Megan & Nick

Everything from eating meals together, cooking, and baking we do as our small family and with our larger family. We were lucky to have many of the same traditions, and Megan, being the crafter and creative one, helps ensure we uphold them all. From decorating our Christmas tree and home together, visits to Santa, making gingerbread houses, trick-or-treating to picking pumpkins, dying Easter eggs, and egg hunts at our home and with family, to the simple things like jumping in fall leaves and sledding down hills. We look forward to it all in the year. The holidays are a busy time, so we split time with each of our families. If we are with one side of the family for Thanksgiving or Easter one year, we are with the other side the next year. We are blessed to have family and friends who like to gather and celebrate life together.

Birthdays are extra special in our home. We hope our children will look back and always recognize our love for them, especially by creating magical days to celebrate their special day.

We've only been here for a year, but this house immediately felt like home. We continue to decorate and make updates but we're very happy here and hope that this will be our forever home. • Megan's favorite part of the house is the open floorplan of the kitchen to the family room so everyone can always be together. Our home is great for entertaining family and friends! • Nick really enjoys the deck and fresh landscaping he's been able to do, as well as the small Metroparks path in our neighborhood. • Ellie's favorite part is the playroom with the rainbow decal, which gives her space to spread out and play with toys. We are part of a great school district and are fortunate to have friendly neighbors. We look forward to many years of memory-making in this house.

We both have fond memories of vacationing with our families, and we are thrilled to keep this going as adults. We love our beach trips, primarily to Hilton Head with Megan's family and Anna Maria Island with Nick's family. These are sentimental trips for both of us. We've also stayed at cabins in Hocking Hills and Elk Lake with Nick's family. We enjoy breaking up the cycle of day-to-day life and experiencing something new. Beach vacations are nice, relaxing, and great for our young family, but we have also been to Disney with Ellie in 2022. We had a great time exploring Savannah with her as well. As a couple, we've been to Boston, Salem, Charleston, Asheville, Grand Rapids, and Grenada. We look forward to a family trip out west, visiting Williamsburg, exploring Europe (especially Italy!) and so much more!

• We are blessed to have most of our family local, including our extended families that we see regularly throughout the year! • Fortunately, both our families are tight-knit. We spend time with them, primarily at a grandparents' house almost every weekend. We've also made lasting memories on family vacations with each side! • Ali is Megan's sister. She and Clay are expecting baby Lia this fall! They are also looking for homes nearby and we can't wait to have them closer. • Marissa (Nick's sister), and her husband Matt had their son Brody in 2023. Ellie adores her little cousin! • Liv (Nick's youngest sister) is marrying Josh this fall and we are excited to have him 'officially' join our family!

• Many of our friends have children that are of similar ages and stages to Ellie. We love catching up with each other and setting the kids loose to play. • We like to go out to eat one night on the weekends. One of Ellie's favorite phrases is "Chips and cheese and salsa, please!" • Storytime at the library, season passes to the zoo, animal farms, picking fruits and flowers, and visiting lots of playgrounds and parks are some of the fun things we do as a family! • Nick and Megan enjoy spending date nights at the movies or a local restaurant.

We consider new experiences or anything outside the norm to be an adventure! One of our absolute favorite family adventures is a trip to the zoo. We feel like we often come across something new and love watching Ellie discover new things as she's gotten older. With Ellie's love for the outdoors coupled with an affinity for animals, visiting orchards and farms is another top option. We've really enjoyed baseball games over the last couple of years. Ellie especially loves the hot dog races and the big slide in the family play area. This fall, we visited Cedar Point Amusement Park with Ellie for the first time. We fully expect to field questions about when we're going back until it opens again in spring. Disney on Ice, a ride on the Polar Express, and visits to the science center and the movie theater (Paw Patrol) are a few more favorites that we can't ignore. We also got to have our own little adventure in Grand Haven, MI for our 10th anniversary in 2024.

We'd like to introduce you to someone very special to us, our daughter, Ellie. Ellie is a happy, vibrant girl who brings so much joy to those around her. She loves stories (Disney in particular) and we often spend time reading or doing all kinds of imaginative play. She also has a love of the outdoors, whether it's playing at a park, hiking, riding bikes/scooters, or doing anything at all with family and friends. Her kindness shines through in everything she does. She dreams of becoming a mommy and veterinarian one day. Her favorite show is even Animal Kingdom because she gets to see the zookeepers help the animals. Ellie also has a quirky ambition of driving a garbage truck, which she finds fascinating! As a 29-week preemie, Ellie has shown incredible strength and resilience. She has such a big heart, and we are proud of her thoughtful nature. Ellie has already been asking about her new sibling. We know she will bring so much love and excitement to their life.

From the very beginning, Nick has shown himself to be patient, loyal, and kind. We hit it off right away and with more than 16 years together, I can't imagine life without him by my side. He's a rock for our family. His calm levelheadedness and patience shine in his career as a Claims and Risk Specialist, but it also helps keep our home the haven it is for us. His teasing and silliness also keep us on our toes! Nick has a deep love for nature, often finding joy in exploring the outdoors. He loves reading, and exercising and is passionate about sports, especially football. His considerate nature shines through in everything he does; he truly takes the time to understand and care for the feelings of those around him. He has a special place in his heart for animals, and he consistently shows his love through acts of service. Nick is always ready to lend a hand to family and friends. His loyalty as a spouse, friend, and son is unwavering, and I know he will bring that same dedication as we expand our family. I'lI never forget when a friend asked me how I knew Nick was the one for me. I responded that, beyond the love he shows me, especially through four years of a long-distance relationship in college, I knew he would be an incredible father to our children.

Megan is passionate, unique, and caring. These three things are usually obvious from the first time you meet her. She loves giving unexpected gifts and makes sure you know she's thinking about you if you're going through a tough time. At the same time, she's the type of person who doesn't expect much for herself and may show her appreciation through a couple of tears when she receives a thoughtful gift or compliment. Every once in a while, she'll throw out what I call a "Meganism," which is typically a rarely used word or phrase like "peachy." People really enjoy her personality. Megan also loves to have fun. She prioritizes new experiences, traveling, and gatherings with family and friends. She's lucky her job is something she enjoys. Working in marketing and with food for a small family grocer. As a mom, she never runs out of creative crafts and games. She keeps Ellie guessing about what's next and each new thing is fun with an eye towards her growth. No matter what her work day looked like, Megan always has the time and patience for imaginative play with Ellie. I've always known that she would be a great mom and can't wait to see her with our new baby.

Weekends or work days, the mornings typically start off with some good morning cuddles with Ellie in bed. Depending on the plans, we like to take Saturdays slow. Megan and Ellie will sometimes run out and pick up donuts as a special treat. Weekdays include getting Ellie on and off the bus. We are lucky, one of us works from home almost every day. Weekends are more fun. We typically take time to clean and prep for the week ahead, but we fill them with activities. Cooking, baking, board games, playing with Minnie, seeing family and friends, and arts and crafts are part of a typical weekend for us. Ellie and Megan go to the grocery store together where Ellie is rewarded with a slice of cheese from the deli department, and smiles from all our friends at the store. Weather permitting, Nick and Ellie love biking or scootering up to the local playground, and exploring the creek and pond. We typically have pizza and movie night most Fridays as a way to relax and unwind. Dinner out one night on the weekend is standard for us, a break from the meals we make and eat together during the weeknights. Dance parties and a regular bedtime routine of stories, prayers, and evening snuggles wraps up our evening with Ellie. Then the two of us get to enjoy time together relaxing with a show or sports game.