Meet Derek & Kayla
First Hello—
We are humbled and honored that you are reading this. Thank you for choosing life and for considering adoption. Know that we are praying for you, your baby and your journey. We hope that you find a family where you, your child and your story feel honored and cherished.
Watch our video—
About Kayla
Kayla is adventurous, caring, and deeply nurturing. She serves God by helping others—teaching Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to 3–6 year olds, caring for foster children in our home, and mentoring other foster parents. She loves athletic challenges, recently completing her first nordic ski race and training for an off-road triathlon this summer. At home, she’s often in the kitchen trying new recipes.
Kayla holds a Master’s in Social Work and previously worked in Child and Infant Mental Health before choosing to be a stay-at-home mom. She now works part-time as a foster parent mentor and finds joy in caring for our home, our children, and supporting other foster families.
From Derek About Kayla—
Kayla is my best friend and the love of my life. When we first met I was drawn to her kindness and strong faith. We have many common interests including a love of the outdoors, traveling, and board games that go on for hours. She is a wonderful cook, a nurturing mother, and she keeps me honest and connected to God. I can’t imagine life without her.
About Derek
Derek is hardworking, disciplined, and wonderfully goofy as a husband and dad. Friends describe him as kind, playful, and devoted. He’s a passionate triathlete who loves being outdoors—running, biking, swimming, gardening, hiking, or camping. He also enjoys video games and Legos.
He works as an Electrical Engineer in a role that offers flexibility, allowing him to be present for Xavier’s activities and special moments. His job also provides excellent benefits, including generous parental leave to bond with new family members.
From Kayla About Derek—
I love being married to Derek and sharing my life with him. He challenges me, supports me and calls me out when I need accountability. Derek keeps me steady on hard and challenging days, and always makes me laugh. Most importantly he points me back to Christ and the church. It’s a joy watching him parent both our son and all of the foster children who have come through our home.
About Xavier
Our son Xavier is funny, smart, creative and kind. He loves video games, reading, and has enjoyed playing on his first basketball team this past winter. He also loves school and excels in math and science. At home you will often find him creating his own games, playing with the neighbors, or exploring the outdoors. This summer he looks forward to participating on swim and tennis teams.
As a family, we love to play board games, enjoy the outdoors together, and travel. Our favorite destinations of late have been Mexico, Taiwan, and the Redwood National Forest in California.
Family, Community & Support System—
Our family shares meaningful traditions throughout the year—making chili at Halloween, nacatamales at Christmas (a Nicaraguan tradition from Derek’s mom), and Resurrection rolls at Easter. Each fall we run the local Turkey Day 5K together, and on New Year’s Eve we host a kids’ pajama party with friends. Friday nights often mean board games, and Derek takes our annual Christmas card photo. Derek and Kayla also prioritize a monthly date night.
We’re grateful for a close circle of supportive friends who are excited about our adoption journey. Several have adopted themselves and are wonderful resources. Our children will grow up surrounded by families with both biological and adopted siblings.
Our extended families are equally supportive and have warmly embraced the foster children in our home over the years. Both sets of grandparents live nearby, love spending time with their grandchildren, and are a great help with babysitting. Kayla’s extended family lives close enough to celebrate holidays together. Derek’s family is spread across the U.S. and abroad, and we make a point to see his sisters and their families a few times each year, along with attending a large family reunion every few years.
Our Home—
We have lived in our home for 12 years. We have a small yard with a garden and patio area. Our neighborhood is very friendly with paths for walking and biking, and a park just a few houses down. We love living near easy access to trails and a ski resort just 45 minutes away.
Our Faith—
Our Catholic faith is the heart of our home and the foundation of our family life.
We try to connect everything we do to our Catholic faith. Not only do we go to mass on Sundays, but we incorporate prayer and liturgical living into our daily life and rhythms of our family.
We are all involved at our church in different ways. Derek serves in Knights of Columbus, a fraternal service oriented organization. Kayla serves during church services and teaches Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Sunday school class for 3 to 6-year-olds. Xavier attends classes at our parish on Sunday, and he also attends a Catholic school where faith is incorporated into the classroom and school culture.
We want to instill a life of faith and service in our children through our family faith life and our example as parents. Adoption is close to our family faith mission. We believe that life is a precious gift and know that not every mom is in a place in their lives to parent.
Adoption is a way to follow God's heart by supporting a birth mom and growing our family. When we were dating, both of us brought up the desire to adopt as part of our family journey. In the past 8 years we have been open to various ways God could grow our family. Secondary infertility has become an unexpected blessing because without it we may not have chosen to become foster parents.
We have fostered 9 children over 2 and a half years and love providing a safe and loving home for these children. Infant adoption is another way we feel called to open our hearts and our home and we believe that through adoption we can support women who choose life for their babies. Xavier has loved being a foster brother and is excited to welcome a forever sibling. He loves playing, helping and thrives on being a good example for the little kids in our house.
Our Commitment—
Thank you for your consideration. As you discern your future and your baby's future, know that you are in our prayers.
We hope that children in our home feel loved and cherished. We want to discover and build up the gifts God has given them and nurture them to thrive throughout their life.
We see their story and their history as part of our family's story and seek to honor you in that as well. We hope that our relationship with you will have at least some communication and connection that is mutually agreed upon with the understanding that it will grow and change over time. May God bless you and keep you close.