We have been thinking of adopting for many years. Early in our marriage (almost 15 years now!) we decided that ideally we would like to have one child biologically and then adopt a second. We both have a real heart for giving children the best life that we can, and to us, it doesn't matter how we have our children.

Our path hasn't been so straightforward, so adoption plans took a bit of a back seat when our son, Declan, became really sick. He had multiple brain surgeries, starting at 20 months old that left him temporarily partially paralyzed. Fortunately he has worked continuously with us and therapists to regain his strength and mobility. He had to re-learn most things like how to stand, walk and speak, but he does it all now in a way that isn't too different from his peers. He has such a good attitude and determination we just know he will be an incredible big brother!

We put off the thought of more children until Declan got better. Once he did, we ended up having two miscarriages, again bringing us back to our thoughts of adoption. What crystallized it for us was meeting a wonderful local family at a church retreat. They lost their biological child to cancer ten years ago, but his sister, whom they had adopted was at this retreat with them. We came to understand the peace they found in their decision to adopt and how she completed their family. It has been wonderful getting to know them and encouraging for us as we pursue adoption. We are incredibly excited to welcome not only a child, but a child's biological family, culture, and history into our lives.

We are a fun loving, casual family that likes to explore outside as much as possible. We live in a state that is full of beauty and nature--both mountains and water. So we hike in the woods often for exercise, for listening to birds, watching water flow in the creeks, and finding leaves or bugs or anything new to explore. We try to go camping a few times each summer and take our paddle board out to the lake as often as we can. Declan takes swimming lessons as physical therapy but also to help him build a love for the water, the beach and the lake. We stay busy exploring our city and neighborhood. We want our children to see it all and to know that the world is a big fun place to grow in.

We think it is really important to also find time to relax at home, laugh together, and build great memories together. At home, we try to live healthily, eat well, grow food in our garden and be conscientious of the environment. We read a lot and we play a lot! A typical weekend day is us reading books under a homemade fort, hours in the backyard playing games with neighbors and jumping on the trampoline and eating dinner on the back deck. Most importantly, in all that we do, we are intentional about spending time with one another.

Erin grew up in a family that had a lot of traditions and it is those memories that are looked so fondly upon. When we started a family, we knew we wanted to keep some of Erin's family's traditions as well as start our own.

Of course the holidays bring the most traditions, but we've also learned the huge importance of celebrating often. Whenever one of us is brave after a doctor's appointment or something that we don't like doing, we always eat goldfish crackers or Chipotle afterwards. We also have weekly traditions that have become really fun as a family. Fridays are always pizza night, whether made at home or takeout-it's our favorite night of the week. And on Saturdays we always make pancakes. There's nothing better than having that to look forward to at the beginning of the weekend.

On Christmas mornings, something carried from Erin's family is making fresh waffles in a waffle iron, served with real whipping cream and fresh fruit. We also put out a vintage Mickey Mouse caroler light on our front porch that neighbors look forward to seeing. And not a year goes by without visiting Santa and his real reindeer at a local nursery. It's one of the highlights of our year.

The best part about traditions is that it gives us something to look forward to, no matter what is going on in the world. Having another family member will just make these sweeter.

We live in Washington state, 10 minutes from a major city and all that it offers (sports, restaurants, parks, museums) but our home is on a quiet street, with a big backyard that looks out to the Olympic mountains and the beautiful water of the Puget Sound. We are still in awe of the view after 6 years of living here--seeing a ferry boat go by or the snowcapped mountains in the distance never gets old!

And our neighbors are like family. Our street alone has at least eight other families with young children who will all get to go to school together. There is always someone around for a play date! It has been such a blessing to our lives to have an incredibly community of neighbors. We share things, watch each other's kids, host picnics and Easter egg hunts, backyard BBQs and impromptu bike parades.

Our big backyard is filled with a swing set, yard toys, a sprinkler in the summer and plenty of space to run and play. And one of our favorite things is eating outside on our large deck, taking in the views. We also live just blocks away from two large parks with bike paths, soccer fields, playground and a splash pad. We're also close to parks with beaches, perfect for low tide adventures searching for crabs and watching boats go by. There is so much to explore here!

We are so close to our family members and everyone is beyond thrilled to welcome another child. There is no doubt that in this family, your child will be loved immensely and will certainly have a ton of fun growing up!

Erin has one sister--and they are the best of friends (talking on the phone daily!) Erin's parents and sister and her family live in the Midwest, but thankfully Face Time keeps us in close contact. Not a day goes by without seeing their faces, telling stories to cousins, or sharing new accomplishments to grandparents. Erin's sister and brother-in-law are foster parents and have been such a huge encouragement to us on this journey to adoption, and are our biggest cheerleaders. Erin's family is active, adventurous and some of the most generous and kind people you could ever meet.

David also has a sister and she and her family, along with their parents live on the East Coast. They live on a farm and have tons and tons of space for playing, and blueberries for picking when we come to visit. David's dad has a big tractor that can pull the kids in a hayride and that just might be Declan's highlight of his visits to Grandma and Papa's house. David's family is extremely hospitable and they are strangers to no one. David's mom also makes the best banana pudding!

Hello. We are so thrilled that you are reading our profile and we are also in awe of you at the incredibly hard and loving decision you are choosing to make. Thank you for considering us to be parents of your child.

Family is the most important thing to us and we truly cannot wait to add to ours. We have been married for 15 years! It feels so crazy to even write that because it has gone by so quickly. We have experienced wonderful things and hard things together. We have explored together, renovated homes together, camped, hiked, and kayaked together, moved across the country three times, eaten lots of bowls of popcorn and had many a competition on who can make the best strawberry pie. We've experienced job loss and miscarriages and so many ups and downs, but always together.

Parenting has been the greatest joy in our life. It is the hardest job we've had, and also the most rewarding adventure. Our son Declan just turned five years old and he is going to be delighted to have a brother or sister. One of the biggest gifts that Declan brings to the world is his empathy for others. We know this trait will make him a great big brother. He already wants to share his bed with the baby (don't worry, we won't let that happen with a baby) and lend his stuffed animals. Declan has gone through a lot in his short life with a complex medical history, but he has been the most resilient, brave and joyful person we have ever met. His favorite things are firetrucks and airplanes, throwing rocks in nearby lakes or beaches and most of all, being around other people.

We are truly so excited to add to our family, to nurture each individual child and also to help foster a wonderful sibling relationship. Our hope is that they can be a gift to each other. Each of us has a sibling and we are so grateful for that. We want to give that opportunity to Declan, as well as to your child. We see fort making, scooter rides and family movie nights in their future. We are ready for all of the fun, from wiping another snotty nose to giggles galore.

As we have gone along this journey of adoption we have met several people who were adopted, and learned of some friends being adopted. Hearing their stories has been wonderful and inspiring and affirming. They all had unique stories and were exceedingly grateful for the life that they were gracefully shared into. We want you to know that we would be honored to share the journey of adoption and raising your child with you. We are committed to sending regular pictures, emails and text messages in hopes of building a lasting relationship. We feel that joining in this journey with you would enrich all of our lives, and if you are open to it, we would love to work together to plan future visits when the time is right.

We hope you know how brave and strong you are, and that we admire you. Thank you for loving your child so much to share he/she with someone else. We already want the best for you and your baby. And we sure hope that you become part of our family!

David & Erin