We first met in high school when mutual friends set us up for prom. What started as a fun night out quickly became something more as we realized how much we enjoyed being together. That summer, we went on our first date to see the movie Cars, and from then on, we were inseparable.

Even though we attended different colleges, we stayed connected through long phone calls, regular visits, and plenty of time spent making memories together. Those years helped us build a strong foundation of communication, friendship, and trust. After nearly a decade together, Steve proposed along the shores of Lake Michigan, and we were married in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, surrounded by our closest family and friends.

This year, we’re celebrating 20 years together, 9 years of dating and 11 years of marriage. Looking back, we’re incredibly grateful for all the life we’ve shared and the ways we’ve grown together. We’ve celebrated milestones, supported each other through challenges, and created a life filled with laughter, adventure, and love. We’re excited for all the memories and adventures still ahead of us.

We love spending time together, whether we are exercising, taking community classes like painting, pickleball, or cupcake decorating, watching Big Brother and Survivor, walking to the beach, or exploring new restaurants and foods. Traditions are especially meaningful to us, and we look forward to creating them with our child. Some of our favorite traditions include holiday baking, painting pumpkins in the fall, and spending time outdoors in nice weather. Simple everyday moments are just as special, like taking the local train to neighborhood street fests, walking our dog Juniper to the lake, and enjoying dinner outdoors. We also enjoy getting together with family and friends to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. Travel is another passion we share. Exploring Europe and tropical destinations has given us the opportunity to experience different cultures, try new foods, and make memories together. We look forward to sharing these adventures with our child while also teaching them that some of the best memories come from everyday moments spent together.

Pets have always been an important part of our lives and our family. Kalli grew up surrounded by animals and had dogs, birds, lizards, guinea pigs, and fish throughout her childhood. Her love for animals has continued throughout her life, and she has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years because of her deep compassion for animals.

Today, our dog Juniper, or “June,” is a very special part of our family. We adopted her in 2019 when she was two years old, and she has brought so much love, comfort, and joy into our home. June is a sweet, gentle Chug (Chihuahua-Pug mix) who loves people and is always excited to greet someone with a wagging tail. She is happiest cuddling, relaxing in a cozy spot, and, of course, enjoying her favorite treats, especially cheese and banana bread!

We know June will be a wonderful companion for our child. Her calm and loving personality will provide another source of comfort and companionship as our child grows. We look forward to watching them develop their own special bond.

Our families are one of the greatest blessings in our lives, and both of our families are overjoyed about the opportunity to welcome a child through adoption. Kalli’s parents live in Wisconsin and have been married for over 45 years. They are two of Kalli’s biggest role models, and she speaks with them daily. Kalli’s brother, his wife, and their two sons live nearby in Illinois. Kalli’s brother was even her “man of honor” at our wedding! One of Kalli’s favorite traditions is camping with her family in a camper or cottage, spending quality time together outdoors.

Steve’s parents live in Illinois and have always emphasized togetherness and family. Steve’s brothers remain close, and family gatherings often include plenty of sports, movies, and laughter. Steve especially enjoys sharing his love of Chicago Cubs baseball with his family, and summer games at Wrigley Field are a favorite tradition.

When our families get together, there is always plenty of food, laughter, and friendly competition. Some of our favorite activities include eating lots of appetizers, enjoying pizza nights, playing foosball, making gingerbread houses, and having epic games of Spoons. We are so excited to share these traditions and create new ones with our child.

And of course, our family includes Juniper, our cuddly chihuahua/pug mix, who loves giving lots of kisses.

We live in a vintage-style condo in the Chicago area of Illinois, in a charming, walkable community along Lake Michigan. We love being part of a diverse and welcoming neighborhood, surrounded by parks, playgrounds, local shops, bakeries, and families who make our community feel connected.

We appreciate that our child will grow up meeting people from many different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. We can picture sharing so many everyday adventures with our child, from walking our dog to the beach and visiting local street festivals to grabbing donuts or ice cream, cheering on the Cubs, and trying new activities together.

There are also libraries, community events, and plenty of opportunities for children to make friends and feel a sense of belonging. We hope our child will grow up appreciating the diversity around them, embracing new experiences, and making special memories in the community we are so happy to call home.

Thank you for taking the time to read our letter and learn a little more about us. We can only imagine how much thought, courage, and love goes into making an adoption plan, and we want you to know that we deeply respect you and the journey that brought you here. While we cannot know exactly what you are feeling or experiencing, we hope you can feel the love and respect we already have for you and the important place you will always hold in your child’s life.

We are Kalli and Steve, best friends, partners, and a married couple who have been together for 20 years. We first met in high school when mutual friends set us up for prom. By the summer of 2006, we had become a couple, and through college, daily phone calls and weekend road trips helped us grow together. Steve proposed on the shores of Lake Michigan in 2014, and we were married a year later in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, surrounded by the people we love most. After all these years, we still make each other laugh, try new things together, and feel incredibly lucky to have one another.

We dream of becoming parents and filling our home with the same love, laughter, and sense of belonging that has shaped our relationship. In our minds, family life is filled with family dinners, bedtime stories, messy art projects, walks to the beach with our dog, Juniper, and plenty of silly jokes. We want our child to grow up knowing that they are safe, supported, celebrated, and loved exactly as they are.

Kalli is an elementary school speech-language pathologist who spends her days helping children find their voices and feel confident in who they are. She hopes to bring that same patience, encouragement, and attentiveness to motherhood. She will be the mom who plans birthday traditions, gets excited about little celebrations, encourages new adventures, and makes ordinary days feel special. Steve is patient, steady, creative, and always ready with a joke. As a former college baseball player and lifelong sports fan, he looks forward to sharing his love of sports, teaching his child how to throw a baseball, building living-room forts, and cheering loudly from the sidelines. Together, we balance each other beautifully.

Our families are incredibly important to us, and a child joining our family would be surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and people who are already excited to love them. A special part of our family is Juniper, our funny little dog, who is happiest playing with her lamb chop toy, finding a cozy spot to snuggle, and being wherever her family is. We can already picture her following a little one around the house and becoming their first furry friend.

If you choose us, we want your child to grow up knowing their full story and understanding that you are an important part of it. Your story will be shared with love, honesty, and respect, and they will know the courage and love behind your decision. Letters and pictures will be shared so you can see how your child is growing and experience some of the moments that make up their life. We are also open to continued communication through emails, phone calls, and, if it feels right for everyone, future visits and an open adoption relationship. Our hope is to follow your comfort level and build a relationship based on trust and respect. Most of all, we hope to give your child a life filled with love, security, laughter, curiosity, and opportunity. We promise to stand beside them through every stage of life, celebrate who they are, and remind them every day how deeply loved they are.

Thank you for considering us and for trusting us with your story. Whatever you decide, we are wishing you peace, strength, and love. We hope that, if given the opportunity, we can get to know you and build something meaningful together.

Steve & Kalli