Hi! We’re Kari and Matt, and our story began ten years ago. It was the day after Christmas when we met through Kari’s long-time best friend. We got married in the spring of 2016. In that time, we’ve grown both individually and as a couple. We are both down to earth, affectionate, and open minded. Kari is driven, passionate, and a nurturer at heart. As a child life specialist, she cares for hospitalized children. Matt is the oldest of five. He is optimistic, the fun uncle, creative, and a critical thinker who excels as a software engineer. Matt’s career gives him flexibility to work from home, which our pets love. We love being active and with family. We are the perfect combination of homebodies and adventurous. Together we dream of finding our perfect country home, where we will raise our children and start a Christmas tree farm.

We value spending time with our families above anything else and see them as our best friends. Both of our parents live within 30 minutes of us. Matt and his twin sister are the oldest of five with three younger sisters. All of Matt’s siblings work in healthcare and are a wealth of knowledge. Kari is the middle child of five. She has an older brother, older sister, and two younger brothers. Three out of four of Kari’s siblings are adopted, as well as Kari.

We have one niece and two nephews we love to spend time with. We enjoy taking them to special events as well as playing around the house. They are always the highlight of every occasion, and our family is very excited to add to the bunch!

We see our family at least once every week, usually meeting up to go to dinner, play pickleball, or just visit. During football season, it is tradition that we gather with Matt’s family every weekend to eat and watch the Packers play (and hopefully win). We also look forward to going on an extended family vacation every year to visit somewhere new!

We have lived in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome for six years while we wait to find our perfect forever home. We have loved this space. Our home is in a very safe neighborhood with walkable sidewalks that lead to miles of bicycle trails. The neighborhood kids love our dog, Poe, and never hesitate to come say hi. Our cat, Ira, watches from the window with jealousy. One of our favorite things about our home is that it is surrounded by quiet farmland yet is just minutes away from parks, a major city, hospitals, and our extended family. Our home is located in one of the best school districts in the state, which takes pride in their excellent academics and athletics.

Over time our hearts have been filled with the desire to adopt. Kari and her siblings were adopted, and members of Matt’s extended family have adopted. This has given us a unique and positive perspective on the emotions and needs surrounding adoption. We understand the importance of the connection between child and birthmother, if this is what the birthmother desires. We have created a life we are proud of and are in a very stable place emotionally, financially, and physically. We have so much love to give and truly believe there is a baby who will fit right into our family and be incredibly loved and supported. We feel we are one step closer to our dreams coming true.