Over the past few years we have fallen into a lifestyle that we hope to bring a child into. We love spending time together, especially with the pets. We walk the dogs around our neighborhood lake, which has a playground, every single day. We both like to get lots of exercise, so we usually hike, run, or ski almost every day. We also like listening to records, scrapbooking, or playing games like Yahtzee.

Gardening and cooking are huge parts of our lives. In the summer, we spend a lot of time in our backyard garden tending to the plants. Almost every day we try to cook meals for each other. Tre loves trying new recipes, while Rob likes perfecting his favorites. We also enjoy baking lots of desserts, like pie filled with berries we pick in fall. Rob has a serious sweet tooth.

We also like adventuring on the weekends. Sometimes we go to the ocean and look for whales, birds, fish, or sea otters. Other times we go on hikes in the mountains looking for berries. And some weekends we like to just sit on the couch and watch movies all day.

Education is very important to us. We both used to work as outdoor educators, which means that we took people ages 14-65 into the mountains for up to a month at a time. Although we don't ever spend that much time apart anymore, those experiences informed our educational values. For us, the number one way that children learn is by watching role models. So we will always try to role model the values we believe are important in life.

We believe in teaching children how to be kind. From our trips we both learned that the best teammates are nice people. We want to show our child to understand how they affect other people, and we will encourage them to go out of their way to help people.

We also believe in teaching children how to do hard things. In the mountains, as in life, it is impossible to control everything. Everyone goes through difficult situations. But over and over, we have seen people do things they thought were too hard, like surviving snowstorms and climbing peaks. We'll support our child every step of the way as they too learn how to do hard things.

We also believe in providing a more traditional education. We'll do everything we can to help our child in school so they can find a fulfilling life path, whether that involves college, trade school, mentorship, or some other educational path.

Adoption is a major part of our family's history. Rob's grandmother was adopted, and our family would not exist if that had not happened. One of our cousins was welcomed into our family through adoption as well. So we know firsthand some of the ways that adoption can lead to a beautiful life. This also means that our family is very comfortable, understanding, and supportive when it comes to adoption because they also know how impactful it can be. We know our family will be excited to unconditionally welcome any child into our family. And we're grateful to have these adoption role models to support us and our child.

We love Alaska. We especially like watching the seasons change out our window. From birds chirping during the long days of summer to the moose that visit during the winter nights, the world is always changing here. Snowy peaks are just outside our door, and the ocean is a short bike ride away. People always wonder about the weather. Well, in the summer it is regularly in the 60s and the winters are a lot like the ones we remember from growing up in Wisconsin and Connecticut.

Our neighborhood is amazing. We live just a few feet from a beautiful lake that we walk to with the dogs almost every day. In the summer it's full of kayakers and people fishing. In the winter it turns into a massive ice skating rink. There's even a playground that's always full of neighborhood kids. Halloween is a neighborhood highlight—we love counting the trick-or-treaters and our record is over 170.

We are grateful to have a wonderful home. Visitors sometimes say it looks like something from a fairy fantasy because of the garden, dark wood siding, and beam ceiling. One of our favorite parts is the backyard where we play games, have campfires, and let the dogs run around. We also have a garden where we grow things like flowers, berries, potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and whatever else sounds fun. We are excited to show a child the joys of caring for a home.

Our extended family is full of love. We live far apart, which makes our time together even more special. Family typically visits us during the Alaska summer so they can enjoy the 24 hours of sunlight! Last year, our nieces (age 12 and 8) and nephew (age 10) came with their parents and grandmother. We did all the fun things we could think of, like: visiting a glacier, looking for a moose, playing board games, swimming, and hiking. The joy we felt during that trip reinforced just how much we want to build our own family through adoption.

We also travel a couple times each year to visit our families in their homes. Tre-C recalls cheering from the sidelines at multiple soccer games this past fall and attentively watching her niece perform on the balance beam in her gymnastics meet.

We consider our close friends to be family. When we can't see family for the holidays, we almost always meet up with friends. For example, we usually spend thanksgiving with friends (our "friends-giving") ice skating or hiking. Also, Rob's best friend since third grade lives just down the street and we try have dinner together every other Sunday.

Our family and friends are thrilled that we want to adopt a child. Our nieces and nephews can't wait to have a cousin. Rob's parents can't wait to finally become grandparents. And many of our friends are excited to help care for any child that is part of our family.

Thank so, so much for taking time to learn about us.

We met about nine years ago and have been best friends ever since. We spent the night that we met staying up talking around a fire and ignoring everyone around us. The rest is history. We have been on adventures (and misadventures), shared highs and lows, and grown together through it all. We've now been married for three and a half years. Through it all, our favorite thing to do together is spend time together outside, even if it is just walking around the neighborhood pond. We cannot wait to see what this will be like as our family grows.

We have cultivated a home that feels safe, relaxing, and unique to what we love. We are both proud that our home is filled our home with things that bring us joy. For instance, our books, artwork, craft station, puzzle (we always try to have one in the works) allow us to share our interests and curiosities with each other. We are very eager to explore the world through the lens of a child and share in their wonder. We think that time, love, and attention are the greatest gifts we can offer a child.

So many of our favorite memories involve children, like our nieces and nephews. We especially love when our friends bring their kids on vacation in Alaska during the summer. The house fills with giggles as kids chase the dogs around the house or when we all watch the dogs chase the cat. It's also fun to roam around our garden and let kids munch on berries, even if they stain. And we love sharing our favorite adventures too, whether we go on hikes to look for wild animals or tour all the local playgrounds.

We have always known that adoption might be part of our lives. Years ago, Tre-C worked as a live-in nanny to help raise two children. Tre-C worked full-time with them for three years and continued to fill in during holiday breaks or chunks of time as their nanny. Twenty four years later they are still a major part of our lives. Through that experience, Tre-C learned about the joys and difficulties of raising children from another family, which made her realize that she would probably like to adopt one day. And several people in Rob's family were adopted, including his grandmother. We have never thought of adoption as a second choice and will always love an adopted child with all of our hearts.

We would be so happy to share your child's growth with you as the years pass. Scrapbooking is a big tradition from both sides of our family, so we cannot wait to take photos and make collages together. We'd be delighted to send things like that to you too. We would also send emails, phone calls, or even meet in the future if you'd like. Also, we get lots of joy from listening to music or eating food that we learned about from our parents. We will always be willing to learn what you like and share with your child.

Thank you again for taking time to read about us. We know this decision must involve complicated feelings and emotions. We trust you to make a good decision for your child, and we are here to offer support if we can.

Rob & Tre-C