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Our Story

Brad and Amy meet, date, & get married

 

Together for over ten years, our relationship is strong, and built on trust, respect, and genuine love for each other. While we were dating, we discovered we have many shared interests, values, and life experiences. Our first trip together was to the Black Hills and Yellowstone National Park. We both knew that if we could enjoy 10 days of tent camping together, it was meant to be. :) Brad proposed in December of 2005 and we were married July of 2006 in Amy's hometown.

 

How we spend our time

 

We like to stay busy with a variety of activities. Warm weather brings us to the playground, beach, swimming pool, walks around town or at state parks, family bike rides, boating, camping, picnics, to summer festivals/fairs, the zoo, and so much more. Cold weather brings us to sledding hills, playing in the snow, or staying warm indoors doing crafts. We also love playing board games, cards, and games on our Wii. We often spend time with our parents, other extended family members, and friends. This is just a snapshot of how we like to spend our time. While life can get busy, we always make time for each other. We eat together at the dinner table every day. We also LOVE to be silly and playful. Overall, we have a great time together. Our life as a family is very kid-centered and we can't wait to have another child!

 

 

 

Brad and Amy start a family
In 2008, we found out we were expecting a baby. It was a rough pregnancy, but a very healthy baby girl was born in 2009. We love being parents and definitely want a bigger family!
In April of 2012, we adopted our dog Jinny from the Minnesota-Wisconsin Collie Rescue organization. She has been such a great addition to our family. We also have a cat named Gizmo. Amy adopted her from a friend’s farm in 1999. Both of our pets are very friendly and wonderful with kids.
We have been talking about adoption as a  wonderful option to grow our family since before our daughter was born. We are friends with a number of families who have adopted children. We have always hoped for at least two children. Our daughter really wants to be a big sister and we would LOVE for another child to become part of our family.  After difficult pregnancies, including a stillbirth, it is our dream to complete our family through adoption. The gratefulness we will have for anyone who helps us fulfill this dream is beyond what any words can explain.

 A little about where we live 

 

Our home has three bedrooms and is on a half acre lot... so a lot of room for children to run and play. We live in Northfield, MN and believe it's the perfect place to raise a family; in fact, it's rated #4 in Minnesota for Best Towns to Raise a Family by NICHE. Northfield is a smaller city, with a population of around 20,000. There is a strong focus on education in our community, which likely comes from having two liberal arts colleges here. Northfield has many excellent schools, lots of activities for kids to get involved in, and there are always fun community events happening.  We love the feel of our city where people seem to value culture, diversity, education, and community. We are members of a local church that has a wonderful children's program. Amy teaches Sunday School there; and Brad plays on the church softball team. Some of our family's traditions that we do in Northfield include going apple picking, picking out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, going to the farmers market, visiting the alpaca farm, attending Defeat of Jesse James Days, sledding at the big hill by St. Olaf, going to the "Books & Stars" summer concerts, and much more. We regularly go to the many playgrounds, the library, and for walks downtown by the river. Located about 30 miles south of the Twin Cities, we frequently drive there as well to take advantage of all the family friendly activities a large city has to offer. We enjoy the slower pace of living in a smaller city and think Northfield is a wonderful place with so much to offer!

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