Adoption is already a special part of our family as we adopted our daughter, McKenna, who is the light of our lives. We have developed a strong bond with her birth family and love them dearly. We have utilized adoption books, watched movies, and participated in play groups consisting of adopted children to help further our daughter's understanding of adoption. As she gets older, we will continue to foster and grow her knowledge of her adoption journey.

Adoption has also impacted our extended family, as one of Kim's older cousins placed her son for adoption many years ago. He's a young man now and sought her out a few years ago. Since then he's been a welcomed part of the family. It was a great resource to hear of Kim's cousin's struggles, hopes, doubts, and fears with the entire process. She has helped us learn a great deal about both sides of adoption.

Several of our friends have also adopted kids over the years and we have used them all as resources as we pursue that same goal. The thing that is most striking about their stories is how unique they all are. Their adoptions are as diverse as the people involved, but every single family we know treasures their choice to adopt and can't imagine their lives any other way.

We both have a variety of hobbies and interests that keep us active and fulfilled.

Individually, Luke is a drummer and plays with numerous other people in rock and blues bands around the area. Kim is the crafty one in the family and has become enamored with Pinterest projects.

Together, we're up for any type of fun, from a quiet dinner together to a weekend at one of the local music festivals. We also volunteer at a variety of community events through the local outreach program. We've done everything from helping throw a holiday party for developmentally disabled kids to aiding young Girl Scouts in earning badges.

When we're not adventuring on our own, we have a large family that are all nearby so it seems like there's always a graduation, wedding, play, recital, or family dinner to attend. Even if we're just lounging around the house we stay busy trying to make each other laugh. Our household is never a boring one.

Being a parent is perhaps the greatest responsibility one can take on. An entire life is in our hands to love, protect, and guide. We have dreamt of being parents for years. We can't wait for the laughter, the joy, and the fun that another child will bring into our lives. We are also prepared that the journey may be filled with ups and downs, and we will always be there to support a child through anything. Our home is filled with love and laughter (and also no shortage of off-key singing). We have built a happy and stable life through planning, hard work, and constant support of our friends and family. We are humble and grateful people. We have worked hard to create this environment so that we can share it all when we are blessed with more children. We believe being a good parent is trying to make the best decisions you can for your children and being there for them unconditionally. We consider it a great gift to have the opportunity to do just that.

We reside in the suburbs near a metropolitan city in Missouri. We own a ranch-style home that features three bedrooms and a large basement. We are fortunate to live just a few streets away from several of our extended family members.

Our neighborhood is family-oriented and is within walking distance to the farmers market. The backyard is our favorite part of our home. It has a garden and is fenced-in so our dog, daughter, and future children can safely play. We also have a covered patio in the back. That's where we barbeque, sit near the fire pit, or just relax.

Our town hosts festivals, parades, and church/school picnics, which the local kids really seem to enjoy. We are lucky enough to be within 30 minutes of many attractions including the Science Center, Art Museum, Butterfly House, and professional sports venues. There are multiple concert venues, theaters, parks, and pools by us too. We have a nationally renowned zoo and have friends who live on a lake where we go swimming and fishing.

Since we live in the Midwest, there will be ample opportunity for your child to enjoy the activities that come with the seasons. Whether it's boating in the summer, picking pumpkins in the fall, doing outside Easter egg hunts in the spring, or building snowmen during the winter, your child will get to experience it all.

We are blessed to have our families living nearby. Kim's family is enormous. Her dad is one of five kids and her mom is also one of five kids, so she has aunts, uncles, and cousins galore. She also has one younger sister. Luke's family is smaller with his dad being the oldest of four and his mom having one younger brother. Luke also has a younger sister.

Luke's sister was paralyzed in an accident over fifteen years ago but lives independently and works helping veterans find jobs. Her husband is quadriplegic (from a separate accident) and is a veteran himself. Kim's sister works for a non-profit refugee center. Her husband is a physical therapist and is in the Air Force reserves. Together they have 1 daughter who is 3 months older than our daughter!

Our family has been immensely supportive throughout the adoption process. All of our family is excited to welcome another family member, so this child will have no shortage of people who love them!

While we spend every major holiday with one side of the family or another (and occasionally both), we have also made our own traditions. Some of our favorite traditions are going out for a sushi dinner on New Year's Day, doing a white elephant Christmas exchange, and going to the pumpkin patch every Halloween. Each family member, including our dog, gets a pumpkin which we carve.

Hello! Thank you for checking out our profile and considering us as parents. Since one of Kim's cousins placed her son for adoption, we have heard firsthand about the mixture of emotions and struggles birth mothers go through. While that is something we will never truly comprehend, it has given us the greatest appreciation and respect for you as you consider adoption. We cannot fully express our gratitude that you are considering giving us life's greatest gift. While Kim's cousin vividly recalls her emotions and anxieties from the time around the adoption, she was always comforted that she chose the right family to place her son with. Now that son is a young man who reconnected with her a few years ago and she is proud of who he has become. We hope to be the family that lets you rest easy knowing your child is loved, protected, and in very capable hands.

We met each other almost seventeen years ago. Luke was working on his Doctorate in Optometry and Kim was just out of college. When we met, the chemistry was instant and it was like we both had found a part of our hearts we didn't even know was missing. The next year was a whirlwind romance as Luke traveled across the USA and even to Australia for internships for the last year of his schooling. After lots of traveling, countless long-distance phone calls, and one small apartment fire Kim's hair dryer caused in Australia, we landed back in each other's arms and were married in 2005.

Luke bought his own practice near our home and Kim went to work for one of the biggest companies in the area working in international business. While Kim's job responsibilities have changed and expanded as she's climbed the corporate ladder, Luke closed his practice in 2009 because the recession had left most of his patients without insurance. He now works at an optical retailer, examining eyes and treating disease for people who don't have insurance or the means to go elsewhere. While Luke would be happy to work at his job the rest of his life, Kim dreams of opening a non-profit no-kill dog rescue shelter. Though that goal is a long way off, we are working towards it.

As you can imagine after hearing that, we are animal lovers. We have one dog who we adopted as a puppy named Moxie. She is a Goldendoodle, which makes her an ideal family dog and great with kids. She loves meeting new people, going on walks, and running in the backyard. Our daughter, who we adopted through American Adoptions, enjoys being involved in the care of the family pet. She takes great pride in helping dump cups of food into Moxie's bowl at meal times.

In our spare time, Luke plays drums and is generally a science fiction nerd. While Kim claims shopping is her hobby, she actually spends most of her time devising complicated crafts that required multiple same-day trips to the store (thanks, Pinterest!). Together, we love going to concerts and musicals, visiting local parks, volunteering, and taking daytrips to nearby events. We have a large and awesome family who are very supportive along with numerous friends who we would do anything for (and vice-versa).

We have a great and happy life. Our house is a joyful one filled with laughter and music. We have been ready to be parents again for a long time. The only thing that's missing is the gift that you can provide. When we speak to our child about you, it will only be with the highest praise. We are committed to keeping you updated through photos and letters but are hopeful, depending on your wishes, that we could eventually have more open contact. We always want our child to be proud of their adoption story. We would explain that it just means that they have more people who love them. Thank you for your consideration and regardless of whether you choose us or not, we wish you the very best.

With deepest respect,

Luke & Kim