What does "Family Life" mean to you?
Family life to us means spending time with loved ones who know our strengths as well as our faults, and love us unconditionally anyway. Family is a big word and in our case it is almost an understatement. Travis and I have a very large extended family. Together we have an adopted son, 3 siblings, 8 nieces and nephews, over 30 aunts and uncles, and more than 75 first cousins. This may sound overwhelming, but it is amazing to be a part of a large family to share our lives with especially during the holidays, and on anniversaries, birthdays, etc.
Describe your childhood:
Adoptive Mom? Looking back at my childhood, some of my favorite memories were times spent outdoors on the farm with my dad or in the garden with my mom. My favorite memories in the summer were spending a week or weekend at either of my grandparents with my two sisters and our many cousins.
Adoptive Dad? I had a very fun childhood. Summer vacations were enjoyable. I spent them going to the mountains and visiting family. Living on a farm, my brother and I enjoyed exploring the woods and playing outdoors in the dirt with our tractors and with our dogs.
Tell us about your home?
Our home is a three-bedroom ranch-style house located on a farm in a small rural community. We have a full-unfinished walkout basement leading into a large backyard that has a playhouse, sandbox, swing set and slide. We live on a gravel road with minimal traffic making our home and yard a very peaceful place to live. Our back deck overlooks our pasture and pond where we sit many evenings in the summer, watching the cattle graze.
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
We enjoy spending time outdoors any chance we get whether it be gardening, fishing or taking walks around the farm. Long weekends are often spent catching up with our large extended family and many friends at barbeques and dinners.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
Our son, Zane, has three kittens that are very playful. We also have two dogs that help us on the farm with our cattle.
What is your favorite food?
Lois loves her mom’s baked chicken with sweet dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy. Travis’ favorite food is ANY steak, especially a large T-Bone which he is able to have often as we raise cattle on our farm.
What do you hope to teach your children?
To respect life and others. We hope to teach our children the importance of family and faith in their lives and to have the self-confidence to follow their dreams.
Do you play any musical instruments?
Not really an instrument, but Travis enjoys whistling and Lois enjoys singing.
Describe your neighborhood?
We live in a small closely-knit rural community. We may not have large attractions like a big city would, but as most people in our community would say, we have so much more. We have a true sense of community and peaceful surroundings. There are many community activities, which include church picnics and gatherings, and county fairs and festivals. Most weekends, there is usually a gathering with either family or friends, which includes barbeques, games, and visiting. We also live within an hour of larger cities that have other attractions such as museums, parks, water parks, and shopping centers, giving us easy access to the best of both worlds.
Share something about your spouse that only you know:
Adoptive Mom? Lois likes to sing in the car.
Adoptive Dad? Travis is a kid at heart and still likes to play with toy John Deere tractors as well as the real ones he drives on the farm.
Describe the last romantic thing you did together?
We had a date night where we had a nice supper and then went to watch the movie The Timetraveler’s Wife. On a daily basis, we never leave the house in the morning or go to bed at night without a kiss and telling each other “I love you.”
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
We will tell our child that his/her birthmother loved her baby very much and wanted to give him/her more than what she could offer at this time in her life. Our child will know how grateful we are to his/her birthmother and of the unconditional love and sacrifice that she made for her baby.
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
Spend the entire day with our children doing activities that would be fun for them which may include teaching them to fish or playing ball in the yard.
Do you plan on sharing with your child what their birth parents were like?
We hope to be able to share with our child as many stories about their birthparents as possible. We feel it is very important for him/her to know where they came from as well as the love that was given to them by their birthparents before they were born and of the sacrifice that was made for him/her.
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
We plan to send our children to the Catholic elementary school in the local parish where we attend mass. This is the same elementary school that Lois attended as a young girl. We feel that this school offers many benefits to children including small class sizes as well as a religious education that teaches children a faith that will give them strength in the future.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
Travis and I (Lois) have dreamed of having children and a family of our own since very early in our relationship. To us being able to share our lives, love, beliefs, and morals with children is the most important role that we can have in life. God has led us to the path of adoption to help us fulfill this very important role.
What faith will you raise your child?
We plan to raise our children in the Catholic faith. We believe a deep faith in God’s love will provide our children with the strength and confidence to make it through any difficult times in their lives.
How will you help your child accomplish their dreams?
We hope to be able to show our children that they are loved unconditionally and will have our support and guidance no matter what. We hope that our children will be raised with a strong faith in God, and have the confidence, morals and values to achieve whatever dreams they may have.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
The relationship that we share with our birthmother will depend upon what she chooses. If she would like, we are open to sharing phone calls, emails, and pictures with her both before and after her baby is born. We would later share these emails with our child if she would like. We also understand if our birthmom chooses to have little contact with us and would respect her choice.
How did you meet?
Travis and I met our junior year of high school through a mutual friend. We went on a few dates at that time, but went our separate ways. Two years later at that same mutual friend’s wedding, we met again and really hit it off. In February 1996, we began dating and became each other’s best friend. We have been together ever since.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
We both have close relationships with our parents. We are able to discuss difficult issues with them and they are always there to lend their support and advice. Although when growing up, we may not have liked the decisions our parents made for us at times, we must say they knew what they were doing because they have each raised their children to be loving, responsible adults. We hope that we are able to learn from their example and raise our children with the same love and respect.
What attracted you to each other?
We were both raised on farms with similar beliefs on life and the same moral upbringing. Lois was attracted to the way Travis was able to always make her smile and laugh. Travis fell in love with Lois because she has a loving personality and laughs at his craziness.
Please describe your personalities:
Adoptive Mom? Lois is a very family-oriented person and is most happy when she is with friends and family. She is a good listener, very supportive and understanding, and has lots of love to share. Lois is also shy in unfamiliar surroundings.
Adoptive Dad? Travis is a very loving and supportive individual who is always willing to lend a hand to others in need. He also has a good sense of humor and is young at heart. Travis is a very caring individual and hates to see others in pain or in need, especially a child.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Adoptive Mom? Spending time outdoors in my vegetable or flower gardens and crocheting. I also enjoy going for walks with my husband and son.
Adoptive Dad? Hunting, doing mechanic work on tractors and seeing how things work. As a family, we enjoy fishing on the weekends.
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
My thoughts are filled with an unlimited amount of love and gratitude to our birthmom for her strength and courage to choose life for this precious miracle. She will always be in my thoughts and prayers for the love and sacrifice she showed for our baby and for allowing us to be her baby’s family.
How will a child enrich your life?
A child is the most precious gift we can receive in our life. A child will fill our life with unlimited joy and he or she will know they will always have our unconditional love and support.
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Adoptive Mom? I have always enjoyed “playing” with numbers and that is what I get to do everyday as a Certified Public Accountant.
Adoptive Dad? I was raised on a farm and always enjoyed helping out where I could as a little boy. I still enjoy working on the farm as part of a three generation farming operation with my dad and grandpa. I also like to help those in need and volunteer my time as a volunteer firefighter and medical first responder for two communities.
What makes a birthmom special?
A birthmom is a very special person for putting the life of her baby ahead of her own. The unselfishness and love she shows her baby makes her a very strong individual who will always be admired in our eyes.
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