Welcome! Meet:

Jake + Zach

Mental Health Professional / School Counselor

Minnesota

Caucasian

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

All About Jake & Zach

We’re Jake and Zach, and we’re reaching out with hopeful hearts as we embark on our journey to expand our family through adoption. We live in the beautiful state of Minnesota, where we share our home with two dogs. Jake works as a mental health therapist, and Zach is a school counselor. Our professions reflect our deep commitment to supporting and nurturing others, and we are excited about the opportunity to bring this same dedication to a growing family.

We would be honored if you would consider us as you move forward in your search. We are ready to provide a warm, loving, and stable environment for a child, and we look forward to the possibility of welcoming a new member into our family.

Why Adoption?

Since we first met, we have shared a joint desire to become parents. We've discussed various means to become fathers; we ultimately decided on adoption because it speaks to us as the best way for us to build a family centered on the needs of the child.

We would love an open adoption where the birth family can be involved in our and the child's life. We can definitely discuss more based on the circumstances of the situation. We believe adoption offers and opportunity to expand the definition of family. We also believe there is room in any child’s life for more people to love them.

Family & Home

We moved into their current home in 2023. The house is a ranch-style home in the neighborhood of South Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is an older neighborhood with full-grown trees and large yards. The main level consists of an open living and dining area off the front entrance, the kitchen off the back of the house, and down the hallway there are two bedrooms and an office that could also be converted into a bedroom and a full bathroom. The basement has storage rooms and laundry, another living room, a half-bath, and another bedroom. The home has a connected garage and nice yard. The home feels warm and welcoming and hosts plenty of space for a child to grow and play.

We have a close-knit support of family and friends. Many of our friends live nearby and are also starting to expand their families. We travel to visit family often and get together for various events and activities.

How others describe me

(Jake): Zach is very funny, caring, and enjoyable to be around. He can be somewhat closed off around large groups of people, but one-on-one he really comes out of his shell. Zach is a calming presence and is often the voice of reason when things feel overwhelming or stressful.

(Zach): Jake is spontaneous and fun. He is very empathetic and cares for other people and our animals. Jake cares deeply for his friends and family and will go to the ends of the earth if anyone needs him for something.

How We Met

We met online in 2020 and connected through that platform for a couple of weeks before meeting for a date in-person. Our first date took place at an Applebee’s restaurant where we talked for hours over similar interests. Lived together for several years and we were married on October 7, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advice to Future Child

We promise to give you a place to flourish and thrive. While we do not know what the future holds for any of us, you will be our priority. Our goal is for someday you can look back, regardless of where life takes you, and know that you are loved and we gave everything we could to make sure you have a safe place to land if you ever need to.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

We would love an open adoption where the birth family can be involved in our and the child's life. We can definitely discuss more based on the circumstances of the situation. We like the idea of raising a child who knows who they are and where they come from. That multiple people can contribute in different ways to their upbringing and that the needs of the child superseded our own. We like the idea of collaborating and avoiding any feelings of competition or jealousy. We would also be open to any and all supports (such as joint family therapy with the birth family if needed) to make the relationship as healthy as possible.

Favorites

Jake

Favorite Movie: The Spy Who Dumped Me
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Halloween: decorating our house with spooky decorations, hosting a Halloween party and watching scary (but not too scary) movies
Hobbies/Interests: reading, board games, video games, spending time with friends, playing with our dogs
Dream Vacation: all-inclusive beach trip in the Caribbean
If I Could Choose a Superpower: telekinesis

Zach

Favorite Movie: Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Christmas: Decorating the house, setting up the trees, baking cookies and making fudge, watching Christmas movies, putting Christmas lights on the house, doing traditional Christmas stuff like walking through the lights, ice skating, etc. We want to incorporate our heritage in German and Dutch Christmas traditions. This includes certain foods and the celebration of Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas Day) on December 5th. When we know our child’s cultural heritage, we hope to include specific holiday traditions related to that culture as well. We want to include an Icelandic tradition called Jolabokaflod, translating to "Christmas Book Flood.”This tradition involves giving and receiving new books, but its essence lies in the joy of reading them together. Christmas Eve will involve getting new pajamas and books.
Hobbies/Interests: reading, board games, video games, watching movies, logic puzzles, time with our dogs, cleaning/organizing
Dream Vacation: a Mediterranean cruise with port stops across Europe
If I Could Choose a Superpower: pretty much anything the Scarlet Witch can do