Welcome to our profile! We are Mike and Ashley. Mike works in data analytics, and Ashley is a developmental preschool teacher, which is special education for students ages 3-5 years old. As a couple, we are known for being easy-going, good-natured, and up for anything fun! We love to explore, experience new places, and try new activities; we genuinely enjoy spending time together. Family is very important to both of us and was one of the first things we discussed during our early dating days. We met through mutual friends and have been together for 12 years – married for 9! We are both compassionate, dependable, and down-to-earth people that also have silly, goofy sides that have always dreamed of becoming parents. Thanks for reading our profile, and we hope to meet you soon!
We met through mutual friends; we all hung out in a big group multiple times over the course of a year. Ashley always enjoyed talking with Mike whenever they were around each other. After one particular gathering, Ashley waited a few days and then took matters into her own hands and asked Mike if he’d like to go out sometime. The rest is history! We were married a couple of years later in June of 2016.
We are truly each other’s best friend, and the way that we continue to grow our relationship is by showing each other mutual respect and love daily. We feel life is made up of little moments and something as simple as a “thank you” helps us show our appreciation to each other.
We have many things in common, and that has been another big part of the foundation of our relationship. We enjoy big adventures such as traveling to new places, but we also enjoy staying home or hanging out around our local area. You can usually find us spending time with family or friends, trying out a new restaurant or coffee shop, working out in our yard, attending a sporting event, or relaxing and binge watching a new show. It doesn’t really matter to us what we are doing, as long as we are doing it together – we will make it fun. We can’t wait to have a baby join our amazing family and bring new curiosity to our adventures!
I can honestly say that from the first time I met Mike, I knew there was something special about him. He is easy to talk to and shows he genuinely cares by actively listening and is always willing to have a meaningful conversation. Mike has an easy-going, calm, sweet nature and tends to keep a level head. He has always been my safe space, where I can be my true self without any judgement. He has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met and is always willing to help out whenever there is a need. He doesn’t give up easily and will work at something until he figures it out. I can confidently say that Mike will make a great dad because I have enjoyed watching him over the years interact with our nieces and our friends’ kids, and it makes my heart smile. He is willing to act goofy, get down on the floor and roll around with them, as well as share a big hug. Mike is also a wealth of knowledge that has been passed down from his father, and I would love nothing more than to see him be able to share all that he’s learned with a child as they grow.
After dating Ashley for a few months, I knew she was extraordinary and clicked with her from the start. It didn’t take me long to realize she was the person I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with. Ashley is one of the kindest, most caring people I’ve ever been around. I see her big heart in the way she interacts with the kids she teaches at school and the love she extends to our friends and family. Life hasn’t always been easy for her, but she never shies away from challenges and is a hard worker. This is evident in her passion as a teacher and taking care of everyone she knows. However, she also knows when it’s time to relax and have some fun. She is someone I can confide in and talk to about anything. I know she will be an amazing mom to a child someday, and I can’t wait to be by her side as a dad.
Family is the most important aspect of our lives. We are lucky enough to live no more than 10 minutes from both of our immediate families as well as many of our friends. We both grew up in loving homes and spent a lot of time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Even with everyone’s busy lives, we still carve out time to be with our families as much as we can, whether it’s for cookouts, holidays, or a random weeknight dinner. Both of our families show up for us and have shown us so much support in different ways. We have no doubt they will do the same for a child, whether it’s to help with babysitting, coming to any activities the child is involved in, or attending birthday parties. We have 2 nieces, and it’s been so nice living close enough to be able to watch them grow up, flourish, and see them excel in school and extracurricular activities. They love babies and are super excited to add a cousin to the crew. We also have close friends that are part of our support system, and they are excited for us and our adoption journey. Most of them have younger kids. One couple has 3 little ones and gave us the immense honor of asking both of us to be the godparents!
We have had a long road of infertility that has ultimately led us to our adoption journey. We began working with a fertility specialist in 2020 and suffered many failed IUIs and rounds of IVF. It was a hard season of life, and we tried not to let it discourage us from holding onto hope that we would become parents one day, as hard as that may be. We have a few close friends who have been blessed with children through adoption, and we have always admired their stories. We have a huge desire to become parents, and our hearts and home are ready to welcome a baby through the journey of adoption.
Our house is in the middle of the neighborhood, and it is relatively quiet and calm. We have a large backyard that can provide lots of running space for a little one to get their energy out, as well as a fire pit for those fun bonfire nights making s’mores. We have a bedroom in our house that we have designated for the nursery, and we have been enjoying painting and decorating it. We also have another room that will provide lots of space for books and toys. We live in a big neighborhood that has a pool and a large playground. There are lots of kids that live in the neighborhood and groups can always be seen riding bikes, running/walking, or playing in their yards. We are situated just outside of the city and only a 15-minute drive to the Children’s Museum, zoo, and quite a few parks, water parks/splash pads, and walking trails. We also live close to the local schools; these schools have a positive reputation throughout the community and are good at providing inclusive opportunities for children of all abilities as well as having a diverse population.
As a family, we feel strongly about family traditions and how important those were to us growing up. We each grew up putting our family Christmas trees and decorations up the day after Thanksgiving, and we have carried that into our marriage. We both love getting everything out, setting it up, and being able to enjoy it over the holiday season. Ashley grew up getting to go and pick out a new collectible ornament to put on the tree every year. That is something she would like to start with a child someday and let them build their own keepsake ornament collection. Both of us would love to start the matching, silly Christmas pajama tradition once a little one joins us, as well.
Mike grew up going on a family vacation every summer. They usually went to the beach and spent each day swimming in the ocean, playing in the sand, and relaxing in the sun. It was something that he, his brother, and parents looked forward to every year. As a couple, we have started a tradition of trying to take a trip every year around our anniversary, whether it’s for a whole week or just a few days. It’s something we look forward to experiencing with a child as well.
We also would like to start a tradition with a baby by reading to them every night before bed. It’s something that was done with both of us growing up, and we feel that it creates such a nurturing environment because it would be something that is shared just between us and a child.
Values are another strong aspect of our family. We definitely feel like we will be nurturing parents and create a safe space for a child. We want to instill in them confidence, a sense of self-worth, and being a kind little human. We want a child to feel comfortable being themselves and being able to come to us with anything they may be feeling or needing.
Mike’s job is flexible, and he will sometimes have the opportunity to work from home when a baby enters our lives. With Ashley being a teacher, she will have multiple breaks throughout the school year as well as a long summer break; in addition, she will have holidays off to be able to spend quality time with a baby. Thankfully, an 8-12 week maternity leave will be part of her plans as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read about us. We don’t know you yet, but we admire you and your strength for considering one of the most selfless acts a person can do. If you were to choose us, we want you to know that we will always have the child’s best interest at heart, nurture and help them grow into the person they were meant to be, and be open and honest with them about where they came from. We will speak of you with honor and love, and we are open to whatever communication and relationship you are comfortable with, whether that’s pictures, letters, social media, or meet-ups. We look forward to getting to know you and learning about your journey as well as you learning about us.
With Love,
Mike and Ashley
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