Waiting Family Profiles

Below is a listing of hopeful adoptive families who have an approved study and are excited to meet with you and discuss your wishes for your child. Please click on the family name to go to their individual page and learn more about them.

In addition to the families highlighted below, we have families that are part of our Waiting Family Book who do not choose to have their profile online. If you are interested in viewing other families or discussing your adoption decision, please contact our Pregnancy Counseling and Birth Parent Services at 888.205.3769 or email at [email protected].

Emily and Luke

Matched

Home Location: Southeast MN

Family Status: Couple without children

Children in Home: None

Child Ethnicity: African American, Asian, Caucasian, East Indian, Hispanic/Latino, Native American

We are the Doskeys and we live in the driftless region of the Midwest in Rochester, Minnesota in a walkable neighborhood from the 1950s. We have been together for 12.5 years and happily married for 5 of those years.

Message to the Parents

The world is an awe-inspiring place full of surprises, challenges and adventures. We want to share this world with a child in a loving and supporting community and to see life through a child’s eyes. We admire your vulnerability and your desire to expand the village that loves your child. We would be grateful to have an open adoption, which would include photo sharing, phone conversations and in-person gatherings. We respect whatever level you are comfortable with. We are excited to wander the bluffs and prairies of the Midwest’s driftless region with our family.

Why do we want to be parents?

We want to share and show the world with our children and help them discover who they are and what gifts they have. We hope to help them lead a fulfilling life and encourage them to share their gifts with the world.

We talked about adoption before we were married. We have always wanted to grow our family through adoption. We both had friends growing up that were adopted and have seen examples of loving families through our church whose family is formed through adoption. We hope to parent multiple adopted children. The surprises of adoption are unique. We are ready to witness the unknowns as a child grows and develops.

Our Story

Our love started and grew on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We met in high school through mutual friends. Luke studied biochemistry in college while Emily attended nursing school nearby. During summer break, we reconnected when Emily asked Luke to teach her how to play tennis. We grew closer through our love of the outdoors and our adventurous spirits. We maintained a long-distance relationship for four years and cherished every moment we shared together.

We both accepted positions in Rochester, Minnesota which has been our home away from home since 2016. The community here supports, loves and cares for us and others. We got married in October 2019 on a beautiful autumn day. We recently completed our graduate degrees in 2023. We are excited to expand our family through adoption.

Who We Are

We are active people and take every chance to get outside and explore. In the summer we enjoy hiking, biking, and camping. In the winter months we enjoy skiing and skating. You might find us dancing, listening to live music, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Our Timeline

2012- First Date
2016- Moved to Rochester, MN
2019- Got Married
2020- Bought Our Home
2023- Finished Grad School

Unique Facts

Supporting local people and businesses is a priority of ours.
Sustainability is important to us. We compost, buy vintage / preloved.
We have a fun e-cargo bike which fits up to 3 kids that we use to run errands, go apple picking, go to local events, and have fun outside. Our two neighbor girls, one who is our goddaughter, love our bicycle!
We hosted a visiting medical student for a month in 2023. She wrote us a poem about our lives.

About Luke

Occupation: Biomedical Scientist
Interests: Tennis, cycling, dancing, gardening, cooking, reading, singing, arts and crafts, music, history, science, community involvement
Fun Fact: I am an Eagle Scout. I love licorice!

Luke’s Personality

Curious, understanding people
Adventurous
Problem solver
Passion for education and storytelling
Sharing adventures
Loyal
Active
Change driver
Gentle disposition

In Emily’s Perspective: Luke is funny, smart, talented, a critical thinker, and detail oriented. He cares deeply for family, friends, and faith. He is a patient husband, caring son, supportive brother, cool uncle, godfather, and will be a great dad. He has encouraged me countless ways to be a lifelong learner and problem solver.

About Emily

Occupation: Cardiac Clinical Nurse Specialist
Interests: Biking, dancing, yoga, gardening, hiking, kayaking, exploring small towns, cooking and baking, plants, vintage clothes
Fun Fact: Left-handed and loves farmers’ markets!

Emily’s Personality

Caring
Empathetic
Passionate
Social
Engaged
Optimistic

In Luke’s Perspective: Emily is loving, radiant, patient, kind, warm, selfless, loyal, and adventurous. I appreciate Emily’s sense of wonder and her playful spirit. It always amazes me when we go out how random strangers will stop and ask her for directions, or how many people she will know when we are at the grocery store.

Our Family

Family is important to us; we stay connected to family regardless of distance or busyness. Trips home are full of family time because we are from the same hometown in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Time with Emily’s Family Includes:

Hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Rock hunting
Bonfires and swimming in Lake Superior
Baking and cooking at home
Board games

Time with Luke’s Family Includes:

Sharing stories and jokes
Bonfires with delicious treats
Admiring the new wildflowers
Sledding in the backyard

Extended Family

We are close to our extended families, especially our grandparents. In the summers growing up Luke used to help mow his grandparent’s lawn. This was followed by eating sandwiches and cheesecakes with them while baseball played on the radio or TV.

When Luke visited Emily in nursing school they would often go to breakfast or lunch with Emily’s grandparents. We have large extended families and gatherings would include big Christmas parties or summer family reunions camping by lakes. We love spending time with our four nephews and their pets!

Our Community

Living in small towns has greatly affected our sense of community. We value supporting local business, attending community events, and having chance encounters. This instilled a sense of connection and an importance in giving back. We greatly value friendships and make efforts to maintain these relationships. Giving back to our neighborhood is important to us. We water each other’s gardens, babysit, and help with our local neighborhood association. Community is a big part of our life.

Our Home

We live in a quiet, highly-connected, charming 1950s neighborhood with access to a bike path to recreation, downtown, and entire city. You can find us walking or biking with our e-cargo bike to get groceries, visit friends, and check out bookstores and coffee shops. We are excited to bring our children to the many nearby parks and to help in our garden filled with herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and beans!

Our Values

Connection – We greatly value the power of connection. We try to stay connected with friends and family we have met throughout our lives. We would consider ourselves as “joiners”, if we enjoy our time at an event, we like to give back to people or the organization. We always look to where we can help. We believe in sharing what we receive, this includes material gifts, our efforts or just a listening ear.
Faith – We are Christians and practicing Catholics. Luke grew up Catholic and Emily grew up Lutheran, and we respect all faiths. Faith is an important part of our lives and our community. As active volunteers in faith education and hospitality, we hope to bring up children to grow spiritually. We believe nature is a gift and to show our gratitude we have begun several recycling programs at our church for difficult to recycle items. We belong to a beautiful diverse community that represents multiple cultures.
Consciousness – We believe that life is a gift, and we would like to live our lives giving to others. We try to think of others near and far, whether this is someone well-known or a stranger, and show them the respect that every person deserves. We like to look at how we are living our life and how our choices impact others. We try to have a positive impact on the world.

Final Thoughts

We hope to give our children a nurturing upbringing that will encourage them to pursue their passions, live a faith-filled life, and care for others and the earth. We hope to pass along to our children some of our favorite memories including holidays and family gatherings, exploring nature, camping, and sharing meals together. We wish for our future children to recognize their unique gifts and offer them to the community in order to create something beautiful that can make the world a better place. Our hope is that our children will enrich their lives through physical activity, develop their skills and talents, and live a curious intellectual life with an orientation toward service to others.

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