Hi there, we are Travis and Meranda. Thank you for choosing to read our story and learn more about us.  

We began dating in early 2004, while still in high school. After graduation, we went to the same college and eventually moved in together to start the next chapter of our lives. After seven years of dating, we were finally married in 2011. Shortly after our honeymoon at Disney World in 2012, we decided to settle down and build a home near Lansing, Michigan. Little did we know that four years later we would be packing up and moving back to Northern Michigan to be closer to the family! 

In 2014, we decided it was time to try and start a family. We tried for a period of time to get pregnant naturally but we were unable to conceive naturally. At this point, we also began to look into IUI and IVF options. We went through many rounds of IUI and two rounds of IVF and we were unable to conceive. In November 2020 we were selected to be the adoptive parents of a baby girl, Audrey.  At the end of December, she was born and we have been in love with her since then! She is nearly four years old singing and dancing all of the time, constantly looking for bugs and other insects outside all while learning more and more every day! She enjoys playing in a small playhouse in the backyard, kicking a soccer ball around and riding her bike! We've also been working on a trail on our property and she loves taking walks in the backyard. Audrey also has a few month old puppy. She loves playing with her and helping take care of her through feeding and walking. We are hopefully looking forward to watching her step into a big sister role with a sibling in the future!

Despite the challenges with natural conception, IUI and IVF we have always loved children, and we’re excited to continue to grow our family through adoption.  

I first met Meranda when I was in high school. She was two grades below me but always tried to talk to me during lunch hour or in passing in the hallways. I thought she was just being nice, but I didn’t realize she had a crush on me. After some time, I finally worked up the courage to ask her out and she said “yes!” 

Meranda has grown from being my high-school sweetheart into being the love of my life and finally, my wife. I really could not see myself spending the rest of my life with anyone else. Meranda is one of the most kind, compassionate and helpful people you will meet. She is always there to listen and support me if I am having a bad day and will always try to cheer me up if I am feeling down. 

Meranda is an absolutely incredible mother. Audrey is her little shadow following her around each day. They spend time reading and planning new things to create. Being the oldest of six she always hoped to have a family of her own. It has been a joy watching that dream come true as we parent Audrey together and await another precious little one. 

Fun Facts about Meranda: 

• She is a Radiologic Technologist for a local hospital.
• She enjoys reading, the arts and is very crafty. For crafting, she has quilted many blankets and other items. 
• She’s an incredible baker too!  

When I first saw Travis in high school, I thought, "Wow, he is good-looking." Let me just say I had a huge crush on him! I tried to get his attention, but after a while, I gave up, and then he started to show interest in me. He first asked me out by my locker one day after class. I said "yes" apprehensively, but I am so glad I did. 

Travis is not only my best friend but the love of my life. I cannot see myself with anyone else. He is intelligent, compassionate, and helpful to anyone. He loves exploring nature with Audrey and making delicious dinners for our family. He is so patient and enjoys teaching Audrey his many culinary skills. Watching her by his side in the kitchen gives me so much joy. I can't wait for another little one to join in their fun. 

Fun Facts about Travis: 

• He is a Senior Cloud Engineer performing IT work remotely.
• He loves to run, bike and hike.
• He's the cook in our house! He's always making dinner.
• You can often find him playing with the dogs.
• He loves hanging out with Audrey playing games, reading and watching her grow more each day.

In November 2020, we met Audrey's birth mother. A month later, Audrey was born. We spent the weeks after our meeting building a relationship, getting ready for her birth, and preparing her room. When Audrey arrived, we could not believe we were parents! We absolutely fell in love with her.

Audrey attends a local daycare and has several friends there in her class. She is always excited to go in the morning and looks forward to seeing them every day. On the weekends she always asks when she can go see her friends at daycare! 

Audrey is nearly four years old and becoming more active and outgoing each day. She absolutely loves reading, playing board games and has a puppy she adores.

One of the first things she did when she could walk was to go to her box of books and bring one book after another to us, likely because of how much we read when she was younger. After she started talking more, this continued, and on each trip to get another book, she would say, "I read a book."

Even as Audrey gets older, she still mimics everything we do and always tries to help out. Whether it is cooking, washing dishes, laundry or yard work, really anything around the house she always wants to be involved and learn how it works.

We are excited to watch her include a new brother or sister in all these fun things and share the adoption journey with them.

Fun Facts About Audrey:

* She knows a lot of the lyrics to several Disney songs from movies like Moana, Wish and Encanto.

* She absolutely loves animals. We frequently look for events where she can see them up close and even pet them. This fall she was able to even ride a horse at a family friend's house.

* She loves fruit - Strawberries, blueberries, apples - If fruit is involved she will usually eat it.

* She enjoys going for walks in the evening with our dogs, Bear and Callie.

We live in a cozy three-bedroom home just outside of town. Our favorite part of our home is the yard. We live on five acres with a large number of trees that provide natural shade. We enjoy sitting in the backyard during the spring/summer/fall while cooking hot dogs, hamburgers, and s’mores on our fire pit. Our yard has plenty of room for any growing child to enjoy! 

We share our home with our 12-year-old dog, Bear. He’s a Shorkie (Yorkshire / Shih Tzu mix) who loves going for walks and following us around the kitchen to clean up any food that Audrey may drop! Bear is super sweet and cuddly, and he loves being around both adults and children. Audrey has become his best friend.  

Our home is in a rural area. We live within a few minutes of berry-picking farms, grocery stores, trails, libraries, theaters, and much more. While it is within a mile of town, it is still very quiet when outside and you can hear a lot of wildlife and nature. Bear likes to accompany us when we take Audrey for walks and when we go to the park in town during the warmer months. Our community is family-oriented and there are a lot of activities happening throughout the year that we enjoy together and look forward to sharing with another child.

Things We Love To Do Together: 

• Parades
• Walk / Run Events
• County Fairs
• Farmers Markets
• Craft Events
• School Sporting Events 

Meranda is the oldest of six children. She has four sisters and one brother. Five of the six siblings live in Michigan (within an hour's drive), while one lives with her husband and their daughter in Missouri. All of the siblings are very close. They love to get together and have sibling time. She also has two nephews and two nieces, who love to be with her and Audrey. Together they play hide and seek, take selfies, and run around getting tickled. 

Travis is an only child though not by choice. His parents tried having children for many years and by a miracle had Travis. Having no siblings, he played with his cousins a lot while growing up as several of them lived within a few miles. We visit with them as often as we can. Travis has great relationships with all of his brother-in-laws and frequently goes fishing or golfing with them. 

Everyone, from our parents to siblings to extended family and friends, is excited about our decision to adopt again. We got so much support and encouragement from our loved ones when we adopted Audrey, and we cannot wait to introduce them to the family's newest member. 

Travis has always liked being outside, whether it is running, biking, hiking, or ice fishing with his brother-in-laws and father-in-law. He loves golfing during the summer as well as playing games outdoors with our daughter. Travis enjoys tinkering with computers and watching movies in his spare time. He loves teaching Audrey everything the outdoors has to offer and can't wait to have another child join them! 

Meranda likes being around her family. Some of her hobbies include quilting, playing with Audrey, taking Bear for walks, arranging play dates with Audrey's cousins, playing golf, reading, watching movies, and hanging out with her close friends. She has always been crafty and I love watching her and Audrey's imaginations run wild with art! 

We’re big into traveling. We like to go sightseeing, visit new places, and take trips together as a family to see Meranda’s god-daughter (niece) in Missouri. We also enjoy taking lots of pictures, mostly of Audrey, and nature, and spending time with friends and family. We both listen to a variety of music, including country, pop, classic music, and rock -- really any genre.  We are excited about having another child join in on our fun times together.

We want to take the time to thank you for not only looking at our book but for taking the time to get a glimpse of our life. We cannot express how grateful we are that you are bringing your beautiful child into this world. If chosen as an adoptive family, we promise to give everything we have to your baby - love, acceptance, a loving extended family, and a great home/community in which to grow up.   

We welcome you and your family to continue to be a part of your child’s life, whether it means meeting up, Facetime, or sending letters/photos. Regardless of the level of openness, we will always remind the child of the sacrifice you made in choosing adoption.  

While you are considering your adoption plan, know that we are here for you and your child. We hope that you will consider us as your potential adoptive parents of your child and look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Love, 

Travis, Meranda, Audrey, Bear and Callie