We believe it is very important to expose a child to different cultures — especially that of their own ethnic background — so they can better understand their identity and why they might look different from some of the other kids. Ken's mother is from El Salvador and her side of the family are all fluent Spanish speakers. Growing up with a mother from Central America was a very positive experience for Ken because it impressed on him the importance of things like family, hard work, and music. Ken is also half white. Growing up two different races was also a positive experience because it showed him that different cultures have unique perspectives that can each have important lessons. He also learned the importance of learning about your parents' heritage so that you can better understand them as well as yourself.

We look forward to helping the child we adopt learn about and appreciate their heritage, too. We have learned from our adoptive nieces that helping the child meet other people of their own ethnicity is very enriching for them. It's meaningful for them to see people that look like them in books and when they look at the TV screen. As they get older and start thinking about the future, it's important they have people they can relate to as a role model for what their life could be like.

We have had the privilege of getting to see the adoption process up close through Kelli's sister, who adopted two newborns who are now seven and two years old. This process has taught us how important it is to be able to talk to the child about adoption so they understand how much their birth parent loves them. It also showed us how curious children are about where they came from and why they were adopted. These are normal and healthy questions that we would welcome. Ken came from an unusual family background and knows firsthand that many people don't have a typical story, and that's all part of what makes them into the person they are today.

We've also been able to see the joy that an adoptive child can bring - both to the immediate family and the extended family like ourselves. We were all so excited to follow along with our sister and brother-in-law's adoption journey, and now they are equally excited for us on our journey.

We met in our sophomore year of college and immediately clicked. Ken sat behind Kelli in class and one day threw a bit of paper at her - it caught Kelli by surprise and she thought it was hilarious! From that interaction in, we were nearly inseparable. We were married during our final year of college and have been together now for over 15 years. We've both changed and grown up a lot since those early days, but have built a strong foundation so we continue to grow in the same directions. One reason our relationship works is that we are good at different things. Kelli is organized, outgoing and easygoing whereas Ken is creative, reserved and introspective. We make a good team because when something is difficult for one of us, often it is easier for the other. Teamwork is a beautiful thing because it is a reminder that different people have different gifts. One of the joys of parenting will be seeing what unique gifts the child would bring.

Many of our friends have their own kids and are very supportive of each other. They often meet up so their kids can play. We live in a small city that is very kid-friendly. It has parks, playgrounds, and even a children's museum and library just a short walk away. We live in a 3 bedroom condominium that is a little too big for just us two but would be perfect with a child. We live downtown in a city that is very green with parks and nature everywhere. Our home has a beautiful view of big, green trees. We would love showing a child how the leaves change colors with the seasons.

We live across the street from the state capitol building, which you can see from one of our windows. Ken is a journalist and would love to show a child how the local government works! Our home is situated between two big lakes where people swim and ride boats. The city is very good about planning family friendly activities. Just this summer, Kelli and Ken participated in a big cross-city bike ride alongside many families with children of their own. Another favorite activity is to stroll around the farmer's market which takes place all around the capitol building on weekends. The farmer's market is a family friendly event with many children in strollers. Fancy cheese is a Wisconsin favorite, and we're excited to take a child around the market someday to sample the different treats.

Ken's family is big and adventurous. His parents are still married, and live in Chicago. They relocated there when Ken was in high school so that his dad, a scientist, could work at the national laboratory there. His dad is from Canada, where Ken had a lot of fun visiting grandparents and cousins. His mom is from El Salvador, which he hopes to visit someday. Ken enjoyed getting to know his extended family on his mom's side who live in Los Angeles.

Kelli's parents are also still married, and are from Wisconsin where they live — except for winter when they live in Florida! They're both retired but you would never know based on how active they are. Kelli's mom is an avid pickleball player whereas her dad loves to golf, fish, and go deer hunting (a Wisconsin tradition). Kelli's sister lives nearby and has two adopted children, who we visit all the time. Just this weekend, Kelli took them to the theater to see Moana 2. We hope that someday our adoptive child will grow up close with their adoptive cousins, who can share another perspective on adoption and how it can be a normal part of family life.

Ken's father has hinted that we should consider adopting a child so he can have grandchildren; I'm sure he'd be thrilled if we did! Ken's sister had a baby recently and his parents love helping out. Kelli's parents are very loving to their adopted grandchildren, and will be happy as well.

First, we're very grateful that you are considering us. After being unable to get pregnant despite multiple rounds of infertility treatments, we've learned not to take anything for granted about parenthood. It is an incredible gift. Without birth mothers like you, countless families like ours would never have the gift of parenthood. So regardless of who you pick, thank you.

We imagine this is not an easy choice for you, so please know that you have our deep respect for loving your child so much that you want to give him or her the best life possible. That is exactly what we would tell the child someday: your birth mother loved you so much that she did what was best for you. We would love for you to keep in touch with the child throughout their upbringing if possible.

Having both grown up in healthy families that didn't have any problems getting pregnant, we never really thought about infertility until it happened to us. The experience has been painful but it also showed us parenthood is a privilege to be cherished and never taken for granted.

We also learned how many different types of loving families there are. For instance, a relative of ours has one biological child as well as two adopted little girls. Watching them grow up, it's very clear that, though the kids look very different from one another, parents love their children all the same.

Sad as we were about our inability to get pregnant, seeing how happy our family and friends were with children they hadn't given birth to gave us hope. Life might not always go how you expected, but that can be a good thing. Sometimes life finds a better path for you than you could find for yourself!

We hope that adoption can be that path to parenthood for us someday - a path we didn't expect but were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon.

Being in our thirties now, we're both at a place in our lives where we have a lot of happiness and stability in our careers. At first we thought we'd just enjoy our lives. We're actually pretty happy already, enjoying adventurous things like overseas travel as well as the little things like going to the movie theaters, relaxing at cafes, and meeting up with our friends. But watching our adopted nieces grow up showed us how rewarding it can be to share your happiness with a child - and how happy they are, too. One of the nieces is old enough now to understand that she's adopted and it's clear that she knows she is loved. Our biggest dream for a child would be to love them and help them develop into happy adults, just like we were fortunate enough to experience.

Looking back on some of the happiest parts of our childhoods, it's fun to think about getting to provide those same moments of joy to a child. Opening presents on Christmas Day. Learning to ride a bike. Swimming lessons, soccer practice, playing a musical instrument. In the same way that not everyone gets to be parents, we know that not everyone gets to have a happy childhood like we did. Our hope is that we can pass along that safe and pleasant childhood to a child of our own someday.

That's certainly our parents' hope as well, as they can't seem to stop asking about grandchildren!

We didn't have much luck with pregnancy but we did in a lot of other ways and we would love to share that happiness with a child. Thank you for your consideration.

Ken & Kelli