During our leisure time, we both enjoy being active outdoors in various ways. We may play pickleball at the local recreation center on Saturday mornings, bike ride to get ice cream, or take the dogs for a stroll in the neighborhood or park.

We enjoy watching and attending sporting events, especially during baseball and football season. The Boston Red Sox play Spring Training games nearby, and we try to get to a Green Bay Packer game when possible.

Our area has many festivals, such as Food Truck Wars, Taco Fest, and Oktoberfest. We find ourselves watching movies, grilling out, or ordering pizza during the weekend evenings while we relax. We can envision doing all these activities with a child in tow.

Growing up, we spent much time at the beach (Steven at the Atlantic Ocean and Carolyn at Lake Michigan), and we desire to make this a staple when we have a child. Exposing our child to the fun and excitement of beach activities will carry over to a lifelong love of the beach and marine life.

Steven describes Carolyn as the most compassionate and kind-hearted person he has ever met. Carolyn puts others first, as evident in her fostering rescue dogs when we first met. Because of that, we are now the owners of three rescue dogs and can provide them with a life they may not have had under other circumstances. Carolyn is intelligent and conversational, and she is always open to adventure and doing something new. There is no shortage of fun when we are doing activities together, and it allows Steven to relax and enjoy life with his best friend. Sharing some of these fun moments with our child would only make an already fulfilling feeling that much more.

Carolyn describes Steven as down to Earth, humble, intellectual, and an outstanding provider. He takes care of Carolyn and their three pups by any means necessary, from budgeting to taking out the trash, grilling, laundry, yard work, picking up dog poop, and– most notably – being her #1 fan. Carolyn admires Steven's work ethic and has had the privilege of being by his side as he has challenged himself to climb the corporate ladder at our company. Carolyn is proud to call Steven her husband and her best friend. She knows he will make an amazing father given his playful nature, silly dad jokes, kind heart, and enthusiasm about life's adventures.

This may be an unpopular opinion because we live in Florida and the Caribbean islands are so close to us, but our favorite vacation spot is the National Parks. Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to visit several of our National Parks. These trips vary from just the two of us to including family members and bringing our dogs. We decided to hike the "Mighty Five" in Utah a few years back. To this day, it is still our favorite vacation spot due to the nature and difficulty of the hikes, along with the vast differences between the parks. We hiked Angel's Landing and the Narrows at Zion National Park, saw the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon, and enjoyed the peacefulness at the "darkest area of the continental U.S." at Capitol Reef. Each park has a unique quality that allows us to enjoy each one on its own accord. There are plenty of more parks out there for us to explore, and we plan to continue this tradition with our child, starting with wearing a hiking child backpack!

We purchased our home back in 2021 and have loved every minute of it. It is spacious enough for family to come visit and stay with us, and let us tell you, they take full advantage of our pool! The open concept provides the perfect atmosphere for family dinners and entertainment, regardless of whether we are grilling and enjoying the pool, or cooking in the kitchen and playing games in the living room.

We are fortunate enough to live in a community where people love to vacation, and thus, there is plenty to do! Our home is only a couple blocks away from a mini-golf course, children's waterpark, and many recreational parks.

All of our neighbors are friendly, and there are many families with small children in our surrounding area, due to the elementary/middle school being only a mile away.

The unique thing about Cape Coral is that, because it is a desirable vacation spot, the population goes in waves during the winter months vs. the summer months. From May-December, there is much less traffic and crowding at the local restaurants, grocery stores, and beaches, making it our own little paradise.

We are both fortunate to be close with our extended families, and although they span multiple states, we always make time to connect with each other and create memories.

Between the two of us, we have 14 nieces and nephews (ranging in ages from 1 to 22) that all live in the Midwest. This does not include the twins that Steven's sister has on the way! Our visits to Michigan during Christmas are always packed with sledding, bowling, playing Dominoes, and decorating cookies. Carolyn's sister and her 3 boys visit us in Florida every spring break. We love spending time with them doing a variety of activities, such as going to the beach, bocce ball, mini golf, getting ice cream, playing board games, and swimming in our pool.

Steven's parents live close by and are retired. They will often make weekend trips to spend time together going to church, playing pickleball, and card games. They spoil our three pups rotten and are dubbed "Grandmaw" and "Grandpaw." They are looking forward to adding a grandchild to the mix to spoil even more so than our dogs, and they are one of our biggest support systems. Steven's parents also coordinate family vacations every other year, such as hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim and skiing in Colorado.

Both of our families are supportive of our adoption plan and are hopeful that our family will grow in the near future.

We are humbled and extremely grateful that you are taking the time to learn more about and consider us. Please know that while making this most difficult decision, with many options, we will provide your child with a loving, compassionate, and safe home. The selflessness and courage you are showing by making this decision show precisely what kind of person you are. We want you to know that your child will be protected, supported, and provided for throughout their life and that our love will know no bounds.

We met nine years ago and almost immediately started discussing what we wanted our family to look like as we grew older. Once married, we did not hesitate to attempt to build our family biologically. However, it was not in the cards for us. God has a greater purpose, which has led us to our adoption plan. We have always been open to adoption and know we have the qualities to be great parents to your child. The sense of joy and excitement that fills us when we talk about creating memories and guiding a child through life's ups and downs is what drives us. We enjoy thinking about the future with a child and envision family time together from the newborn stage through adulthood. It brings us smiles when we think about various scenarios: rocking a baby to sleep, bedtime stories, playtime, going to the park, tee-ball, school activities, church groups, holidays with extended family, traveling, and the list goes on and on!

Both of us were raised in loving families that stressed the values of hard work, compassion toward others, and discipline. When we think about a future child, we value the same qualities, in addition to leading through example and enjoying life's moments in the present with each other. Since we were both raised in low-income households, it taught us the importance of instilling a good work ethic and following your dreams. We put ourselves through college with the help of financial aid and scholarships and have gone on to become members of the healthcare community. We both work from home and enjoy the flexibility this environment offers. Carolyn is a nurse and takes pride in helping others and being a patient advocate. Steven's day comprises meetings and updating our healthcare company's policies and process flows to increase efficiency.

We plan to be a stable presence in your child's life and involve ourselves in as many of their interests as possible. We envision ourselves being hands-on parents, setting boundaries, and encouraging independence. We will aim to be loving and affectionate while providing structure and guidance.

We anxiously await the opportunity to grow our family and hope this is the right fit for you and your child. We are happy to send pictures, email updates, or letters as your child reaches life's accomplishments and milestones. We respect your brave, challenging decision, and we will always be grateful if you choose us to be the couple to raise your child. We will keep you in our prayers as you are guided through this journey.

Sincerely,

Steven & Carolyn