Hello! We are Dakota and Katie. Thank you for taking the time to get to know about us as adoptive parents.

During our high school years, we knew of each other and shared many of the same friends, but didn’t spend much time together. In 2016, a couple of Katie’s close friends made plans to go to a haunted attraction, and we met at a restaurant beforehand. Katie remembers clearly walking into that restaurant and seeing her future husband among the group! Once we arrived at the haunted house, Dakota ended up joining her group of friends. Afterward, we exchanged contact information as we knew that something special had sparked between us. 

Dakota came to every fun event Katie’s friends planned after that, from movie nights and blanket-making sessions, to trying out random science experiments. Everything seemed to fall into place, and over time we slowly fell in love through continuing adventures. 

In 2017, we moved to Boise together while continuing our education, and in January 2020 Dakota proposed. 

In September of that same year, we were married. 

Soon after our wedding, we decided we wanted to expand our family. After multiple fertility appointments and exploring IVF without success, we decided to pursue adoption. Adoption has always held a special place in our hearts, especially because Katie was adopted as a child. Her own adoption has given her a deep appreciation for the love, stability, and opportunities that adoption can provide, and it is something we are incredibly grateful to pursue as prospective parents.

Before beginning my career in law enforcement, I worked in childcare with children ranging from newborns to middle school-aged. I taught preschool, coordinated field trips, helped with homework, and assisted in the kitchen during mealtimes. In 2018, I began working with the Sheriff’s Office. The first five years were spent working in the jail, where my primary area was Work Release, helping to rehabilitate inmates as they transitioned back into society. I was promoted to patrol deputy, and one day, I hope to become a detective and help families find answers about what happened to their loved ones. 

When I was eight-years-old, my older biological sister and I entered foster care where we remained for five years. Occasionally we would stay in respite homes, which are temporary placements, but fortunately we always returned to the same foster family. That wonderful family eventually adopted both of us. They continued fostering children and adopted another little girl the following year. 

The family I was adopted into was wonderfully large, and I became the second youngest of eleven children. During my time in foster care, and even after my adoption, I continued to maintain a relationship with my biological parents. Growing up with both my adoptive and biological families has given me a unique perspective on the importance of love, family, and connection

I grew up in a large family with two younger brothers and three younger stepsisters. I am very close with my family, and we love getting together for barbecues, movie nights, and family gatherings.

As a certified arborist and an associate certified entomologist, I spend much of my time working with people throughout eastern Idaho and Wyoming, helping care for their trees, properties, and landscapes. 

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family through activities like disc golfing, riding motorcycles, reading books and listening to audiobooks, and playing games with my brothers.  

In 2021, we found the perfect home. It has five-bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a large fenced-in backyard. One of the trees in the yard is just waiting to become a treehouse someday. 

We have amazing pets who each help make our house into a warm environment and will teach a child about caring for others and of the love only animals can offer. We have three wonderful dogs, two goldendoodles named Astrid and Maple who were born in 2020, and with a one-year-old Dachshund named Newt. All of our girls are incredibly loving and enjoy cuddling whenever they get the chance. We also have a leopard gecko named Naz, two frogs, and a few tarantulas, all safely housed in secure, locked enclosures.

Katie is the second youngest of eleven siblings. Most of her siblings have children and live in different parts of the country, but she enjoys staying connected with them and following along with their families. Fortunately, several of her siblings, along with her parents, and many nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles live in our area. The majority of Dakota's family also lives in town, including his parents, grandparents on his dad's side, several siblings, and an uncle. 

Family is incredibly important to both of us, and we make it a priority to get together several times each month. Holidays can be wonderfully hectic, but they are always full of laughter, traditions, and memories.

We love spending time with our family and friends. Some of our favorite activities include disc golfing, attending hockey games, going to the drive-in theater, visiting car shows, and exploring local farmers markets. 

Every few months, we plan dinner nights with our friends and their children. We enjoy cooking a nice meal or having a barbecue before picking out a movie and building LEGO sets together. Some of our favorite evenings are the quiet ones spent at home, snuggled up with our dogs in front of a warm fire. 

Family traditions are something we truly cherish. Every Christmas, we hide a glass pickle ornament in the Christmas tree, and whoever finds it first is said to have good luck in the coming year. Dakota's dad prepares a huge Christmas breakfast, complete with his special breakfast casserole that everyone looks forward to, and we always pray together before eating. Katie’s parents have a tradition of giving each grandchild an Elf on the Shelf for the month of December, which has become something everyone enjoys. 

Every Fourth of July, we like to go camping and watch fireworks together. In 2023, we started hosting a New Year's Eve game night with family, which has quickly become one of our favorite traditions. 

More than anything, we are excited to become parents. We look forward to bedtime stories, helping with homework, family vacations, cheering from the sidelines at sporting events, celebrating accomplishments big and small, and creating traditions with a future child. We hope to provide a home where a child always feels safe, loved, encouraged, and supported as they grow into the person they are meant to be.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, get to know us, and consider us as prospective adoptive parents. 

We know that choosing an adoptive family is one of the most important decisions a parent can make, and we are honored that you would take the time to learn about us. We would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to welcome a child into our family and provide a home filled with love, encouragement, laughter, and unwavering support.