Austin (by Brooke)

Austin is the best person that I know and is one of a kind. He goes out of his way for those he cares about and is always thinking how he could better himself. He has a loud and contagious laugh. He fills up a room, not only by his 6’5” stature, but his outgoing personality. Austin is very humble, and is the last person to talk about his accomplishments, even though he should. He is an avid disc golf player, and lover of all things outdoors. He thoroughly loves listening to podcasts, and it is not very often where I don’t catch him without one playing. We both have a love for music, and experience being involved in band growing up.  He is a loyal friend and husband. All I can say is that I am the luckiest for getting to be his wife. I know that he will be a dad who is affectionate, kind, protective, fun, and positive. He loves me, his friends, family, and his fur babies unconditionally.

Brooke (by Austin)

Brooke is the most kind and empathetic person I know.  She puts other’s needs above her own by listening and acting on her impulses to help those around her.  As a mental health therapist she professionally advocates for those whom have no one and nowhere to turn.  She maintains personal relationships with most people that she meets; an endless list of people call Brooke their close friend.  She has been a one-of-a-kind partner to me in our marriage.  She has encouraged me to reach far beyond what I imagined my capabilities could be personally and professionally.  She is fiercely loyal, and always has my best interests at heart, even when she disagrees with me.  Brooke shares with me, a love of art, music, and the wonderful things of life.  She has seamlessly become a part of my family, since we first met, and is loved by those close to me.  Her ability to nurture children and adults alike will make her an outstanding mother; and I cannot wait to take this next step in our journey together!

Our Family

Both of our families have been so supportive to us and are beyond excited to welcome our first child/first grand-baby into the family. Brooke’s family is incredibly supportive, and despite the two hour distance, as they live in Michigan and we are in Ft. Wayne, we get to see each other often. We recently bought a house and live only a couple miles away from many of Austin’s family members. We see Austin’s family at least every other week.

We have the best group of friends and are so grateful for them. They have each gone above and beyond to help us on our journey to adoption. We see them on a weekly basis, and are very close with them and the many children that have been added into our friend group throughout the years.

Our House, Community, and Pets

We live in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch style house in a very family oriented neighborhood. Our backyard makes us feel like we are in the middle of a secret garden with all the plants and big grown trees surrounding us. Our backyard is fenced in and has stone paths that cut through tons of plants and a bench swing tucked between two trees.

Our dogs have loved it very much as they chase each other through the yard. Abby is a one year old black terrier, labradoodle mix. We call her noodle sometimes because how wiggly and happy she always is. We also have Arlo; he is a four year old corgi, beagle mix. He is a big cuddler and thinks he runs our house, and sleep is his absolute favorite. Lastly, we have a rabbit, name Hanky. He is a ten year old holland lop rabbit, and really thinks he is one of the dogs.

We love where we live and utilize the city parks and river greenway to walk, run or bike. We love to drop our kayaks into the river, and go to many of our favorite local shops, restaurants, and farmers market. We spend almost every weekend with our friends. In the summer, we enjoy going to the lake, having cookouts, bonfires, and playing cards.

On Parenting

We will be bringing our child into a family with an over-abundance of love, care, support, and safety. Our desire is to give our child secure attachment and positive parenting. We want our child to be raised around experiences and grow with curiosity. We want them to be able to come to us with any questions they have. We believe children deserve answers, especially when mistakes are made and being able to communicate is key. We want to lead by example of how we treat ourselves and others.

We want to support and encourage them in anything they want to do, and be their number one cheerleaders throughout life. Ultimately, we want to give our unconditional love to our child and let them know each and every day how much they matter.

We also recognize and honor the importance of knowing who you are and the child’s adoption story. We want to respect you and welcome a relationship with you!  Not only have we dreamed about who the baby will be, but we also think about you! We can’t wait to get to know you better. Thank You for taking the time to get to know us.