Kenneth and Katie

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From Us to You

Hello-

The year was 2011 when an instant connection through an online dating site changed our lives forever. Our connection was based on several shared interests, our love for dogs, a passion for traveling, and a strong desire to have a family. As we got to know each other better, it was interesting to learn how many times our families’ paths crossed. It was like we were meant to find each other. Our hopes are that you too will find that instant connection to our family and that we join together in loving your child and providing them the best life possible.

We started our first adoption journey after we were married and were unable to have a child. Our initial heartbreak turned into our dream come true when our son, Jack, was born and his birth mother, Angelina, chose us to be his parents. We have loved them both with all our hearts every day since. We are excited to begin this journey once again and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. Should you feel that special connection to our family, it would be our honor to welcome your child into our family, to love them with all our hearts, and to provide them with a safe and loving home.

Our marriage is filled with kindness, love, and respect and we have a lot of fun as a family. From the day we met, we talked about having 2 children. We both grew up with a sister and can’t imagine life without siblings. Family is everything to us and we enjoy spending time together with our extended families. Katie’s parents and sister live close by and we all get together for Sunday dinners most weeks. Jack loves being around his cousins, and they equally adore him. Ken’s family is spread out across the country, and we are always planning our next visit to Ohio, Montana, and Las Vegas. Our whole family is as excited as we are about adopting a second baby and getting a new family member.

Ken is a handyman and can fix anything! Ken also loves the outdoors and spends time working in the yard or biking and hiking. He is an amazing father and it’s great to see how much Jack wants to be like him already.

Katie is the ultimate crafter. She loves using her creativity to sew purses, design jewelry, and make pottery. She hosts “craft nights” at our house so friends can come and make something new. She enjoys decorating the house and being outside planting flowers. Katie shares her creativity with Jack, and they enjoy singing and doing art projects together.

Jack is a sweet little boy who loves to play with his toy cars and trains. He loves playing outside and going to the park, and we recently joined the community center for family swim nights. Jack loves other children and is going to be such a sweet and caring big brother.

Your child will always know how much you love them, that you will always be a part of them, and that your choice of adoption was made because you love them so much.

Whatever your decision, we wish you the very best and hope that you find everything you want for both you and your child.

With Love,
Katie and Ken

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Our Journey to Adoption

Soon after we married in 2014, we began trying to start our family. It took quite a while, but we did manage to conceive. Sadly, the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. We then decided to try fertility treatments and after two failed IVF treatments, a ton of heartbreak and lots of discussions, we realized that just like life led us to one another, life was leading us to adoption. We’re certain that our struggles happened for a reason – we were blessed with the adoption of an amazing son and know that there is another beautiful baby out there waiting for us.

We have a loving relationship and stable marriage and it only grew stronger as we went through our first adoption. We both grew up with a sibling and always knew that we wanted to have a family with two children. We were so fortunate to adopt our first child and are eager to share our love with another baby. Being parents has brought out the best in both of us and we can’t wait to complete our family. Jack loves other kids and is going to be such a sweet, caring big brother. We are excited to be able to show our children new places and get to see the world from their perspective.

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About Katie, by Ken

Katie is one of the sweetest, most caring individuals I know. On our second date, I took her to lunch and forgot my wallet. Embarrassed, I explained the situation and without hesitation, Katie offered to pick up the tab. At that moment I knew Katie was someone special; someone who would go out of her way to make sure those around her feel comfortable – including a forgetful date. One of Katie’s passions is crafting. I’ve never known someone more interested in learning new crafts. Every couple of months Katie signs up for a new class. Her most recent interest is pottery; a few months ago, it was flower arranging; and before that, it was making leather purses. She’s always got a few projects in the works, many of which she starts in her monthly craft night with her girlfriends. I often think she would make a great teacher and watching her with Jack confirms it. They spend lots of time together reading and have started to work on writing letters. Jack has taken an interest in the kitchen and Katie has started to teach him how to bake cookies and cupcakes. He loved making gingerbread men during the holidays and even snuck in a gingerbread tractor cookie. Whether it’s reading, singing and dancing, playing, or working on an art project, Katie always finds a way to make it a learning opportunity and will continue to do so for our next child. It’s heartwarming to see how much Jack loves her, and I’m confident that she’s someone any child would be proud to call Mom.

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About Ken, by Katie

I knew Ken was a great guy from the first time I met him. His calm and collected nature made him the perfect balance for me. He is serious by nature but loves the unexpected. He is practical but able to let loose and have fun. Ken takes pride in our home and loves working inside and out to make the house and yard as great as they can be. He is handy and always has a project in mind to improve something. His handyman skills go beyond our home, and he is often called by our friends and family to come and help. Ken is a good person and tries to help others in any way he can. He is the favorite uncle to our niece and nephews and is summoned to come play as soon as he walks in the door. It’s been amazing to watch Ken become a dad. The uncertainty of being a new dad was short-lived, and he became a pro at diapers, feeding, and loving our son. As Jack has grown into a toddler it’s fun to see and hear him mimic Ken’s words and actions. I’ve dreamed of having a family with Ken from the first time we met and watching him with Jack makes me want to grow our family even more. He has started to share some of his loves with Jack and we spend lots of time outside together playing in the yard or riding bikes. Ken will teach our children everything from how to install a light switch to being a good person and helping those around us.

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Lifestyle

We enjoy being together and spending time as a family. We’re lucky to have great neighbors and close friends nearby in addition to our families. When the weather is nice, we enjoy playing outside and have added a little playset to the yard with the plans to install a more permanent one this summer. Our driveway was also the perfect spot for a plastic swimming pool and homemade water table. We have lots of neighbors with little kids and can’t wait for Jack and a new baby to grow up playing together on warm summer nights.

Ken works permanently from home now and Katie has a hybrid schedule so we’re able to be flexible during the week. Jack spends one day with Katie’s parents and loves the one-on-one special time with them. On the other days, he is in daycare and enjoys learning and being with his friends. Katie’s parents are excited to watch a new baby and have already asked if they could have him or her two days a week so that they can have bonding time with the baby.

Weekends have become our family time and most weekends we enjoy being home together. We’re always working in the yard or on a house project but take lots of breaks to play and sit down together for meals. Ken is currently working to finish our basement and Katie is anxious to paint and decorate it. Jack loves helping and got a set of kids’ power tools for Christmas so he can work side-by-side with Dad. This space will be a playroom and a great place for the kids to run around in the future. We also plan to use it as a movie room and it will continue to be a place where Jack and your child will love to have friends and sleepovers as they get older.

We share a passion for traveling and some weekends we travel to visit Ken’s family. Jack has taken on our sense of adventure and loves exploring a new town or going on a road trip to Grammy and Papa’s house. We love to travel and plan to expose our children to national and international travel. We believe experiencing new foods, seeing new places, and learning about other cultures create an open mind and an appreciation for what you have.

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Our Dogs, Sam I Am and Pepper

We have two Labrador Retrievers. Our yellow girl is named Sam I Am and she is a very sweet 14-year-old. Sam loves attention and is happiest when someone is scratching her ears and rubbing her belly. Pepper is a 1-year-old black lab puppy and has quickly become Jack’s best friend and tumbling buddy. Both dogs are extremely tolerant of Jack, and he loves them. It’s not an uncommon scene to see them all cuddled in the dog bed or Jack climbing over them like a mountain. They recognize Jack as a good friend too, especially when he’s at the dinner table sharing his food! Both dogs love to be outside and enjoy going anywhere we take them. They get super excited to ride in the car to pick Jack up from daycare and he is equally thrilled when he sees them peeking out the back window at him!

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Home & Neighborhood

We moved into our house in 2013 knowing we wanted to start a family. We love the neighborhood and felt the house was perfect for raising kids. It is in a friendly suburban neighborhood with green grass and tall trees. Kids ranging from toddlers to high schoolers play outside regardless of the weather. At Christmas time, the fire department drives Santa Claus through the neighborhood, and in the summer the fire truck sprays water into the street for the kids to splash around in.

Our house has four bedrooms and a large family room that shares space with the kitchen. We find ourselves spending most of our time in the family room which has turned into our playroom. The house has a large, open backyard fenced by big trees. The space is perfect to run and play for both Jack and our dogs, Sam I Am and Pepper. Our school district is one of the best in the state and is known for its academics, sports, band, international programs, and other opportunities. The community recently built a recreation center that has a pool, outdoor classrooms, nature trails, and playgrounds. We’re also close to a biking and walking trail that extends nearly 300 miles to Washington DC. We’ve only biked portions of it, but it’s on Ken’s bucket list to do the whole stretch someday.

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Our Families & Friends

We are lucky to have great families. Katie’s parents, sister and her family live within 15 minutes of us. We spend lots of time together on the weekends and often have sleepovers with our niece and nephews. College football is a passion for Katie’s family, so we spend the fall going to games with lifelong friends and family. Ken’s family is within a few hours’ drive, so we’re able to spend weekends with them throughout the year. He has a younger brother with special needs, who wishes we lived a lot closer! We are both lucky to have extended family spread out across the country giving us a lot of fun places to travel and visit. Our most recent visit was to Hawaii to see Ken’s aunt and uncle. We’re also planning a trip to Salt Lake City in the fall to see his extended family.

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Our Relationship with Jack's Birth Mother

Our son, Jack, was placed with us at birth. We were able to meet Jack’s birth mother, Angelina, and spend time together in the hospital after his birth. We have an open adoption and have continued communication by sending photos and messages to her on a regular basis. We have so much respect for her and the love that she has for us and our son. We would never have been able to be parents without her sacrifice and appreciate the gift she gave us every day! Jack is still too young to fully understand everything, but we talk often about how he “grew in Angelina’s belly” and she loved him so much that she trusted us to give him the best life possible. We promised her, and will do the same for you, that we will love your baby with all our hearts and will always do what’s best for them!

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Family Traditions

We both come from very close-knit families who have many traditions that have been shared with us. With both our extended families, we like to celebrate everyone’s birthday as a family no matter what age you are turning. We all get together for the afternoon at someone’s house to be together. The menu changes based on the special person’s favorite food and has included chicken enchiladas, steaks (also known as “man steaks”), and often pizza. There is always cake which the kids get to decorate and add the candles so that we can join in singing “Happy Birthday.” As the cousins have gotten older and started learning to play an instrument there has even been a trumpet, flute, and guitar version of the song – frequently with a missed note or two. Depending on the time of year, the kids play in the sprinkler in the backyard or build a giant train track through the family room. It’s a fun excuse for everyone to be together and we can’t wait to add another celebration for your baby each year.

Katie’s family also has an annual beach trip to New Jersey. It’s a tradition that started when she was a little girl and has continued every summer since. We all head to the shore and rent a beach house together. We ride bikes to get the best homemade donuts most mornings and then spend the day playing on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Ken is often asked to dig huge holes which the kids jump and slide into. Each family takes a turn cooking dinner and at night we walk the boardwalk to check out the shops and get ice cream. Jack has grown up going and often asks “Are we going to the ocean?” whenever we get in the car. We can’t wait to share this tradition with your baby. We look forward to the trip each summer and take a picture of the group on the steps the last night so that we can watch the changes from year to year.

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What We Will Share

We will tell your child that you care so deeply for them that you were willing to place them to ensure they had the life and opportunities you couldn’t provide at the time. We’ll also explain that you selected us to be their parents and trusted that we’d be able to provide a wonderful life for them. We will share with them that we are forever grateful for the gift you bestowed upon us. We’ll explain the sacrifice you made, and the trust you placed in us to raise them. We will be honest and share what we know about you and how much we respect you.

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Our Promise to You

We have so much love and admiration for the decision you’re making. We cannot express how much our lives have changed since our first adoption and the overwhelming gratitude that we have for Angelina. She has given us the most amazing gift and is now a part of our lives forever. We will respect your choice for the level of communication desired and will love and protect your child with all our hearts. We hope that you’re at peace knowing that your baby is in a loving home with two parents who love each other so much and a sibling who will be their best friend. We promise to love you and your child unconditionally.