Hello! We are Pat and Joe, and we want to thank you for taking the time to read our profile. We absolutely understand what an undertaking it must be to consider such a difficult decision. We can assure you that we do not take the decision lightly and know that whichever path you choose will be the right one for you and the child. We are honored just to be considered.

We met in May of 2010 through mutual friends. When we first met, Pat got nervous and ended up leaving quickly. After getting over the initial hurdle, we began hanging out frequently and traveling together on cruises and other trips. We attended concerts and began spending holidays with each other and each other's families. We bonded over shared hobbies like baking and exercise. As time passed, we became closer and started officially dating in October 2020.  We got married in October 2024!!

Through the pandemic and beyond we have grown as a couple, supporting each other's goals and aspirations. Our family has grown from the two of us and our two dogs (Teddy, a bulldog Shar-Pei mix, and Hugo, a cocker spaniel) to including our son, Evan. Joe adopted Evan when he was born in September 2018. We want to expand our family further as we both come from families with multiple children and want our family to have a similar structure.

Joe has worked in healthcare his entire career and is very calm under pressure. In high school, Joe secured his first job in patient transport. From there, his career shifted to an emergency technician, where he specialized in pediatric trauma in the Emergency Department for more than 13 years. He worked in clinical research for a few years at the hospital before taking a position with a research physician. Fast-forward another decade, and Joe is now the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for that clinical research organization. He thoroughly enjoys his work helping patients, many of whom feel hopeless about their conditions, before meeting Joe and his team, who find new treatment options for their medical conditions.

Joe enjoys bicycling, cooking, fishing, and going to the theater. When time allows, Joe likes to bike four to five times per week around the lake. In his 20s, Joe attended culinary school and loved the art of cooking for other people. Joe is an avid fisherman and loves spin fishing, as well as fly fishing, on the lake.

Joe has always wanted kids and finally got the chance when Evan was born. Since birth, he has been with and caring for Evan, who was diagnosed with HIE after he was born. Joe has accompanied Evan to almost every weekly therapy Evan has, including physical, occupational, and speech multiple times a week that continues to this day. Joe has grown as a father and a caretaker because of his love and connection to his son, and he would not trade that for the world.

Joe loves spending time with Evan as he will with his other children. He plans on playing outside with the kids, going to parks, and bike ride. Joe wants to teach the kids to fish and go on fishing trips like he did when he was younger. He also wants to travel the world with the kids because experiencing different cultures and people helps widen one's world view. Joe has already been able to travel with Evan to Mexico, the Caribbean, Indiana, and Florida.

Pat has worked for a tech company for the last seven years. He is a technical expert, troubleshooting and repairing a variety of electronic products. In his time there, he has been a sales specialist, an instructor, an orientation leader, and a visual team leader, and he plans to continue growing through various leadership and mentoring opportunities.

When he was younger, Pat did not think himself much of an athlete, generally trying to ignore routines to get out of physical activity, but in high school, he excelled as a swimmer, becoming the captain of the swim team. In college, he began to lift weights to fill the void swimming left. Recently, Pat has re-entered competitive sports in state-level bodybuilding shows. One thing Pat hopes to pass on is that, regardless of what others think, everyone is capable of being an athlete, or anything their heart desires, if they want to be.

Pat has always had a flair for the dramatic, performing as an actor on stage in his secondary school career and now thriving as a presenter and instructor. Pat has always loved superheroes and comics, and drawing is a huge hobby of his - doodling even got him in trouble in school! An elementary school teacher remarked that he was "one of the most whimsical children" she'd ever seen. He has an active imagination, a love for dramatic acting, and an enjoyment of watching or reading stories of heroes, and these are things he is excited to share with a child. He looks forward to forming a bond with them, encouraging them to make believe and create whatever they want from their imaginations.

Evan is five years old and is very excited to be a big brother. He likes Baby Shark and Mickey Mouse, pausing whatever he is doing and running into the room if he hears either theme song start playing. Evan loves being outside, whether playing on the swings or running around and getting wet at the splash pad.

Evan has special needs and has been attending school since he was three. He loves to be around other children and is always interested in what's going on and playing with others. His teacher notes that he likes to tap other students on the head during circle time, getting laughs from both himself and his peers. Every time we bring up being a big brother, Evan smiles and giggles, and we know that he is excited to learn and laugh with a growing family.

Our home is relatively new and in a large neighborhood. One of the defining features is the art we hang on the walls, collections ranging from local artists to original works from Dr. Seuss - we prominently feature the artist's proof of a page from "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" in the living room. We spend a lot of time outside in the summer, eating meals on the patio and playing with Evan on the swing or in the sprinklers.

Walking around the block, we see many kids playing outside and running between the houses as parents chat, creating a tight-knit community where we all know each other well. We live within walking distance of a park with a large playscape and an active splash pad in the summer. On the weekends we like to visit the farmers market where we've gotten to know a few of the vendors, and it's like hanging out with friends when we go.

Joe is very close with his mother and older twin siblings. Joe's mother is an avid crafter, spending time with her "quilting girls." She loves being a grandmother and never misses an opportunity to see or dote on her grandchildren. We usually see them every other weekend for a family dinner or lunch to catch up. His mom likes hosting holidays and making huge quantities of food for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter - all the dishes are family recipes, and the menu is specific to each holiday, a tradition carried since Joe's childhood.

Pat is also close with his parents and has two younger brothers. His dad is a retired nurse, and his mom runs an outdoor adventure center in Detroit. They love to entertain, and his mom loves to bake - she's known as the Queen of Desserts by her family. Pat's dad is the official taste tester. One of his brothers likes stopping by and hanging out with us and getting time to play with his nephew; the other lives in Texas and gets to Michigan to visit whenever he can. Pat has a large extended family, with many of his cousins having young kids. Most of the family lives within a 30-minute drive, and seeing them is fun and relatively easy. The extended family likes getting together for big holiday events - the most exciting being Christmas Eve. Every Christmas Eve has a theme, from "World Cuisines" to "Breakfast Foods" and, most recently, "Anything but Christmas," where everyone was assigned a holiday other than Christmas to bring dishes from.

Both Grandparents are excited about the prospect of another child. We live roughly between both sets of our parents and they both have watched Evan and always include him in any outings and activities they have planned.

Both our families have a cookie tradition in December. Joe and his family cook multiple types of cookies and then split them onto cookie trays they give to family and friends (one of Pat's uncles looks forward to that tray all year long). Pat's family delights in cookie decorating - his mom bakes dozens of Christmas-shaped sugar cookies and all the uncles, aunts and cousins come over to decorate with different colored frostings. Some people go traditional decorating a Christmas tree green, or frost a reindeer brown with a red nose, and some get a little creative like turning a toy solider into a classic coke bottle or turning a Christmas star into Patrick Starr from "Sponge Bob Square Pants." One of our favorite traditions is one we started early in our relationship, stemming from the families' cookie tradition, when we found out neither of us had ever made gingerbread men. Now, every year, it's tradition that we make and decorate the gingerbread men together.

We make a point of walking the dogs around the block every night with Evan. It's a time to catch up with each other and spend time as a family. Before bed, we love to read a book to Evan. Generally, we choose a Dr. Seuss book - his current favorite is "Green Eggs and Ham."

We want to thank you for taking the time to read our profile. While it's tough to absolutely understand what an undertaking this must be to consider such a difficult decision, we can assure you that we do not take your decision lightly and know that whatever path you choose, and whomever you choose, will be the right one. We are humbled to be considered for this honor.

As a family of three, we have more love to give and want nothing more than to grow our family. We want to share in the growth and development of a child and can ensure that the life we can provide for them is the absolute best. The love we have between us, in our home, and with our families would provide a positive environment for a child to feel safe, supported, happy, and loved. We can provide the best opportunities, happiness, and love that a child should have.

We are happy to have an open adoption or any level of continuing relationship you're comfortable with so we can share in this journey together. We appreciate you reading about our family and hope you can see and feel how very grateful we are to be considered.