The sun was shaded by clouds and the distant thunder turned to raindrops on our head in a matter of minutes. We had been warned about how quickly a storm could roll in over the mountains of West Virginia, and now we were in the middle of a hike up a mountain with only one small pocket umbrella between both of us. As the precipitation turned to a steady downpour we stopped to huddle ineffectively under the umbrella to see if the rain would let up, but it was evident this would not be the case. As other hikers raced past us down the trail, we forged ahead with the mindset that it would be another great adventure for the memory book.
And we definitely talk about that hike! We remember the steady stream flowing down the path caused by the flash flood, the squishy steps from our soaked shoes and socks, and wringing the water from our shirts at the end. But we also fondly remember the joy of making it to the observation deck that we had all to ourselves because everyone else had abandoned their hike. The views of being above the fog and in the clouds are not what we had expected, but they were memorable and stunning in their own way. That day we were reminded that sometimes even the best laid plans can be foiled by a sudden storm and you just have to make the best of it.
We were introduced by Matt’s friend who had matched with Kim on the dating app Bumble. After a few messages back and forth, instead of going on a date or parting ways, Matt’s friend shared Matt’s number with Kim and told her he thought they would be a good fit for each other. He was right!
We initially connected over our love of musical theater and shared core values. On our first dates we walked and talked as Kim’s dog, Ori, showed Matt her favorite way through nearby parks. Then, while Ori slept by our feet, we would play card games at a picnic table. Ori soon became accustomed to extra butt scratches and treats from Matt while Kim fell in love with his sense of humor, ability to go-with-the-flow, and accepting personality. Matt was drawn to Kim’s matter-of-fact and caring personality and how much she loved Ori.
In 2024, after dating for three years, Matt proposed to Kim on the Eiffel Tower during a family trip to Paris and we got married in Grand Rapids in February 2025. Our daily life still consists of walks with our dog, Kim laughing at Matt’s terrible “dad jokes”, and Matt laughing at Kim when she randomly breaks out in song but never knows the right lyrics.
We enjoy playing card and board games together, as well as hosting escape rooms and murder mystery parties. We spend lots of time with our dog Tonks, going on walks and playing fetch in the backyard. When Tonks is tired out, we wind down by watching a TV show together, frequently something with chef Gordon Ramsey.
When we are relaxing on our own, Kim enjoys doing puzzles and watching Hallmark movies while Matt re-energizes by building Lego sets, playing video games, or reading. We both enjoy our own audiobooks and podcasts. We also have season tickets to Broadway at Devos Performance Hall and the Civic Theater in Grand Rapids.
Gender: Any Gender, including an Ambiguous or Transitioning Gender Child
Ethnicities: Any Race and Ethnicity
Age: Newborn to 3 Years Old
Total of: 1 to 2 Children or 2 Siblings
We Live In: Grand Rapids Area
Our Faith: Open to All Religions
Pets: Dog(s)
Kids Already: No Children Now
Child Care Plan: Family Member Child Care Licensed Child Care Home
Spending time with family is very important to both of us, and everyone gets along really well. Our parents even plan social events together without us! We prioritize being together for birthdays, holidays, and vacations.
Kim’s family spends time together skiing and cheering on her nephews at their hockey games in the winter. In the summer, we make memories in Northern Michigan by Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and at her parent’s trailer at Sandy Pines in Allegan County. Matt’s family enjoys a summer kayak trip and playing games, everything from Euchre to Charades. His mom likes to invite everyone over for Sunday dinners, hanging out, and catching up about once a month.
We both enjoy laughing with longstanding friends from high school. Matt and his friends are always making terrible puns when they get together for scary movie nights. We gather with Matt’s friends for monthly game nights with dinner and Uno. Kim video calls with her long-distance friends, and together we solve escape room boxes and play with their young daughters.
We live in West Michigan in a suburban community. Matt chose the plot of land and had the house built in 2020 before he met Kim. We know that this is our forever home. Our house has a large fenced in backyard surrounded by trees and our front yard has a long-curved driveway.
Inside, the house is adorned with Harry Potter and dog decor on all three floors. We have a spacious great room with a display wall of Legos, a basement theater for movies and video games, and lots of play space and storage for games and toys.
We are within walking distance of the public-school campus, with sidewalks connecting the nearby neighborhoods and playgrounds. Other walking trails, a dog park, and Lake Michigan beaches are a short drive away.
We feel that public education is an important part of development, not only for academics, but also for becoming a well-rounded individual. We plan to send our child to a public school to help them build social skills, problem solving skills, and communication skills.
School is a place to form friendships, make mistakes, and grow independence. If the general education curriculum does not meet our child’s needs, we are prepared to advocate for accommodations or alternative options to help our child be successful in their own way.
We plan to be actively involved in our child’s education, including homework help, field trips, and whatever else comes up. We will help them pursue their interests in school and through extracurricular activities. We plan to foster an encouraging home environment where our child can be proud of their progress at school, whether that be doing well academically or making a new friend.
The health and safety of our child will always be our first priority. We believe that providing consistent routine and structure is an important factor in establishing expectations for the household.
We plan to model and discuss safe and appropriate calming strategies so that our child is familiar and comfortable with the techniques to use during times of distress. Neither of us were raised with physical punishment and we do not believe this to be an effective discipline tactic. Instead, we believe in providing positive reinforcement and helping our child learn from their mistakes.
Matt was raised attending a Catholic church. Kim’s family did not attend church; however, she did attend various church functions with her friends’ families while growing up. We do not currently practice religion, but we are accepting of the religious beliefs of our friends and family. We will support our future child’s growth and exploration of religion if that interests them.
I am a pediatric occupational therapist at a public school district. I have always been fond of working with kids and I love what I do! I work with preschool through high school aged students to help them participate and be independent at school.
Some of the specific skills I help students with include handwriting, paying attention, managing big feelings, and manipulating lunch containers and clothing fasteners. I advocate for inclusion and adaptations throughout the school to help students thrive. Every day is different and I am always laughing!
I plan to take 12 weeks of maternity leave when we welcome a child to our home to bond with the child and help build new routines for our family. I currently work full time, and I hope to return to work part time after becoming a parent.
When Matt and I are both at work, we plan to use a combination of a nanny or daycare as well as extended family to care for our child. This will allow continued bonding at home but also provide our child with opportunities to build relationships with other trusted adults. Since I work for a school, I will be home with our child during the summer and any school breaks or holidays.
I am a retail pharmacist and have been working in pharmacy for over 15 years (over 10 years as a pharmacist). I enjoy getting to know my patients and helping them improve their health with medications as well as sharing my expertise. I am responsible for the accurate dispensing of prescription medications, counseling patients about any side-effects or drug interactions, and helping people find the right over-the-counter option for their symptoms.
I get 4 weeks of paid family leave from my job that I can take in one week increments during the first year after adoption. I can take up to a total of 12 weeks if needed. My boss is willing to work with me to make schedule adjustments as needed to accommodate child care, and my parents are also willing to help. They already enjoy babysitting my niece one day a week and have expressed interest in helping with future grandchildren.
My family consists of my parents and my brother’s family including him, his wife, and their two boys. Everyone lives in West Michigan, within an hour of Matt and I. My family is German, Latvian, and Lithuanian.
We are very close and we value spending quality time together. We spend a day together to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with all eight of us. At Thanksgiving we put up my parent’s Christmas tree, make copious amounts of cookies, and go sledding when there’s snow. At Christmas we make gingerbread houses and play new games. At Easter, we decorate and search for eggs.
My family is mostly German and Dutch. My parents, brother, sister-in-law, and niece all live in close proximity.
Growing up, our family would have big gatherings at my grandparents’ cottage to celebrate birthdays about once a month. There were usually about 30 people there and we would spend time by the lake swimming or tubing behind the boat. And there was always more food than we could ever eat! During colder months we would get together at someone’s house to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas before my grandparents went south for the winter.
Thank you so much for taking the time to look through our profile. It is such a brave and courageous choice to consider making an adoption plan. We can’t imagine the difficult emotions you are going through and the hard decisions you are having to make.
We are ready to include you as a part of an open adoption to whatever extent feels right to you and your family. Please know that whatever choice you make is the right one. We want what is best for you and your child, whether or not your plan includes us.
We want our adoption experience to be one of mutual respect and caring with you and anyone else you decide to involve. We hope that we will have a continued relationship with you, including meet-ups and sharing of photos on a regular basis. Ultimately, we want our child to grow up feeling loved and cared for and for you to be a part of that journey.
We want our adoption experience to be one of mutual respect and caring with you and anyone else you decide to involve. We hope that we will have a continued relationship with you, including meet-ups and sharing of photos on a regular basis. Ultimately, we want our child to grow up feeling loved and cared for and for you to be a part of that journey.
Just one more thing...We want our adoption experience to be one of mutual respect and caring with you and anyone else you decide to involve. We hope that we will have a continued relationship with you, including meet-ups and sharing of photos on a regular basis. Ultimately, we want our child to grow up feeling loved and cared for and for you to be a part of that journey.
