Hello! We are Josh and Liz from Illinois. We met in June of 2012 and were engaged two years later. We were the next-door neighbors who didn't meet until after college. Liz is a kind and empathetic soul who always does her best to help others. We both work from home and intend to keep that status so we can spend as much time with our future child. Josh is a web developer and Liz is a business development manager. Liz is a former high school English teacher and loves reading, taking her boat out on the water, and spoiling our dog, Cloud. Josh loves painting, gaming, and, of course, spoiling Cloud as well. We're both big gamers who enjoy tabletop games and video games.

Family is an incredibly important part of our lives. While many of our loved ones live outside our immediate area, we remain very close and make it a priority to stay connected. We spend most major holidays with our families in Central Illinois, where there's always laughter, good food, and the warmth of being together. Josh's mom lives in Washington and is raising our nephew and twin nieces—we love bringing them to Chicago each year for fun adventures and special outings. Josh's dad, who lives in Nevada, talks with him nearly every day, keeping their bond strong despite the distance.

Liz's side of the family is centered in Central Illinois, including her father, stepmother, two of her four brothers, and her sister. Josh's two brothers and his sister are also nearby, so there's always a reason to gather. Between our families, we have a large extended circle—thanks in part to Josh's 13 aunts and uncles—which means holidays, summer cookouts, and lake trips are always filled with energy and love. We're also blessed with nieces and nephews ranging in age from toddlers to young adults, offering a wonderful group of cousins for our future child to grow up with and create lasting memories alongside.

We live in a peaceful neighborhood in a small village on the outskirts of the suburbs of Chicago. It's a perfect mix of small-town and close distance to the Chicago area. We currently live in a 3-level townhome. We will relocate later this summer to a single-family home to provide a space for our future child to grow and chase the dog around. We've had a dog for most of our lives and have a wonderful border collie mix named Cloud. He is nine years old but doesn't act a day over one. Every kid in our neighborhood adores him as much as he does them. Our neighborhood is filled with children of all ages and nationalities.

Adoption has always been close to our hearts. Josh's mother grew up in foster care and later returned to work at the very children's home where she was raised. That experience deeply shaped Josh's understanding that adoption would always be part of his story. Liz, by chance, also worked at the same children's home for several years, caring for the children who lived there. Her love and connection to those kids still remains strong. Even before we married, we dreamed of adopting after our first child. But shortly after our wedding, we were diagnosed with infertility. Rather than seeing it as a loss, we believe it's a sign—adoption isn't just part of our plan, it's our purpose.