Steve and Brandi hello! We would like to thank you for considering us as potential parents. We pray for you and your child while you face one of the toughest decisions of your life. We greatly appreciate the sacrifice that you are considering on behalf of your child. Putting your child’s needs above those of your own displays strength and such great love. We promise to share the message of your strength and your love with this child as they grow. Your child will understand the reason behind such a selfless act. Looking back several years, we faced a miscarriage, then a year later faced infertility. When we heard the words “aggressive fertility treatments”, we knew God had another road for us. We grieved our infertility but embraced adoption. Less than a year and half after deciding to adopt, God blessed us with our son, Alex. Alex’s birth mom invited us to be an integral part of the process every step of the way. We welcomed the opportunity to walk alongside her throughout the pregnancy, the birth, and the days, weeks, and months that followed. She will forever be a cherished part of our life and family! Adoption has forever changed our lives. It has been an incredible blessing to us, our son, and our entire family. Because adopting and raising our son has brought us such incredible blessings, we cannot wait to be a part of that process again. We look forward to supporting you as you consider adoption and we promise to love your child as our very own. Alex is super excited to be a big brother. He talks constantly about all the things he wants to teach his new little brother or sister. Most of all, we promise to love and cherish your child. Your child will always feel safe and secure. Your child will thrive in our home as we have a strong lasting relationship and a very close knit extended family to love and care for him or her. We would love to come alongside and support you as much or as little as you desire during this time. You are in our thoughts and prayers as you make this difficult decision. with love, Brandi and Steve our story HOW WE MET We met at a euchre party of Christian singles at a friend’s house. As part of this large group, we continued to meet up for dinner, bowling, bonfires, and more. We saw each other at these outings and became friends along the way. After a year had passed, we started to get together in smaller groups and got to know each other even better. We started meeting for bicycle rides, just the two of us. When we met, we would go for long leisurely bicycle rides and stop for dinner. In the process, we had lots of conversations and continued to learn more about each other. We dated as friends, for several months, mostly by taking bicycle rides, then, finally “officially” started dating! HOW WE KNEW WE WERE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER Brandi On long bicycle rides and stop offs for dinner, we spent a lot of time just talking, enjoying each other’s company, and learning about each other. Steve was a patient pursuer, kind, generous with his time, and so giving to other people. He loved Jesus and hoped to gain a closer walk with Him. He had purchased a house several years before and chose it with the intention of it becoming a home to share with his future wife and children. I loved that he had a plan for a family when he purchased the home that we now share together. This strong man loves with his whole being and has the most tender heart that I have ever known. I knew this was the man that I had been waiting for God to provide for so long. Steve As an avid outdoorsman, I never thought I would find a spouse with interests to match my own. Then I got to know Brandi. She is highly active and never tires of outdoor adventures. Her adventurous spirit is one of the first things that I loved about her. I chose Brandi to be my wife for many reasons -her inner strength and God given beauty and smile. She listens, is fair, and she cares deeply. We have the same faith and life goals. We work together so well in many aspects of life, helping one another and growing together through life’s highs and lows. Our relationship continually shows me what it means to truly put someone else first. I’m learning to be a better man of God. I remember a conversation we had before we started dating about whether we wanted children. I told Brandi that I wanted a couple of kids. I knew that she was well-equipped to be a mom because she was working with children every day in the classroom. Her stories about helping students overcome challenges to succeed in the classroom were some my favorite conversations with her because they illustrated her love and devotion for children. Last but certainly not least is our chemistry together. Her smile is uplifting and her laugh and humor are both unique! She just gets me, and I’m not saying that’s always something she enjoys, but she gets me and I love that. Each day is a new adventure. All things are possible in Christ, and Brandi and I coming together in His perfect way is proof! HOW STEVE PROPOSED Throughout our relationship the local canal became a special place for us. We spent many weekends riding bikes along the canal path and stopping along the way for outdoor music and dinner. We had watched many concerts on the canal and enjoyed just talking and getting to know each other. One night, Steve brought me downtown to the canal on a quiet summer evening. We had a picnic and spent a couple hours just talking. Little did I know, all that talking was really him getting up the nerve to ask me to marry him. Eventually, Steve got down on one knee on our picnic blanket and nervously asked me to marry him! Of course I said “Yes!” At that point, he had spent so much time working up the nerve that we didn’t even have time to celebrate that evening! We giddily called our parents to share the exciting news and jumped right into wedding planning the next day. OUR WEDDING DAY We got married during our favorite season on a sunny day in October 2012. We gathered with over 200 family members and close friends in my parent’s church in my hometown for our wedding. At the reception, we spent the evening dancing away while also making the rounds to talk to each and every guest that we could. It was an amazing day of celebrating our love for each other and the life together that was yet to come. meet my wife Brandi Brandi is full of life and energy, always on top of things, A FEW FUN FACTS able to multitask in a single bound (I’ve not seen where • We have 3 little furbaby cats named Gi-Gi, Derby, she hides her cape yet)! She is very caring, funny, level- and Sammie. headed, and a straight shooter through and through. • Coffee is one of our favorite simple pleasures in life! She keeps our home well-kept and organized even with • Brandi and Alex visit Brandi’s parents at least once our little one running circles around her. every week. • We love to do scavenger hunts, nature hunts, and When she left her teaching career to be a stay-at-home Easter Egg hunts in our wooded backyard! mom, all of the talents she used to teach and motivate • We celebrate everyone’s birthday twice, once with a classroom full of kids are now being used to teach and friends and once again with just family. We love encourage our little one! They show me the new things holidays and celebrate them in a big way, Christmas they’ve created daily: learning letters, and building sand being our favorite as we celebrate it multiple times castles or towers of blocks. Because of Brandi’s efforts, with various groups of family members! Alex has developed a love of learning and knew how to • Brandi enjoys running, bicycling, adventures, spell his name at age two! She was born to be a teacher watching baseball games, baking, and making and a mom, and it shows in every aspect of life. homemade cards. She loves to do crafts and is just amazing with what she can do with the simplest little things. She takes everyday items and turns them into gifts from the heart. We work, play, and pray hard together seeking the Lord’s will for our lives and family. She is an awesome wife and mama! meet my husband Steve Steve’s kindness, compassion, and generosity are loves playing these games with Daddy! Steve also best illustrated in his volunteer work. I am always loves to throw a football with him or help him amazed by Steve’s ability to fix anything, but I practice hitting a baseball off of a tee. If our son am even more amazed by his willingness to do wakes up crying in the night, Steve will patiently it for the benefit of others. Steve uses his talent sing to him or sit in a chair nearby for hours, if for carpentry and fixing things by volunteering to needed, until our son can get back to sleep.