We always envisioned having children close in age and just before Sawyer turned two we started trying to conceive again. Much like before, we became pregnant right away, but lost the baby just over three months into that pregnancy. Despite the heartbreak of losing a child, we tried again and sadly, lost two other babies. It became apparent this was not a string of bad luck, but rather a medical issue. This, however, was a blessing as it has lead us to you and adoption. In fact, when we started talking about adoption, we felt a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders and we noticed our disposition and attitudes changed, but our friends noticed as well. It was like sunshine pouring down on us - we knew we wanted to adopt! We know without a doubt we want to bring another little one into our family and cannot wait to welcome your little one into our arms! We cannot wait to share our lives with your baby and watch him or her grow and learn. LOVE is in abundance in this home and we cannot wait to share with you and your baby!

We definitely have an active lifestyle. Not in the sense that we work out a lot (we don't), but you would be hard-pressed to find us lounging inside unless someone is sick. If we do spend the weekend at home we are most likely remodeling a room or doing a home improvement project. We love to include Sawyer on our projects so that he participates and feels he is helping as well.

We spend a lot of time with another couple in town, who has two kids. We love entertaining the kids with make-your-own pizza parties, covering the table in sketching paper and giving them finger-paints, tie-dyeing shirts - lots of arts and crafts.

All of our activities are really centered on the kids. In the spring Rachel dedicates some of her time to giving batting lessons to youth baseball players. Once baseball season is in session, a couple nights a week are usually spent watching their games and chasing the younger kids around in the grass. During the warm summer days we go camping up in the mountains and fish at our many surrounding lakes and rivers. In the fall, you can find us carving pumpkins, running through the leaves, going to our favorite apple festivals and enjoying the nights by a fire pit. During winter, we go sledding, visit Santa and his reindeer, drink hot cocoa and enjoy the wonderful wilderness. We believe there is always time for fun and anything that can make a little kid giggle is priceless.

Rachel’s whole life she has based decisions around how best to position herself to be a mom. Each choice has been with that intent, including going out with Mik. Rachel’s attraction to Mik was based around seeing how well he interacted with children, his easy-going tendencies, and how great of a caretaker he was. Being parents is our purpose in life. There is nothing so sweet as the joy children find in the little things. Just being able to witness that and the opportunities to spark that joy and discovery is such a privilege as a parent. We love waking up early on a Saturday mornings to find a fun, new activity to do with Sawyer, whether that is going to the trampoline park or building a cardboard fort. We love baking together as a family and watching Sawyer develop from clanking spoons together, to now helping with measurements and carefully combining ingredients has been so much fun. We are all good with spills and messes because with a kid even the clean-up can be fun. The best part is teaching new skills of life and watching them watching, learning, observing, and absorbing the new knowledge through trial and error. 

We live in the beautiful state of Montana. We are so fortunate to have such abundant public land to have lots of fun on and we take full advantage of those opportunities.

We live in a three bedroom, three bathroom house with a large basement, that has been transformed into a play room. We also spend a lot of time on our back deck barbecuing, roasting marshmallows, and even have a baby swing ready for your little one! Our house is tucked away from the main road, and we have a large fenced yard we play baseball in, blow up our bounce house, or play in the sprinklers.

Living in such a rural part of the country, we don't have professional sports teams to cheer for, so the whole community really rallies around our high school sports. When the two high schools play against each other the whole town picks their side wearing the school's colors. It is a really great rivalry. Our town invests a lot in parks. We have seven kids' parks to choose from within walking distance from our house, as well as three different baseball/softball complexes and a pool/splash pad that is open in the summers. Our neighborhood is centered between the best elementary school in the area, and one of the two aforementioned high schools. Both are just a few blocks away, so the neighborhood is really made up of families, or couples who raised their children there and have stayed in their homes since. It is our goal to have the house our kids' friends want to come to, to grab a snack or hang out after school.

We don't live in the same town as our families, but we make frequent weekend trips to stay with Rachel's family on the lake. We never go more than a month without seeing them whether they are visiting us, or we are visiting them. When the weather is nice we spend all day out on the boats fishing and swimming around sand bars or finding hidden beaches. Rachel's dad started taking the little kids out on his heavy equipment, which sparked a fascination with backhoes, excavators, and dump trucks. The little kids love getting up early to go fishing with "Jamma" and "Jampa" on the boat. Rachel's mom can most often be found crawling on the floor with the kids concocting a cardboard box into something bigger with their imaginations.

Mik's family lives near a beach on the other side of the country, so we don't see them as often, but when we do, we have tons of FUN! Trips with grandma and grandpa to the park, sightseeing in the city and a little splashing in the ocean.

Most of our holidays are spent in large family gatherings exceeding 30+ people. Our family is adventurous, and prioritizes play over work, all sharing a "life is short" mentality. They are all so incredibly supportive and excited to meet your little one and cannot wait to welcome him or her with open arms! There are many family traditions aka fun they are already planning to share with your baby!

The first thing we want you to know is that we already love you, and respect you. Those are just words, but when the time comes for us to meet you we will prove this to you through our actions. We do not know the circumstances that brought you here, but as we think about many of the possibilities, we want you to know that it is our intent to lift you up.

We have been married for four years and have been together for seven. We have both focused our adult lives towards creating a stable life and home to build our family. It is our purpose in life to be parents and our daily decisions reflect that. Our son, Sawyer is more than ready to be a big brother. Our relationship and love for each other is centered around the values we share and willingness to put in the work ensuring a lasting marriage. Since the beginning of our relationship, seven years ago, we have kept a promise together to prioritize communication above all else. Together we can address any potential conflict by clearly communicating our needs. Love to us means going out of our way to improve each other's lives. Mik is the steadiness, Rachel is the excitement. Rachel is the type to wake up early with the little ones while Mike runs to the store in the middle of the night when something is needed. We have found such a balance between the two of us to keep everything running smoothly.

We have experienced three pregnancy losses, and the holes in our hearts adoption can fill by giving us the opportunity to add another child to our lives is immeasurable. Through an adoption we will promise to provide your child a loving home, consistency and an abundance of fun opportunities without ever having to worry whether their core needs will be met. Raising babies into good-hearted humans is our deepest passion. There is nothing we love more than seeking opportunities to incite a child's curiosity. Our children will have parents who dig worms and bugs out of the dirt with them to see which ones the fish are biting. They will participate in baking cookies even if it means as much sugar ended up on the floor as in the dough. Your child will have our undying support in whatever they find interest in. They will lend a helping hand to those in need and experience a love for the great outdoors. Most importantly, your child will know our love for them is unconditional.

Through our personal experiences with adoption, we have witnessed some of the beauty that comes from it. Through Rachel's foster brother, who is now 14, we have had the privilege of watching him grow to an age where he became aware that his family dynamic is different from that of his peers. Learning what that means for him, deciding how to manage those differences and understand more about his own story has helped us prepare for what questions or concerns may arise for our child.

We hope that through this adoption we can help you maintain a connection with your child. We look forward to having contact with you, if that is your wish. You will always have a place in our heart and we plan to tell your baby all about you beginning day one! We do not take lightly the love you have for your child and we want you to know you will always be an angel to us and your child.

Mik & Rachel