Hello, we are Ben and Karen. Thank you for taking the time to learn about us.
Ben and I met in 2002 through mutual friends. Although we grew up in completely different
backgrounds, we discovered we shared a love for movies, reading, classic cars, history, and
travel. We were married in 2005 and settled into a renovated farmhouse where we live now.
After several years of trying unsuccessfully to grow our family, we looked into adoption. We
have several people in our circle of friends and family who were blessed by adoption and
decided that that was what we wanted to do as well. Our families and friends have been super
supportive and we cannot wait to introduce them to our newest member of the family!
About Ben
Ben was born into a military family and lived in several different states until his dad retired and
they made their final move to his mom’s hometown, about 20 miles from where we currently
live. He is an only child. Ben has always lived in big cities, and moving to the country was a big
change for him, but now he can’t imagine living anywhere else. In school, Ben was in the
marching band and can play several instruments. He went to technical college and got an
automotive degree and is a certified mechanic, but decided the car parts industry was where he
wanted to be. He works on cars in his spare time.
Besides working on cars, his other hobbies are science fiction, traveling, and reading. He really
has a knack for diagnosing problems in vehicles and can fix just about anything with an engine.
He loves to be around our bonus nieces and nephews and is often the go-to person when they
need help with car trouble or broken toys.
Ben is quiet and shy until you get to know him, but is extremely loyal and helpful to those in
need. He is patient and fun with kids. He will be a wonderful, supportive father who will be very
involved in his or her life.
About Karen
Karen is a true country girl at heart. Both sides of the family were dairy farmers. Growing up,
she worked in the milk barn, the hay field, and did whatever else was needed on the farm. Karen
is an only child, but grew up right down the road from several cousins, so she doesn’t seem like
an only child. They were always together growing up. Karen also grew up in a family of
teachers, so it was natural to move toward a teaching degree. She has three degrees in different
teaching areas, but has taught students with moderate and severe disabilities for 13 years.
Karen’s hobbies include reading, crafting, traveling, and singing. Karen can create almost
anything with craft supplies. In high school and college, she was in the choir and sometimes
sings for weddings, funerals, and events today. She is the person for school
projects/crafts for our bonus nieces and nephews as well as the party planner/decorator for most
functions and parties in our circle of friends and family.
Karen is the organizer and planner for our family. She is helpful and the first person to
volunteer. She is patient and kind and has a heart of gold for kids. She will be a wonderful,
loving mother with endless ideas to keep a little one busy!
We live in a renovated farmhouse that sits back off the road in the fields. We have three
bedrooms downstairs and have two upstairs. We have a large yard and no close neighbors. Many
of Karen’s extended family live on the same road. We do plan to move or build eventually, but
we really love where we are right now. When we do move, we plan to stay in the same area next
to our family.
We have one dog, Rosie, who is a basset hound/golden retriever mix. She is a gentle dog who
loves when kids visit our house. She stays right with them and watches over them while they are
there.
We also have three cats. Reilly and Roxie are the calicos and Milo is an orange tabby. We didn’t
exactly set out to have three cats, but Ben has a soft spot for animals in need and rescued Reilly
and Milo. Both were found as kittens and were in rough shape. Karen has always had animals
growing up and was able to nurse them back to health. By then, we were fully attached, so they
became part of our family.
Ben’s parents live 20 miles from where we live. We visit them about once a week. He also has
one uncle and two cousins in the same town. His dad is from Oregon and all of that side of his
family are there.
Karen’s parents live 3 miles from where we live, along with several aunts, uncles and cousins
scattered in between. They are a very close-knit family, attending the same church, dropping by
for visits, and helping when needed.
Since we are both only children, we also have friends that have become like siblings to us. There
are three families that we see frequently and consider family. We take family vacations together,
go camping, and get together for holidays and birthday parties.
Everyone is so excited to have another child in the family. They will have many other children to
play with, honorary aunts, uncles, and grandparents to spoil them.
We believe that to be a parent is the most important job and the most rewarding experience
we will ever have. Our goal is to make sure they have all the opportunities they need to be
successful in life. We want them to work hard and achieve their goals, but we also want them
to be caring and compassionate and help others. Most importantly, we want them to know
they are loved.
We both work 9-5 jobs, so we are home in the evenings and weekends. Being a teacher, Karen is
also off all school holidays. We value our downtime at home, just spending time as a family.
Living in the country, we like the simple things in life. Sunday drives, walking trails, and sitting
on the front porch. We have a camper and enjoy weekends camping both at campgrounds and at
a friend’s family farm.
We also love to travel. We want to eventually travel to all 50 states. We both love history and
enjoy museums, historical landmarks, and just seeing new places. We also enjoy cruises and
going to the beach. We are always up for a road trip!
We are members of our local fair board, so we spend time helping to put on our local county fair
as well as other events throughout the year.
Thank you so much for taking time to learn more about us. We cannot thank you enough for
considering us. We admire you for making this decision, and we promise to be the best parents
that we can be if chosen.
If we do get the chance to meet, it is our hope that you will be open and honest with us. Ask us
anything. We promise to be open and honest with you. We want the child we adopt to know
from the beginning about their adoption and we want them to know where they came from.
We are also open to maintaining a connection after an adoption is finalized if that is something
you are interested in. We promise to work with you on what you want us to share and how
open you would like our relationship to be.
This profile is only a small snapshot of our lives. If you have any questions, feel free to reach
out. We look forward to getting to know you better, and most of all, we wish you all the best as
you make this decision.
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