We cannot begin to imagine what you must be feeling right now. We know there must be a lot of fear, anxiety, and so many other emotions going through your mind. First, we want you to know that you are so brave and so loved. Even if you don’t feel it or see it around you, you are doing something so special by growing this child. They are so lucky to have you caring for them and giving them so much love. We are sending you so much love and positive vibes as you go through this time. We are sure that it is scary and overwhelming at times, but we hope that you know that you are supported and are doing something beautiful. We are here with you and wish you the best. Whatever you decide is best for you and this child moving forward.

With love,

Katie & Rich

Rich and Katie met in 2015 in Graduate School. Katie actually helped to recruit Rich to work at the university where we would both work and attend graduate school. When Rich walked in for an interview, we both fell in love at first sight!

Once the school year started in August, we started dating right away and knew that this was something special. The next year started two long years of living five hours apart while Rich finished his Master’s Degree. While long distance is never easy, we knew that it would be worth it once we could really start our life together in the same city. In 2018, Rich moved to the city where Katie was working to be together, and we lived there for the next few years. This was also the year that we got engaged at Katie’s favorite place, Disney World! We got married the next year and moved to our first house together in the summer of 2020. Both of us work in Higher Education and are really passionate about our jobs and our students.

We have been married almost five years now, together for almost ten, and are still each other’s favorite person. We feel so lucky to have found each other. We are each other’s best friends and biggest cheerleaders. We cannot wait to start this next journey in our lives together and grow our family!

From a young age, Katie knew that adoption was the way she wanted to grow her family. When we got together, Katie shared her desire to adopt early on in their relationship, and luckily, Rich was immediately on board. Rich’s family growing up was often known to help out other families by caring for their children and even taking them in. So, we both have always been passionate about helping others and adoption. Once we were ready to start growing our family, we dove into researching adoption agencies and educating ourselves on how to be the best parents we could be. We learned that adoption can be such a beautiful process, but also comes with loss, trauma, and grief. We understand that this will never be easy, but it will be ours, and we are so ready to begin this journey.

Rich through Katie’s eyes

I fell in love with Rich the minute I met him. He is fun, loyal, and open-minded. He is extremely accepting of not just me, but anyone he interacts with. Rich is very outgoing and has never met a stranger. He is the life of the party wherever he goes. Rich has the amazing ability to help me stay grounded, even on my worst days. He is always there to be a listening ear and help anyone through a problem.

My favorite thing about Rich is that he will truly drop whatever he is doing to help someone if they need him. He could be in the middle of something important, and if someone calls him and needs something, he is going to do everything he can to support them at that moment.

Some of Rich’s favorite ways to spend his time are playing games with his friends, watching movies, and being with his family. Rich is so smart and loves to learn. He is always sharing something fun he read in a book or that he learned on a podcast.

I know that Rich is going to be such a great dad. I have had the joy of seeing him around all of his nieces and nephews, and he is so kind and caring with them. In the time we have been together, I have seen him grow in so many ways, including his patience and understanding, especially around children. Our child is so lucky to have him as their father.”

Fun Facts

• Favorite movie: Hot Fuzz
• Favorite artist: Dave Matthews Band
• Favorite book: Wheel of Time
• Favorite place we have traveled: Scotland
• Favorite type of pizza: Pan Pizza
• Favorite dog: Meri

Katie through Rich’s eyes

When I first met Katie, she was on an interview panel for an assistantship I applied to for grad school. She drew my focus the entire interview. I was excited about the job, but I remember telling my mom about a beautiful “red-headed southern belle” that I met. My mom even wrote us a letter for our wedding with the exact quote I used before I had even spoken to Katie one-on-one. I later found out that her red hair was dyed, and she was not from the South, but I was enamored either way.

Katie has always been the person that I strive to be. She has an inherent moral compass that is immovable, and it was the reason I fell in love with her.

My favorite thing about Katie is seeing her at amusement parks, like Disney World. She turns into someone with no worries, no stress, just pure excitement and energy to experience everything there is to experience wherever we are.

Katie loves to spend time with her friends and family, but her biggest passion is Disney. She works as a Disney Travel agent and tries to visit a Disney Park a few times a year. She also loves to cuddle up in bed and read a spooky book, or turn on a cozy movie and relax at the end of the day.

Children seem to gravitate to Katie. She has a way of interacting with them as a whole person that puts them at ease. The first time she met my sister and her children, my niece ran right past me and into Katie’s arms without ever meeting her. She has incredible patience and has taught me so much about what being a good parent looks like. I am truly lucky to have her in my life.”

Fun Facts

• Favorite movie: Love Actually
• Favorite artist: Taylor Swift
• Favorite book: The Girl on the Train
• Favorite place we have traveled: Scotland
• Favorite type of pizza: Thin Crust
• Favorite dog: Meri

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and read about our story.

We are so happy to be at this point in our adoption journey and can’t wait to be parents. This child will be so loved and cared for, not just us, but also our friends, family, and community. We promise to fill our child’s life with books, travel, fun, and family. With both of us working in the Education field, they will have access to whatever opportunities they want to pursue to continue to grow and learn. They will have a childhood full of love and the chance to do whatever makes them happy.

With love,

Katie and Rich