones to try new things. Ultimately, once we are parents, we know that our most important job will be to provide unconditional love, create a stable and supportive home, and help our child grow into a confident, thoughtful, happy, hopeful and loving person.

Ben About Aiden: Aiden has always been a problem solver, whether it's at work, school, or in her personal life. She is strong, smart, dedicated to her family and friends, and loves helping others. What pairs well with this is her ability to be honest with others and empathetic in all situations. It's easy to approach Aiden and she always gives people all her attention, making them feel heard and valued. These qualities are going to make Aiden a great mother, and I'm excited to see her provide this same support and love to a child.

Aiden About Ben: Ben is easily one of the biggest goofballs out there, and his happy attitude is infectious. He is truly the life of the party and people are constantly smiling and laughing around him. Not only is he a bunch of fun, but he's also a genuinely nice and loving person that people can rely on. Even with his fun energy, he can be surprisingly calm - when I get anxious, he knows how to bring me down to earth and just be there for me. Ben has always said that if there's one thing he knows, it's that he was meant to be a husband and a father in life. Ben will be a fun and lovable father that a child will find much comfort and joy in.

We live in a family friendly suburb about 30 minutes away from a large city in Missouri. Our home is in a circle drive and the neighborhood is full of children and families of all ages. There is a neighborhood pool, pickleball court, park and playground all within walking distance. Our neighbors are very friendly, making the community warm and safe. Around the holidays, our neighborhood hosts parties, cookouts and an annual Santa parade. One of our close neighbors also builds a large inflatable display at Halloween and Christmas time, which makes it even more fun around the holidays!

Our home is a medium-sized, three-bedroom house. We love to spend time in the living room with our fireplace and beautiful view of the yard. Our backyard is large with plenty of space for a little one to run, trees for natural shade and some new blueberry bushes we recently planted. The back deck is one of our favorite places to spend time with loved ones - Ben loves to grill on the deck and Aiden loves to read on a picnic blanket in the yard. Our cat Ella is always entertained by the wildlife that roams our backyard. We've been visited by squirrels, finches, woodpeckers, rabbits, chipmunks and even a deer!

Our town is filled with community centers, libraries, nature trails and activities for our whole family to enjoy. Our nephew thrives in our community, and we can't wait to share that with a child in our family.

If we had to describe our families in a nutshell, it would be fun, loving, supportive, and loud, especially when we are all together. Our extended family has a mix of cultural influences from around the world - Ben's family has Scottish, Irish, French and Swiss roots and Aiden's family has Puerto Rican, Mexican and German roots. Even with our diverse backgrounds, our families have so much in common. When together, we love to cook, play cards, go shopping, walk on a trail, watch a movie, attend church, eat out at a restaurant, or just sit around and chat. For New Year's Eve, we like to order Chinese food and watch the ball drop. At Easter time, Aiden's family holds an indoor Easter egg hunt that both kids and adults participate in. We scatter plastic eggs throughout the house with 'points' in them, and the winner inherits our Easter bunny trophy.

Our families could not be more excited for us to welcome a child into our family. Aiden's parents, brother and five-year-old nephew live only 20 minutes away. Ben's parents and sister are a one-hour flight away, and we visit each other often. Both sides of the family are incredibly supportive of our decision to adopt and are available at a moment's notice whenever we need help. At all times, easy and hard, our family always prioritizes love and togetherness, and we couldn't be more grateful for their support in our lives.

There's probably never enough words, pictures or videos that can tell you enough about who we are and what we are like. It must be overwhelming viewing all of these profiles and all of us families probably blend together after a while. We want you to know that we are sending our love to you during this journey, we trust and support the decision you make for your family, and we are grateful that you took some time to get to know us a little better as you consider adoption for your child.

What we hope you learned from our profile is that we are a fun, loving and happy couple with a great family. We got together in college and have been married for 11 years, so we've had a lot of time to strengthen our relationship and get to know one another better. Ben is always the life of the party and everyone lights up when he is around - both kids and adults. Aiden loves to be around others, is always planning the next fun thing, and enjoys learning from both books and people's experiences in life. Together, we are a great balance of fun and focus. We work hard during the day but make it a priority to relax at home, spend time with our friends, family and community, and travel the world when we can. We also know how to support one another during hard times. We know how to step back, take a breather, show some love, and admit where each of us has room to grow. We'll bring all of these supportive qualities into parenting as well. Both of our families are really the cherry on top - they shower us with so much love and support we don't know what to do with it.

We've been looking forward to welcoming a child into our family for many years now. Days would be filled with learning, cooking together, taking walks, spending time outside, volunteering, visiting with family and friends, going to mass (church), and taking trips to enjoy new places. Ben will make sure they try out some sports (probably skiing, soccer, ice hockey or other sports they are excited about) and Aiden will be reading to them late into the evenings. We want to guide them in a way that teaches them how to thoughtfully and confidently navigate the world on their own. As we raise children, we don't want to be overly focused on "success." Of course, we will work hard to make sure they have the skills needed to support themselves and get through tough times. But our biggest goal is that children in our home learn how to be strong and loving people that appreciate learning about life, helping others, loving themselves, and trusting in God's plan for them.

We are invested in helping your child feel the love you have for them and understanding the journey that led them to have two families. We plan to share their adoption story with them when they are young, as they are ready. We want them to see the ways that you are part of who they are, and we welcome you to be a part of this journey as they grow up. We'll be sending you pictures of them and letters from us (and from them as they learn to write!) throughout the year so you can see them grow. If you are interested, we would love for them to visit you every couple of years so that they can get to know you and feel the love they have from their two families. We will only be an email away, so we would be ready to send a photo or video anytime, and at the pace you prefer.

We know we don't have all the answers, and we'll lean on our supportive family and friends as we learn; but we do know we will be able to offer a warm, safe, loving and inspiring home for your child. If you and your child choose us, we would be overjoyed at the opportunity to complete our family and surround this child with love.

Ben & Aiden