We met nearly ten years ago, and the sparks flew instantly. Colin has continued his dream of being a pilot and, since we have met, has become a captain at his airline. Jerry is happy to be able to do what he loves: teaching new hire healthcare workers of a large healthcare organization. Since our first date, we have been best friends and, most importantly, a team. We have always worked together, and being parents has further proven we can always rely on each other. While we continue to be career-oriented people, we have realized just how amazing having a family is and how much it means to us, and we cannot wait to continue growing our family through a second adoption.

As a family, we have formed the tradition of having a home-cooked dinner every night. We love planning our weekly meals and then preparing and eating them together. We take time at each dinner to talk about the highlights of our day and express thanks for everyone who has made it so great.

Colin comes from quite a large family. His father lives a few miles away in a wonderful senior living complex. His extended family is spread throughout the country, as far east as Maryland and as far west as Hawaii. Despite the distance, they still get together every year for a reunion at the family cabin as well as holidays and special events.

Jerry comes from a smaller family but one that is just as close. He has one younger brother, who is married with five children. He also has one younger sister, who just finished college as an early education specialist; she is also adopted. His family is very close and never misses an opportunity to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or life event. His parents own a cabin where we love to get together for four-wheeling, snowmobiling, hiking, or just spending quality time together.

Both of our families have mixed and meshed so well, and we all love to do dinners together and spend time with each other.

Five years ago we moved into what we thought was just our dream home on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. Little did we realize it wasn’t just a dream home but a dream neighborhood filled with amazing people who have become part of our family. On a typical night in our neighborhood, you can hear sounds of people enjoying the lake, backyard get-togethers, and children laughing and playing. We are fortunate to have a home in the best school district in our state. They continue to win awards in academics, sports, theater, and arts. We also have a two-year-old dog we rescued named Ssippi (Mississippi). She loves nothing more than playing fetch with her sister and cuddling on the couch after a long day.

The discussion of adopting children was one we had very early on in our relationship. We both come from families with a history of adopting. We have both always wanted to have a couple children. After adopting our first child, we have had the opportunity to show her many different cultures and parts of the world. This is something we want to continue as we grow our family. During our last adoption, we were able to meet her birthmother and discuss her wishes for her child. An important part of this discussion was communication both during pregnancy and after adoption. Being able to understand our daughter’s birth mother's desires for the adoption has helped us post-adoption. We are able to remain in communication but still following her wishes.