By the time Sadie came into our lives, she had already done quite a bit of living herself. She was rescued from a shelter in Georgia and brought to New York to live in a foster home. Although she was only about a year old, it was suspected that at some point in her past she had already given birth to puppies. When we met Sadie, she was a loveable pup who just wanted affection, and was willing to interrupt anything you were doing to shove herself into your arms to get it. Five years later, not much has changed. Sadie enjoys sprinting around the yard with reckless abandon before curling up as close to mom as possible for an afternoon nap. She only knows three commands (sit, down, and shake), but she will do those three tricks with such confidence that you feel heartbroken for not rewarding her while trying to get her to do something different. She is not the clever dog in the house, but she always knows when you’re going to get a snack from the kitchen. She is a beloved member of the family, and we feel so blessed to have her constantly by our side demanding more head pats.

- Scott

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After Scott was a main player at his brother's wedding this fall, we had another family event that was much more low key (for us personally at least!). My cousin got married in my home town, so we travelled down for the weekend to attend. And yes, I did wear the same dress! You can decide for yourself if I was breaking a fashion rule :) Spending time with my cousins reminded me how great it is to see family after a long while away, and be able to dance together all night as if we had never been gone. We had a lovely time celebrating Keaton and Angela, and look forward to many happy reunions with them in the future. 

- Kelsey 

Vacation time is important for any family, to allow them to spend time together and do activities they enjoy. The time away from work isn't always a bad thing either. We spend a recent weekend in the mountains and took the dogs on a great hike. It brings me so much joy to see their excitement at exploring a new environment. The top of the mountain provided lovely views of the changing leaves around. Fall is a season I have come to appreciate more, and this adventure was an excellent example of why. We look forward to many more new explorations!

With the weather finally cooling down a bit to a reasonable summer temperature, we took advantage of a day off to go for a hike at a nearby lake. We hadn't been to this specific area before but found it absolutely beautiful! The trail led right up to the waterfront with some small secluded beaches. We could not help but imagine returning here with our little one to have picnics and enjoy a day of swimming and kayaking. On the way home, we stopped by a local ice cream shop, which was (excuse the bad humor) the cherry on top of a great day. We certainly will be back there in the future, hopefully with our little one joining along!

- Kelsey 

I had the honor of attending my brother Steve's wedding last weekend not just as a guest, but as the officiant. Kelsey patiently listened to me rehearse multiple times on our several-hour drive to the venue. It was a joy to see my brother marry the love of his life, surrounded and supported by all out family members. Kelsey and I had a great time catching up with everyone, and even making some new friends. We have several more weddings this month and we are looking forward to each celebration. Seeing other couples celebrating their love story is a further reminder of how much Kelsey and I mean to each other, and how excited we are to be in the process of starting our own family. 

Congratulations to all the newlyweds out there! 

- Scott 

Hi there, readers! 

If anyone has happened to notice, it has been a while since either myself or Scott has posted here. To be honest, the last few months seem to have gone by in a blink, but also dragged on. Going in to the adoption process, we both knew that there was a waiting game to be played. Recently it has been hard to think about all the time that has passed since we starting trying to build our family, and likely, how much there is yet to come. 

While our family isn't quite complete just yet, one of the things that always keeps me smiling is how much I still love our family the way it is right now. Our adventures with the puppies make me so grateful for each and every day that comes along. In the evenings after work, when we are all sitting on the couch together (yes our dogs come on the couch!) and watching a funny show, I cannot help but smile to myself. I know our future child will be so loved and cherished in our little family. Until then, we are still happy, smiling, and loving every day together. 

Kelsey 

Ok, so I may be a few days late to the party, but hey we can celebrate 2022 all year long, right? I have never been one to make resolutions. I personally prefer to go after a goal regardless of whether it's January or June. But, there is still something about a new year that feels like a fresh start, and I can feel a sense of excited anticipation. 2022 may just be the year Scott and I meet our newest family member! Or we could get the chance to take the vacation that has been on hold for a while now. Or we could just simply enjoy the fact that we get to have another year spending time together. To any and all of you following along with us, I hope the next 355 days bring you something positive and joyful in your lives. Now that I am sitting down writing this, I think I will give myself a goal for 2022 after all (and still not call it a resolution!). I am going to try and be a source of good in other peoples' lives, even if just in the smallest way. I think those little moments are when we can have the biggest impact on the world around us.

I hope one day we can look back at this year as the time our family changed forever, in the absolute best way. 

Cheers to all of you and cheers to '22!

- Kelsey 

I’m looking forward to winter in general. I’ve been a fan of the snow ever since I was young, and there’s few things I enjoy more than wandering outside in freshly-fallen snow. It’s an experience that I can only hope our new child enjoys and shares with me. Kelsey tends to shy away from the snow since she doesn't like the cold as much, so normally it’s just me experiencing these things. The options for sledding, building snowmen, learning to ski or snowboard, and snowball fights are all things that I want to share with the newest addition to our family, in hopes of finding someone that will join me for winter adventures.

- Scott

We had a greaet surprise this morning when good friends of ours made it to the gym with their kids! It probably seems a little strange compared to a regular fitness center but our climbing gym is a great place to socialize. We have met many new friends there, and often families come to enjoy a day together. Scott and I were able to spend some time with the kiddos, and give mom and dad a bit of a rest. I can't wait until our little one is able to meet and play our friends' children, and it's reassurring to know we have a community of support around who will help us out once we are parents too! 

- Kelsey 

(photo shared with parents' consent) 

With all the unseasonably warm weather we've been having, it was the perfect day to take the dogs for a walk. We went to a local trail that follows a canal, and were able to enjoy the fresh air an sunshine as fallen leaves crunched under our feet. Afterwards, we went to a nearby dairy and got homemade ice cream, and of course the pups loved the treat! It will be wonderful to have our child join us on days like this in the future. The dogs are looking forward to it almost as much as we are! 

- Kelsey 

Today, while I was at the climbing gym, the general manager’s daughter said hello and struck up conversation with me. She’s a very sweet but shy young girl, about 5 or 6 years old. It was a big moment for me because she had previously not interacted with me, and instead would hide behind her mom or dad. I had taken to giving her reasonable space so she didn't feel pressured to talk. We chatted about how she had been running all day and now needed to go climb.

This moment was huge for me; I really enjoy climbing, and it was exciting to be able to talk with a young child about their interest in it as well. I look forward to the day I can bring my child to the gym with me. Being able to talk with a child about climbing and what they enjoy there gives me insight into how I can relate to my own child in the future, with my own interests and theirs.

- Scott 

To anyone who finds themselves reading here, hello! Thank you for taking the time to explore our profile. Both myself and Scott will be new to blogging so I hope you don't mind while we settle in to a groove with posting. 

It's been a bit of a process to get ourselves here to having a completed profile available for viewing. But now, the whole adoption process has finally started to feel real.  For someone like myself, waiting can be very difficult! Sometimes I have to remind myself to be patient, and that everything will work out the way it is supposed to. Knowing we will bring our new family member home someday soon certainly makes it all worthwhile. There is so much positive anticipation! 

I look forward to keeping you updated about our journey, and wish you the best along your own path.

- Kelsey 

Since before we were living together, Scott and I knew we wanted to have a dog. On the same day I moved into Scott's house in NY, Laika came home with us. She has been a part of our family from the very beginning.

Laika is the sassy drama queen of the household. She knows that she is cute and uses it to her advantage. We often tell her that she is too smart for her own good. She knows that dinner time is 7 pm, and at 6 pm on the dot will start asking for it with little howls that would make you think she has not had a meal in weeks. She loves belly rubs, but only if you walk across the room to get to her. As a husky, she loves being outside in the snow, but will spend hours lounging in the sunroom in the heat of summer. She also loves swimming, but don't ask her to go outside in the rain, or take a bath.

One of our favorite things about Laika is that she absolutely ADORES children. She may have learned that they tend to drop food on the floor more often than adults, but whenever a baby or toddler is around, she is practically glued to their side. We are so excited for her to be a best friend and companion to our own child.

- Kelsey