Sean and Lesli Adventure Awaits

Dear Birth Parent,

Life is full of challenges and obstacles and we wouldn't be where we are today without them. This adoption journey is no different. We know it won't be easy, for you or for us, but believe the very best things in life come out of difficult decisions. There's a saying from John Piper that we saw the other day that really hit us. It read, "Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have." This has never felt more accurate. Life is not always how we expect it to be, but when we let go and let God, things fall into place. You may not be Catholic. You may not even be religious. And that's okay, you don't have to be. In the end, all that matters is that we want to be able to support you through this adoption journey, and together become a family.

---Sean and Lesli

I met Sean when he started teaching at the same school I was employed. My principal at the time, whom I had known for close to 10 years at that point as my own teacher first and then as my boss, had invited me over for dinner with his wife, the school counselor, everyone’s children and Sean. After dinner, a game, and some conversation, everyone went their separate ways. Once everyone was gone, I remember looking at Marie, my principal’s wife, and saying that Sean was the man I was going to marry. I know that sounds crazy. It sounded crazy to me then as well. There was just something about him that made me believe it was true. Let me tell you, it wasn’t an easy road. He didn’t immediately share the same feelings. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and believe me when I say I tested that out! (It’s true by the way.) And here we are 9 years of knowledge, 4 years of patience, 4.5 years of marriage and a whole lot of dinners later and couldn’t be happier. --Lesli

I love this picture. We had gone to a movie and about 20 minutes in, the power went out. The movie theater wasn’t sure what caused it and made everyone leave with movie vouchers. To salvage the evening, Sean suggested we go “Country Cruising". Basically you just drive country roads. This particular time he decided to play some of his old CD’s he found in the truck and sing his heart out. He was so comfortable with himself and who he was at this moment and I admired it so much. This was the moment that I went from "I like this guy” to "I love this guy".

All I can say is thank God Lesli was patient and stuck with me. She’s not wrong either about winning me over through my stomach. When we first met I was starting my first year of teaching and finishing up my graduate degree. When I wasn’t working on stuff for teaching, I was working on assignments for college classes. Let’s just say I wasn’t a creative cook and could easily have ramen or grilled cheese sandwiches every day if it weren’t for having to do dishes. When the dust settled after I finished up my degree and my first year of teaching, I soon realized how much I cared for Lesli and couldn’t imagine life without her. She was always up for a quick trip to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night or a spontaneous trip to somewhere in Kansas just to go explore. We dated for a few years before I finally proposed while we were in Branson with my family. I had never been to Branson and knew that there had to be some romantic spots there and my plan was to just pop the question when the moment felt right. Literally, I had the ring on me the entire time. Well, it just so happened that Lesli wasn’t feeling too well when we arrived and it lasted a few days. The day we left is when she felt like herself again. I had picked up a brochure in the lobby because there was a picture of a waterfall and I thought to myself, “what’s more romantic than a waterfall?” So I had two plans, I was either going to pull over and propose when the song, “Diamond in My Pocket,” by Cody Johnson came on my road trip mix or we arrived at the Dogwood Park near Branson. I thought the waterfall was going to be a hike and to both of our surprise, it was right inside of the entrance. We walked right to it and I got down on one knee and said something about going on an adventure together (neither one of us remember all that well) and she said, “Yes!” --Sean

Just some fun pictures of us and our relationship growth from dating, to engagement (note the waterfall), to wedding, and to buying our first home.

A LITTLE ABOUT SEAN...

I grew up in a small southeast Kansas town. In middle and high school I was on the summer swim team and played football, basketball, and track during the school year. I was involved in several clubs in school and even helped start one with a couple of buddies, called F Cubed (Food for Fun), where we hosted food-eating contests during our lunch break.

My family has always supported my crazy ideas and adventures and will support our children with the same energy. I am the baby of three kids with my brother being 9 years older and a sister who is 6 years older, who are both married. I come from a family of teachers where 5 of the 7 of my immediate family teach. I was really involved in sports and clubs growing up. Although we had a large age gap between my siblings and I, we were close. I saw my brother as my role model and my sister was my biggest fan.

We are all three Pitt State grads. This was after one of many games we went to together.

During my first year of teaching, my family came to my apartment for Thanksgiving. I was finishing up my graduate degree and struggling through my first year of teaching and was coaching basketball at the time and wouldn't be able to make it home. It really meant a lot since since they all traveled so we could be together as a family.

Brian and I with Molly, our black lab who lived to be 12 years old. She was always up for a run or to go on a cruise.

We have a family reunion every other year in Marienthal, Kansas, for my Dad's side of the family. It is tradition to go to the Bluebird (restaurant/bar/grocery store) during or after the reunion.

Being the youngest, I was also the one tasked with passing out gifts at Christmas time. As a kid, Santa would hide the gifts all over the house and we would have to hunt for them when we returned from Christmas Mass.

My Dad and I working on the front deck at their house.

Here are some pics from my childhood.

My Grandparents

I spent a lot of my childhood, especially during the summers, at my grandparent's house in Moline, Kansas, about an hour away from home. I always enjoyed my time there and considered it my home away from home. My mom was one of ten kids so I had lots of cousins and that was our place to meet up. My grandparents let me wander around town and I would make friends with the other kids in town, some of whom were also visiting their grandparents. They knew most everyone in town and so although I felt like I was on my own, there were people looking out for the town kids enjoying the summer days. Left: We are at the Moline Rodeo and one of my cousins was getting ready to ride a bull...also moments before Grandma jumped up from excitement causing me to fall off the hay trailer we were sitting on and break my collar bone. Center: Mom and I visiting Grandma. Right: Grandma and Grandpa relaxing on the front porch of their house.

My other grandparents lived in western Oklahoma. Grandma had passed by the time I was three years old and Grandpa passed when I was nine. I have several memories with him especially going hiking in the hills around western Oklahoma and Roman Nose State Park in Oklahoma and cruising the countryside in his 1972 Chevy pick-up. We would also spend hours in the garage playing with model trains. Grandpa enjoyed regularly writing to us and we enjoyed writing back. I have several of the letters I wrote because he kept most of them even if all they were was lines I drew on a paper when I was a toddler. Left: Grandma and Grandpa visiting our home. Center: Playing on the beach of Roman Nose State Park. Right: Grandpa helping me ride in style on the tricycle.

The Travelin' Kind

My family and I went on several adventures. We could budget road trip with the best of them. On our trips, things never seemed to go as planned. For example, on a trip to South Dakota and Wyoming, we had a fuel filter issue on our Ford Taurus Wagon that caused it to stall every hour or 60 miles on the dot, whichever came first. We knew of the problem within an hour of starting the trip but we decided as a family to go ahead and drive on. Our family never let a little challenge stop us.

In Boy Scouts in high school, I went on a canoeing trek in the backcountry of Canada, backpacking in the mountains of New Mexico, and hiking in the Rockies several times throughout college with my high school and college buddies. When I was in high school, my siblings and I saved up our money to take a road trip the summer after my high school graduation. By the time we took the trip, they had both already started their teaching careers so they had the summer to travel (although they were still working on school stuff on the trip). We left about a week after school ended for me and had a goal of stepping foot in all 48-continental state capitols and the nation's capital without having any idea how long we were going to be gone. 21,198 miles, over 10,000 photos, 50+ hours of video, and exactly 48 days later we ended our trip back where we started, Home.

In college, I had opportunities to go to cities around the U.S., Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Taiwan. I also went to Washington D.C. for an internship with a Kansas senator for a month to learn more about the workings of the government and gave tours of the U.S. Capitol. On the weekends I would go urban hiking to explore the city or I would go with my uncle's family to historical sites in the area.

The summer after my first year of teaching, I bought a bicycle on a whim as sort of a gift to myself for making it through my first year of teaching and finishing up my graduate degree. By the next summer, I had done a triathlon with the bike and was working on the idea of riding my bike from the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with the help of my dad driving the support vehicle. You would think a parent would ask several questions before saying yes to that kind of commitment. The conversation took less than a minute and he was all in. It was a fun trip to take with my dad. Lesli also joined us for the first week of the trip. At the time we had just begun dating. She taught my dad how to order his own coffee at a coffee shop and did her best to navigate for him when they were driving through cities. After over 3,000 miles and about 32-ish days, my dad was in an accident in Cedar City, Utah, and we decided to stop there and pick up on the trip later, which we haven't done yet. By the way, Lesli and her Dad were the ones to come out to bring us back...on Father's Day weekend! That really meant a lot to me and my Dad.

Pictures from all of the trips mentioned above.

Other Hobbies

I enjoy doing a lot of different activities, like working on projects, running, swimming, hiking, bicycling, fishing, playing guitar, hanging out with Hank (our Lab), and just challenging myself to try something new. I have been teaching for the last eight years and have enjoyed helping students. I also am an assistant middle school football coach, middle and high school scholars bowl coach, and middle school track and field coach this year.

Sean dressed up for Retro Day. That night there was a dodgeball tournament so Sean was channeling his inner "White Goodman" from the movie Dodgeball. For Dynamic Duo Day we dressed up as Wendy Peffercorn and Squints from the movie, The Sandlot. It was February so there was no way I was going to wear shorts. Sean, of course, seizes any opportunity to wear a swimsuit. We try our best to participate in theme days at school. The last photo is of Sean coaching Middle School Football.

A LITTLE ABOUT LESLI

As a kid, I loved to sit directly in front of our box TV. I'm not really sure of the appeal...it might have been to be close to the action or just so I didn't have to turn it up very loud to be able to hear it. My mom would always tell me I needed to scoot back and that I was going to ruin my eyes. Never broke the habit though; I sat just like the picture to the left well into my 20's when they finally got a new TV. My point is that I'm a little quirky, love books and movies and basically beat to my own drum.

Playing at the city park in my hometown.

Chillin' on the quilt my great-aunt made me. We still have that quilt and look forward to putting it to good use with a little one of our own.

Me and my Daddy-O getting to know each other.

Mom and me at the zoo.

My dad on Father's Day a couple of years ago trying out his new fishin' hat. My dad is pretty goofy most of the time. Having three grandkids now makes him even sillier, just to make them laugh.

When Sean was on his bike trip, his dad had an accident in Utah, 30 miles from Nevada, leaving them stranded. In a whirl-wind of events Dad and I drove the 26 hour roundtrip, red-eye trek to rescue them. I had never been to Utah, so I made Dad snag this picture with me. Even though we were out of the car for maybe 30 seconds total for this picture, there are a lot of memories with this trip. We had never been on an adventure like this with just the two of us and it will be something I remember for a long time.

Wedding day. My mom is a great listener and advice giver. She has one of the biggest hearts I know. This picture really captures our relationship, and while I may get my whit from my dad, the rest of me is my mom. We talk the same, sound the same, and often respond the same way.

Siblings by Blood Friends by Choice

This is my younger brother. He has always been my best buddy and partner in crime. I probably "mothered" him quite a bit growing up, mainly because I was older and a little "bossy", but I mean, what's the real benefit of being the oldest if you can't boss around your younger sibling? We didn't fight often and when we did, it never lasted long. We share the same interests and sense of humor and can usually read the other's mind with only a facial expression. It's always a good time when we are together. **Fun fact: we had our own language when we were kids. My brother would mumble quite a bit when he was little but I knew every word he said, even when our parents didn't. I considered myself the "translator". Even today, if he gets a little mumble-ly, I still know.

Me rocking my duck hat and baby bro.

This was inspired by a 90s Rice Krispies commercial when we were kids. Rice Krispie treats were so easy to make, the lady in the commercial throws flour all over herself to make it look like she had worked hard all morning on the snack. So when we got ready to make cookies with our mom, we did the same thing. She didn't really enjoy the flour mess, but honestly couldn't help but laugh.

He is a solid foot taller and thinks this is a fun game. Needless to say there a lot of pictures of this same idea. This was right before his wedding in 2012.

Someone who also needs a shout-out is our sister-in-law. She has been part of our family now for nine years but it seems like longer. It's always an interesting transition when joining a family but she did it with ease and I can't imagine a time without her around. She and my brother have been blessed with three kiddos and are always up for some fun.

Memories

I am so fortunate to have lived in the same town with all four of my grandparents. I could literally go see them any time I wanted as they were just a short bike ride away. There are so many memories I have of time with them that I cherish. Some people say that is it more special to live in a different place so that you can look forward to visits. Having no point of reference for that, I would argue that any time spent is special. As kids in the summer, my brother and I would see our Grandma Kathryn and Grandpa Don almost every weekday. Their house was only a block away from Dad's business; we could step out the back door and see their house. So hand in hand, down the alley we would walk to Grandma and Grandpa's and stay until Mom said we needed to come home. Looking back, those were the absolute best days. We didn't need to do anything special, just being with them was fine. There were always plenty of goodies and Grandma could make chores fun. ***Pictured here: My cousins, my brother and I in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard. It's hard to see but there are frisbees and bats and balls everywhere. We were definitely having a good time.

Our church had a Mother/Daughter Banquet every year in the spring. I was fortunate enough to get to go with my mom, grandma and great-grandma for many years. This is the only picture I remember taking before we went, however. My grandma Judy (standing) passed away suddenly about two years ago. I feel blessed to have had 33 years with her. My great-grandma (seated) is almost 101! While her body might not be in its' prime, her mind is still super sharp...all you have to do is ask her.

My hometown has an arts and crafts show in the park every September. It was tradition for my mom and I to go with my grandma as a ladies' day. Over the years we added others to the mix including my sister-in-law and college friend. It was always around my birthday so my grandma would let me pick out my gift. It was different to go to the event without her.

My brother and I helping our Grandpa Don blow out the candles on his 61st birthday. Turns out they were trick candles and that wouldn't blow out, which is why we got to help.

My grandparents never liked having their picture taken. I was really happy when my grandpa Don let me take a "selfie" with him. This would have been about two years before he passed away. He was the first grandparent that I lost and it was a hard blow having never really felt that kind of loss before. I could get away with almost anything with Grandpa. We shared a lot of jokes and laughs. When I was in the 7th grade I had to do a leaf project, where you collect leaves and tell what kind of tree it belonged to, among other things. Grandpa drove me all over town, helped me collect leaves, and figure out what they were; it was rare if we happened to find one he didn't know. He even asked what my grade was after I turned it in. I think he was as proud of that project as I was.

This is obviously not the best picture of me, I was probably being silly, but I love how it represents my Grandma Kathryn. Her health has declined quite a bit in the last decade, but she used to always be up for an adventure. In fact, the summer before I started college, she road with me to Emporia, which was a 4.5 hour drive one way, walked around campus with me while I turned in job applications and then road the 4.5 hours back home. She was worn out but I was so happy to not have to go by myself. This photo was taken on her back patio, where we spent so much time playing, crafting, eating and chatting.

Grandma Judy, myself and Grandma Kathryn

Grandpa Gary, myself and Grandma Judy at my graduation from Emporia State University.

Grandpa Gary went to EVERYTHING. Every program, concert, play or sporting event, you name it, he was there. In high school, he even went to all of the away tennis meets we were in. He would ride with Mom and Dad. We called him our coach. Grandpa had a crazy ability to know the score of every match that was on the court, and what the strengths/weaknesses were of every player. It meant a lot to both my brother and I that he attended all of our events.

Grandpa Gary at our wedding.

Grandma Judy at our wedding.

Our littles

Our "Littles".... We have a niece, two nephews, and a Godson. We both love the time we get to spend with them whether it be building, playing, reading, going on adventures, being silly or just holding them for a nap. Life is so much fun with "littles". This past summer we started doing "special days", where we take one kiddo and spend the entire day with them. From trips to the zoo, playing at the park, making cookies and having water fights, the kiddos (and us) really had a good time and made memories that will be around for a long time.

Fur Babies

Here are our pups, Hank and Freckles. Hank is a Lab and is almost three years old. We rescued him a little over two years ago as the previous owner had abandoned him in the country. He was sick and skinny but with some medicine and a lot of love later, he is one spoiled pup. He loves to play fetch, dig and most importantly, snuggle on the couch. Freckles is a Chihuahua/Shih Tzu mix and is 12 years old. Freckles has been with me (Lesli) since she was a year old. I rescued her from the animal shelter and she has been my best buddy and shadow ever since. Freckles loves to sleep, cuddle and eat, and I guess as old as she is, that is enough.

Congrats! You made it to the end! Thank you for viewing our profile. We are not "show-boaters" and are pretty private people so putting our lives on display was a little difficult. We hoped you learned a little bit about us and we look forward to meeting you soon!

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go." --Hermann Hesse

For more information, please contact our social worker, Lori Titsworth, through Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas.

Appreciate