Family Picture taken June 5th, 2011

Welcome to our adoption profile page! This is where you'll find information about us and our hopes for adopting another infant! We started our adoption journey by using an agency here in NC, and then ended up being matched with Gus's birth mother through acquaintances and family connections. We're hoping to have the same thing again with a second child, and not go through an agency. We have a home study that's valid until 2012.

Our hope is that someone will share our site with an expectant mother/father who is looking to place their child with a loving family, they'll see our page and fall in love with us. We'd love to let go and let God and let things happen as He would have them happen for us. However, we can't just sit back and do nothing, so if you are reading this, share it with everyone you know and maybe, just maybe, there will be a connection out there for us!

We love being parents and have found that we didn't know how much we were missing until Gus entered our lives. We want him to grow up with the joys of having a sibling. We can't wait to see him as a big brother and watch him learn, grow, and play with a sibling. Another baby would be such a blessing and we would love the opportunity to connect with someone who is looking for a family like ours.

We want an open adoption so that both of our children know their birth parents as well as extended birth families.

We had been trying to conceive for about four years before we started the process of adopting Gus. It was a sad road, full of tears, heartbreak, and doubt. We wanted a family so badly, and just never thought it would happen for us. Becoming Gus's parents has been the greatest joy that we've experienced in our lives. Each day brings something new and we never forget how lucky we are to be his parents.

We know that we want to build our family through adoption, and feel that God is leading us on the journey of building a family. We know it's in His time, not ours, but we're always looking for signs. While we're always looking, we are still enjoying Gus being our only child for now. He wants for nothing, and has a mom that stays at home with him and showers him with constant love, adoration, and praise. He's not camera-shy and Cathy has taken a picture for everyday of his life. She plans to do the same with our second child.

Both Gus and his sibling will know about their adoption from birth on, with the hopes that there will never be any question of a doubt about where they come from. We have a beautiful relationship with Gus's birth mother, and her family, as well as his birth father and his family. Gus has met his birth aunts and uncles on both sides, as well as both birth grandparents, and even his birth Great Grandma! We embrace open adoption completely and want our children to grow up knowing that there are so many people in their family that love them. We feel so honored to raise Gus and keep him connected to his biological family. We would love the opportunity to do the same for his sibling. We've said all along, "The more people in a child's life that love them, the better!"

Please click the above box to read the letter that we have written to any expectant mothers/fathers reading this!!

Who are we? First and foremost, we're parents to an amazing little boy named Gus!
ZODIAC Sign: Aquarius	ZODIAC Sign: Libra
Travels: England, South Africa, Germany, France, China, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Bahamas, Netherlands, and Japan	Travels: Italy, England, France, Canada, Mexico, Antigua, Bahamas and 46/50 US States
Favorite Foods: Anything Cathy makes :)   mac-n-cheese, Filet,  Chicken Marsala, salad with bleu cheese dressing, cheap Chinese buffets, French Onion soup	Favorite Foods: Outback steakhouse's filet, loaded baked potato, French green beans and house salad with ranch, extra cheese, extra cucumbers, and extra tomatoes -  mozzarella cheese sticks with ranch dressing, and French Onion soup
Favorite Sports: (To watch on tv) Bengals Football, UD basketball and just about every sport live	Favorite Sports: (To watch on tv) World Cup Soccer, college football, and cheerleading competitions. To watch live: anything but basketball and to play: soccer, football, softball, and Wii sports  :)
Religion: Catholic	Religion: Catholic
Favorite TV Shows: Dirty Jobs, Deadliest Catch, Coal, No Reservations, How It's Made, Modern Marvels, Cities of the Underworld, Modern Family, Raising Hope, Sister Wives, and Glee	Favorite TV Shows: Gray's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Deadliest Catch, Glee, Real Housewives, Survivor, 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Raising Hope, Modern Family, 90201 (old and new), and Sister Wives
Favorite Movies: Star Wars Trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, Shawshank Redemption, Clerks, Clerks II, Chasing Amy, and Mallrats, documentaries, anything that's a comedy and NOT a chick-flick  :)	Favorite Movies: Love Actually, Titanic, Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, Talladega Nights, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and  pretty much anything that's a comedy or chick-flick
Favorite Bands/Music: Metallica, AC/DC, Def Lepard, Kenny Chesney, Bon Jovi, Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band, Taylor Swift, Journey, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, and John Mellencamp	Favorite Bands/Music: Pearl Jam, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, NKOTBSB, Ben Folds Five, The Script, The Killers, Cake, Usher, Journey, ABBA, Barenaked Ladies, John Mayer, and Kelly Clarkston
Interesting Fact: Steve attended the real Space Camp twice as a boy growing up and STILL has BOTH his blue flight suits!!	Interesting Fact: Cathy can wiggle her ears, speak fluent Pig Latin, and snorts when she laughs at something REALLY funny
Steve is a sustainability manager for Burt's Bees and is very passionate about his job! The job that Steve does the best is being a wonderful father. He's always there for Gus and changes as many diapers as Cathy and doesn't mind any parenting duty. His favorite part of the day is coming home to Cathy and Gus and when Gus meets him at the door. :)	Cathy is a former elementary teacher and now is enjoying her time staying home with our son Gus. She absolutely loves being a mom and is very active in two different mommy groups. She's also an moderator for an adoption group for moms and she loves meeting others with a connection to adoption.
Family is very important to us! Both of us had VERY strong/close relationships with our grandparents when growing up and feel that grandparents are extremely special people in a person's life. Our children will know and love all of their grandparents and will make them a priority!
Steve with his Great-Grandma when he was a baby	Cathy with her Grandma when she was a baby
Neither of us has any sisters. We were both raised with brothers.
Steve has an older brother who lives in OH with his wife and two children. Steve as a baby being fed by his brother Monty Steve with his mom, dad and brother Monty	Cathy has a twin brother named Scott and he lives in MI with his fiancé and three children. She also has an older brother named Dave who lives in AZ with his wife and three children. Scott's Family Dave's Family Cathy (bottom left), Scott (bottom right) and Dave (top)
We are both Catholics and will raise our children in the Catholic faith. When they're old enough, we will support whatever beliefs they have, but while growing up, we feel it's vital to give them a solid foundation. Our children will attend weekly Mass (Saturday evenings) and then will also attend religious formation classes to aid in their understanding of the Catholic religion. Their God parents will be essential in helping to be their spiritual guides as they grow up. Us with Gus's God Parents (Cathy's cousin Jessica and Cathy's twin brother Scott) May 22nd, 2010
Education is essential for a successful future. We both have Master's degrees and feel that we never stop learning! Our children will be raised to give their full attention to their academics, always give 100% effort, and will know that furthering your education is a priority. We're never too old to stop learning!!
Steve has his BS in Environmental Engineering from The University of Dayton. He also has has MS from the University of Findlay. Steve's UD Graduation Steve's Grad School Graduation (Steve is the tallest)	Cathy has her BS in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. She also has her MAEd in Curriculum & Instruction, and another MAEd in Administration and Supervision. Cathy's EMU Graduation (she's the second from right) Cathy's Grad School Graduation
We both love to laugh and goof around!
We were both involved in Greek life in college. Steve was in Epsilon Delta Tau (EDT) which is a local engineering fraternity at The University of Dayton, and Cathy was in Phi Sigma Pi Coed Honors Fraternity and Alpha Gamma Delta (AGD) women's sorority.
Fishing trip with EDT (above) & UD football with EDT (below)	Cathy is still involved with AGD! She volunteers as a member of the Volunteer Service Team (VST) and is the Alumnae Development Specialist for MI and OH! & Cathy with some of her PSP brothers Cathy with her AGD sorority sisters
Steve is very passionate about his job and loves what he does. He was awarded the Burt Schavitz Sustainability Award from Burt's Bees and the award means a lot to Steve. Steve's previous job took him all over the globe. He traveled to China, Germany, the U.K., France, Mexico, and even South Africa! Steve in South Africa on a safari Steve at the Indian Ocean. Steve's current job keeps him local with very minimal travel At home at Burt's Bees	Cathy loved being a teacher and enjoyed spending every day with her students. She taught third grade for four years, then fifth grade for three years, and then fourth grade for three years. Her favorite grade was fourth and she hopes to return to the classroom sometime in the future. She was named her school's Teacher of the Year and was a semi-finalist for the Wake County Teacher of the Year in 2010 Wearing the crown that the fourth graders in her school made and decorated for her when it was announced to the school that she was the Teacher of the Year!   Cathy teaching social studies (2009) Field trip to Old Salem (2008)
We were both raised by parents who set great examples of what marriage is all about. Our parents are the most influential people in our lives and we are very close with them. We were both raised in loving homes and feel very lucky to have such amazing parents!
Steve's Parents Steve's mom passed away in January of 2006. She is missed greatly by Steve. At Steve's "starter" wedding Steve's dad got remarried to Sue Ann. She's amazing!! Steve's dad & Sue Ann's Wedding (December 2007)	Cathy's Parents Visiting us here in NC At Cathy's "starter" wedding Together at the Antler's restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie, MI With Steve on Mackinac Island (MI)
Our Nieces and Nephews E & Gus                            A & Gus                                    B                                  A                                    L                                 C    (Born May 13, 2011)
Click on this button to see our fur-kids!!
Our Son Gus
We started our adoption journey with Christian Adoption Services (CAS) here in NC in December 2009. We had our home study completed by March 2010 and then on April 3, 2010 we became a waiting family and our profile was submitted to their website for viewing. Cathy shared the link with friends and family on Facebook and via email, and we were anxious and excited about what the future had in store for us. Cathy's cousin Jessica was talking with a coworker (Sharon) about family stuff and the coworker shared that her niece had just found out that she was pregnant and wasn't sure what she was going to do. Jessica gave Sharon the link to our agency and our profile, just to see what was out there. Her niece loved what she saw and decided she wanted us to parent her baby. Jessica, Gus, and Sharon  :) On May 3rd (while in MI for our spring vacation), Jessica messaged Cathy to call her and when she did, Jessica shared the news that her Sharon's niece wanted us to parent her baby. We were so excited! We were told that the baby was due May 28th (SO SOON!) and they weren't sure of the gender. We finished our vacation in MI and Indiana on Saturday, May 8, 2010 and spent Mother's Day (Sunday, May 9th) putting together the crib that Cathy's parents had bought for us (the final touch to the nursery). We unpacked most of our stuff and prepared for the upcoming week. On Monday, May 10th, we met up for a special Bulls baseball game at their original field. While sitting in the parking lot, Cathy's cell rang (around 5:45pm) and it was Sharon... she called to tell us that her niece was in labor!!! We freaked out!! We immediately called our parents and told them the news, and headed home to pack up the car! By 7:30pm we were on the road back to MI! Our amazing neighbor Wendy took care of the dogs and cats, so we didn't have to worry about it. Steve drove from 7:30-11:00 and then Cathy drove from 11pm-5am. We were sending texts back and forth with Sharon all night and then started texting the birth mom's mom (Sharon's sister). She sent Cathy a text at 3:40am that said, "Won't be long now. Drive safe." Then the next text was this: "It's a Boy!!" at 3:51am Gus was born at 3:46am on Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 Cathy woke Steve up and we both cried at the first image of our baby. We were so scared and emotional. We weren't certain that this baby would be ours, as his birth mom could change her mind at any time. We wanted what was best for everyone, and our hearts were on the line. We had to let go of our fears and pray that God would make the right things happen. We arrived at the hospital around 8:00am on Tuesday and we were full of nerves. Sharon called Cathy around 7am to tell her that the hospital had a room for us, so we could have some privacy, and that there was a bracelet waiting at the nurses' station for us. We were so touched that the birth mom and her mom went out of their way to make sure that we were comfortable. When we got to their room, we were so scared and eager, and anxious, and thrilled, and ecstatic! We said our hellos and made our brief introductions and then Cathy was given a teeny-tiny baby to hold. She cried and cried and then gave the baby to Steve to hold, and then we cried together. It was the beginning of our family and the moment was so amazing. We don't have pictures of that moment as it was too special to deal with a camera. We do have pictures from the second time though, and a ton of videos on our family You Tube page.
Cathy holding Gus for the second time	Steve holding Gus for the second time
Our first family picture
Gus: five days old	:)
June 11th, 2010	July 11th, 2010
August 11th, 2010	September 11th, 2010
October 11th, 2010	November 11th, 2010
December 11th, 2010	January 11th, 2011
February 11th, 2011	March 11th, 2011
April 11th, 2011	One Year! May 11th, 2011
June 11th, 2011	July 11th, 2011
You can see more pictures of Gus (and our family) by clicking on the Photos link at the bottom of the page (or on the word Photos) and then you'll see years, months, and within each month, there are pictures from that month.
Open Adoption We don't feel that it's fair to our child(ren) to raise them without knowing their birth story. We believe that open adoption allows full disclosure and ample opportunities for communication- which is the key to all successful relationships. We view Gus's birth family as an extension of our own family and make it very apparent that they matter to us. Gus shares their DNA and has a biological connection to them that cannot and will not be severed by us. He deserves to know them as much as they deserve to know him, and we completely enjoy the time we all spend together.   Gus with his birth Great Aunt and Uncle, and cousins Gus's birth family gets pictures via text messages at least every other day. Gus has a Facebook account where we post pictures and videos for his birth family to enjoy and share with their friends and extended family. When we travel to MI and IN to see our family, Gus's birth family is included in our plans and we always make time to see them while there.
Gus and his birth mom	Gus and his birth father
Gus and his maternal birth grandparents	Gus and his paternal grand parents and aunts
Gus and his birth mom and grandma	Gus and his paternal birth aunts
Gus with his birth mom, grandma and great-grandma!!
Gus's Adoption Day was celebrated April 15, 2011 and his birth mom and grandma came to court with us! Cathy's parents were also there to celebrate the very important day with us and made it a day to remember!
Our Home We live in North Carolina and are fortunate enough to have sunny, blue skied days 345 days a year. When we do have cold temperatures and snow, it only lasts a few days and it's back to being mild. The summer IS very hot, but our community pool helps us stay cool!
View from our neighbor's house (We love the fact that our backyard has a protected watershed and we don't have anyone directly behind us!)	Taken in February 2011
Decorated for Halloween
Winter View	Decorated for Christmas
Porch at Christmas	Garage at Christmas
Pictures of Us (All taken before Gus) We feel that the best gift that we can give our children is a loving relationship between their parents. We truly are each other's very best friend. We are as in love today as we were back when we first met. Our love has only gotten stronger through the journey of parenthood. "The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother" - Anonymous We have been connected since our first date (back in 2004) and are still head-over-heels in love with each other. We'll be celebrating our five year wedding anniversary on July 8, 2011!
Taken at a friend's Christmas party (2004)
We love to travel! This is us in the Cascades Mountains in Washington state (2005)
Whale Watching in Washington	We love Mackinac Island, MI
Vancouver Aquarium, British Columbia, Canada	Washington D.C.
We love sporting events!! UD football	Detroit Tigers
Tigers Game	Detroit Lions Game
Durham Bulls Baseball (We had season tickets)	We love cider mills
We love to go out with friends	We're big fans of concerts too!
At a friend's wedding	Steve's Fraternity's Reunion
We love to dress up for Halloween!	Convict and a Cheese Head
We like to attend local events (Hollerin' Contest)	We enjoy singing karaoke and listening to others sing as well!
We got married in the Bahamas and we were barefoot in the sand. It was perfect!
We are the God parents of our niece Lily

Hopefully this has given you a better idea of who we are!

Our Promise to you:

We promise to always give our unconditional love and support to our children. We will shower them with kisses and hugs on a daily basis, and they will never question if they are loved. We promise to share their birth story with them and to talk about how very much their birth parents loved them. It's because of the deepest form of love that their birth parents choose to place them into our family. We vow to raise them to be individuals and embrace their uniqueness. We promise to raise them to be good, moral people, who do what's right and look out for others. They will learn compassion by seeing it first-hand, and will show their compassion by helping and giving to others. Lastly, they will know that they have birth families full of people who love them and think about them daily. A day will not pass that our children will not know how very much they are loved by us, and by all of their extended family. We promise to welcome you into our family and to make sure that YOU know how very special and important you are to us!

Please look around at other pages on the website and contact us if you're interested in talking to us more!!! Click the home button and then you can explore pictures from each year and month!

:)

Steve, Cathy, & Gus