Occupation 

Teacher

Education

Master’s Degree

Hobby

Reading books, traveling & being outside

Favorite Food

Homemade pizza

Favorite Holiday

4th of July

Favorite TV Show

Lost 

Favorite Family Activity

Playing with Malakai & Swimming

Meet Malakai

Everyone who meets Kai says he is the happiest child they've ever met. He is full of joy, curious, independent, and so sweet. He is going to be an amazing big brother! He has started talking all the time about his new baby brother or sister. He rocks his baby doll, pretends to feed her, and sings songs to her.

It's very important that Kai develops a great self-image, so he has tons of books that reflect positive cultural role models and lots of toys that look like him. He attends a daycare with teachers and kids of all different backgrounds. We talk openly about his adoption and display pictures of his birth mom. He also has a photo album with special pictures that she sent to him.

Malakai embraces every day with excitement. He has lots to say and loves to make people laugh. Since I am a teacher, I get to spend all summer at home with him. We have so much fun swimming and playing in the water! He also caught his first fish this year. He loved the experience; however, when it came to touching the fish, he wasn't interested. :)

Malakai is very active and likes to play T-ball, soccer, and catch. He also loves to sing and play the drums! He enjoys pretend play and carries around a clipboard pretending he is a doctor or a coach. He loves to cook food in his toy kitchen, too.

Our Home

I have owned our beautiful home for 16 years. It's spacious and located in such a nice neighborhood. The best part is our huge fenced-in backyard, and we love spending time there. I love the hammock, and Kai loves his swing. He calls it his "dizzy" swing, and he laughs so loud every time he uses it.  Kai also likes our two slides, our water table, and all of our cars and balls. In addition, we spend lots of time at the parks and pools near our home. 

Kai started walking at a very young age, and he's been on the go ever since. He loves climbing, swimming, and going on my parents' pontoon boat. We take swimming lessons every week so he can learn important water safety skills since we love to go to the pool and the lake.  In the summer, we often have friends over for bonfires and water games. We sometimes set up tents in my yard or even in my living room if it's raining!  No matter the weather, we always try to make every day an adventure.

Our community is a perfect mix of big-city opportunities with a small-town feel. It is consistently rated one of the best cities to live in for its amazing quality of life. We have a children's museum, a zoo and adventure park, an amusement park, and several super fun water parks that we often visit. Kai and I both love to swim, and we would love to teach your child to love the water too. 

Our area gets a lot of snow in the winter, so we have a lot of fun outdoor activities, including the biggest and best sledding hill in the state and a beautiful outdoor ice skating rink. The city has many exciting opportunities but is also surrounded by beautiful and relaxing nature that we often enjoy with our friends and family!

Our immediate family includes my parents, my sisters Ketti and Kallie, my brother-in-law Dave, and my beloved 11-year-old niece Josie and 9-year-old nephew Tommy. Everyone loves Kai so much, and they can't wait to help with his new brother or sister!

Our family has an extremely close bond. They live a short drive away in the beautiful town where I grew up. We FaceTime often throughout the week and spend holidays and birthdays together. We also spend a lot of time with them in the summer at our family's lakefront property. Our time together is full of laughter and fun. They are overjoyed at the thought of welcoming a new baby into our family. 

My Squad & the Squadlets

I have a group of very close friends, and we call ourselves the "squad." The squad moms have a total of 17 kids among us. We call the kids the "squadlets," and they all call me Auntie. I am Godmother to two of the squadlets, and one of the squadlets is named after me, which is a great honor! We spend a lot of time together, and I always plan fun activities and games for all of the kids. I especially love messy projects like making slime and helping the kids tie-dye matching shirts.

Every one of the squadlets absolutely adores Kai. They love to push him on the swings, take him in our kayak, and play sports with him in our backyard. They are constantly holding his hand and caring for him like a little brother. They are all so excited to have a new baby join the crew too! We are so blessed to have an abundance of love and support in our lives. Your child will have a wonderful network of family and friends who will love and support him or her. 

Kerstin - A Look Into Our Life

Making Birthdays Special

I want Malakai to always know how much he is loved.  He is surrounded by a loving family and a "framily" (that's friends who are family) that care so much about him.  One way I want to celebrate his life is by surrounding him with love at his birthday.  Malakai's first birthday party was a fishing theme because he loves the water.  Every single one of the squadlets was there to celebrate with us!  When he turned two, we had another big birthday party with a wild animal theme.  He loved playing with the giant alligator, zebra, lion, and giraffe balloons.  He even tried to ride the zebra!  Since his second birthday party, he has been walking around the house singing "Happy Birthday" to himself and pretending to blow out candles.  I think he loved his celebration!

I like to celebrate each of the special kids in my life as individuals, so each year for their birthdays, I also take each squadlet on their own birthday adventure with Auntie. Each child chooses an activity that matches their interests. Some of our recent adventures have included painting lessons, a pottery studio, a ropes course with a zip line, professional football games, the amusement park, a submarine tour, and a Disney Dance Party! I can't wait to celebrate your child and encourage his or her individual interests too!

Lake Life

The lake is an important part of our lives. My parents have a lakefront property in Upper Michigan where we love to spend our summers camping, swimming, and floating around on their pontoon boat. I love teaching Malakai, my niece, my nephew, and the squadlets how to fish, tube, kayak, canoe, and paddleboard. Kai loves to "drive" the pontoon with Grandpa, and he went on the kayak for the first time this year. I'd love to share our love of the outdoors with your child too.

The highlight of our summer is always the annual squad camping trip!  Each year, we make matching numbered shirts with all the kids in age order.  Malakai's shirt is number 17 since he is currently the youngest.  His new brother or sister will be number 18 of the squadlets!  We are so excited for the new baby that this year we also made a matching onesie for him or her.  Your baby will be surrounded by so much love and laughter!

Traveling the World

Just after college, I went to Guatemala for a Spanish immersion experience, and I fell in love with travel! I love to practice my language skills and learn about new places and people. I have visited 10 countries, and I would love the opportunity to show your child all that they can learn from experiencing different parts of the world. The first thing my mom said when I told her I was hoping to adopt was, "just think of all of the adventures you will have together!" It will be a dream come true to travel the world with Kai and to give that dream to your child, too. 

Family Traditions

We have lots of family traditions that I hope to share with your child.  One of my favorite traditions is playing cards. My grandparents taught us to play so many games at a young age, and I love to teach all my special kids how to play, too.  My sisters and I also have homemade Christmas stockings that we've had since we were kids. When we started adding to our family, I learned how to sew just so I could surprise my brother-in-law, niece, and nephew with homemade stockings that matched ours. I sewed one for Malakai when he was a baby, and I saved the supplies so I can make one for your baby too!

Our family can't wait to celebrate life with your special child every day.