In our leisure time we both like to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. We go for walks with our dogs, bicycle the trails around the city, or swim in Ellen's brother's pool. The last couple of summers we have gone blueberry and blackberry picking and afterward made muffins and pies. We are excited to share this new tradition with a child. DJ enjoys a good DIY project and woodworking in his shop. He has made several items for the house (the favorite being the coffee cup holder). DJ also enjoys going to nearby lakes to try his luck at fishing. Ellen enjoys reading a good book or knitting in her spare time. We both enjoy caring for the flowers that we plant each summer. We also enjoy trying different restaurants around the city. We both look forward each year to some sort of vacation where we can relax and make new memories. We are involved in our church where we volunteer to help with events, like the annual baptism, and DJ is a part of the greeting committee.

Our favorite vacation spot is Estes Park, Colorado. We started visiting the park in 2016 and have found ourselves going every year since. The park has so many of our favorite things like wildlife, hiking, and mountain views. We have been fortunate to hike many miles through the park and see many miraculous views. We first went in the summer time and saw dozens of elk in the mountains, then one year we went during the winter and got to experience hiking in a few feet of snow. We enjoy trying new things on vacation and would love to teach a child about them too. There is no way to describe your first time seeing the mountains and being in such awe of their rugged beauty. We cannot wait to share that moment with a child. And how much fun would it be to have a snow ball fight in the mountains.

We plan on being very open with the child about their adoption from a young age. We have wonderful resources of couples in our church who have adopted and there are great books on the subject to help the child understand. Adoption will have a positive emotion connected to it. The center of the conversation will always be love and how much the child is loved. We will talk with the child about how biological parents want what is best for them but sometimes cannot provide it. We will talk about how life is full of hard decisions but it always comes down to what is best for the child. The child will never feel like they cannot approach us with questions or ask for information. We would never withhold information or the opportunity to reach out to you. We want them to know that both us and you, their birth parents, had nothing but unconditional love and their wellbeing in mind.

We are blessed to have both of our families live in the same town about an hour away. DJ has one younger brother and sister. Ellen has one older brother who lives close by just across town from us. Many aunts, uncles, and cousins are also close by. Family is very important to us and we enjoy getting together during the holidays or spur of the moment for a home cooked meal and sitting on the porch visiting.

Both of our families like to be outdoors going swimming, fishing, or hiking around. We enjoy a yearly family reunion at Ellen's aunt's house where we swim in the pool and play games all weekend. When we announced our plans on adopting a child the love and support was overwhelming! This child will be the first grandchild and they are sure to be showered with attention from the grandparents. Our pets, Merle, Quincy and Byron, are also excited for a new addition to the family to love on.

We moved to our neighborhood nine years ago. We live on a quiet side road where the neighborhood kids like to ride their bikes around or play basketball. Our two-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch style home is cozy and homey. Many memories are made in the living room where we watch movies, entertain friends, and read. Each Christmas we love transforming our home into a winter wonderland. We enjoy putting up lights and decorating the Christmas tree. If we are not in the living room, we are in our fenced in back yard playing with our dogs or watering our flowers. We also love to sit by the fire pit on cooler evenings with friends or family.

We live in a suburb of a big city, which means there are museums, festivals, and many parks within 30 minutes of our home. We live near a lake 15 minutes from our house that has picnic areas, a beach for swimming and wonderful trails for biking or walking. It is a great place to live and raise a child.

First off, thank you so much for taking the time to read our letter. We recognize that you face a difficult decision we will never understand and we are praying for you during this time. We hope through this letter you get to know us a little bit better and get a glimpse of what wonderful parents we can be for your child.

We have been married for 11 years and together almost 14. We have supported each other through school, job changes, and moving a few states away for a couple years. We are each other’s rock and God is the foundation of our relationship. We truly are best friends. Family is such an important part of our lives and we have dreamed of being parents since we met. We love playing and interacting with our friends’ and families’ children. Bringing a smile to their faces makes our hearts happy.

We have had a long and winding journey that has brought us to the decision of adoption. After trying to have a child for a couple of years, we were having no luck. We then began talking with a fertility clinic about our options. We tried a few different fertility treatments with no success. After taking some time to reflect, we decided that God was pointing us to adopt. We realize that being a parent is not a cookie cutter mold. Each journey is different and unique in its own way. We believe it is a blessing and honor to raise a child and we are ready to embrace whatever path is in front of us.

In addition to ourselves, we have two dogs who are anxious to welcome a child into our home. We have a love for animals and we love to take care of them. Merle and Quincy have been around small children and love to run around with them and give wet kisses. We have taught them to play nice and be gentle around little kids. They are protective of us and, being corgis, like to bark at everything. Ellen grew up with corgis and they are some of the most loyal pets you can find.

Since family is so important to us, we want to extend our love to you as well. We want you to be a part of our lives and the child's life as much as you feel comfortable. We look forward to keeping you up to date with everything going on in the form of pictures and email/letters. We would be happy to plan visits so you can feel that much more comfortable with your decision. We feel it is meaningful that this sweet blessing knows their biological family as much as possible.

We are excited to share our interests for traveling, animals, and the outdoors. Our goals are to raise a kind and caring person who is a hard worker. We will do everything in our power to help them achieve their goals and dreams throughout their whole life. They will know love unconditionally. We have big hearts to share and hope you allow us to share it with your child.

We are Christians and firmly believe God has a plan for you and us. Having faith and trust has gotten us where we are today and we won't give up on that. We know it is not an easy decision for you to choose the right couple for your child based on words and pictures, but we want you to get to know us and ease any uncertainties that you might have. We would love to have a phone conversation and email each other.

Thanks again for taking the time to read our profile and get to know us a little better.

DJ & Ellen