From the time we met, we have always loved that we share similar values about family, work ethic, and faith. As we've experienced challenges, it has been clear that we are true partners. There is no one else we want by our side when facing a new or difficult situation. We also truly enjoy spending time together, whether having an adventure, watching TV, or just being silly.

Dustin is a consistent, kind and loving man. He's a true partner and is skilled in so many things, it's almost unfair! He's an amazing cook, can seemingly fix ANYTHING from cars to plumbing, and he doesn't shy away from challenging situations. He loves sports and new adventures, which keeps Ashley on her toes (in a good way!).

Ashley is smart, dependable, and extremely hardworking. She is also creative and playful with a laugh that makes it easy to find her in a crowded room. When it comes to navigating a complex project or big family gathering, you can always trust Ashley to have a thorough plan in place so everything runs smoothly. (Her friends also want you to know she has an amazing singing voice and is often making up songs as she walks around the house.)

When we think about what it means to be a parent, it's important to look back. We were both raised in homes that prioritized family and provided us with examples of stability and commitment. The experience of being raised with siblings showed us how our parents were dedicated to doing what was best for each individual child and how they possessed an undying love for each of us. These are the qualities we want to emulate.

We both feel called to be parents. We have so much to offer in terms of stability, intentionality, and compassion. We believe being parents will be the hardest thing we've ever done and yet the absolute best. Because of what we've learned throughout our fertility journey we know our partnership will shine when challenges arise.

To us, being a parent means providing a consistent, safe, loving environment. It means showing up, having important conversations, and teaching a child how to be a kind human in a complicated world. We will enjoy the adventure of watching a child grow, helping them explore new adventures, and helping them discover their interests and passions.

We will also encourage a child to enjoy the simple things, and we will demonstrate the joy of being silly, laughing, and singing as often as possible.

We both come from American, Caucasian backgrounds with European roots. If given the opportunity to parent a child from another culture, it will be extremely important to us to educate ourselves on that culture and support the child's personal knowledge and pride of the culture's history. We moved to our current neighborhood because we previously lived in a town that was almost 100% Caucasian and we value raising children in a diverse community. Neighbors on our block alone are a mix of Asian, African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian.

We have both had great exposure to travel domestically and internationally. Ashley lived in Germany for 3 years and traveled all throughout Europe. She also studied abroad in Spain in college and speaks fluent Spanish. With his job, Dustin has also traveled the world. Today, his travel is typically limited to domestic overnight trips, but in a previous role, he spent extensive time in Germany and visited places such as India, China, and Malaysia.

These experiences have given us both great interest, respect, and admiration for other cultures. We will never pretend to know everything or be perfect, but we are more than willing to do research, learn, and support a child's cultural heritage and traditions. We will do everything we can to help a child feel supported and seen for exactly who they are.

We met in Texas, and Dustin's job brought us to Illinois (where he grew up) in 2018. We love our neighborhood! Our community has great diversity, which is important to us in raising a family. Our house is only one mile from our church, and as a fun perk, we are just 5 minutes away from an amusement and water park! Dustin spent his childhood summers with his brothers and friends at the amusement park, and we can't wait to make new adventures there with our family.

Our neighborhood is full of beautiful homes on one-acre lots. We live on a cul-de-sac with a peaceful wooded lot. There is a fun park with a playground that is walkable from our home with access to a wooded walking trail. The neighborhood has ponds with fountains, and we often see ducks, geese, a pair of cranes strolling around together, and plenty of deer.

We absolutely love our house. There are 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and an office. Our favorite area is the common space of our kitchen and living room. There is a big island with plenty of room for friends and family to gather, as well as a two-story wall of windows with beautiful views of the backyard. It has always been our dream to raise a family in this home.

When we met, we bonded quickly over our mutual love of family. Dustin is the oldest of 3 boys, and Ashley is the youngest of 4 girls. When spending time with our families, you'll find us watching sports, playing games, laughing over old family stories, and eating a LOT of good food.

Dustin's parents and siblings all live within 20 minutes of us, and we see them often. Ashley's family is in Texas, and we see them a few times a year.

One of our favorite family traditions comes at Christmas time. We wrap every single stocking stuffer (even if it's a pack of gum!), and we take turns opening one present at a time. We love how it stretches out the fun and excitement of the holiday!

When we told our families our plan to adopt, they were both overjoyed. They know how hard we have worked to expand our family and how we would love nothing more than to share our home, life, and love with a child. We look forward to individually wrapping socks for them in the future!

First, we just want to say hello! It is so nice to meet you through this letter, and we are incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

When we think about you, we feel utmost respect. We do not pretend to know what you are going through as you consider adoption, but we are praying for you and your child as you walk this journey. If you were to choose us, your child would always know about you. They would know how you love them deeply, how selfless you were in choosing adoption for them, and how you have always wanted nothing but the absolute best for their life.

The most important thing we want you to know about us is that we are genuine. We value honesty and authenticity and will never pretend that we are perfect or that we know everything. What is also true about us is we are fully dedicated to and excited by the opportunity to grow our family! We mean it when we say we are willing to do whatever it takes to be the best parents we can for a child.

We met in July 2016 and married on Cinco de Mayo 2018. It's a fun anniversary to have because the whole country is always celebrating! We are both very close to our families, including our eight nieces and nephews. In trying to grow our own family, we have experienced five miscarriages. While that was incredibly challenging, we feel a great sense of peace about God's plan for us and the opportunity to grow our family through adoption. Ultimately, we know we have a huge amount of love to share along with the resources to provide an outstanding life for a child.

When we think about being parents, we envision a home that is stable and filled with happiness and joy. We will show up, have the important conversations, be silly, and teach a child how to be a kind human in a complicated world. It is our dream to watch a child grow, help them explore new adventures, and encourage them to discover their own interests and passions. Despite anything else, our goal is to help a child feel safe, supported, loved, and seen for exactly who they are.

We are incredibly lucky to be part of a large community of adoptive families through our church! These families bring experience with open adoption, interracial and intercultural adoption, and foster-to-adopt. They offer so much support to one another and to us, and we know any child who joins our family through adoption will experience that same level of support and love through this group of friends.

In our day-to-day life, we spend a lot of time with our families and friends. Together, we love watching sports, playing games, going to the beach, and eating a LOT of good food! All of our loved ones are so excited for us to become parents, and they would love nothing more than to pour into a child with their love, time, and attention.

We whole-heartedly respect the importance of the decision before you and truly appreciate you considering us. Please know we are fully committed to sending you pictures and letters with meaningful updates about your child. If you are comfortable, we would also be happy to have annual visits with you, monthly phone calls, and share updates and photos via text.

Thank you again for allowing us to share a little about who we are and our heart for becoming parents.

Dustin & Ashley