We have two biological children. Roslyn is 4 and Bastian is almost 2.

Roslyn is full of a special wonder and joy. She loves people and greets everyone we pass on the street. She loves to paint and will sit at our table painting with watercolors for an hour or more sometimes. She loves playing outside and playing in her “mud kitchen” and loves finding bugs for her bug viewer. She loves all things glitter and all things related to ballerinas. She loves Bastian so much and can’t wait to have another sibling. She talks all the time about her new baby that’s coming that grew in another mama’s tummy. She is making all kinds of plans for where the baby will sleep and where the baby will ride in the stroller, etc.

Bastian is full of laughter and loves to dance. He has been the most “chill” of our kids so far and is probably more cautious in general. He is a cuddle bug and is often happy just cuddling in the chair or on the sofa. He loves music and will start dancing usually the minute he hears it. He is super into gadgets and is immediately drawn to all remotes, controllers, etc. He loves to play with Roslyn. Right now they like to pretend to be monkeys and he likes to “hide and seek” from her.

We will strive for your child to have a beautiful relationship with their adoption story.

We plan for your child to always know the beauty of where they come from. We plan to talk about their adoption with them throughout their entire life instead of having one big conversation, and we will always validate their emotions and experiences with support and love. We plan to have them know that the reason for their adoption comes from a place of their birth mother’s monumental love and care for them.

It is very important for them to know where they come from and form a healthy identity as an adoptee. We plan to stay continually and intentionally educated about the best ways to support an adopted child. We have already looked into a local organization that we hope to be involved in that specifically exists for adopted children to connect with other adoptees in the area. These groups also connect adoptive parents and promote adoptive parent education. We will always do everything we can to give your child the support they need to understand their adoption story and beyond.

Ben About Jessica: Jessica is very loving and warm. I never doubt that our kids will know that they are loved in large part because of her daily interactions with them. I really appreciate her passion for cooking. Dinner time together is a great time for the family to connect and Jessica’s home-cooked meals really help make this daily ritual happen. Jessica is always looking for ways for our kids to grow and develop. Whether it is setting up playdates, signing the kids up for swim lessons, or getting involved in our co-op preschool, they are always doing something that is helping them learn and grow.

Jessica About Ben: Ben is the most hardworking person I know, and he pours his life into providing for our family. He is an avid reader and he has quite the impressive collection of science fiction and fantasy novels. He loves reading books out loud as a family and we just started Marry Poppins with the kids. He values quality time above everything and loves getting the whole family involved in his hobbies. I have never seen him love anything like he loves Roslyn and Bash, and I can’t wait to see him love your child in the same way.

Our families are so different from each other and each is uniquely special. Everyone can’t wait to have another grandchild, cousin, or niece/nephew in the family to love and snuggle.

Ben’s family is more quiet and calm. Ben’s parents live in Mobile, Alabama, and his sister lives in Toulouse, France. We get together with them a few times a year. Whenever we are together we like to relax, read books, and just enjoy each other's company. Grammy, Ben’s mom, is a peaceful and patient soul and she loves to read book after book with the kids. Papa K is Ben’s dad. He comes alive around the kids and is very playful with them.

Jessica's family is more loud and rambunctious. GranSan is Jessica's mom, and she is quite the adventure lady. She works in Yellowstone seasonally, hikes hundreds of miles a year, and is always traveling to one place or another. Her ultimate goal is to take her grandkids on as many adventures as possible. We see GranSan very often, as she usually adds Seattle as a stop to any travel plans. Uncle James and Aunt Joy, Jessica's brother and sister-in-law, live in Birmingham, Alabama. They have two young sons. Joy is Jessica's closest friend. We treasure every single minute of the chaos when we get all the cousins together.

Our community here in Seattle has become like family as well. We’ve lived here for seven years and our friends here truly make Seattle feel like home.

We live in an area just outside of Seattle, Washington called Shoreline. Our community and neighborhood are very comfortable and fun. There are playgrounds, splash pads, farmers' markets, and hiking trails all over the area. We frequent these spots during the week. Additionally, our family is part of Shoreline Cooperative Preschool, which has become an awesome part of our community here in Seattle. The preschool does an amazing job of setting up a magical play-based learning environment. Jessica is an involved member of the board there as a Class Coordinator.

The reason we love our neighborhood and the reason we choose to live here is because of the natural beauty all around. The city is surrounded by the Olympic mountain range and the North Cascade mountain range, and a clear day where you can see them all is a sight we will never get tired of. Many beaches are near, including Richmond beach and Edmonds beach, which we visit frequently. We love to hit the beach at low tide and searching for and identifying sea critters. Our home is surrounded by trees and we have our favorite hiking trails just a short walk from our house. These trails are so special to us. They take you right through a beautiful forest where Roslyn and Bash love to collect sticks and hunt for mushrooms. We can’t wait to see our newest addition to the family playing on the trails right alongside Roslyn and Bash.

Hello! We are very grateful that you are here taking the time to get to know our family a little! We have so much respect for you. Making the decision to bring your child into the world is so incredibly strong and brave. Whether you do or do not choose adoption, our prayer is that you have peace as you find your way to the decision that you believe is best for you and your child.

We are Ben and Jessica. We met almost 15 years ago as teenagers. Ben was a punk skateboarder and Jessica was smitten. We started dating when we had a Marine Biology class together in the 11th grade and the rest is history. We have a fun-loving marriage that is full of laughter and grace. Ben studied information systems in college and is now a gifted software engineer. Jessica studied early childhood and elementary education and worked as a teacher for a while. She is now a stay-at-home mom to our two biological children, Roslyn and Bastian. We both grew up on the gulf coast, and we now live in the Pacific Northwest. We absolutely love living here because of how ridiculously beautiful it is. There is amazing hiking in the area that we love to explore as a family. We are surrounded by water up here and we love tidepooling on the Puget Sound or taking the kayaks out on one of the lakes.

We always talked about the idea of being open to adoption even before we were married. We both became Christians as adults and we see adoption as a beautiful analogy to the way that we have been adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5). Additionally, our birth experiences were complicated and we have decided it is best for us not to have any more biological children. We always wanted to have a bigger family, so this naturally led us here. We are excited and hopeful to welcome a new child into our family this way, to love fully and unconditionally as Christ loves us.

If you choose us to be your child’s family, we want you to know that your child will be loved fully, deeply, unconditionally, and completely by us. Our family and friends will all be excitedly waiting to welcome your child with open arms and will love them wholeheartedly. We want you to know that we will love you like family too and welcome you with open arms. Adoption is beautiful and complex. In our family, your child will always know their adoption story and they will always know that their adoption comes from a place of your deep care and love for them. We want them to know and appreciate their heritage. This is a huge part of their identity and it is so important. We want them to know what their birth families are like as much as possible. We make a point of pursuing diverse community, and if our community does not already include a reflection of your child’s heritage we plan to seek out community that does. We are completely prepared to facilitate the level of openness that you hope to have. Whether that is just text and email updates, or video calls, or even yearly visits throughout their childhood, we will work with you to make it happen. We want your child to know you and love you deeply.

Roslyn, our 4 year old, talks all the time about the new sibling that is hopefully coming. We all love this child so much already. We can’t wait to see them running along the hiking trails right alongside Roslyn and Bash, or on the beach hunting for crabs. We can’t wait to see them cuddling up for a good book with Ben and sitting at the table painting with Jessica. We can’t wait to see them on family trips exploring the world. We can’t wait to see them playing with cousins and grandparents. We can’t wait to guide them in all the things they will be interested in, the passions they will pursue, and the wonderful person they will become. Our prayers are with you on the journey that lies ahead.

Warmly,

Ben & Jessica