Hello! We're Afrim and Henriet. We’ve been happily married for fourteen years and reside in the Midwest. Our love story began on Facebook through a mutual friend, with one of us from the Midwest and the other from the East Coast. After navigating a long-distance relationship, we couldn't wait any longer to be together, leading us to tie the knot. Shortly after we got married, we started our own business. Working side by side, we find joy in our shared professional journey. After work, our evenings are dedicated to walks with our two dogs, followed by a movie or TV show. Weekends are for quality time with friends and neighbors, involving grilling, laughter, bonfires, and music. During holidays, road trips with our dogs take us to visit out-of-state family. We also cherish alone time, indulging in date nights at the movies or dining at nice restaurants.

We both come from large extended families, with aunts, uncles, and cousins. We’re both close to our families and love spending lots of time with each side.

Henriet’s family lives in New York and New Jersey. Her parents have been married 49 years. Henriet’s brother, his wife, their two girls, and a baby boy live with her parents. Two sisters are nearby: one next door and the other in New Jersey. Both sisters are married with two children each. Regular FaceTime calls keep us connected, especially with our nieces and nephews. Henriet and her family visit each other at least twice a year and love celebrating birthdays and holidays together.

Afrim grew up in Illinois with three younger sisters and his mother. The oldest sister is engaged, lives 30 minutes away, and has a daughter who lives in Michigan. Afrim’s middle sister lives in Florida; she is married with two daughters who go to college. Afrim’s mother and younger sister live nearby, and we have regular visits and traditional meals together. Afrim’s father lives overseas. He is married with a little boy, who’s nine years old. Afrim FaceTimes with his father and brother every Sunday and tries to make visits every couple of years.

We reside in a welcoming, three-bedroom home with a finished basement and a huge, fenced backyard that brings joy to our beloved dogs, Buddy and Niko. Our favorite retreat is the backyard, a space for gardening, grilling, and bonfires shared with cherished neighbors who have become like family. We live in a tranquil neighborhood, and our home enjoys proximity to an elementary school and easy access to various activities, parks, restaurants, and malls. The convenience of being 15 minutes from the airport and a short, 30-minute drive from downtown adds to the richness of our location, providing opportunities to explore beaches and museums. Our home is a haven in a vibrant community.

We have always known we wanted to be parents. Shortly after getting married, we began our journey to parenthood. After multiple unsuccessful rounds of IVF, we realized that was not the path God meant for us. We now know our journey to parenthood is through adoption. Our hearts have so much love to give, our home has so much space to fill, and we now know adoption is the path toward expanding our family. We are very excited and can’t wait to be parents!