We have one adopted son, Lorenzo. He was born in September of 2021 and is now our entire world.

While each of us has a slightly different relationship with him, he is always a sweet and goofy boy. Katrina is with him during the weekdays while Dan is at work. She will take him to our local library every Tuesday and Thursday for story time, where he loves to interact with other kids, and clap along to the songs. He also goes to a gymnastics gym to play every Monday and Friday. He knows his dad is always up for a good wrestle and will run up to him with his arms outstretched. He also loves throwing balls around for his dad to retrieve and send back to him.

He is also becoming a good friend of the two-family dogs, who understand boundaries but are also very gentle with him. Salvador likes playing tug of war with Lorenzo where Linus will jump up in bed and cuddle with him.

Lorenzo does not enjoy having his teeth brushed, hair brushed, wearing shoes, loud noises, vegetables, naps, and many other things, but like bath time, we are working on turning his least favorite things into his most favorite.

We think what makes us unique is that we both have a big sense of humor and that is the way we communicate and interact with each other. We aren't serious people and like to joke around a lot. We each think we are funnier than the other person. We are also very aware and honest with each other and believe that has made our relationship and marriage stronger. We are able to be introspective and acknowledge when we didn't handle a situation appropriately and later laugh about it.

We are open and genuine with each other and don't try to compare our relationship or family with others. We often get in trouble, or at least scolding looks, for making inappropriate jokes in public and will often confuse people around us because they think we are fighting but we are really just joking around. One of our inside jokes is to give each other the finger. We try to be discrete about it when our son is around. We always try to keep things in perspective and make each other laugh or at least smile. We are also honest with each other when we need some space or when something is bothering one of us. We believe that relationships constantly evolve and we try to be empathic and understanding when listening to each other.

Katrina and Dan both look forward to several traditions coming from their extended families. For example, Christmas at Dan's parents' house is a sight to behold. All of Dan's siblings and family comes into town; nine adults and seven children under the age of 10, by current count, all stay under one roof. The house is decorated so elaborately it gives the meaning of "deck the halls." On Christmas Eve, after all the kids have gone to bed, the parents will exchange white elephant gifts and finish "Santa's work" of putting together stockings and putting presents under the tree. The adults exchange gifts on Christmas day in a Secret Santa format. The family also takes a summer vacation to a beach destination every year and hosts friends and family at their lake house every 4th of July. While we have a few traditions with our extended family, we are excited to start a few new ones with our young family. We are looking forward to going on an annual fishing trip on Lorenzo's adoption date anniversary. Halloween is a favorite holiday in our household, we have started the tradition of doing a group costume every year, with each person choosing the theme alternating each year. Finally, in an effort to stay up until midnight on New Years Eve, Dan and Katrina have started enjoying an English Style tea time late at night.

Dan grew up as the second oldest of four kids and has 5 nieces/nephews. His siblings have scattered across the country, but still remain very close. When they see each other, they will often play card games like crazy eights and watch movies. One family tradition that we are looking to continue is referred to as "high, low, ha," where everyone says their best, worst and funniest moment for whatever event we are gathered for. Dan's parents love being grandparents and are very supportive of our current family and love our decision to grow our family through adoption, they will spoil any child despite anyone's best protestations. Our family are also big supporters of the local sports teams, both the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and often attend games as a family.

Katrina has an older brother and sister and has one niece. Her family currently lives about 30 minutes away and visits often. When they are together, they enjoy cooking and baking together. Her dad unexpectedly passed away in August of 2017. Her mom is an expert on making her famous chili rellanos and has passed that recipe down. Katrina is looking forward to teaching your child one day how to make them. Her family is extremely excited and supportive of our decision to adopt.

We live in a small quiet neighborhood in Missouri, consisting of about 30 homes.

We often see our neighbors and their kids playing in the street, walking their dogs or working in their yards. The house has 4 bedrooms, a loft, a basement, and a home gym. Walking into the living room or kitchen you are immediately drawn to the wall-to-wall windows that look out in the woods and our backyard. We love sitting at the kitchen table and looking at the wildlife. The only thing separating the kitchen and living room is a large fireplace which is easy to walk around to get more popcorn during movie nights. Our backyard is mostly fenced to keep deer and other wildlife out.

Our community has a small town feel although it is only 20 minutes from downtown. There are two large parks nearby that provide awesome views of our local river. Being close to the park allows us to take our dogs to the dog park or explore the many walking trails that lead to community areas, basketball courts, playgrounds, baseball fields among other facilities. The park also hosts several community events such as fireworks for the 4th of July, a Turkey Trot, and Christmas on the River.

Anybody you ever talk to that is a parent, talks about how difficult it can be, how difficult the pregnancy was, how difficult it is to raise a child. but nobody ever talks about how difficult it is to make the decision to place their child for adoption. We cannot imagine what is going through your head right now or what you are making the right decision and to put worries at ease.

We have been together eleven years, seven and a half of those married. Adoption was something we both have always wanted from the beginning of our relationship whether we could have our own biological children or not. After four failed fertility treatments, we decided to move forward with adoption. Once Lorenzo came into our lives, we knew we wanted to continue to grow our family.

To get to know us a family, we thought we could start with you getting to know us as individuals. Katrina is a huge animal lover and will go out of her way to help an animal in need. She would have 20 rescue animals if Dan allowed it, but instead she plans to one day start an animal sanctuary. She cares deeply about the environment and continues to find ways to make a positive impact. Katrina constantly volunteers towards causes she believes in and Dan must sometimes reign her in to prevent her from overextending herself. Katrina believes herself to be extremely funny even though Dan would say otherwise.

Dan is a little kid at heart. He loves to play with Legos, build forts, and is known for having a wild imagination. He aspires to someday bottle his imagination and use it to write a book. While he no longer regularly attends church, one Bible School rule did stick with him, "Treat others as you would like to be treat," Trying to keep this thought constant in his mind helps him be empathetic and patient with others, which could be a weakness of his otherwise.

Lorenzo is the sweetest little boy. His personality is really starting to come out and he is a happy little guy. He loves flipping through his books, while also ripping out the pages. Although not the best hider, he loves playing hide and seek with the dogs. He's constantly laughing and is such a joy to be around.

Dan and I as a couple try not to take anything for granted and are always looking for new experiences. We have family all over the country that we love to visit. While every couple has their cough patches, we think we have hit our stride in knowing how to deal with each other in stressful situations. Our constant banter helps us stay attuned to each other and gives us an open communication channel even if we are frustrated with each other.

We will always do what is in the best interest of the child and feel that communication with their birth parents is vital for all parties. We would be open to email, facetime/zoom calls, in-person visits and whatever other communication would help our child understand who they are We also believe this communication will help the birth parents feel confident in their decision and know that their child is in a loving home.

Sincerely,

Dan & Katrina