We met in a small town where Steph went to high school. We had an instant connection that grew into a loving, long-lasting relationship.

We bonded over our mutual service to others and hard work ethic. We are fortunate to be each other's best friends and greatest cheerleaders.

Our relationship has evolved over the last 24 years. We've been married since 2010. We have navigated life's ups and downs and have vowed to love one another through it all.

We have additional love and security to provide this child, and we are looking forward to this next chapter together as a family.

Bob about Steph: She is extremely smart, caring, compassionate, and detail-oriented. I admire her thoughtfulness. She has an uncanny ability to remember people’s birthdays and goes out of her way to make them feel special. She has a graceful way of caring and advocating for others.

Steph about Bob: His kindness, compassion, and selflessness are unmatched. I admire the way he cares for our family, neighbors, coworkers, patients, and even strangers. He is extremely patient and loves to teach our nieces and nephews new things. I know he will be an exceptional dad. I always know I can count on him to be my biggest cheerleader. He inspires me to be my best self.

Steph's Childhood Memories: My mom worked at my elementary school, so she was off in the summers. Many of my fondest childhood memories are of riding bike with her and my brothers. We were fortunate to take a few family trips to places like Mount Rushmore, Medora, Disneyland and Georgia to visit family. We spent a lot of time together as a family, always gathering for supper and talking about our days. When I was young, I enjoyed sleepovers at my Grandmother’s house, where we would go thrift shopping and out for lunch. We ended our day together with an ice cream sundae.

Bob's Childhood Memories: I was an inquisitive child and loved to tear apart motors of any kind-lawn mowers, leaf blowers, cars-you name it. My fondest memories are of driving around with my dad for his sales job, fishing with my family, and Christmas traditions such as making homemade ice cream. We had huge family gatherings for the 4th of July, where I enjoyed playing with my cousins.

We enjoy hosting large family gatherings at our home. In the winter months, we can sled, ice fish, and ride snowmobiles with our nieces, nephews, and extended family. Many games of Pinochle, Uno, Rummikub, and SkipBo are played. In warmer seasons, we enjoy competitive games of cornhole in the yard and roasting s'mores over the campfire.

We enjoy fishing and barbecuing with Bob's family at their nearby lake cabin. It offers many opportunities to enjoy nature and spend time with family. We look forward to experiencing the beauty of nature with this child.

Christmas Eve is a special holiday that brings both sides of our families together for candlelight services, a meal, and gift opening. One of our favorite traditions is gifting our nieces and nephews personalized ornaments each year that highlight an important event or milestone from that year. Our neighbors and their children are like extended family, and we've included them in this tradition. Our families and friends are looking forward to loving this child and experiencing these traditions together.

We are fortunate to live in a peaceful community nestled in the beautiful pines of northern Minnesota.

We have the opportunity to view a variety of wildlife in our backyard, including deer, turkeys, squirrels, birds, and an occasional bear.

We have the best neighbors! There are many children in our neighborhood who play together on their backyard playground equipment. Kids ride bikes, rollerblade, and ride scooters through our loop (dead end, so no through traffic).

Our immediate neighbors often host birthday parties and neighborhood block parties. There is a frozen pond for ice hockey and skating in the winter, and a perfect hill for snow tubing just down the street.

The Northern Lights can be viewed from our yard! We are just 8 minutes from a community with everything we need and less than 5 minutes from a wonderful elementary school. We have a spacious 5-bedroom home on a 2.5-acre lot that is a central gathering spot for family and friends.

We enjoy hosting holiday get-togethers, especially Christmas! At Halloween, we are known as the house that hands out king-sized candy bars!

Hi there,

We respect that you’re here, reading our story and considering how our families will connect to provide the best life for this unique and beautiful child. We can only imagine you are experiencing an array of emotions, and we’re here to support you and love you through it. Facing such a difficult decision takes courage, and we admire your strength and selflessness.

We want you to know that we are open to as much contact as you desire. This child will be loved by so many people, and we want you and your family to feel connected if that is your choice. We enjoy getting to know what makes people unique, and we appreciate that you and your family’s lineage will always be a part of this child, and that they will know and love that about themselves.

We have been together longer than we’ve been apart. Meeting as teenagers, we formed an instant and durable bond. We have been married for 15 years and together for almost 24 years. We feel fortunate to know that throughout life’s challenges, we can face them with our best friend by our side. One of the mainstays of our relationship is that we face challenges together as a team, rather than as individuals. We are stronger together.

Adoption has been on our hearts and minds for many years. We are unable to have biological children, but we have so much love to give a child.

We can provide stability and a nurturing environment for this child. We vow to surround this child with love and support. Kindness, integrity, and helping others are the most important values we can instill in this child, leading by example.

Childhood should be fun too! We were both blessed to be raised by loving families. Our fondest memories and traditions are rooted in family gatherings filled with laughter.

Our hope is to impact someone’s life in a positive manner each and every day. We look forward to experiencing life through this child's eyes.

Thank you for considering us.

With love & admiration,

Bob & Steph