About ten years ago, we met in college in Rexburg, ID. At the time, we were both spontaneous, airy-minded youngsters and we quickly fell head-over-heels in love. Katy loved that Mitch was this redneck gentleman who could ballroom dance and tell her all about pigs and chickens. Mitch thought Katy was cute and classy with her cello and fluent Italian. We spent a year trying to learn to be adults, figuring out majors, finances, sorting out our future. Then got engaged and tied the knot. We both just felt that we found something in that person--like a long lost friend--almost like we knew each other before we even met. Katy says repeatedly that she feels like she can be completely herself around Mitch, and Mitch says he found not only his wife but his best friend. We spend a lot of time talking--really talking, so that each of us is really seen and heard and understood deeply. Of course, we have arguments,every couple does, but our marriage is largely free of tension, filled instead with mutual understanding, a profound respect for each other, and a playful dose of romantic admiration. Above all, we’re deeply grateful for the peace we’ve built in our home.

Katy About Mitch

Mitch is always working to improve himself. And unlike most of our New Year's resolutions that go forgotten by February, Mitch actually sticks to his goals and accomplishes them. Mitch also has a talent for noticing the moods and needs of the people around him and he finds a way to lift people up. He sometimes gets mistaken for the army chaplain because he frequently goes around lifting people's spirits at work. Probably my favorite thing about him, though, is that nothing can keep him down for long. Unless something extremely serious has happened, he almost always wakes up singing silly songs, happy to be alive. Mitch has a constant, profound feeling that everything will be okay. His peace permeates the home.

Mitch About Katy

Katy is not just my wife but my best friend too. Her smile lights up the room and brightens me up every day. She is a wonderful nurse and an advocate for pain management. She always tries to make sure patients feel like people, not just patients. Her use of music connects her to the spiritual side of things and brings a special spirit to the home. Katy is never complacent about her family and is always working to connect with them. She is definitely an introvert--doesn't like to be in the spotlight, but she is so great at connecting deeply with people one-on-one. She is always planning for the future, setting goals, and she takes great pride in creating a cozy, peaceful atmosphere in the home.

Faith is an important, joyful part of our family culture. Our routines are built on daily prayer and reading the word of God. As parents, our goal is to nurture every part of a child—helping them grow spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Our goal is not to enforce traditions with strict seriousness. Instead, we want to help a child discover their own connection with God, practice following their conscience, and find joy in serving their neighbors.

Having both served two-year missions for our church, we developed deep empathy for people from all walks of life. We know life can be challenging, but we find profound peace in Christ’s promise in John 14:18: "I will not leave you comfortless." Coworkers often ask us why we seem so happy. To be fair, nursing critically ill patients and serving in the military are not inherently "happy" jobs. But for us, finding joy in the face of hard realities is rooted in the rich spiritual fabric of our home.

We would love to pass this inner resilience on to a child. Combined with unconditional love, respect, and gentle guidance, we believe there is no greater gift we could give. We feel confident that with this foundation, a child can grow into an adult who gracefully navigates life's complexities and emerges with a smile.

Katy's Italian mom keeps the home full of a lively culture of music and lots of fantastic food. At family gatherings, we sit, eat, and talk for hours that fly by like minutes. With such good company, we really don't need a lot to have a great time--we just sing, talk, eat, and laugh. Katy's family can keep each other entertained for hours with nothing more than each other's company. The warmth in the home during these gatherings are some of Katy's favorite memories.

Mitchel's family focused on building a beautiful homestead and hobby farm. They grew about ten thousand strawberry plants, raised pigs, chickens, cows, sheep and much more. The family culture on this side of the family focuses on shared work, team sports, and enjoying the great outdoors. Mitch has fond memories of camping with his Dad and going to every single sports game of each of his siblings.

Although we wish we could live closer, at the moment, it takes a one-hour plane flight to reach our families in Idaho. Thankfully, our work allows us to visit 3-4 times a year, sometimes more. This allows for continued closeness and a sense of permanence and belonging in their communities and small-town networks. This will be so healthy for a child. Not to mention that the entire extended family is so excited to welcome this child! During nearly every conversation, someone asks about this kid. The entire extended family has been the fan club awaiting this child!

We live on an army base and plan to stay for the predictable future. We really enjoy how everything is in walking distance, there are playgrounds on every block, and so many gazebos that Katy especially loves. We've also come to find a certain charm in the 6AM bugle calls, the tanks passing us by on the road, and the many helicopters that fly around. With the world becoming a scarier place, nothing feels safer to us than living surrounded by professionals who have committed their lives to protect us.

As for our actual house--on the outside, it looks dreadful and dull, like most army base homes. But inside, it's so lovely! We have purposely chosen very soft colors and gentle lighting to make a very soothing ambience. But we both share an aversion for perfectionism and we put a lot more focus on keeping the home's emotional "wavelengths" calm and happy than keeping things perfectly tidy. This might be in part because when we were first married, we lived in an RV without running water, electricity, or proper source of heat. Yet somehow, our veritable "shoebox" of a home became almost magical to us because of the memories and love we shared there. Now we have a beautiful bigger home, but we like to think we carried with us the emotional warmth of our first "shoebox" home and we hope we can keep that forever.

As we sit down to write this letter, we find ourselves full of such a mix of emotions--excitement, humility, and deep respect for the journey you are walking. We wonder how you are doing on this journey, and how you might be feeling. We don’t yet know your story, but we are very eager to get to know you! We already think of you with immense respect. Thank you for taking a few moments to step inside our lives.

We are Mitch and Katy. We’ve been happily married for eight years, anchored by a deep friendship. Our home is one of simple joys. Life is often quiet and centered on the deep love shared between two people. That bond has been a source of immense pride and joy. After nearly a decade of building a life together, there is a profound readiness to welcome a new "little pride and joy" into our lives.

For us, biology doesn’t make a family?"unconditional love and commitment do. In our faith tradition, adoptions are common, welcome, and viewed as identical to biological children. A child in our home would be surrounded by several other adopted children at church and in the community. We are not just ready to welcome a child; our whole community is! And we are eager to build a life centered entirely around this child.

We live in a tidy town with lots of young children and playgrounds on nearly every block. As a nurse with a masters degree, Katy enjoys almost limitless career flexibility that allows her to adapt to a child’s needs. Mitch works in tech for the military, so he can usually serve the country safely from the States. Contrary to the stereotype of an "army dad," who is always gone on missions, Mitch has almost always been home for dinner. He carefully tailored his career so that if the army ever took him away from family too much, he could re-negotiate his contract. It is important to us both that this child be raised by two very present parents.

We may not know all the details of what the future brings--we’ve never been parents before! But a few things we are absolutely sure about. We can promise you that this child will be absolutely loved--not just loved the way we all love cute kids. But this child will be loved totally, profoundly, and completely! As parents, we will listen, not just lecture. We will find a balance of boundaries and gentleness where a child thrives. A child in this home will be seen and heard, respected, and encouraged to become their best self. We have a vision of holding this baby close every waking moment during those first few months, ensuring this infant feels completely secure and loved. We envision dancing around the living room with this baby, seeing the baby's head bob with the rhythm. We imagine watching a toddler splash through puddles in oversized rain boots, and Dad being a kid and splashing even bigger splashes, resulting in heaps of giggles. As the child grows older, the kitchen becomes a science lab. The living room houses a giant cardboard castle and Dad becomes the "construction manager." Mom runs music practice in the morning, and homework in the afternoon--all tailored to the child's interests and talents. From infancy to adulthood, the focus will always be on fostering curiosity, love, and faith--and mastering the art of happiness.

We want you to know that you will always hold an honored, celebrated role in the family dynamic. We will speak of you with the utmost respect from day one. We want to mirror whatever level of openness you are seeking?"whether that looks like regular letters and photos, video-calls, or future visits. You will always hold a sacred role in your child’s life, and you must be an incredible person to walk this journey of love. We welcome you to the family with open arms and we can’t wait to meet you!

With warmth and admiration,

Mitch & Katy