Welcome! Meet:

Bradley + Laura

City Manager / Continuous Improvement Manager

Minnesota

Caucasian

All About Bradley & Laura
Video
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Bradley & Laura

Hi there! We’re Laura, Brad, and our twelve-year-old son, Owen. Owen is Brad’s biological child and Laura’s beloved stepson. As a family, we cherish spending quality time together and exploring all that life has to offer.

One of our favorite activities is trying new foods, with Indian and Thai cuisine being particular favorites. We also love spending time outdoors, fishing, hiking, and exploring, especially at our cozy cabin in Northern Minnesota.

Our love for animals runs deep. Brad and Laura both grew up on farms and have a passion for animals. This passion has been passed on to Owen as well. We especially cherish our furry family members, Nakita the dog and Bella the cat.

Whether we’re dining out, traveling and exploring somewhere new, fishing, or simply enjoying the company of each other and our pets, we make the most of every moment together.

Why Adoption?

We knew early on that we wanted to expand our family. All three of us have abundant love that we cannot wait to share. Traditional methods of growing our family are not possible for us, and adoption resonates best with our family values of love, honesty, integrity, and adventure.

Together with Owen’s mom and stepdad, we have a dynamic blended family in which we are raising Owen. We believe the unique challenges and joys of navigating the complexities of co-parenting have helped prepare us for the adoption journey we are on.

Family & Home

We live in a friendly and safe neighborhood in New Brighton near Silverwood Park where we enjoy time with our neighbors and friends. New Brighton is a first-ring suburb, comfortably close to all the amenities and vibrancy of Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as destinations such as Stillwater or White Bear Lake. We have made strong relationships with several neighbors and enjoy that close knit community feel. Brad’s mother is close by also living in New Brighton and always willing to help. The rest of our family is 60-90 minutes away and we keep close through regular communication and family get-togethers.

How others describe me

Brad about Laura: I would describe Laura as an incredibly loving person who greatly enjoys time with family, friends, and our pets, as well as a regular sauna or other opportunity to center herself. She is always looking to improve who she is and inspires me and others to do the same. Laura is an exceptional team leader at work with her direct reports as well as her peers and leaders. She is able to be her authentic and vulnerable self which helps others do the same. At home, she is a fantastic step-mom to Owen who is in middle school which is full of challenges. Laura is the most thoughtful and caring person I’ve ever met.

Laura about Brad: Brad is the most patient and kind person I have ever met. In the face of conflict or tension, somehow Brad always finds a way to stay calm and navigate hard conversations with compassion and grace. I am constantly inspired by him. Before we started dating, I saw the father he is to Owen and always held him in my mind as the standard of good parenting and what I would aspire to find in the future father of my children - boy did I luck out to get to eventually marry him!

Brad is my favorite person - he is the first person I want to talk to in the morning and the last person I want to talk to before I sleep. He is my adventure partner, who loves going camping deep into the woods and challenging ourselves to be uncomfortable and grow through new experiences and surroundings. I think it’s rare to have a partner like Brad who is up for all our wild adventures and also for staying in for a quiet night at home playing cribbage together- being utterly happy either way. I consider myself so blessed to call him my husband.

How We Met

Our bond is rooted in friendship. Our connection began back in 2015 when Laura's closest friends became neighbors with Brad and his son Owen. This neighborly relationship evolved into regular bonfires as a group, joint yard game tournaments, and even brewery visits. As time passed, our friendship flourished as we uncovered shared interests such as hiking, fishing, live music, and cooking delicious meals at home (Brad loves to smoke meats and Laura loves to make vegetables taste delicious). Our love for one another continued to grow and evolve over the years and in 2021 we got married in an intimate ceremony surrounded by our closest family and friends.

Advice to Future Child

Brad: My advice would be to enjoy life and the love of your family and friends. Follow what brings you joy and curiosity. And always find a way to provide assistance or help to others.

Laura: Embrace who you are and what makes you unique as your superpower. I spent so much time trying to be what I thought people wanted me to be and as a result was very unhappy for a big part of my life. You are perfect and enough and deserve abundant love. Focus instead on what you need to love and care for yourself in order to bring the best version of yourself everyday and make a positive impact on the world around you.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

We are 100% committed to openness, continuous learning, and partnership throughout this journey. We look forward to building a relationship with you rooted in honesty and trust as we grow our family, always prioritizing unconditional love for the child you are carrying. We promise to nurture your child and their identity, keeping their adoption story alive and honoring your strength and love.

Favorites

Bradley

Favorite Movie: I still love Christmas Vacation and look forward to it each year.
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: making a big meal for family at either Thanksgiving or Christmas
Hobbies/Interests: reading, fishing, and anything outdoors with our son, Owen
Dream Vacation: an awe inspiring National Park adventure to somewhere I’ve not yet been
If I Could Choose a Superpower: definitely teleportation to wherever I want to be

Laura

Favorite Movie: I don’t have a favorite movie, but favorite TV shows would be Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99.
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: baking & making sweets together as a family to give as gifts to neighbors and friends at Christmastime
Hobbies/Interests: photography, running, gardening/houseplants
Dream Vacation: traveling around Vietnam, Cambodia, & Thailand, immersing myself in the culture
If I Could Choose a Superpower: teleporting - avoiding traffic and TSA lines