We are a family full of laughter, happy and organized chaos, and learning new things. Kim is a high school teacher, and her students see her as a school mom and therapist. Joanna, or Jo as most people call her, is a corporate restaurant trainer who travels the country making friends while helping people reach their potential. Both of us were born out of state; Kim was born in South Florida, and Jo was born in Germany, where her parents were stationed. We have been in Virginia for the majority of our lives and love it. Kim loves to be outdoors, running, weightlifting, or just enjoying the sunshine; Jo has a wide variety of interests, like mystery documentaries and different types of music. Jo is affectionately called a jukebox because she loves music, especially ’90s hip-hop. We both love trying new restaurants and even have our seven-year-old trying new foods from different cultures. We have been blessed with our son, Jacob who is a rambunctious boy who loves to be outside playing or telling people his favorite jokes.

Large family gatherings are a way of life for us. Every year we gather multiple times with different sides of the family for annual reunions. Each of us have memories of traveling to see family members and fond memories of yearly vacations. One of our greatest joys is taking Jacob, our son, to visit family and have them show us what makes their home city unique.

Joanna has a very large family on her mother’s side. Her grandmother was one of 13, so they were always around cousins, aunts, and uncles. She was raised by a single mom with her sister. She is the oldest sibling of four. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her father remarried; we’ve been happily welcomed into her stepmother’s family. Her dad has two children from his second marriage: Joanna’s half-sister and then a brother who was adopted as an infant.

Kim is the youngest of six, with one brother and four sisters. Her parents both come from large families. Her parents divorced when she was a teenager, and her dad has since remarried. Three of Kim’s siblings have kids. so she has multiple nieces and nephews. Holidays and summer vacations bring the family together for mini reunions every year.

We live in a large, three-bedroom home located in the middle of a settled community. We bought the house a little over three years ago, and we fell in love with not just the space inside the house but also the size of the yard. The backyard is fenced in, which is perfect for not just kids but also our two dogs: a four-year-old mix named Woody and an eight-month-old Lab named Phoenix. They are the same color, which is pretty funny since they are different breeds but definitely brothers as they love to cuddle, run, and play. Our son lays with them and plays with them, and they protect him as one of their own.

Adoption has always been part of the plan. When we first started dating, it was never an “if we would adopt,” just a when. We have so much love to give, and our family is meant to grow. For us, blood doesn’t equate to family; love does. Jacob is so looking forward to being a big brother, he talks about it constantly. Both sides of the family have adoption stories, so it seems like a no brainer for us. Jo’s dad and stepmom adopted her brother as an infant, and Kim’s mom placed a little girl for adoption when her mom was 18. Angela, Kim's sister, has become an important part of the family as not just a sister but also an aunt. Getting to know Angela has been eye opening; she explained her feelings of gratefulness that their mom was able to make such a hard decision that gave her an exceptional life and opportunities.