Currently we both work full time, with Nina working from home and Scott working from home and traveling to see customers at times. Together we enjoy time with one another, our dog Indiana, our cat Maverick and spending time with friends and family. We both enjoy regular exercise either at our local gym or doing something outside like walking the greenway, going to the pool or spending a day on the lake with friends. Exploring new places both locally and through travel, eating at new restaurants, and checking out local shops, museums and art exhibits are also a big part of our life. Guilty pleasures are trips to Costco, watching a new show on Netflix, or traveling to a new tropical destination. We like having a few planned holiday trips per year to see family as well as taking a couple of vacations each year to relax or explore a new destination. We have been fortunate to travel to 9 different countries together so far.

One of the things that attracted us to each other was our willingness to have fun and try new things. On our first date we went to an indoor amusement park and played games winning tickets. Together we still enjoy going to places like that, playing the coin games, competing against each other at basketball or working together to beat a shooting game. We enjoy visiting art shows, trying new restaurants, traveling to new places, exercising together and spending time outside during the summer.

Nina is an avid reader, finds relaxation through crafting, keeps up on the latest beauty and fashion trends, loves hot yoga and enjoys self-discovery via yoga and meditation. Scott can often be found working out in our home gym, watching St. Louis Cardinal's baseball during the season, or playing sports with friends. Scott loves basketball and wishes he had more time to play. Scott too, keeps up with fashion trends and you can often find us checking out a new outdoor shopping mall, a good outlet store or just making sure we approve of each other's outfits.

Our promise to you is something we take very seriously and will uphold with the highest levels of respect. We promise to love your child as our own. We will support and foster opportunities, learning and growth in all aspects of their life. We will educate them not only academically but with real world experiences. We will nurture their interests, instill principles and morals and be loving parents no matter what. We will teach them to be open minded and accepting as well as generous and humble. We will encourage them to go after their dreams and always support them in that process. We promise to share our journey, you and their heritage.

Our home is an important and safe place for both of us. We love our time at home and have created spaces full of photos and decor that are homie and welcoming but not stuffy. We thoughtfully chose a home that would give us space to expand our family with extra bedrooms and bathrooms as well as an open loft space for play. We have an open concept living space so that we can talk and visit while in the kitchen or living room and this area acts as the heart of our home. There is even space for grandparents or other family members to stay when they visit so that everyone has their own space. We also thought through outdoor space as our family grows and have a large fenced-in yard with lots of grass, space to run and play as well as an area to hangout on the screened in porch.

We found our home in a newer neighborhood with many young families of diverse backgrounds and children of all ages. The neighborhood has a social committee that hosts events for the kids during holidays like Easter egg hunts and holiday parades, arrange food trucks with all kinds of cuisine. throughout the year and gather frequently as a community to have fun and make friends. We look forward to utilizing the neighborhood playground and swimming pool often as well as nearby greenways and splash pads for fun and exploration with a child. There are also many museums and parks close by that we look forward to sharing as our family grows.

Our family and friends are incredibly important to us. Scott is close with both his mother and father, who are divorced and have been remarried for 20+ years each. Scott's brother Danny is 6 years younger and, while living in different states, the two can often be found talking about life and St. Louis sports several times per week. Scott has many aunts, uncles and cousins and 2 living grandmothers who he finds great joy in speaking to regularly. He also has a close group of friends, with his closest having been friends for 25 years. We are both the god parents to this friends' children. These close relationships have shaped Scott into the person he is today.

Nina and her mom are incredibly close. Nina's mom lives within 5 minutes of us, and we see her regularly for sharing meals, shopping and hanging out at one or the other's house. We even have dogs from the same litter of puppies (Indiana and Luna). Nina's aunt, uncle and cousins (Nina's moms' sister) also live nearby, and we can often be found celebrating holidays and birthdays together. Nina also has a small, tight-knit group of friends. Some of them live locally and she sees them regularly, while others live out of state so they frequently talk on the phone and take trips together whenever possible. Most of these friends have kids and Nina has been a part of their lives from their birth and has loved witnessing her friends turn into parents and cultivating relationships with their children as well.

It is hard to put into words how incredibly grateful we are for you and are aware of the indescribably difficult choice you have had to make. We have so much respect and empathy for you knowing that, for as happy and hopeful of a time it would be for us having your child join our family, that you would be feeling sadness and frustration. We honor that and will never forget it. Your child would forever be our greatest gift and your greatest sacrifice.

While we have always been open to the idea of adoption, we never considered that it could be our only path to becoming parents. Over the last 6+ years we have struggled with the loss of two pregnancies and multiple unsuccessful rounds of fertility treatment, and have come to the realization that we may never become biological parents. Through this process, we find ourselves here today, grateful, excited, hopeful, and blessed for you to consider us to become parents to this child.

Your choice of us to be parents to this child or children will ensure a future for them full of love, stability, and peace. They will have a home that is forever safe and welcoming. We will rock this baby to sleep whispering to them how loved and cherished they are, play with them in the grass at the park while reminding them how smart and special they are and send them off to school with a full belly and lots of hugs and kisses. Milestones both big and small will be celebrated with dance parties and cake and ice cream. Hard days will be met with grace and understanding and lots of snuggles. Not a day will pass that your child will not know how wanted they are and how thankful we are for adoption. We will speak of you with the highest respect and adoration and tell your child about you and how they came into our lives as the ultimate gift one person can make to another.

Creating a home where our children learn to be accepting and loving of people from all different backgrounds is of the utmost importance. We also are devoted to ensuring our children learn about, understand and embrace their individual backgrounds. We are committed to finding resources and groups to help us educate and expose our child to their cultural background. We looking forward to taking trips as a family to experiences our child's cultural heritage as well as learning opportunities about other cultures. We are also open to you sharing with us about your cultural experiences and family traditions so we can incorporate those into their life. We plan to be open and honest about the adoption allowing questions and curiosities to be explored and spoken about openly.

In writing "Our Promise to You," we take those words very seriously and will ensure that your child's life will be full of nurturing, stability and fun as well as diverse experiences and opportunity for growth. By choosing us, you can be confident that your child will be surrounded by so much love from us as well as family and friends. We are open to finding a path forward that allows for you to remain updated with pictures, share milestones, and celebrate achievements.

With warmest regards,

Scott & Nina