There is nothing more fulfilling for us than being parents. Early in our relationship we knew we wanted to be parents and committed to each other that we will always do this adventure together. Our adventure has had ups and downs, and we're still always walking together.

One of the ups is Ava! When Ava came into our lives, she was her own person from the start, feisty and sweet. She showed us that parenting would be the most rewarding challenge we have ever been handed and we couldn't imagine not filling our house with more love and the beautiful chaos that only children can bring.

The downs have been the heartbreaking losses of our daughters Vivianne and Emma, who were born on the other side of Heaven at 20 weeks. The loss of our sweet daughters has taught us grace and how strong we are as individuals and a couple. We continue to move forward more compassionate, patient, and empathetic people.

We have grieved their losses and as much as we miss them, we are excited for what's to come, we are excited to continue to build our family and we are thankful for adoption. We are ready to bring another child into our family and Ava can't wait to have another little sister or brother.

We are a family that loves to be outdoors. During the summer we spend the majority of our time at the lake, on the boat, where Ava has saved all her life jackets for her little sister or brother. We also take a big family vacation every year, where we rent out an entire resort for one week. Some of our best memories during that time are watching our family grow up around us and taking that time to play, laugh and remind ourselves how lucky we are to have one another. We also love to camp! We recently renovated a camper that has an extra bunk waiting to be filled. Waking up in nature, exploring trails by bike or 4-wheeler and sitting around a campfire with family and friends have been some of our favorite things to do.

As Ava has gotten more involved in activities, we have enjoyed being there to cheer her on! You will find Leia on the sidelines at games and practices and Patrick involved with coaching. It’s important to us that at least one parent is always present on the sidelines and showing support. We are excited for the possibility of having years of cheering and coaching to come with another little one in our family!

Patrick: When Leia and I first met, I was drawn to her permanent and infectious smile. With her smile and laugh, she has a way of making everyone she encounters feel special. Her kindness, sense of adventure, love of live music and compassion are a constant reminder of how much better life is when you're sharing it with another person. I also admire how much family means to her and how she has shared her extended family and traditions with me and my family. I love Leia's ability to parent with calmness and unconditional love no matter the situation. As a person she is the most loving, kind and supportive mother and wife I could have ever asked for.

Leia:I knew shortly into our relationship that Pat was going to be my forever person. Pat is fun, talented, loving, hardworking, a fantastic cook, loyal, passionate and can make me laugh. I admire Pat's love he has for living his most authentic life. In a world where people try to mold themselves into what they think someone wants, he is unapologetically himself at all times, while remaining true to his values. People love to be around him and there is nothing he wouldn't do for someone he loves. I have more than a husband in Pat, I have a teammate in life. Nothing about parenting is beneath him and he has been an equal partner in our parenting journey from day one. He truly is the best Dad, and Ava adores him. I believe that with Pat by my side, there is nothing that we can't accomplish, and we are better together.

We live in a great area of Minnesota! Our home is on eight acres of land that is full of trees and open space for the kids and pets. Our home is open and has big windows in every room to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. We enjoy the small town community feel, quietness of the country and nature, while also having access to the city. Our home is set back from the road so kids are able to play freely. One of our favorite things is to enjoy the fire pit and relax in the hammocks we hang from the trees. You will always find family and friends gathered at our home having fun!

Our home is surrounded by parks, community centers, trail systems and lakes. Our community is a nature lovers dream and we take full advantage of it! It's also important to us that we are able to enjoy all four seasons Minnesota offers. Most weekends in the summer are spent on our boat, at the lake that is only 10 minutes from our home. During the fall and spring we take full advantage of the biking trails and in the winter we utilize the trails on our snowmobiles.

We are fortunate to live in a top school district. The class sizes are small and there is a strong focus on academics. Patrick is on the volunteer fire department, which allows us to stay connected in our community. We look forward to riding on the fire trucks in the community parades every summer!

We love being so close to family! Ava and our future children are fortunate to grow up having a loving relationship with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We also have a close group of friends that have become family. There is nothing better than to have the constant support of family surrounding you.

The importance of living close to our families and our friends means that holidays are never dull. The holidays are about the people we share them with, the love we share for one another and a kitchen full of food. You can't not have fun with all the laughing and dance parties that take place. A few of our favorite holiday traditions are the family Thanksgiving fun-run with about 75 friends and family members, gathered in costumes, finishing a 5K. And Christmas where we trek through the woods in search of the tallest tree to cut down. The reason why these holiday traditions are so special to us, is we get to share them together, with our family and friends. These experiences also show Ava the amazing support she has surrounding her.

Family continues to evolve for us. The word family extends past blood and encompasses the friends we have, the people we work with, the community we live in and the special people we continue to meet along the way. Please know this, it would be our privilege to raise the child that you chose for us and for you to forever be a part of our family.

We are Patrick and Leia! We are excited for you to get to know us and would feel very lucky to get to know you. Ironically, we both went to the same college and had many mutual friends but we never crossed paths. It wasn't until after college that we were introduced to each other and our story as a couple began. Love happened fast for us and we each knew that we had found "The One". We married in 2014 and have made having and growing our family a priority.

We are a team on the good days and the bad. We take pride in the trust we put in each other, honest communication, respecting our differences, exploring the world and making sure we are having fun in the life we created together.

Our biggest pride comes from the family we are creating. We will raise our children showing them unconditional love in a strong family, rich in traditions and values.

Adoption has always been a piece of how we wanted to grow our family, we just didn't know when. After losing our daughters, we chose not to go through fertility treatments because we knew, at that time, we were being led to start our adoption journey. We firmly believe adoption is just as beautiful, wonderful and amazing as having a child any other way.

We want you to know we admire your strength and heart and we wish you peace and happiness in whichever decision is best for you and your child. We sincerely thank you for considering us if you choose to make an adoption plan. We want you to know we would never take the responsibility of parenting for granted. Our promise to you, and your child is:

We promise your child will grow up knowing and feeling constant love and support from family. We promise to give your child the tools to live a happy and successful life. We promise to share their adoption story with them from the very beginning and celebrate every milestone that happens. We promise your child will have the best big sister, who has been waiting for them as long as we have. We promise to encourage them to follow whatever dreams, no matter how big or small and help in whatever way we can to make sure they are achieved.

We promise to raise your child to be a kind, tolerant, empathetic, strong, hardworking and a loving human. We promise to hold them accountable when needed, be their biggest cheerleader, celebrate their achievements and be there to pick up the pieces on the hard days of life. We are not perfect, but we promise to be present and live in the moment to enjoy every milestone, achievement, failure and opportunity.

Through our experiences of life's ups and downs, we have learned the importance of family. The word family is not inclusive to blood, it's whatever you make it. You would always be a part of our family, however that looks. If it changes or evolves over the years, we will be here to support that relationship with us and your child. We promise to send letters and pictures so you can experience the milestones along with us. We promise to be open minded and respect the communication and relationship you want with us and your child. The most important promise we have is the promise that your child will never question how much you love them.

With Love,

Patrick & Leia