Stephanie and Chris
Hi!
We’re Chris and Steph. Oh, and please don’t forget MacGyver, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. (If you do, he may be forced to give you his “What about me?” face, and then you won’t have a choice!)
A little about us: We were married in August, 2006. We met at work 2 years prior to that and although we didn’t get to know each other right away, once we did, we were pretty much inseparable, and we continue to be to this day. We enjoy spending time with family and friends, but time with our family is the best! Together we enjoy playing games (board, card, video or anything else you can think of), walking our dog, watching reality TV shows, taking in soccer games, swimming, hiking, and traveling.
A little about Chris: He grew up in a small northern Midwest town. You’d think with this, he would be accustomed to cold weather; however, he’s not! He thinks when it is 50, it is still appropriate to wear his winter coat, a knit hat, a neck warmer and gloves when going outside! He is smart, adventurous, thoughtful, caring, independent and best of all hilarious. He can always get a room to laugh with even the silliest of jokes. He works for an internet company doing software development. He loves everything electronics and loves being geeky about them! He is our family travel agent and plans wonderful trips – near or far. He has a keenness for finances and our money and keeps excellent track of our spending and savings. He keeps our family financially secure and stable. And, he has a childhood matchbox car collection that would rival anyone’s!
A little about Steph: She grew up in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. She is the oldest of two girls, and as such she became “Daddy's Little Helper” from an early age. To this day Steph is the handy one, both inside and outside of the house. Steph grew up spending her summers swimming and skiing in the Puget Sound, and later became one of the best midfield soccer players around. Her team trekked all over the region to play, and her family was always there with her to cheer her on. Steph got a business degree in college, but after a few years went back to school to become a horticulturalist. We are now building a house on four acres so that Steph can grow lots of beautiful and delicious plants for us and to sell at the farmers market. Steph is thoughtful and caring and well liked by everyone she meets -- humans and animals (Steph was the favorite of all four of the dogs at the nursery she worked at). Oh, and did I mention she could be a gourmet chef? She specializes in Italian cooking (just like her grandma), and she uses fresh, local, organic ingredients.
We both have very loving families and want to share and create one for ourselves. Chris can't wait to have someone to read bedtime stories to in his silly voices. Steph is looking forward to teaching her child about gardening and nature. MacGyver is ready for his new playmate. We are all ready to shower our child in love, encourage them to explore their passions and discover their talents, teach them to find the positives even in tough times, and help them to live a healthy and happy life.
Both of our parents are still married today (over 30 years for both!) and have shown us the value and importance of strong, open, dedicated relationships. We wish to create the same thing with our family. We are both very open and honest with each other and will be the same way with our children, including their adoption and a relationship with their birth family. We hope to provide our kids an environment where they can be open to doing whatever their heart desires and knowing that all of their parents are behind them 100%.
Both our families are ecstatic about the idea of welcoming a new member. It will be the first grandchild for both our parents, so we’re pretty sure they will get good and spoiled! We know that we will have their love and support to help and guide us along the way. Steph’s family lives nearby, and while Chris’s family doesn’t, we enjoy at least two trips each year visiting them and are sure they will continue to visit us at least once a year (however, with grandkids in the equation, we are pretty sure this may increase!). We have been testing out video calls with Chris’s family and are excited to use this with our child to help them see and visit with Grandma Carrie and Grandpa Bob.
We are so honored that you have taken the time to get to know a little about us. We know that you are contemplating a very difficult decision and hope that we were able to provide a little bit of support in making your choice.
For this family's complete adoptive parent profile, please contact Open Adoption and Family Services.