Michael and Brittany
Location: Iowa
Ages: 28 and 27
Religion: Christian
Professions: Vice President of Digital Operations/Fashion Buyer and Stay-at-home-mom
Other Kids: 1 son
Preferences: Any Race, Either Gender, Newborn up to 3 months
How We Met: We met through a mutual friend in college. Michael was going to college in Minnesota and Brittany in Iowa. Michael made friends with a girl in one of his classes who happened to be one of my closest friends! Michael saw a picture of me on her social media post and asked her about me. The first time I talked to Michael, I knew he was special. He was different from anyone I had ever met. We talked for a month before finally meeting in person. I can say without a doubt that we already loved each other and knew that we would be together by that first date, and we have continued to choose one another and grow in our love each day. Michael proposed in June of 2017 on the same hiking trail where we spent our first date. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect and special setting to say “yes” to the man of my dreams!
Qualities We Love, Admire and Respect in Each Other: Michael in Brittany’s words: “Michael leads our family with a tremendous amount of love and dedication. He brings a calm to our home with his gentle spirit. He is our family’s rock and has such a strong faith. Michael is wise and intentional while also having an incredible sense of humor. His lighthearted humor makes our ordinary rhythms fun and memorable.”
Brittany in Michael’s words: “Brittany is a natural born caretaker and protector. From the time we wake up, her positivity and energy rarely fade. She is relentless in speaking positivity into Liam, our 2.5-year-old son. Brittany has a strong faith that serves as a compass for navigating everything that comes her way. We have experienced heartache and loss during our marriage; however, during that time, I have seen Brittany respond with humbleness and hope.
Our Hobbies and Interests: Whether it is in our day-to-day life or holidays and family traditions, we are intentional about making memories together. We love nature and enjoy going on walks, playing outside, or spending time with family on Brittany’s parent’s farm. We love having meals together and carving out time for a family movie night or fun excursion! Michael loves to hunt, fish and woodworking and Brittany enjoys planning fun activities/preschool lessons for Liam, cooking, and decorating. Brittany also enjoys traveling to NY a few times a year for her job. We try to make adventure and travel a part of our “normal”. We often visit Minnesota and stay at our family-owned cabin on the lake. We also like to visit family in Arizona and Michigan. We have a strong love for the country of Haiti as Michael’s parents are full-time missionaries there. We used to visit often before having kids, but plan to go back once our kids are older. We are very active in our church and spend a lot of time with our church small group. We enjoy getting together with them and their families for fun and fellowship often!
Why We Want to Adopt: Even before we were married, we shared with each other a strong desire to adopt someday. We dreamed of having a big family with children close in age, whether through adoption or biologically. We had an idea in our heads of how it would all unfold, but life often develops differently than we expect it to. As our son approached a year old, we decided to start trying for a second child. We struggled with infertility for a year and a half and the three times we were able to get pregnant, our babies went to Heaven. As we grieved each loss and began to heal, we felt the Lord calling us back to adoption. In peace and confidence, we stepped forward, and we cannot wait to see what our family will become.