We have many different traditions as a family. Since coming together, we both have continued many traditions that we experienced growing up. We have also created many of our own over the years. One of our favorite traditions, which came from Erik's family, is our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. We cut down our Chirstmas tree every year and we always do it the day after Thanksgiving. We work to put it up and decorate the tree throughout that weekend. This annual tradition is a fun day for the entire family and allows us ample time to enjoy it throughout the Christmas season.

Another tradition, from both families is our annual beach trip. This has evolved over the years. Since we bought a beach condo, we visit the beach more frequently and we have made our tradition more about what we do there. For example, every year at the beach we ride bikes on the boardwalk, we take an old time photo, and get telescope pictures of Lukas on the beach. Lastly, another of our favorite traditions has to do with food. This tradition came from Donna's family. It is a labor of love making fresh fried oysters. We do this as our families gather together for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has truly become a family affair with everyone pitching in with the breading and preparation. Erik is the fry master, and then of course everyone comes back together again to enjoy eating them all.

We actually have many close friends and even a family member who have gone through an adoption. The closest person we know is Donna's cousin. She and her husband adopted their daughter 16 years ago as a new born. They actually went through American Adoptions many years ago! We also have a very close family friend who along with her sister, were both adopted as babies. Next, at the beach our neighbor's daughter adopted a beautiful little girl as a newborn 5 years ago. They also went through American Adoptions. Lastly, one of Erik's friends from high school is adopted. We have discussed adoption with her cousin, our close friends and contacts that have made adoption a part of their lives. We have been fortunate to gather lots of information from their personal experiences.

Our son's best buddy is also adopted. For us, adoption seems like a natural fit. Knowing all of these different experiences and perspectives helped us determine that adoption was the perfect route for us to try to expand our family.

,p>Both of us grew up as dog lovers, and we each had multiple dogs in our families growing up. When we first met, we got our first dog together - Sidney. Sidney was a Labrador retriever puppy. At first she lived with Erik, until we got married, and started living together. About two years after we were married, we adopted a second dog - Sammy. Sammy was about a year and a half when we got her. These two dogs meant the world to us and technically were our first children. We took them everywhere we went. Their favorite place was the beach. We were absolutely heartbroken when they passed away within 2 months of each other. Sammy was 12 and had cancer, and Sidney was 14 and developed severe hip and back issues where she was not able to walk around anymore. We spared no expense. We tried surgery for Sidney and rehabilitation. If surgery or treatment could have saved Sammy or given her more time, we would have done it in a second. She was such a gem. Sadly, her cancer was very advanced.

Currently, we have 2 dogs, both labs. Sandy who is 4 years old, and Skipper who is 1. Since having Lukas, our home has also expanded to include hermit crabs, gold fish and a lizard named Diesel.

We live in the suburbs. Our neighborhood is very family friendly. Kids and parents are always outside - weather permitting. We have an annual Breakfast with Santa event at our parish, along with a Christmas program at our son's school. The school and parish host a Thanksgiving dinner/fundraiser that is a lot of fun every year.

We live in a four bedroom house with a fenced in back yard. Our favorite room is the family room, which has also become Lukas' playroom that he is anxious to share with a sibling. Our son often talks about having a sibling and showing him or her how to do things.

We live near several parks where we often meet for playdates with our son's classmates. In particular, we have one park with not only a playground, but a ride on choo-choo train and a merry go around that we often frequent in the spring, summer and fall. The local Rescue Squad also hosts public safety events and neat demonstrations for kids in the community. Erik has been a (volunteer) member of our local rescue squad since he was 16 years old and is the current Deputy Chief there. He was a paramedic for 6 years and is currently a FireFighter/EMT.

Donna is one of two children. She and her brother are eight years apart. Donna grew up in a small town and has a large extended family. Erik grew up an only child and lived near his grandparents and his aunt, uncle and their children. Erik's family is close by and Donna's extended family is less than an hour away. We have a son, Lukas and he is seven years old. Erik and I are kindred spirits and we both cherish family traditions. We love the holidays and summertime.

At Thanksgiving, we have our families together - we usually host dinner and have traditions that everyone has come to love and anticipate. We make pumpkin soup, pilgrim salad, fry two turkeys, fry oysters and have stuffed ham (oysters and stuffed ham are old southern favorites from Donna's family and so delicious!) Thanksgiving leads into Christmas as we road trip to a tree farm with our friends on Black Friday. We then celebrate with lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. We both enjoy decorating the house and Lukas has come to take part and enjoy these festivities. Seeing the holidays through the eyes of a child - especially Christmas has become very magical for us.

We spend a lot of time at the beach during the summer. We have a beach place in our local seaside town and it's our favorite place to be in the summer. We hope to share these traditions and more with your child.

We want to thank you for taking the time to get to know us through our profile. We can't begin to understand the circumstances that have brought you here. We do know it is purely out of love that you are considering adoption for your child. As a mother, there is no greater love than what you hold in your heart for your child. We all want our children to have a fair shot at a happy and healthy life. That vision can look different for all of us. Please know, we stand with you and support any decision you make for your child.

We believe the Lord has somehow brought us all here for a reason. Please know, if you consider us as adoptive parents, your child will be embraced with the same unconditional love that we have for our son, Lukas. Your child will be loved deeply, and raised in a safe and nurturing environment filled with fun and ample opportunities to learn and grow on all levels. As you can see by our profile, we have been together for over 20 years, married for 18. Our relationship is rooted in our love and respect for each other. We are very secure in our jobs, and well established financially. We have planned a secure future for our son, as well as that for a baby we are hoping and praying for. We look forward to offering our son, and your child the best when it comes growth, development, education, and future opportunities. Our belief is the "sky is the limit" when it comes to achieving your goals and dreams.

We are not sure how to convey the love we already have in our hearts. Maybe because we have a child and know what it is like seeing the world through his eyes. We feel so blessed to already have the experience of having a child, know what it entails, and we are absolutely sure we want to add to our family. We look forward to providing a safe and secure lifetime building precious memories and sharing many exciting adventures.

We understand that this decision cannot be easy, especially making the decision based on photos, answers to questions, and letters. We hope that our family situation is the one you can envision for your child. We all live in the same imperfect world, yet our different circumstances have brought us together here. We feel there is something special about that. The family photos you have seen of us at home, during the holiday's, on vacation, and doing/attending other various events are what you can expect your child to experience as well. Our dream is to add an additional member to our family, and love them forever.

That being said, we want you to know that you will be updated on your child's life and growth through letters and pictures on a regular basis. We cannot imagine how difficult this decision is for you. We want to comfort you and ensure that you have the confidence in knowing that your child is being raised by a good family, who will do anything for your child to keep him or her safe, healthy and happy. Please let us know if there is any additional information that we can share that would help reassure you during this incredibly difficult time.

Erik & Donna