Back to all familiesHello!
While we don’t know exactly what you are feeling, please know how much we respect and appreciate you considering adoption. Thank you so much for taking time to learn about us. We hope this profile helps you learn a little bit about who we are and the family we dream of building.
Our Story
We grew up in separate states—Kaelyn is from Michigan and Alex is from North Carolina—but we met and had our first date in North Carolina in 2019. We knew within a few dates that we wanted to get married and spend our life building a future together! We got married in 2021 in North Carolina before moving to Tennessee for several years. We now live in the heart of Chicago and love it! Over our seven years together, Kaelyn has always brought the energy and love for planning adventures, while Alex keeps things steady with a great sense of humor and a willingness to jump into whatever plan she comes up with. Most weekends you can find us out exploring the city—walking along Lake Michigan, trying new coffee shops, or checking out neighborhood festivals. We also travel a ton to visit our families. Between the two of us, we have four siblings and a growing crew of nieces and nephews who we absolutely adore. Our family is fun and full of support, and we would be so incredibly happy to welcome a child into the middle of it.
Adoption
We have always wanted adoption to be part of how we grow our family. We know that if we’re ever blessed to become parents through adoption, it will be because of someone making an incredibly loving and selfless decision, and we will not take that for granted.
Openness
We would love for your child to grow up knowing you and the love you have for them. We hope to keep reminders of you and your family in our home, share photos and special moments as they grow, and stay connected through visits, letters, video calls, or whatever level of communication feels right. Most importantly, we want your child to know how much they are loved by you.
Culture & Identity
We don’t know your story yet, but we would love to learn it. We want to learn to cook your favorite foods, incorporate your family traditions, and bring in the parts of your life that you want your child to carry with them. We will also intentionally choose books, toys, community events, and friendships that help your child learn from people who look like them and share similar experiences.
Our Hope
More than anything, we’re praying for you and your child. We pray that you feel loved, supported, and at peace as you make this decision. Thank you for taking the time to learn about us.
Sincerely,
Kaelyn & Alex
Kaelyn
Alex
What are you looking forward to about being a parent?
I’m so excited to read our future child’s favorite books together (ideally with a big plate of cookies). I just want to be there to encourage all of their curiosity, answer their millions of questions, and enjoy the little moments.
I’m excited to coach our children’s sports teams. My Dad was my coach in both football and baseball when I was young, and I learned so much from him in that role. Being a sports coach is a lot of responsibility, but it also affords great opportunities to set a good example to young children, especially when those children are your own!
What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Every summer, my amazing aunts and uncles planned a huge “Niece & Nephew Campout” for my cousins and me. We slept in big tents in my grandparents’ yard and spent the days playing capture the flag, eating pizza bagels, watching movies under the stars, and making s’mores. It was a blast! We can’t wait to create the same magical experience for our future children and their cousins.
I have fond memories of traveling to my grandparents home in Connecticut during the summer. When my cousins came over from their nearby house, we would play hide and go seek, capture the flag, and football for hours on end. It didn’t matter what the conditions were: in the rain, in the heat, in the morning or at night.
Tell me about one of your hobbies.
Right now, I’m spending a ton of time in the kitchen baking. Since we have a massive sweet tooth, I love making everything from sourdough and cinnamon rolls to macarons and brownies, and I especially love trying out dessert recipes from around the world.
I’m currently teaching myself how to play the piano. Kaelyn’s family is so musical, and I want to bring that same spirit to our family as well!
What is one of your favorite things to do in Chicago?
My favorite thing about Chicago is that there is always something exciting to do. I love going to neighborhood festivals and community events. We recently went to Chicago SummerDance—where they teach a different style of dance every night—and had a blast learning all types of dancing (vintage swing was my favorite). On quieter days, I enjoy finding new coffee shops to get a tasty iced latte.
The trail along Lake Michigan is quiet and empty at night, so I love having a peaceful run where all I hear is the sound of my breathing and thoughts from the day. Its easy to get caught up in the hustle and the bustle of the city, but running along the lakeshore helps me to unwind.
What is one trait you see in your spouse that will make them a good parent?
There are so many reasons Alex will be an incredible dad, but his combination of integrity and humor stands out the most. He does the right thing (even when it’s hard) and also knows how to enjoy life. All the kids in our lives love playing with him, and he constantly has everyone laughing. His balance of strength, kindness, and joy will make him a wonderful parent.
Kaelyn is an amazing woman and wife, but her thoughtfulness stands out among her many admirable traits. She always adds a personal touch to gifts and letters to others. She thinks of little things to make guests feel at ease when they stay with us. Her memory of birthdays, baptisms, and anniversaries for our nieces and nephews allow us as a couple to stay especially close to them.
What is one of your favorite family traditions?
One of my favorite traditions is sleeping around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. We drag air mattresses, cots, and sleeping bags into the living room so we can wake up right next to full stockings and presents. Growing up, it felt so magical knowing Santa was tiptoeing right around us while we slept. My siblings and I are all adults now, but we still sleep around the tree when we’re home for Christmas! We can’t wait to add a tiny sleeping bag to our living room campout.
My favorite tradition is a Thanksgiving morning “Turkey Trot.” It started off in an official capacity in an actual race, but my dad, my brother, and I shifted to running through our neighborhood for three miles first thing in the morning. We’re not always together on Thanksgiving, but, for me, it’s a great way to stay connected to my family spread across the country around the holidays.
