We’ve been together for about 13 years and married for five. We met online when we were in college - Matt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Ben in Greenville, North Carolina. Matt moved to South Carolina for Grad School, which brought us closer together, but we still dated long distance before finally living together in Charlotte, NC in 2012. We got two yellow labrador puppies in 2013 and got married in Wisconsin in 2018. After we got married, we decided to find a smaller town, closer to some family to continue building our family. We moved from NC to Appleton, Wisconsin in October 2018. 

On July 1, 2020, while traveling in North Carolina to visit family, we received the wonderful phone call from our adoption agency, letting us know that a beautiful baby girl had been born two days prior, in Appleton, and her birth mother had chosen us to be the adoptive parents… if we could get back to Appleton, WI within the next 24 hours. 

Being in the mountains of North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic, desperately trying to get back to Wisconsin wasn’t easy. We weren’t able to find reliable flights that would get us home in time, and renting cars to travel across state lines wasn’t allowed, due to COVID restrictions. We were stuck, until Ben’s brother suggested calling U-Haul, assuming they’d have to let us travel across state lines with their rented vehicle. Within the hour we were driving a COMPLETELY empty, 20” U-Haul through the mountains of North Carolina, on our way home to meet our daughter. It was a 17-hour drive through the night, but we made it back to Appleton with plenty of time to spare to meet our beautiful daughter.

Is being a Dad easy? No. Absolutely not. 100% no. 

But is it also the best thing in the entire world? 

Yes. Absolutely yes. 100% yes. 

We often say being a Dad is the best, hardest job we've ever had. Some days are filled with unicorn stickers, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. Other days are filled with ear infections, marker stains on the furniture and diarrhea diapers. But as challenging as it may be at times, it's the pure joy of loving our daughter every day that makes us want to do it all over again. Our daughter is the best gift we've ever been given. It feels almost greedy to hope for another. But any child we are blessed to bring into our home will know unconditional love and support. Always. 

We are very grateful for the great support system of family members and friends that we have in our lives. In good times and bad, we know these folks will always be there for us, our daughter and any other child we welcome into our lives.   

Fun Facts About Us

Matthew & Benjamin

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Our Dogs

We bought our house in October 2018 and have been in love with it ever since. We have a family room where we have cozy fires in the winter, a large kitchen island perfect for family dinner, baking, game night and arts and crafts, and a backyard where we spend time grilling, playing in the kiddie pool, relaxing on our patio and having campfires. We always feel very grateful that we get to live in this beautiful little cottage in the wonderful city of Appleton. 

Years Together: 13, Married for 5

Practiced Religion: We consider ourselves spirtual

​Matthew's Occupation: Marketing, but currently a full time stay-at- home Dad.

​Benjamin's Occupation: Operations Manager​

Pets: Yes, 2 Dogs - Finn and Jake

Stay-At-Home Parent: Yes​

​Other Adopted Children: Yes

​Other Biological Children: No

Our daughter is a 2.5 year old smart, spunky, creative and kind little girl. Her favorite food is salmon, her favorite book is, “Because a Little Bug Went Ka-choo!” and her favorite color changes by the day - but today it is yellow. She loves drawing, painting, music, baking, dancing, the park, going on walks and so much more. She loves playing with her friends and cousins, but she's ready to have a little brother or sister to grow up with! She's a great helper around the house and we know she will be the best sister ever!

Our Daughter

Jake and Finn are our cute, cuddly and loyal yellow labs. They are brothers and are 10 years old. We love taking them on walks, bike rides and hikes, swims in the lake and cuddling with them at home. They are great with our daughter and love being around kids. They are the best pups a family could ask for. 

Photos

Dear Birthparents,
We are so very grateful that you've taken the time to view our profile as you make this very difficult and important decision. We cannot begin to imagine the emotions and thoughtful reflection that have gone into making your decision. Your strength and courage are honorable.

We are Matthew and Benjamin. We've been married almost five years and have spent the last 13 years together building a life and a home we love. As we weren't born with all the necessary equipment to grow a family on our own, we knew right away that adoption would be our path to fatherhood. We adopted our beautiful daughter 2.5 years ago, and the day we took her home from the hospital was easily the best day of our lives.

We enjoy spending our time with family and friends, discovering new music and foods, baking, hiking, days spent at the park, taking bike rides and staying active with our two dogs. 

After 2.5 years of raising our daughter, we are ready to grow our family once again. Our daughter is especially eager for a sibling to grow up with. There aren't many guarantees in life, but we want you to know that if you choose to place your child into our lives, they will forever know love, support and family.

We intend to always be honest and open with our children regarding how our family was assembled and would be happy to create a relationship with you that makes sense for everyone.

Thank you again,

Matthew & Benjamin

 

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