We are avid broomballers—Jessi as a goalie and Chris as the ultimate fan that always makes sure the team has plenty of snacks and encouragement. Broomball is best described as a mix of soccer and hockey played on ice with special shoes, and it’s a big part of our lives. In fact, we love the sport so much that we eloped during a tournament in Las Vegas! Surrounded by our broomball family, it was a joyful, spontaneous celebration of our commitment to one another.

When we aren’t on the ice, we are creating. Chris keeps family traditions alive through crochet, gardening, and crafts–all passions passed down from her mom and Nana. Jessi complements this with her talent for woodworking and design, finding fulfillment in building custom furniture from scratch as well as quilting beautiful projects, just like her aunt.

We’re so excited to share our hobbies and will encourage your child to explore their own interests and passions in a loving and supportive home.

Family means so much, and we are so lucky to have a big, diverse village supporting us. Between Jessi’s sister and Chris’ brothers, your child will grow up surrounded by eight cousins to play with—ranging from toddlers to young adults. We have friends we consider family over the years that share our hopes in growing our family through adoption. Whether it’s visiting great-grandma or being spoiled by four caring grandparents, your child will always be surrounded by loving aunts, uncles, and cousins eager to share their affection.

Every year, our family hosts a Cookie Decorating Party a few weeks before Christmas. This is a time for everyone to come together and decorate cutout cookies, just like Chris did when she was a child. We have a variety of homemade frosting colors and many kinds of sprinkles to choose from. Each year, there’s a new cookie-cutter shape for everyone to enjoy. Our family looks forward to this gathering, and we cherish the memories we create together.

Our Minnesota home is a labor of love, from the sturdy chairs Jessi handcrafted to the "perfectly imperfect" cushions we love. Your child will have a backyard built for adventure—including our annual Halloween Scooby-Doo set the neighborhood kids love to take photos with! Inside, your child will be greeted by our two black cats. There’s 14-year-old Finn, a lovable "grump" who won Chris over the moment they met and can usually be found napping in a sunny spot. Then there’s 2-year-old Wolfie, a big fluffball who is full of playfulness and loves to have conversations with anyone who will listen, to which we always reply back. Our home is a place of kindness, silliness, and full of love to give.

We are a team built on well-balanced energy and compassion. Jessi is our visionary builder and athlete. Whether she’s coaching a college broomball team to a national title or building furniture in the garage, she gives 110 percent to everything she touches. Chris loves seeing her light up when she talks about her next project.

Chris is the patient soul of our home, whose compassion ranges from rescuing animals (and even arriving late to our first date to rescue a kitten from under a car) to spending hours on the floor teaching our nieces to crochet to offering hugs to anyone who needs one, and

We both love how fun and silly we can be around each other and cheer each other on.