In our leisure time, we both love getting out to enjoy nature. Dennis has been an avid birder since his childhood and Rachel often enjoys tagging along to some remote nature preserve in search of a rare bird viewing and a nature walk. We both especially love the Adirondack and Catskill mountains in New York, where we have enjoyed hiking and camping, and canoeing on mountain lakes. We also frequent many beautiful parks and trails closer to home, hiking or biking together. Another favorite place to relax and seek out rare birds is the Jersey shore.

Besides babysitting in her free time, Rachel loves to bake and cook, making delicious dishes and experimenting with new and multicultural foods. She also uses her artistic talents to create drawings, paintings, and crafts often for a specific friend or child. She will love sharing these talents with a child, watching them develop their own masterpieces.

Dennis enjoys all things outdoors and adventurous; from bow hunting and hiking mountains to playing soccer or birdwatching. He also runs a small sawmill after work as a hobby, cutting lumber to sell to homeowners. This requires some strength as well as toughness. Dennis looks forward to being able to share his hobbies with a child, helping them to discover and develop their own interests, as well as inner strength and resilience.

On weekend evenings, we love sharing a meal with friends or family, rounding out the gathering with a fun and competitive board or card game.

Rachel is very kind, caring, and gentle, traits exemplified by her career in nursing and her passion for working with young children as a daycare teacher. Patience is another virtue of hers, which, along with a good sense of humor, is necessary with me around. Rachel babysits around the neighborhood and is very much loved by all the children and their parents. She is very creative when planning activities with children and is not afraid of a messy project. She has such strong motherly instincts and so much love to share, that I can't wait to see her nurturing her own child.

Dennis is very strong, hardworking, caring and committed, always striving to do his best. He is not a big talker but loves hanging out with different people. He can listen well, especially when I have had a stressful day. Dennis loves to read and gain knowledge on a wide range of topics. He has a tender heart and is very gentle and caring towards young animals and children, who are always relaxed in Dennis's presence, because he gives them time and space to warm up to him and is present without being overbearing. He has a great sense of humor and loves to joke and tease. He loves adventure. Dennis shows me deep love and affection and I know he will show our child this same love, care, and dedication. He will be the kind of dad who attends his child's activities and is their biggest fan.

Both of us have experienced cultural and racial diversity in our extended families. Rachel has uncles, aunts and cousins who are Ecuadorian, Nigerian, and Puerto Rican. Dennis has relatives who are Brazilian, Guyanese, and African American. Our family loves celebrating different cultural heritages, and we would certainly honor the cultural heritage of your child. We know we will have a lot to learn. But we are committed to providing the best experience and education for a child, especially about their roots. We look forward to discovering with them the beauties and challenges of their cultural identity. We will make a point to find and connect with role models for your child who they can relate to. As we begin this journey, we are blessed to have close relatives and several close friends who have adopted interracially, who can mentor us and give advice based on their experiences. While we live in a rural area, we are not far from several major cities, like Pittsburgh, with a lot more cultural diversity. We will love a child unconditionally and make them feel respected and valued for who they are.

We live in a large apartment with a big scenic yard, on a dead-end street, of a quiet rural neighborhood. From the end of our street, we can access many beautiful woodland walking trails along idyllic streams we played in as children. There are multiple families with young children in our neighborhood including at least three of our old classmates who had babies in the past year. There will be plenty of playmates for a child growing up. Our neighborhood is very friendly and safe with three gorgeous parks, featuring climbing frames, swings, ball fields, and sand pits. We also live quite near a community swimming pond with a nice life guarded beach, canoe/kayak launch, and changing facilities. Our neighborhood is very welcoming and is becoming more diverse, with several Korean families moving in in the past decade.

One of the things we love about our neighborhood are the many festivals and activities that we can partake in throughout the year. The highlight of the annual Fall festival is a pumpkin carving contest or lantern decorating contest, followed by a feast of fresh doughnuts and apple cider. Our church is very active in the neighborhood, hosting a Christmas carol sing-along and a live nativity complete with real barn animals. There is also an Easter egg hunt and spring picnic. And a Father's Day Softball game with soft ice-cream and activities for the children on the side. Summer brings the biggest festival of all with exciting activities and competitions.

We live within several minutes of Rachel's family and Dennis's sister. Rachel's sister Lydia has three children we enjoy hanging out with. Their family has several farm animals they care for ranging from rabbits, cats, and a dog, to dairy cows and horses. On Sunday, they often take the extended family for a horse cart ride through the countryside. We can't wait to share these unique family experiences with a child. We also have a niece from Rachel's brother who enjoys spending time with us, telling of her riding lessons, showing off her latest artwork, or baking with Rachel. Rachel's parents frequently drop in, helping out in any way they can. They will definitely be an active part of a child's life, as fun and loving grandparents. They live for when the grandkids come to their house, teaching them life skills through including them in whatever the grandparents are doing. We love sharing family meals, barbecues and indoor or outdoor games together.

Dennis's parents live in upstate New York, less than a day's drive away. We get together with them several times a year for birthdays or holidays and have daily contact through texts and phone calls. They can't wait to have grandkids.

We admire the courage, love, and selflessness it takes for you to consider an adoption plan for your child. It has been hard to express in so few words what adoption means to us and all we hope to give to a child. Thank you for taking the time to become acquainted with us.

We have been married for over six years and have only grown in our love for and devotion to each other. Although we were close neighbors in grade school and high school, participating in the same church youth group, we only really got to know each other twelve years later. Our paths crossed again in a different state when we were older and more experienced, participating in a young adult's church group. We enjoyed doing activities together and soon Dennis asked Rachel if she would start dating. It didn't take us long to feel the assurance that God was leading our lives together to marriage. One of the points we connected strongly on was our shared values and the importance of family. We knew from the beginning that we wanted children. Rachel loves children and has devoted her life to caring for them as an early childhood educator. Early in our marriage, we discovered that we had problems with fertility. As we have struggled with and pursued help to have biological children, the possibility of growing our family through adoption was always a consideration and has become our greatest hope. It is much more important to us to love and parent children than whether these children come to us biologically or through adoption.

We have so much love that we are waiting to shower on a child, sharing with them the experiences and activities we love, and also discovering new interests and activities with them. Rachel can't wait to be present for all the discoveries and milestones of the early years, being there to encourage the smiles and giggles and wipe the tears. Dennis looks forward to a companion to take on his outdoor adventures and to play with, in our beautiful yard. We will strive to be very attentive and encouraging parents through all the stages of life.

If you should entrust your child to us, we know this is not a decision you will make lightly. We believe that you are an important part of your child's life, and thus of ours. We will always try to convey to your child your love that brought them into our family. We would feel blessed to be able to share your child's growth and development with you through letters, emails, photos, and phone calls. We will also be happy to arrange in-person visits in the coming years, when you are ready. We want to always do what is in the best interest of our future child and we know this includes helping them discover their roots and identity.

Thank you for helping us to realize the dream of finally becoming parents. Your child will be welcomed into our home, family, extended family, church, and neighborhood with so much love and joy. We have such a strong support group including other adoptive families who are sharing this journey with us, mentoring us along the way.

Our home will be a haven of safety, stability and love for a child, filled with joy and warmth. Our hearts are waiting for the little soul that we know God has in mind for our family. You probably can't imagine the immense joy that the gift of a child will bring to both of us. We will hold you and your child in our prayers, as we know this time is full of challenges and worries for you.

Wishing you courage and assurance of the right path for you and your child.

You are in our thoughts,

Dennis & Rachel