Our most cherished place to visit is Seth’s childhood home in Minnesota. The family farm is an oasis of adventure, relaxation and love. Their home is on 100 acres of rolling hills and forests and has a picturesque red barn full of animals. Our family spends at least one week there each season because the area offers so many amazing experiences throughout the year. Summers are spent relaxing on the hammock in the breeze. The best hikes are during the fall when the woods are transformed by every shade of yellow, orange and red. During the cold winters we sled for hours before heading inside for hot chocolate and a warm blanket. Spring brings sweet baby lambs that run around with the rest of the sheep, chickens and kittens. We love to help out in his brother’s apple orchard, walk the many wooded trails, and help with farm chores. Rarely are we the only ones there, especially during the holidays when Seth’s siblings and their families come home as well. Even Emily’s family has made the trip out to the farm when our daughter Ellie was baptized at the family church. We love that Seth’s childhood home is such a warm, inviting place where we can all make new memories together. In the near future this vacation spot will become our home as we transition our family from the military and settle down long-term.

We have one child, our daughter Ellie. She is our best friend! She is the best parts of both of us and yet so unique. Ellie is a fun, outgoing four-year-old who loves princesses, unicorns, and crafts. Her artistic creativity is astounding and we recently built her a full at-home art center to let her creativity blossom. It has been fun to introduce her to activities we love like reading, swimming, hiking and traveling. These things are all made better when we do them together. Last fall we took her to Yellowstone National Park and introduced her to kayaking! At age four she has already played soccer and T-ball, learned to swim, and completed three seasons of ballet. But there is nothing she loves more than our Pizza Fridays when we stay home, make homemade pizza, cuddle up and watch a movie together.

One of the hardest parts of our infertility journey has been Ellie’s desire for a sibling. She so badly wants a little brother or sister to become best friends with, just like our siblings are to us. Our sweet girl has taught us how to be parents and encourages us to grow every day. We look forward to another child adding their own unique traits to our family unit.

Becoming parents has been the greatest joy of our lives. We believe the greatest thing we can offer children is unconditional love and acceptance, because it allows a child to feel safe and secure enough to step out of his or her comfort zone to learn, grow and make mistakes. Kids should be afforded endless opportunities to do just that. Our goal as parents is to be positive role models to our children and help them develop as unique individuals with a strong moral compass. We firmly believe in the importance of trust, respect for ourselves and acceptance of others. We do our best to teach these values to our daughter every day. It isn’t quite possible to pick a favorite part of being a parent because it is all so rewarding but we sure have loved to watch Ellie grow, hit each milestone and become a unique individual. We cannot wait to see how unique another child will be and how they will challenge us to be better parents.

We live in a small, close-knit community and our home is one of our favorite places to be! Our newly built house has an open floor plan that allows the three of us to spend the majority of our time together. Often Emily and Ellie are crafting in their art center as they keep Seth company while he cooks, a passion of his! Our large backyard gives Ellie and her friends space to run and play. We love to spend our evenings walking through the neighborhood or biking around town. We work with many of the families in our neighborhood and Ellie attends school, dance or sports with their children.

Cookouts, pool parties and water balloon fights are a common occurrence with our neighbors. Our town has one of the best school districts in the state and we are only minutes away from a splash pad, pool and multiple playgrounds. We are also within driving distance to three large cities where we spend weekends visiting the aquarium, zoo or science center. As we transition out of the military, we plan to move our family to a similar community in Minnesota where we will be closer to Seth’s parents. We have loved all the places the Air Force has taken us, but Minnesota holds a special place in our hearts. The bike trails, hiking, pools and playgrounds make it the perfect place to raise a family, but most important is the strong sense of community and support of family nearby.

Our families are our best friends! Seth has three siblings and Emily has two. Between us we have 12 nieces and nephews! Our daughter is very close to her grandparents and cousins. Our extended family is scattered throughout the US, Canada and the UK. We spend most vacations visiting these family members or taking group trips together. This past spring, we travelled with Seth’s entire family to Disney World for the grandkids’ first Disney adventure. Most recently, we visited England to see Emily’s parents, Grandmom and Pop Pop.

Christmas is usually spent with the whole family at Seth’s childhood home in Minnesota. Nonna and Papa’s farm is where we spend the holiday playing in the snow, laughing together, and enjoying cherished traditions. Our favorite tradition is enjoying delicious homemade soups after Christmas Eve church service.

In addition to our parents and siblings, the military has blessed us with an extensive group of friends who have become family. We affectionately call them our “framily”. We have been able to stay connected to these lifelong friends through each move we have made with the military. We are so thankful for their love and support, no matter how many miles stretch between us. When we aren’t visiting relatives, we are usually vacationing with these friends, spending Thanksgivings together, hiking and kayaking through national parks, or renting beach houses during the summer. Family and friends mean everything to us, and they all anxiously await a new little one to include in our adventures together.

We are so thankful to be given the opportunity to share a bit about ourselves as you make this difficult, selfless choice. We admire your incredible bravery, strength and dedication to your child.

Our Air Force careers are coming to an end and we are looking forward to what our future holds. Seth is transitioning to be an airline pilot in the fall, which will allow him to continue doing what he loves while giving him more time at home with our family. Emily is planning to prioritize our home and family during this transition and will be taking time off from working so that she can be available to provide Ellie and any future children with extra quality time and attention.

Our greatest blessing was the birth of our daughter, Ellie, who is now a loving, artistic, outgoing four-year-old. She brings so much joy to our hearts and keeps our home full of laughter. Our little social butterfly has been asking for a sibling since the moment she could talk. We’ve always known we were meant to have a big family. We both grew up with large families and we can’t wait to give Ellie the same experience we had. After Ellie’s very difficult birth we have had to navigate infertility. Thankfully our strong bond has supported us through these hard years, helped along by the love from our daughter. Our biggest desire is to add another little one to our family. We feel adoption is the path we have been called upon to do and are so grateful for the opportunity!

If you choose us, we promise to raise your child under an umbrella of love, compassion and safety. We have challenged ourselves as parents to provide Ellie with a stable and nurturing home that puts love above all else. We do our very best to model the importance of trust, selflessness and acceptance of others while giving her space to learn and grow into her own unique self. No role in our lives has meant more to us than being parents. We will treasure every moment with another little one and provide them with the same love, stability and endless opportunities we have provided for Ellie.

We cannot imagine what you are going through, but we want you to know that we respect and admire your decision. We feel nothing but love for you and your child. The gift you could give us will never be forgotten and we look forward to sharing your child’s growth and milestones. We are happy to send letters and photos as keepsakes, as well as email and text updates. We are even open to considering a visit when the time is right. We want what is best for our adoptive child and believe that a healthy relationship with their birth parents is key. Your child will always be reminded of your bravery and love for them.

Thank you so much for considering us!

Seth & Emily