We try to make sure that Constance is being raised in a diverse environment. We live in a diverse neighborhood, with families from all different backgrounds. The nearby schools are also much more diverse than others in our community. Constance has friends from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds from school and has the opportunity to learn from Erin's co-worker’s children also, who are African American. A local organization provides get-togethers a couple times a year for adoptive families in our community.

We actively try to experience different cultures through travel as well as through different ethnic foods. Constance has had the opportunity to travel to several countries as well as New York City, Seattle, and San Francisco. Our local community has several festivals celebrating a range of cultural heritages. We will also make sure that our child has teachers, role models and friends from different cultural backgrounds as well as people that look like them.

We have two awesome pets, one cat and one dog. Our dogs name is Mickey and he is a tricolored Corgi. We adopted him in 2011, and he was a rescue, coming from a puppy mill in Joplin, MO. When we got him, he was scared of everything, including Ben. After lots of loving, taking him to the dog park and exposing him to people and other pets, he is a completely different dog. He always wants to be at the center of everything and thinks that everyone and every dog should be his friend. He loves Constance and is a great family dog.

We also have a cat, Shadow, and he is a Siamese mix. He is so funny and such a people-cat. He is always looking for attention. We got him as a kitten in the Fall of 2014, so he has grown up with Constance. He has always been so good with her, never scratching her or anything. When he was tired of being messed with, he simply walks away. They provide so much love and companionship for our family and we don’t know what we would do without them.

We have an active lifestyle. We enjoy being able to go hiking but also enjoy relaxing and having a movie night every now and again or hang out with friends. We love to travel and try to take at least one vacation as a family a year. So far, we have traveled to New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Europe twice with Constance. We cannot wait to add another child to have these adventures with.

We enjoy spending time outside gardening, riding bikes, playing at the park, swimming and spending time with family and friends. Constance is involved with swimming and participates in swimming lessons twice a week. We believe that swimming is such an important skill to learn and got Constance involved early. She currently loves swimming and is excited to be able to participate in the club swim team as she gets older. We like to grill and have cookouts with the neighbors frequently but also enjoy going out to eat as a family. We eat dinner together as a family at least 5 nights a week.

We also enjoy running as a family and often participate in local 5K’s. Ben enjoys doing electronics activities and is currently restoring a drill press. Ben also enjoys gardening and currently has a large garden in the backyard. Erin enjoys teaching Constance as well as reading, working out and baking with Constance.

Family is very important to us and we spend a lot of time with our families. We have a great and supportive extended family. Erin’s parents, Mary and Larry, as well as her brother, Bryce, live a little over one hour away. They own about 1000 acres and have a small ranch. We see each other several times a month, either traveling there to spend time with family and see all the animals or them coming to our house.

Erin’s grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins also are about an hour away. Ben’s parents live 8 hours away and we visit them regularly. Unfortunately, Ben’s sister and her family live in Europe. We try to see each other at least twice a year and FaceTime regularly. Constance has a great relationship with her cousins, Connor and Lillian, despite the distance. We alternate holidays with our families. On odd years we have Thanksgiving with Ben’s family and Christmas with Erin’s and on even years it’s the opposite. However, we also sometimes have holidays with both families combined, which is always fun. Christmas eve usually consist of having cold cuts, spending time with family, playing games, singing Christmas songs and the kids can open one gift. Both of our families get along well and we are so grateful. Both of our families are very excited to add a child to our family and are very supportive of our decision to adopt a child.

We live in a great neighborhood with a lot of young families and children. The elementary school is at the end of our street, and the junior high and high school are just up the hill. The children in the neighborhood spend a lot of time outside playing games, riding bikes and having fun. The kids often go to the school playground to play together. We have a welcoming five-bedroom, three-bath home. We spend a lot of time in the open plan living room/dining room/kitchen area.

We also really enjoy spending time on our deck, eating dinner, and spending time with friends. Our community has a great public library, aquatic center and several parks. Constance and Erin often spend time at story-time at the library or toddler time at the local aquatic center during the week. We participate in the summer reading program run by the library also. We also like to take advantage of the many hiking opportunities that surround us. We are close enough to Denver, Colorado to also take advantage of the many activities there such as the zoo, aquarium, the Museum of Nature and Science as well as the many sporting events.

Hi! Our names are Ben and Erin. First, we want to thank you for taking the time to get to know us a little bit. Words cannot express our admiration of you for considering creating an adoption plan. We got married 10 years ago and talked about what our family would look like from the beginning. Although we waited to start our family until we were stable and had our careers established, we were always excited about having a family and having 2 to 3 children. In 2015, we were blessed with our daughter, Constance. She is such a joy but since having her we have been unable to have more children due to complications. However, through our faith and support in each other and in God, we realized that there were other avenues that God was leading us towards. Adoption is such a gift and we are so excited to grow our family through adoption. We are committed to opening our hearts and sharing all of the love we have with your child. We understand that the decision that you are considering is difficult and we admire your strength and courage. Your decision for your child is something, we’re sure, will not be taken lightly or without a lot of thought. We know that parenting is not easy, but we are so excited to have the opportunity to expand our family.

Please know that your child will be welcomed into a stable and loving family. Constance is so excited to become a big sister and will love your child so much. We take every opportunity we can to spend time together as a family and also take advantage of spending as much time as possible with our extended family. Erin’s parents, brother, grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins all live about one hour away from our home. We often get together for dinner, BBQ’s, and such. Erin’s parents live on a ranch so visiting is always a fun experience filled with adventure. It always involves seeing cows, horses, miniature goats and having the opportunity to run and play in the country. We also try to spend holidays with friends and family. We visit Ben’s parents several times a year and have the opportunity to spend time with Ben’s sister, Megan, and her family a couple times a year. While they live in Germany, it also gives us the opportunity to travel and explore the world. Traveling is something that we enjoy so much and cannot wait to include your child in our adventures. We live in a great neighborhood where we have met several great friends. We often spend evenings hanging out with friends in the front yard while the neighborhood children play. Our neighborhood is filled with young families from a diverse background and the elementary school is at the end of our street. Our community has many great parks, the aquatic center and the public library for children. Constance and Erin often spend time attending story time at the library or toddler time at the aquatic center with friends.

We will share with you your child’s growth and experiences through letters, photos, emails and possible visits if desired. We will always be open and honest with your child regarding adoption. We will make sure that your child knows how much they are loved, and you will always be reflected in a positive light. We believe it is important to know your heritage and where you come from and will happily share anything we can with your child as they grow.

We are so thankful that you have taken the time to get to know us and look forward to forming a great relationship. We know that you have a difficult decision to make and you will be in our prayers as you go through this journey. Words cannot express how excited we are to grow our family through adoption and know that it would not be possible without your strength and courage.

With love and respect,

Ben & Erin