After putting offers in on many houses and losing out on them, we decided to write a letter to a home that was not for sale. Sarah had a dream about this house many years ago while they were struggling with infertility, in the dream she was standing in front of the house holding a baby.
We stepped out in faith and wrote them a letter asking if we could purchase their house and they said “yes!”. We moved in and 6 months later we found out we were pregnant after 9 years of infertility.
Sarah was dating Nicos best friend in high school and kept saying “Hey we should hang out with your friend Nico, he’s funny”. Nico and Sarah reunited after high school and turns out the feeling was mutual. We got married in 2009 during the recession and had soon found out we would struggle to have children. After several fertility treatments we considered that door “closed”, and then a couple months later we were pleasantly surprised to find out we were pregnant with our miracle baby.
We love to laugh and have fun while equally engaging in good deep conversations that honor one another, yet challenge each other in areas we may need to grow in. We both work well as a team in and outside of our family life and help balance each other out.
We love staying active and enjoying every season together! Sarah stays active running, going to the gym and playing on year-around soccer league, while Nico enjoys spending time outdoors hunting. Nico also stays busy by exploring his creative skills by building things in the garage, especially for Piper who absolutely loves being right there by his side helping out.
Most of all, we cherish our time as a family with Piper and our German Shepherd, Arrow. Whether we’re hiking local trails, riding bikes in town for ice cream, or playing board games on a cozy evening, we really love being together. In the warmer months, you’ll find us camping near Lake Michigan-slowing down to enjoy nature. Piper is full of creative energy, loving art, bike riding, camping and soccer. We can’t wait to share all these simple moments with a new little one.
Sex: A Boy or A Girl
Ethnicities: Any Race and Ethnicity
Age: Newborn to 3 Years Old
Total of: 1 to 2 Children or 2 Siblings
Child Care: Stay-at-Home Parent
We Live In: Grand Rapids Area
Our Belief: Christian
Our Pets: Dog(s)
Our Children: One Child Now
We have been blessed to be surrounded by an amazing network of family and friends who always show up. Sarah comes from a big, lively family with seven kids. Despite some geographical distance we stay constantly connected. Visits to Sarah’s parents at their country home nearby are some of our favorite times-filled food in the kitchen, quad rides in the woods and lots of laughter. It’s a place where anyone and everyone is invited.
Nico’s family, also full of aunts, uncles and cousins, lives nearby. We gather frequently for holidays, game nights and home cooked meals-where the kids are always playing and laughing together.
Our community of friends is just as close as family. They are our sounding board, our prayer team and our biggest supporters. Children growing up in our home will never lack for loving grandparents, amazing cousins and a community that stands right beside us
We live in a cute small home where we like to decorate intentionally and minimally to create a calming environment. We love having a smaller home as it causes us to be very intentional with our space and our time with each other. Nico is very handy and made a lot of beautiful changes to our home over the last 6 years to make it really feel like “us”. We have plans to finish our basement hopefully in the very near future to create a playroom and extra living space.
We have a cute private fenced in yard with lots of room to run and play. Our neighborhood is very quiet, and all the neighbors love to help each other out and support each other. We live within walking distance to a park and bike trail where we spend a lot of our time, especially in the warmer months. We love to ride our bikes into the nearby small town and get ice cream and walk along the river.
We know that every child learns in their own unique way, and our goal is to tailor their education to fit their specific needs and strengths. We currently homeschool, incorporating hands-on nature school and local co-op classes. This allows us to encourage curiosity, learn at a healthy pace, and weave hands-on outdoor exploration into daily live.
At the same time, we know that what works best for one child may be different for another. We are always open to private or traditional schooling if that becomes the best environment for a child as they grow. Above all, we want to give each child a strong academic foundation, a love for learning and the individualized attention they need to thrive.
Our goal as parents is to teach and guide with love, rather than simply punish. We want our children to listen and make good choices out of trust and safety, not fear. We believe that behind most difficult behaviors is an underlying need or emotion, so our priority is always to slow down, listen, and ensure our child feels heard and understood.
We maintain clear, firm boundaries while keeping connection at the heart of discipline. Instead of traditional timeouts, we like to take a quick “reset” together when emotions run high, stepping away from a situation so we can calm down and talk through what happened. Above all, we aim to build a strong foundation of trust where a child feels secure, valued, and unconditionally loved.
God is the center of our lives. We go to a large non-denominational church where we are very involved leading small groups, mentoring and teaching. Sarah is the author of two bible studies and hopes to write more in the future. Currently we both lead a young adult ministry at church together.
Sarah also teaches classes and works with the women’s ministry. Piper loves going to Sunday school, and we love hearing her come home and tell us bible stories in her own silly version. Everything we do, we aim to keep God at the center and honor God in all we do.
I work as a construction project manager and owners Rep for a large company. My job entails monitoring scope, schedule and budget for the construction of new retail stores. There are many things I enjoy, including being able to problem solve in the field. Along with working with a great team in the office. A huge benefit to my company is that it is a very positive work environment that allows for flexible scheduling, time off when needed and also paternity leave.
A fun part of my job is getting to travel out of state once a week for site visits, which has been an amazing opportunity to see new places. This has also created opportunities for my family to join me on these trips now and then so we can all enjoy these new experiences together. The time away from home helps me be more deliberate about making the most of the time I have with my family when I’m back. On non-travel days, I work either from the office or from home during the workday.
I’m grateful to work in a role that is very supportive of our plans to adopt and deeply values family life. My workplace offers paternity leave, which will allow me to be fully present during the arrival of baby and play a key role in the transition to our new family life.
When the baby arrives, I will continue to work as usual but with the flexibility to balance my professional responsibilities with being at home. This supportive work environment will help me manage both my job and my family commitments effectively, ensuring that I can be there for my family during this transition.
My passion has recently shifted from running a photography business full-time to embracing my role as a mom and a wife as my primary focus. While I still enjoy photography on occasion, my main priority now is being present at home and nurturing my family.
In addition to my family role, I work as a Christian counselor, primarily serving youth. I find great fulfillment in helping individuals discover their true identity and worth, especially those who have faced significant trauma.
My work and daily life are centered around sharing the truth of the Gospel and the love of Jesus. I view my family as my greatest ministry, and I am committed to balancing my professional and personal life in a way that reflects this belief.
At this time, I plan to work one evening a week as a counselor, while spending my days and most evenings at home with our child(ren). Occasionally, I may need “workdays” for church-related activities or the occasional photo shoot, during which one of the grandparents will take care of the children.
My family and I came over from the Netherlands when I was 2 years old. Most of my extended family is here and close by as well. We all love to cook unique Dutch foods when we are together for family gatherings. Though we all speak English, my family often loves to honor our ethnic background by conversing in the Dutch language when we are with each other. The grandparents especially love to share Dutch children’s songs with the kids.
I am the youngest of 3 kids and grew up in a traditional household, where mom stays home and dad goes to work. With all my family coming from overseas, we took comfort in being with each other and honoring our heritage.
As for family traditions, we love to get together for all holidays where we cook food and play games. We also love to camp together.
My ethnic background comes from Northwestern Europe from what I am aware of. After being in foster home for a couple years, I was able to be adopted by my aunt and uncle when I was 10 years old. Being adopted, I was able to experience many aspects of family traditions. One of my favorites is when I joined my new adoptive family we would get together for Christmas, open up gifts, eat a lot of food and hug each other a lot-we’re really into hugs around here.
My Grandpa would read a story to children and also sing old Christmas hymns along with my Aunt and Uncle. Grandparents have always been a very special part of my life and I wish for the same for my own children.
We want to begin by honoring you and the profound love, courage, and care behind the choice you are making. We recognize that adoption comes with real loss and grief, even alongside hope, and we hold that truth with deep care and respect.
Adoption is deeply personal to our family-Sarah was adopted as a child, and while it brought incredible blessing to her life, we know it also carries weight and sadness. Because of Sarah’s journey, we deeply value knowing where a child comes from and honoring their whole story. We are humbled by the opportunity to offer a warm, loving home to another child.
Though we don’t know you yet, our hearts are filled with gratitude for you. Through adoption, we vow to honor you, speak of you with love and respect, and ensure your child always knows the selfless love that started their story.
We want you to know that we would love to build a genuine, lasting connection with you as your child grows. Sharing updates, pictures, and life milestones with you isn’t just something we’re open to—it’s something we look forward to!
Our goal is simply to nurture a healthy, loving relationship that keeps you connected to your child in a way that feels comfortable and encouraging for everyone involved. We will always answer your child’s questions with honesty and joy, speak about you with complete respect, and make sure they know just how deeply they are loved by you.
We want you to know that we would love to build a genuine, lasting connection with you as your child grows. Sharing updates, pictures, and life milestones with you isn’t just something we’re open to—it’s something we look forward to!
Our goal is simply to nurture a healthy, loving relationship that keeps you connected to your child in a way that feels comfortable and encouraging for everyone involved. We will always answer your child’s questions with honesty and joy, speak about you with complete respect, and make sure they know just how deeply they are loved by you.
Just one more thing...We want you to know that we would love to build a genuine, lasting connection with you as your child grows. Sharing updates, pictures, and life milestones with you isn’t just something we’re open to—it’s something we look forward to!
Our goal is simply to nurture a healthy, loving relationship that keeps you connected to your child in a way that feels comfortable and encouraging for everyone involved. We will always answer your child’s questions with honesty and joy, speak about you with complete respect, and make sure they know just how deeply they are loved by you.
