Why we want to be parents:

We want to be parents because it feels right for us in this stage of our lives. We want to help raise and mentor the next generation to be kind and giving members of their communities. We want to watch our children grow into the best versions of themselves and go off on their own to make the world a little better, and we are excited to be a part of that journey with them.

What activities we look forward to doing with a child:

With our house in the woods, we are really looking forward to playing in the woods with our children and gardening with them. Alyssa is excited to share her Ukrainian holiday traditions and recipes with our children. We are also excited for family game nights, teaching them arts and crafts, and helping them to explore their curiosity.

The people/pets who make up our family:

We have a 7-year-old dog (Humane Society mutt) named Ada who is an absolute cuddle monster.

Our ethnic/cultural background:

We are both Caucasian. Alyssa is half Ukrainian (second generation), while Matt’s family has lived all over Michigan for the past several generations.

Family celebrations that are important to us:

Easter and Christmas are hugely important in Ukrainian culture, and they remain Alyssa’s favorite holidays. She loves spending all day preparing traditional foods for the holidays to share with friends and family. Matt’s favorite holiday is Halloween because it is a low-stress holiday where we can have tons of fun with friends.

Any religious identification:

Alyssa was raised Ukrainian Catholic but identifies as Agnostic. Matt identifies as Lutheran.

Fun activities we like to do:

We love being in nature by hiking, camping, and gardening. We also love going on adventures to new places to experience other cultures and food.

Where we live (city, rural, community):

We live in northern Michigan in a vibrant and inclusive downtown community. We are currently building a 1920s-and-Victorian-inspired home in the middle of some sandy woods right outside of town.

A few fun facts about each of us:

Alyssa makes most of her own clothing and is a newly self-taught crocheter. Matt enjoys making music and taking long walks in the woods in his free time. We both love playing board games and table top role playing games with friends. We’ve been playing a single campaign of Dungeons and Dragons with Matt’s twin sisters for almost a decade!

One thing we would like the birth family to know about us/why we would be good parents:

We are so excited to provide all of our children with a loving and supportive home to help them become their best selves. We want to give them everything they could need to follow their passions, be it music, art, science, literature, sports, or anything else. We want to raise them with the core values of giving back to their community and being kinder than necessary to all those they encounter.