Michael & Nicki In Iowa

Hi, we are Michael and Nichole. We first met about eighteen years ago through a mutual friend who worked with Mike. Our relationship began as a friendship for a few years and grew into what is now a marriage of best friends who pursue adventures together. We both grew up in Michigan and moved to Iowa about ten years ago for work. Mike is a commercial driver who transports construction equipment and Nichole is an administrator and preschool teacher at an early childhood center.

Growing up in Michigan, we both developed a love of nature. The Great Lakes are dear to our hearts and our “happy place.” We enjoy vacationing along Lake Michigan, Mackinac Island, and exploring the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a few times per year. In our spare time, we enjoy backyard BBQ’s and swimming with friends, afternoons at the zoo, fishing along a river or lakeshore, and quiet walks through our neighborhood with our dog Rocky.

We adopted our dog Rocky, a boxer-mastiff, about six years ago as a rescue. His story means so much to us because when we adopted him we found out that as a puppy he had damage to both of his back legs. The vet initially told us that he did not have a great outlook because his back legs were so weak. Now six years later, he is the sweetest and most gentle dog who loves his “stuffies”! He always has a stuffed animal or toy in his mouth and enjoys frequent naps. Although he enjoys his toys, Rocky loves kids! Whenever family or friends come over, Rocky will search the house after they leave looking for kids to play with, then mope when he realizes they have gone home.
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Our house is located on a quiet, small-town street. We have a few large shade trees that are perfect for tire swings or lazy days in the hammock with a good book. Our backyard is where we spend most of our time. On the weekends, you can usually find us enjoying the pool, spending time with friends on the patio, making smores over the firepit, or enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden. It's not large, but our three-bedroom home is perfect for our small family, with a nursery right next to our bedroom. It is a small house filled with a lot of love and laughter. All of our friends and family know that they never have to “call first”. Our door is always open! Seeing our house filled with friends and family is one of the best feelings!

Our town has a lot of family-centered activities, including festivals in the park, a weekly farmers market, and a community center with a pool, gym and large playgrounds. Our school district includes an elementary, middle and high school with a science/technology focus. Some family favorites include visits to the local boba and ice-cream shop and catching a movie at our small 3-screen movie theater.

Family, and friends that have become family, are an important part of our lives. Nichole’s sister is married with three children, and they live in Michigan. Michael has two nieces who also live in Michigan. We enjoy spending time with them during holidays and other trips back home.

We have been blessed to find a core group of friends during our time in Iowa that have become family. We watch each other’s children, enjoy barbeques and bonfires, and just spend time together. We are each other’s support system. In our family, we strongly believe love creates a family, not just blood.

Family time is extremely important in our family, and we make it a point to visit as often as possible. Every June we join Nichole’s sister and brother-in-law for a trip in Michigan’s upper peninsula. Holidays are also a family affair. Every Thanksgiving our family and friends gather at our house for a long weekend which includes a huge Thanksgiving feast. Christmas always means a trip home to Michigan where we spend the Holiday visiting and catching up with extended family and friends.

Michael enjoys working on and riding his motorcycle. Nichole enjoys gardening and baking. We enjoy fishing and spending time in nature together. We love road trips! Mackinac Island is our summer getaway destination. We also enjoy quick trips to a new zoo or historical destination.

We are not able to have children of our own, but we have a desire to grow our family. We have explored a variety of options and have decided that growing our family through adoption is a way we can share our love of family and adventure with a child.