Courtney has been personally affected by adoption through her dad's adoption, several of her cousins' adoptions, and many of the students she works with at school. Joel has also been personally affected by adoption through Courtney's family members and friends who have been adopted.

We have seen and in some cases been a part of the hardships and the joys that families who experienced adoption face. It is because we have been personally affected by adoption that we are able to recognize there are a lot of thoughts and emotions had by everyone involved in an adoption and we are also able to acknowledge that each situation is going to look different!

Knowing people who have been adopted, placed a child for adoption, or have adopted themselves has given us the opportunity to witness, ask questions, and learn about the life experiences and perspectives someone who has been through an adoption might have. It has created a respect and love for growing families through adoption because we have personally seen and been a part of the process.

Since we have many loved ones close to us who have been involved with adoptions in different ways we know this child will have a great support system to turn to when they need support.

The things that take the biggest priority in our lives are spending time with our family and serving at our church.

We enjoy visiting our families as frequently as we can to build memories. When we visit Courtney's family we often play board games, have bon fires, and go camping. When we visit Joel's family we play games and eat big family meals around the dinner table. Both of us come from close knit families and so it's natural for us to want to make quality time with our families a big priority.

Staying connected with our church is also really important to the both of us. Our faith has always been a priority to both of us individually, so when we got married we made it a priority to get deeply involved with our church. Currently, Joel serves as a youth group leader every Sunday and Courtney serves as a Deacon board member. Both of us have volunteered in several other ministries through our church over the last 4 years as well. Our family and faith have created a strong foundation for our us and we are eager to share that foundation with this child so that they can also have a strong foundation to grow on.

We believe being a parent means helping your child discover their talents and passions and teaching them how to use those talents and passions to be a light to the world around them. We are looking forward to showing this child all of the things that we are passionate about, but we are most excited to learn what their passions and talents will be. We are most looking forward to learning who this child is and how they will touch all of the lives around them. We know it will be really special to learn about the world through this child's eyes.

Being a parent means putting this child's needs before our own, loving them through the hard times, and supporting them whenever they stumble. Showing this child consistent love and support teaches them how to love and support others as well.

We know that with becoming parents there will be some challenging times, but we also believe that the reward of coming out on the other side of those tough times, with a deeper understanding of each other and a closer bond, will be so special and worth every hardship.

Our families are very supportive of our adoption plan! This child will be the first grandchild on both sides and everyone is eager to pour love and support into their life. 

Courtney's family is large and everyone, including extended family, lives close to each other, making it easy to have frequent get togethers and celebrations. Our family gatherings often include board games, camping, and laughing over old stories. Some of our favorite traditions are camping together for the 4th of July and eating homemade biscuits and gravy while watching Scrooge on Christmas morning. 

Joel's family is smaller and more spread out, but getting together and supporting each other is still a big priority. During our time together we play board games, have good homecooked meals, and find new towns and museums to explore. The traditions we love with Joel's family are reading the Christmas story from the Bible before opening Christmas gifts and taking a Labor Day weekend trip together.

We place a lot of value on spending quality time with our families and making sure that we are always there for the important events in everyone's life. We know that our families will have the same priority for all of the milestones, big and small, in this child's life, too. Our families are ready to support this child and us emotionally, spiritually, and in any other way that they can.

We live in a small town in Michigan not far from a big city. Where we live is surrounded by some of the top school districts in the state. Our home is a two minute drive from our church and less than ten minutes away from both of our jobs.  

Our community holds many family engagements including city fairs and holiday parades. There are even family fun events held in our town specifically for families who have been touched by adoption. We really enjoy going to the Memorial Day parade each year. There are also multiple family friendly museums, performance halls, and a zoo all 10 minutes from our house.

Our home is a two bedroom, two bathroom, ranch style home with a finished walk out basement. We have about a third of an acre property with a full privacy fenced in backyard. Our house is an open concept, which we love because we can host all of our loved ones with ease. Our favorite room in the house is the living room because it has lots of windows over looking the backyard!

Our neighborhood backs up to a beautiful park with fun play structures and there is also a private lake in the middle of the neighborhood that we love to take walks around. There are lots of young families in the neighborhood and the kids are always getting together to run and play in our cul-de-sac. People frequently walk their dogs and go for bike rides. 

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us better. We know this journey is emotional and difficult and we want you to know how much we appreciate you for considering us. We are praying for you, and the sweet baby, daily and we want to assure that you are valued and supported while you walk this brave path.

We met in college in 2012, through a mutual friend and we were in the same bible study. Joel had the most charming sense of humor and was the tallest person Courtney had ever seen before. He was hard not to notice. Courtney was witty and that caught Joel's attention. We became fast friends and after a couple of months Joel finally built up the nerve to ask Courtney on a date, to which she said yes before he could get the question out. We went to a yummy authentic Mexican restaurant and were together from then on. Joel proposed at an ice sculpture festival in 2015 and we were married in an apple orchard May 28, 2016, surrounded by all of our loved ones.

Courtney respects that Joel is always honest, even if an honest conversation is tough to have. He has a strong moral compass and will always try to do what's right. Courtney lives life in a way that is full of love, laughter, and joy. The thing Joel respects most about Courtney, is even though she brings such a caring, empathetic approach to situations she still sticks to her roots and makes her decision based on what is right instead of what is convenient.

Joel works in insurance and risk management and has a fairly flexible work schedule. His office is close to home and he has the ability to work from home if he needs to. Courtney works in elementary special education and has all major holidays and summers off. Both of us are passionate about what we do because we love to help and inspire growth in others. Once our family grows Courtney plans to step away from the school so she can stay home to be fully present in raising the children.

We have been eagerly waiting to grow our family for over three years and when that time comes we are committed to showering this baby with a loving and supportive family, a safe home, and experiences and memories that they will cherish forever. They will have a close knit support system helping to guide and protect them. Taking family vacations, doing big family holidays, and experiencing the normal day to day life together are things we can hardly wait do with this sweet child. They will know the love of God and that they are beautifully unique. We will show them how their skills are a blessing and how they can care for others. Our families are ready to support this child and us emotionally, spiritually, and in any other way that they can!

On this journey we are happy to share pictures, letters, and e-mail updates. We will be honest with this child about their adoption, who they are, and where they come from. We will remind them how unique their story is and how loved they are by everyone who has helped shaped their path. This child will be taught, through our words and actions. We will keep an adoption journey book and intend to keep it updated so that they can always have access to what their journey looked like and who all was involved in it. We will encourage this child to ask questions and to want to know about their history so they can celebrate it. We will let them know that every adoption looks different and that every relationship means something special. They will know their story and they will feel all of the support and love from everyone in their life, especially you.

Thank you for considering us as potential parents for your child. Please know that we see your selflessness and we will be praying for you as you continue on this guided journey.

Joel & Courtney