We are high school sweethearts and truly the best of friends. We met freshman year, started dating sophomore year and dated all through high school. We were even prom king and queen together! After high school, we stayed together despite attending two different colleges three hours apart. Austin went to IU, and Lindsay went to the University of Saint Francis. Lindsay wrote Austin letters each day of school and illustrated pictures that she sent in the mail to his dorm; he still has them all as keepsakes. We have been together for 16 years this June (over half our lives) and have been married for 6 years. Right before we got married, Austin purchased a home built in 1902. After completely redoing the exterior and interior of the home, along with the original hardwood floors that were initially hidden under pink carpet, we decided we wanted to add on to have more room for a family. Austin is set to completely finish the addition this summer 2026! Throughout the entire process, we have been intentionally building for adoption and our family. Together, we value our faith in God and the power of a loving family. We have a lot of hobbies that we do together as a couple: we go on walks through the trails/greenway, play tennis, cook Sunday dinner with music blasting in the kitchen, and read and watch shows together.
Austin is the most loving, patient, and hardworking person I have ever met. He has this incredible talent of being able to visualize something, and then physically create it through his work as a carpenter. He embodies what makes a father great: he shows up daily for those he loves, is a fierce protector, and has a strong exterior with the sweetest, kindest heart. He appreciates the smallest details and littlest things in life. He appreciates good espresso, a challenging jigsaw puzzle, and the nail-biting experience of an overtime sports game. Austin puts God first, which is what makes his heart so pure and genuine. He has been my best friend and biggest supporter in life since the moment I met him. He is the calm and peace to whatever crazy we experience in life. I could write a book about how special and truly wonderful he is. God certainly made him for goodness in this world, and I know he will be an incredible dad to a very lucky kiddo. I cannot wait to watch him teach a child (girl or boy) how to throw a football, how to make chocolate chip cookies that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, how to build the ultimate backyard treehouse, and most importantly, how to love and respect others.
Lindsay is my soulmate, who first caught my eye in freshman high school PE class with her striking beauty and fun, vibrant personality. From the very beginning, I was drawn to how kind she is, and I have always been impressed by how brilliant she is as well—she has a near photographic memory. My favorite thing about Lindsay, though, is her heart. She cares so deeply about the patients she serves in healthcare, and always puts the needs and desires of others above her own. Her compassion extends to all living beings—our family, our pets, the foster kittens we care for, and even the ducks or squirrels we pass on our morning walks together. I cannot wait to see the way she will love and care for a child. I know that the child we are blessed with will always be loved in the most deep and special way. I am so excited to witness Lindsay as a mother and experience even more of the love she brings into the world.
Family is so important to us. When we bought our home, we were intentional about where we wanted to raise our family and are lucky enough that our home is less than 5 minutes away from both sets of our parents. Adoption and diversity have been present in our lives growing up as we both have family members of mixed race.
Lindsay describes her parents as “givers.” Their entire life, they have put their children (and now grandchildren) at the forefront of their lives and have made sure to always love and support them. They are the ultimate cheerleaders who are always willing to lend a helping hand or give a word of encouragement. Lindsay’s older sister, Lauren, is her built-in best friend. She is 3 years older than Lindsay and lives in a neighborhood just down the road. Lauren and her husband have one daughter who loves coming over to our home to play with our pets and help around the house.
Austin comes from a very close-knit family and has always valued the strong relationships they share. He is especially close with his parents and his three siblings. Many of their big family gatherings still take place at his parents’ home, which is conveniently located less than a mile from our house. Because of this, it is easy for everyone to spend time together often, and Austin truly cherishes those moments. Holidays are especially meaningful, as the whole family gathers to share meals, tell stories, laugh together, and play games late into the evening.
Austin is very close with his parents and deeply admires the example they have set throughout his life. Their marriage and the sacrifices they have made for their family have shaped the way he views love, commitment, and family. The strong foundation they created continues to influence us as we look forward to building a family of our own.
We also are a proud aunt and uncle to seven nieces and nephews. We love spending time with them whenever we can. Whether we’re building elaborate Lego creations, playing games, or simply being silly together, the kids always look forward to time with Uncle Austin and Auntie Lindsay. In fact, they have been known to say, “Uncle Austin is the best and so, so, so fun!” We treasure these relationships and enjoy being a positive presence in their lives.
You will often find Lindsay laughing over a text or meme one of her friends sent her. She is lucky to have incredible friendships with girls she grew up, played sports with, studied with, and has worked with. The one thing all of her friendships have in common is that they are intentional and natural. Whether it’s a friend she gets to see once a year or once a week, her friends and their lives mean so much to her. Many of her friends are moms themselves and are so excited for Lindsay to join the “mom club.” Some have even offered to share their own breastmilk for the baby! Lindsay has had multiple family friends adopt internationally and domestically, which has allowed her to see firsthand all the love behind adoption.
Austin places a strong emphasis on the importance of maintaining meaningful and lasting friendships. Many of his closest friends are people he has known since elementary school, and their friendships have grown and deepened over the years. Because of this long history together, they share countless memories and a strong sense of loyalty to one another. Austin truly values having a group of friends who have supported each other through many stages of life.
Austin and his friends enjoy spending time together doing things like golfing, going to concerts, traveling, and playing video games. While some of his friends no longer live nearby, they make a point to stay connected and are always willing to be intentional about planning time together. He believes that strong friendships take effort and is grateful to have friends who value those relationships just as much as he does.
Many of Austin’s friends are now fathers themselves, and he enjoys spending time with their families as well. Like Lindsay, he also has had multiple family friends who have adopted domestically. Seeing the way his friends love and care for their children has given him wonderful examples of fatherhood and has made him even more excited about becoming a dad himself.
Our community is tight-knit and very family-friendly. We feel incredibly lucky to live close to a lake and to have wonderful parks and trails to explore. On a typical warm weekend, you will find us walking from our home to the farmers market, shopping for fresh cut flowers for our kitchen table while snacking on Brazilian bread and sipping coffee. In the winter months, the hills are packed with kids sledding, Christmas tree lighting celebrations, and lots of ice skating. Our community is the kind of place where families are outdoors and where kids ride their bikes to get ice cream. It is a safe community that is filled with people that are kind, loving, and accepting. We are surrounded by caring neighbors who all have strong community values. While we do live in a smaller community, we are close to very diverse areas as well where kids can participate in travel sports, see animals at the zoo, and get to experience a mix of cultures.
We hope to be very intentional parents and to thoughtfully shape the way we raise children. We believe the early years of a child’s life are incredibly important and hope to spend as much time together during those formative years. Austin will be the primary parent, as he is rearranging his schedule and business around being able to stay home with a child. Lindsay will be cutting back her hours at the hospital too, to allow for more work-life balance with a baby and will have parental leave for bonding with the baby as well. Our goal is to raise a child at home during the preschool years, , allowing for meaningful time spent learning, exploring, and growing together as a family. With the flexibility in our work schedules and the incredible support of two sets of grandparents who live just a mile away from our home, we know we already have a strong village surrounding a child.
Faith is an important part of our life, and we look forward to teaching a child Christian values, such as kindness, humility, gratitude, and love for others. We hope to create a home where a child feels safe, encouraged, and deeply supported as they grow into the person they are meant to be. Lindsay is born and raised Catholic, she and Austin attend the same church she was baptized in as a baby. We also look forward to discovering a child’s unique interests and passions and being present to cheer them on every step of the way.
We are excited to expose a child to the beauty and diversity of the world through travel, shared experiences, and conversations about different cultures and global events. We hope to raise a curious, compassionate child who feels confident exploring the world while always knowing they are deeply loved and supported at home. We both have extended family members and friends of differing backgrounds, races, and cultures. We know the importance of diversity in a child’s life, and will continue to support his/her roots and provide strong role models of similar culture.
Traditions are very important to us. Over the years, we have continued family traditions that have been passed down and have created some of our own as well! Many of the traditions are surrounding the holidays. One week after Thanksgiving meals shared with family and friends, we go pick out our Christmas tree from the tree farm. We then take our tree home and decorate the entire house with garland, sparkling lights, and fill our tree with tons of ornaments. Each year, we pick out a new ornament that represents something special that occurred over the last year. Over the years, we have developed quite the collection of ornaments and memories that get to fill up our tree. Each Christmas, we watch Elf together; it is Austin’s favorite movie of all time, no matter the season or time of year. On Christmas Eve, we go to mass before sharing a home-cooked Christmas dinner and doing a family gift exchange. Lindsay makes her mom an annual calendar filled with pictures of the family over the year. Then on Christmas morning, we get to open gifts from each other before going over to Austin’s parents’ house for another Christmas celebration with lunch and a gift exchange that always has the possibility of winning the lottery with a few scratch-offs in all of our stockings.
On Easter, Lindsay’s entire family dresses up for church, and then later does an egg hunt; some of which are filled with coins or candy, and others with the ever-disappointing baby carrot.
We have continued the tradition of celebrating half birthdays—a day where half the happy birthday song occurs and a sweet treat is baked to share. Then 6 months after celebrating a half birthday, Austin is excited to continue his family’s birthday breakfast tradition of homemade waffles with candles in them on the beloved “You Are Special” plate.
Together, we continue to go to church each Sunday, followed by brunch with family and friends. We love sharing breakfast and bottomless coffee with Lindsay’s next-door neighbors that she grew up with and all of their, now-adult children, who have their own families. We have successfully become restaurant “regulars”—a life goal.
Some traditions that we are excited to start are to go to the local library every weekend and get a stack of books to read together for the week. We will be sure to start and end each day by reading books together as a family and keep our own reading log of all the books we have read together. We also plan on starting the tradition of a yearly photo being taken in front of a growth chart so we can track how much a child has grown and changed over the years.
We strive to live our lives guided by strong values that shape the way we treat others and the way we hope to raise a child. Faith, kindness, integrity, and gratitude are central to our daily lives. We believe in showing compassion to others, working hard, and approaching life with humility and generosity. We hope to raise a child in a home where love, honesty, and respect are practiced every day. We want a child to grow up understanding the importance of caring for others, appreciating the blessings in life, and always striving to do what is right. Through our example and guidance, we hope to encourage a spirit of curiosity, empathy, and confidence so a child feels supported in becoming the person they are meant to be.
Adoption has always been the way we planned to start our family. We promise to always have open hearts and minds and to be intentional in making sure a child knows they are chosen and loved. We promise that he/she will know their roots, feel secure in who they are, and grow up knowing their story. We promise to provide laughter, love, and joy daily and to allow room for navigating sadness and big emotions when they need or deserve to be felt. We promise to endlessly support them, nurture them, and to teach them to love God and all of His creation. We promise to remain open to whatever relationship or communication you are comfortable with, and we understand this may change or evolve with time. Thank you for taking the time to read more about us, thank you for your courage and strength, and thank you for sharing your adoption journey with us.
