From Uncle Christian (part 2)
Hi all, I'm Christian, Natalie's brother-in-law (Andrea's husband). As I write this we are visiting Minnesota for the Christmas holidays. Our daughter, Annabelle, and son, Alex, absolutely adore Natalie and Andrew and we know they will be great parents. Andrew is very good at playing with the kids, whether it's with lego/duplo or a game of hide and seek. He is creative and wonderfully patient and thoughtful. Natalie loves cuddling with the kids, reading with them and takes the lead on family traditions such as board games and chocolate making. This year Auntie Natalie taught Annabelle how to play Bingo and there was a lot of laughing and happy shouting! Natalie and Andrew are also wonderful cooks and our kids will often "help" them with the many many dishes they put together.
There is also a big extended family with lots of young kids who all love playing together during the holidays. Natalie's cousins, Suzanne and Christina, have 5 kids between them and it is so much fun watching all the kids play and joke together when we all get together during the holidays. We are so thankful that Annabelle and Alex get to grow up as a part of this family and we know that Andrew and Natalie’s child will experience the same warmth, attention, friendship, love and laughter as our little girl and boy.
From “Aunt” Katie
I had the honor of becoming Natalie's friend freshman year at Seton Hall University. We bonded over French classes and supported each other through the ups and downs of college life. When I was introduced to Natalie's "friend from home," Andrew, our senior year, I knew there was something special there - especially when he sent the most beautiful bouquet of flowers to her after his visit. The relationship between Natalie and Andrew is something we would all be so lucky to find. Natalie and I have remained friends despite rarely ever residing in the same place, since we share a love of travel and exploration. This is a trait I know Natalie and Andrew cannot wait to share with their future child, and anyone would be lucky to be loved by these two incredible people!
From “Uncle” Nick
I’ve known Natalie and Andrew for years, and they will make awesome parents; open, flexible, accepting, with enough structure and a solid foundation for any child to thrive in.
I’ve worked with Andrew for years and had the pleasure of watching Natalie grow into the lawyer and partner she is today.
Andrew and Natalie are a great fit, both structured and relaxed and providing a safe, happy, healthy environment.
Andrew and Natalie both love reading, learning new things, staying well-socialized and giving back to their communities. They both regularly volunteer their time to many worthy causes (Park Board, City Comission, Walk to End Alzheimer’s). Andrew stays up-to-date with the latest in technology, while Natalie works hard ensuring justice is done.
-Nick
From Uncle Christian (Easter with the Family)
Hi all. We had a wonderful Easter weekend with the whole family at Ron and Melissa’s (Natalie’s parents’) house in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
It was lovely to have some time with just Natalie, Andrew, Ron and Melissa before the extended family came over. Our daughter, Annabelle, is 18 months old and is becoming much more vocal. On the first night in Minnesota Andrea and I went for dinner with friends while Natalie looked after Annabelle. They clearly had a blast with bath time, blowing soap bubbles, reading books and dancing to music. When we last visited, in December, uncle Andrew was the favorite as he is very good at playing with little kids and keeping them engaged. However, I think this time Auntie Natalie may have overtaken him as is clear by the many cuddles she’s been getting from Annabelle this weekend.
Natalie and Andrew recently adopted a second dog, Jake, to keep Goldy company. Jake used to be a breeder’s dog and is still nervous and somewhat wary around adults. As a result Andrew and Natalie have put a lot of thought and consideration into making him feel comfortable while visiting Ron and Melissa this weekend. Natalie set him up in a quiet corner of the main floor with his (open) crate, toys, bone and blankets to get him comfortable with his surroundings. Andrew has spent a lot of time patiently sitting with him and has been fending off the many excited toddlers from frightening the new family member.
Of course it wouldn’t be a Schiferl weekend without good food. On the morning before the extended family arrived, Natalie, Andrea and Melissa made everyone Eggs Benedict, using Ron’s smoked ham (which he had been smoking since the day before) and Natalie’s hollandaise sauce made from scratch. They also made a salmon version for the non meat eaters. It was very fancy and absolutely delicious.
The Twins, Natalie’s and Andrea’s cousins, are like sisters to them (and Beth and Kevin like a second Mom and Dad). Christina and her husband, Nick and have a little boy, Levi, and another little boy on the way. Levi is a super smart little guy who loves dinosaurs. The other twin, Suzanne, and her husband, Bryan, have three beautiful girls. It has been so much fun to see all the kids together, especially as Annabelle is now at an age where she can interact and play with them. The highlight was the Easter Egg Hunt in the basement and the baskets that Grandma Melissa and Grandma Beth put together for them. There was squealing, running around, getting distracted, more running around and playing nicely together. It reminded us how blessed we all our to be surrounded by such happy and social kids. We are especially happy Natalie and Andrea’s grandmother, Lida (great grandma to all the little ones) was there to see it all and enjoy it.
On Easter Sunday we went to church. It was Annabelle’s first time at church and she looked adorable in a little blue dress (although she refused to keep the bow in her hair). She was fairly good throughout but is not yet used to having to sit still for such a long time, so Andrea and I did have to make a few trips out of the church to stop he disrupting the service. Still, we’re chalking it up as a success.
Finally, Natalie made crepes for brunch and we had a quiet Sunday playing with the dogs and catching up. We are so thankful that Annabelle gets to grow up as a part of this family and we know that Andrew and Natalie’s future child will experience the same warmth, attention, friendships, love and laughter as our little girl.
Christian (And Andrea—Natalie’s sister)
From Auntie Ellie
Hello! I am Natalie's pseudo-auntie! I pray you are reading this because you are interested in Natalie and Andrew as parents. They will be the best parents ever!
I have known Natalie since she was born. Melissa, her mother, and I have been close friends since college. It was a joy to watch Natalie grow up! We had many adventures when she was young. There is one crazy story about getting lost and the DQ, it is a great way to make her laugh with me still today.
I did not know Andrew until they became best friends! Natalie and I called Andrew the BFF. Then one day he became BBE - Best Boyfriend Ever. Of course now we call him BHE, and he is the best husband we could ever imagine for Natalie. I was so happy to get to know him, and know that Natalie was marrying her best friend. I know they will take good care of each other, and the child they adopt. oh! and Goldy too!
Again, I pray you are considering Natalie and Andrew as parents for your child. These two have been raised with good, positive family values. They are both educated and successfully working in their chosen fields. They are active in the community and their church. I truly believe they will be wonderful parents, and I cannot wait to meet the child that will join this family.
Hugs, Auntie Ellie
From Uncle Brian
As the title of this blog is "Building Our Nest," I know that every day Andrew and Natalie are doing something to build their nest. Whether Natalie is working on her garden, Andrew is playing the role of "home tech support," or they are cooking dinner together (and I'm sure letting Goldy be a taste-tester), they are building a wonderful nest for their family. I know they are looking forward to the day they will be able to welcome a new adoptive child into their family and start doing these things, and many more, as a family.
From Grandpa Ron
Natalie and Andrew are very caring and loving people and will make great parents. They already are a
calming presence with their little nieces and nephews. Natalie will take care of them in whatever mood
the child is in and is very patient at all times. Andrew has a way with small children, and they naturally
go to him to be comforted, read books or play with toys. He is the go-to grown up for kids wanting to
play with Legos.
Natalie and Andrew focus on family, and help all of us to keep close and do family things together.
Family activities we enjoy are cooking, gardening, playing games and volunteering. They have been
involved with the walk to end Alzheimer’s for years and have involved us to help and volunteer as a
family.
Natalie and Andrew have a great extended family including my wife and me, Andrew’s parents, brother
and his wife, Natalie’s sister Andrea and her family, close cousins and their families and a number of
people they call “Auntie”. They keep close to all of these people, who form a strong community of
friendship and support.
Natalie and Andrew have created a home that is ready for a family. When we visit them, they are the
most welcoming and helpful hosts. The home is set up for raising a family and we all hope you will
consider them for raising your child.
Ron
From “aunt” Claire
Hi, I’m Claire. I’ve known Natalie for over 15 years and have been witness to the beautiful, honest, and committed relationship she and Andrew have grown to have. There is not a more perfect couple. They balance each other and bring out the best in each other; and I know they will provide a stable, safe, and loving home for their future children. They are playful and will bring that into parenthood. Early in their relationship Natalie was overseas teaching English in France and she set up a scavenger hunt through their favorite places to surprise him in coming home for Christmas. She will bring that same level of enthusiasm and excitement to motherhood. I think Natalie was born maternal. While she is a class behind me in school, she always made sure I stayed hydrated and put on sunscreen, and kept track of, and asked about the small parts of my life others may have ignored. When I think about my own mom, I think about how she remembers the details of the stories and that’s how I know she’s listening. Natalie is the same and will provide the same love, attention to detail and care that she provides her friends, to her child. Please consider adoption to make two wonderful people, parents.
From Auntie Andrea
I’m Natalie’s big sister Andrea. Having grown up with Natalie, I know her dream of being a mother is one she’s had her entire life. She’s always loved children and has an abundant amount of love to give. She’s not someone that is just there for the giggles, but is great at remaining patient and calm with kids. Many times I’ve witnessed her stepping in to help with our nieces and nephews and my daughter when the kiddos are fussy or upset, providing comfort, attention, love, and a play mate as needed. With my own daughter she’s been an immense help, getting up early with her when we’ve visited so I can get extra sleep and our daughter can get extra play time with her auntie. She also goes above and beyond in these pandemic days, ‘babysitting’ on zoom to entertain our daughter during tummy time and reading her some of her favorite Winnie the Pooh stories virtually.
Andrew is an incredibly kind and patient person as well. From taking care of Goldy (their dog) and going out of his way to help us take care of our dog Hazel whenever we’re in town (including sitting in a dark quiet room with the dogs on Fourth of July so they aren’t traumatized by the fireworks), to spending hours on the floor building things with the toddlers in our family, he is always helping ‘parent’ our human and fur-babies.
I know Natalie and Andrew will dote on their child and provide them with an amazing life and support system. Their interests are varied and with everything they do I hear them comment on how excited they are to share their hobbies and passions with their future child. From cooking, gardening, basketball, reading, and crafting at home to boating, traveling, flying, visiting museums, and enjoying the state fair, they have so many fun adventures to share with their child. Beyond activities and interests, one of the things that will make Natalie and Andrew amazing parents is their attitude. Throughout this journey to find their child, they have remained incredibly positive, resilient, and upbeat. This is truly how they approach life, with a glass half-full and sunny outlook that is something I know they’ll instill in their future child.
Natalie and I grew up with an incredibly close knit family and as our family grows we are all aching for the day we can meet their child, our future niece or nephew, cousin, grandchild, and play mate. Please consider them for adoption to make my sister and brother-in-law’s life long dream of being parents come true.
Andrea
From “Aunt” Mary
Hello friends!! Mary here- I am one of Natalie’s best friends! Natalie and I met in law school at Marquette University in Milwaukee. We paired up for our Appellate Writing and Advocacy class, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Natalie and I joke that we are best friends, so we forced our husbands to be best friends. (In reality, we all just get along really well and have a ton in common, so it’s always a blast when we’re all together!) Natalie and I were engaged at the same time, planned our weddings together (10-page wedding to-do lists, anyone?), and were in each other’s weddings. We make point to get together as often as we can, meeting halfway or visiting each other’s towns (just 1 state away). When my husband and I found out we were having our son, Aunt Natalie and Uncle Andrew were some of our biggest cheerleaders, and they are so excited to make memories with our family and their future child! Natalie and I set aside time every single weekend to craft over Zoom while we’re apart, catching up on each other’s lives and families. It’s such a great way to stay connected and involved in each other’s lives.
Natalie and Andrew are some of the most caring and conscientious people I know. When I think of them with their future child.....I picture a safe, calm, supportive, loving environment full of adventure and every possible opportunity they would ever want or dream about! The way they care about each other selflessly demonstrates the future of their child-they will put all of their child’s wants and needs ahead of their own. They are organized and prepared, sometimes over-analyzing the situation, but always going with the flow and willing to be spontaneous as the day unfolds. They are avid travelers, and we can’t wait to vacation with them (and their future child)!
They love games and good food, cooking together, reading, watching movies, learning, gardening, home projects, and creativity. Andrew and Natalie will surely have awesome activities and excursions planned for their kids, whether it’s smoothies and a sprinkler in the backyard on a hot day, or a trip to the zoo in the cities....whether it’s a vacation to Washington DC and visiting every museum before the plane ride home, or abeach trip to Hilton Head, their child’s life will be full of joy and love. I can picture them cheering on a child at their soccer games or hosting a party for their 8th grade graduation or excitedly refreshing the page to see if they got into their dream school for college.... no matter what dreams your growing baby has, I promise that these two are going to do everything in their power to make those dreams come true. As some of Andrew and Natalie’s best friends, I promise that my husband and I will always love, support, and be there for this precious child, too. We know he or she is out there, and we can’t wait to meet them!
From Great Grandma Lida
I'm Natalie's grandma Lida and I had a great afternoon with Natalie and Andrew who came over to visit me. We spent a few hours going through over 90 old voicemails and telling stories about the different people who called. Andrew helped me by connecting my iPad to the printer, so now I'm back in this century and can stay in touch with all those I love. I really appreciate how patient the two of them are and how well Andrew explains technology things to me. One of the great joys of growing older has been watching my grandchildren grow up, get married and have children of their own. So far I've been blessed to see five great grandchildren born and am expecting two more before the end of the year. One of the things I'm really looking forward to is Natalie and Andrew getting an adoption placement. They will be such great parents: loving and patient. Any baby who gets placed with them will be very lucky.
From Aunt Suzanne
Natalie and Andrew met volunteering at their local library in High School. It shouldn’t be a surprise that they love to read and are so good about picking out our daughters favorite books! Natalie has even read to our girls over FaceTime during the pandemic. Ivy loves to have her Aunt and Uncle read to her and her favorite book series are from Mo Willems who they introduced us too!
Natalie and Andrew are very thoughtful and intentional when they pick out Birthday or Christmas gifts. They don’t have children of their own yet but they seem to know exactly what children like! We joke that their future children are going to be spoiled with love, attention and gifts ( but books are a large part of the gifts - so educational!)
Andrew is a gentle soul and he has a very special way with children. Our family jokes that he’s a saint because he seems to have unlimited patience! He gets down to the children’s level and plays for what seems like an unlimited time doing just what our girls like to do. Whether it’s playing with legos, building blocks, playing with the puppies, or reading- he gives undivided attention.
Natalie and Andrew will be great parents for a multitude of reasons but loving their children unconditionally and really fostering the uniqueness of that child are ways that they stand out. They are open to a lot of new experiences and will introduce their children to our beautiful world and all that is has to offer while providing a very safe, loving and nurturing home for their children to thrive.
Suzanne
From Grandma Melissa
I'm Natalie's mom and I hope you'll consider placing your baby with them. It is hard to imagine a couple who would love a child more than they will.
Natalie and Andrew are such a wonderful, loving couple. They've known each other since they met volunteering at the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library. They even went to Andrew's high school prom together. Natalie has always loved children and wanted to be a mother; she babysat a lot as a teen and nannied for two different families during the summer when she was in college. I really can't imagine her without children to love.Andrew is the calmest, most considerate person. He never minds when I ask him tech questions; and I'm a tech idiot. He has a young cousin who was adopted as an infant and I've seen Andrew and his family simply dote on her. I love the stories Andrew's parents tell of talking on the phone with her for an hour while his Aunt and Uncle had a short rest. While Natalie only has one sister, she has twin cousins who are like sisters to her. The four girls grew up together and Natalie is "Aunty Natalie" to their children. When her nephew was just a few weeks old, she was very good at comforting him and showed infinite patience with a slightly fussy little guy. She even volunteers to get up with the babies in the middle of the night. Andrew pointed out the ceiling fan to a two month old baby niece who stopped crying out of fascination and is the best LEGO builder in the family as their oldest niece will attest. Natalie's dad and I along with Andrew's parents are just waiting to love their child. Please think about making their dream of parenthood come true.
Melissa