Ben & Katie

Hello! We are Ben and Katie. Thanks for taking time to get to know us! Ben grew up in Germany and Katie in Indiana. Ben came to the States to visit his grandparents and ended up staying for college and then grad school and then just stayed! We have been married for ten years and love going through this life together! We’ve especially enjoyed these last six years with our sweet daughter Ilse, and these past two years with our fun, active son Jude, who both came to us through adoption.

Ben is a viral safety scientist, and Katie is a stay-at-home mom with Ilse and Jude. We have so much fun spending time together as a family, around our house and outside, playing games, reading books, and having friends and family into our home on a regular basis. Ilse loves to cuddle her cat, Otis. Both kids spend hours outside playing, especially with our dogs, Zara and Stella. We all enjoy music, and Katie plays the piano. We are very involved with our church, and this is where we have made many friends!

About Each Other:

Ben’s brother and Katie’s good friend (who were dating at the time and are now married) introduced us. The four of us would get together to play cards. Soon, Katie was invited to join them in Michigan for Thanksgiving. It was there on a cold, snowy hike that Ben asked Katie out. On our first date, we went for a seven-mile hike. A year later, we got married. Our lives have only gotten better as each child has joined our family! Ilse is sweet and spunky and loves life and everything she does! Her favorite part of the day is when her Papa comes home from work and plays, tickles, and reads books with her in the living room. Jude is always on the move, and enjoys all things that move — trucks, cars, balls, and our cat Otis. He thinks his sister is the funniest thing, and she gets the best belly laughs out of him.

Ben about Katie:

I always joke that I married Katie for her common sense. Her ability to see things clearly, her strong work ethic, and her enjoyment of beautifying our home and working around the house makes her a great mother. Her general cheerfulness brightens our home and our days.

She is loved by the kids at church. Her gentle and personable spirit is very endearing and has proven invaluable when working with children, especially the shy ones or those with separation anxiety. Katie loves people. She is invested in those who come into her life and is able to genuinely cry or laugh with them. I know she will love our future child(ren) and be a good mother to them, as she is to our daughter and son.

Katie about Ben:

One of the things that drew me to Ben was his thoughtful care of others. He takes time to process decisions with people and is a good listener. He strengthens me with his gentle and steady spirit.

He works hard at his job and does well, but time and again I see him put family first when he is needed at home. Time with family is a priority, especially in the highs and lows of life. But he also has a fun and playful side. One of the things I love most is watching him interact with Ilse and Jude. They love to tease each other, and he can make them laugh like no one else! He is creative in play and makes up stories and games that match their energy level!

About Ilse:

Ilse loves life and wakes up with a smile every morning! She is excited for kindergarten. After watching the Olympics, she taught herself cartwheels and joined gymnastics. She calls her dolls and stuffed animals her “children” and loves playing pretend with them. She likes to tease and be silly and get her brother to laugh. She is so affectionate — loves to cuddle and give kisses, of which her cat and 2 dogs are frequent recipients. She is such a good big sister and is excited for another sibling to love.

About Jude:

Jude is energetic, loves to be on the move, and is so cheerful! His favorite thing is playing outside, especially when it involves water. He adores his big sister! He imitates everything she does and laughs when she’s silly with him. He also finds amusement in chasing after our cat, who is patient but sometimes has to run for safety! He is crazy about trucks, tractors, balls, and all animals — particularly our dogs.

Family/Friends/Support System:

We have a wonderful community of friends and family close by. Two of Ben’s siblings live fairly close and his sister often comes over to visit. “Tante” (aunt in German) is one of the kids’ favorite people! We have many friends through our church and often have friends and family in our home for dinner and visits around the firepit. We help lead the youth group at church and like that our home is a place the kids feel comfortable to come hang out. Katie has a close friend she gets together with often, an older woman who is like another grandmother to the kids. She loves to have the kids over and is always willing to come help Katie out at the house if needed. Ben still gets together with his two college housemates and good friends who both live in town and have kids the same ages as ours. Our families enjoy all get-togethers.

Our Community:

We live on a private gravel lane. Our yard is fairly large and surrounded by woods, which gives it that country feel, but we’re close enough to neighbors that we’ve gotten to know each other and keep an eye out for one another. A nice thing about our home is that we’re close to town. There are stores and restaurants just a few minutes away, a walking trail across the street from our house, a playground close by, and a library only a two-minute drive away!

Why We’re Adopting:

We have not been able to have children biologically, but we are so grateful for the path God had for us through adoption. And as we both grew up with several siblings, we want to give Ilse and Jude the joy of another sibling as well!

Parenting:

Two of our greatest values in life is to love God our Maker and to love people. We want to raise our children with these values so they will have a respect and care for those around them and honor God in what they do.

Ben works for a company that gives him 10 weeks off for paternity leave when a baby comes. We are grateful that this will give him, and us as a family, time to bond with the baby!

Katie values teaching the kids new things and to enjoy the world around them. Reading books, playing outside, baking, listening to and teaching music, and learning German are all things they like to do together. Because German is Ben’s first language, she is working with the kids to learn it herself and teach them.

Because several of Ben’s family members are in Germany and Ben gets good vacation time off, we are able to travel out of the country for visits. We spent a month last summer in Netherlands and Germany, and it was an amazing experience for the kids to see new places, meet their German relatives, and work on a second language!

Katie

I worked at a radio station in college that broadcasted NPR and classical music. The best part was going “on air” to give news breaks and weather updates.
Growing up, my family spent most vacations at the beach in South Carolina.
I trained my first dog, Maddie, to run next to me without a leash while I rollerbladed.
My first two summers after high school, I traveled to Scotland and Ireland to help serve in a church in each place.
I enjoy sewing and quilting, especially making clothes for the kids. It was so fun making Ilse’s Easter dress this year and a matching bow tie for Jude!
Making special cakes for my family on their birthdays is a favorite tradition of mine. Ilse’s first cake was a unicorn and Jude’s was “Little Blue Truck.”
I enjoy playing the piano, and a couple years ago, I started learning the Ukelele. When we are together with Ben’s dad, he accompanies me on piano with the cello or guitar.
Last year, I got to fulfill a lifelong dream of raising lambs.
High school girls from church often come over to the house to visit and play with the kids. I enjoy talking with them and encouraging them through their high school experiences.
I am trying to learn German and teach the kids to learn alongside me so we can talk to Ben’s family in their first language.

Ben

I’m a Dutch and American citizen. My father is American, and my mother was Dutch, so I was able to receive citizenship to both countries, as do my children!
German is my first language. My parents were missionaries in Germany, which is where I was born and raised. We spoke German in the home. I began learning English in second grade.
We used to eat oxtail soup at Christmas every year when I was growing up
Growing up, I played the clarinet. I do not play anymore, but music is an important part of our family culture, and if our children are interested, we would welcome them to learn an instrument.
I am the fifth in the line of 10 children. Growing up with siblings was fun!
I home-schooled my youngest sister, who is nine years younger than me. I enjoyed teaching her, and she turned out okay (haha) and became a nurse.
We had pet turtles, parakeets, canaries, mice, hamsters, fish, and a dog (at various times) when I was growing up. The fish were my favorite.
Risk is my favorite board game.
Playing with my kids when I get home from work is the best part of my day.
Every year for my birthday, Katie makes two of my favorite foods: authentic Irish stew and German Black Forest cake.

Ilse

I like to color pictures for my friends and family and send them in the mail.
I got to be a flower girl three times!
I love snuggling with mama!
I like to tell jokes: “What does a cat say when he gets hurt? ~ ‘Me -ow.’”
Getting beads in my hair is so fun because I like the sound they make, and they’re pretty.
I’m learning to speak German with Mama. She tells me how to set the table using German words, and I thank her for dinner in German and say it was “Lecker” (yummy)!
I like learning about musicians and listening to their music. My favorite is Stevie Wonder. Mama and I dance to “Sign, Sealed, Delivered.”

Jude

I like food! As soon as I see someone with food, I head over there to get some! Blueberries are my favorite.
Spraying my sister with the garden hose makes me laugh so hard!
I say “Danke” which means “Thank you” in German.
I like to visit our friend’s goats and chickens and feed them grass.
I like to climb on anything I can and jump off.
I’m very ticklish, especially when it’s by my Papa.
I like to ride my bike down the ramp in our garage.
My blue bear, Blueberry, is my favorite stuffy to cuddle.

Otis

Sneaking into a bedroom to take a nap on a real bed is my favorite.
Every Sunday Ilse gives me a special treat.
Jude tests my patience, but sometimes I let him pet me.
I am a good mouser!
I’m so sweet, I won Katie over to liking cats.

Zara

I get the most excited to see my people!
Stella is the boss and won’t let me steal her food — I try…
Ilse says she doesn’t have a favorite, but I know it’s me!

Stella

I’m as gentle and calm as a lamb, but I’m still in charge.
I get the most hugs from Ilse and Jude.
I keep my eye on the kids and make sure Zara doesn’t make Jude nervous with her excitement.