What does "Family Life" mean to you?
Family life means spending time with your family and enjoying each other. Ken and I try to see each other as much as possible. We spend a lot of time in the evenings together, catching up, making each other laugh, or just relaxing. On weekends, we try to plan outings or activities we can do together. We treasure spending time with our parents and extended family and plan trips to see them as much as possible. Although we both work, we place special importance on our time together. We look forward to making family life even more special and fun with a child in our home. We can’t wait until they are old enough that our weekends are filled with their activities.
Describe your childhood:
Ken’s childhood was great. He is the youngest of 3 children, with an older sister and brother. They always did a lot of family activities together including being on the swim team together. He was involved with sports, with his dad coaching his baseball team throughout his youth. His parents were always supportive in everything he pursued, and always urged him to do his best and to finish anything he started.
Kristen is an only child, adopted at 9 days old. She loved her childhood and kept busy with school and many extra-curricular activities. She loves to dance and was involved in ballet, tap, and jazz from a young age. She was on a drill team and dance team in junior high and high school. She was actively involved in academic clubs during high school and graduated second in her class. Her fondest memories are of YMCA camping trips with her dad and dance team trips with her friends and the moms.
Tell us about your home?
We live in a two-story brick traditional home in a great neighborhood. We have a big kitchen, living room and large game room/family room upstairs with a fireplace. We’ve remodeled parts of our home, making it just perfect for us. We have a large backyard with a beautiful pool and deck which we love and often use to dine out and entertain friends.
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
Usually we like to get out of town or do something special on a long weekend. My family has a small, cozy place on the lake, about 1 ½ hours from our house. We also like to take little day trips to fun places … to shop or see sights. Sometimes, we stay at home and plan a get-together with friends, like grilling out by the pool.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
We have two great dogs, Scooby and Max. They are both miniature Daschunds, but have totally different personalities. Scooby is 6 ½ years old and was actually born on our wedding day, something we didn’t realize until we found him and brought him home. He is a classic short-haired red Daschund. He is tireless with unending energy and always wants to play. He runs around the house with a toy in his mouth trying to find someone to play with him. Max is the loverboy of the pair. He is a 5 year old brown and tan long-haired Daschund. He loves to cuddle in your lap, much preferring to be held than to play. He walks lazily around the house looking for someone to pick him up so he can start his next nap. They are quite a pair, now best friends and inseparable, and have provided us with lots of joy and great stories. I know they will love a new addition to our house.
What is your favorite food?
Kristen loves Mexican and Italian food. She loves trying out new trendy or fun restaurants in the area. Ken is a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy, but really loves any traditional home-cooking. He’d say his favorites are meatloaf and pot roast. We love eating out and have our favorite restaurants around the area, but we try to eat at home as much as possible. Most of the time, we try to make healthy choices and make it a priority to spend dinnertime at home with each other.
What do you hope to teach your children?
We want to teach our child values, integrity, and character. We want to teach them about God’s love for them. We want to encourage them to be selfless and giving, and to share their love and blessings with others. We want to teach them about the value of education, to dream big, and that we, above all others, will always be there for them.
Do you play any musical instruments?
Kristen grew up playing the piano and still likes to play when she can. She also taught herself to play the guitar. Ken learned to play the piano as a child and played trombone in the band for a few years. Today, Ken’s most significant musical talent is playing Guitar Hero and karaoke on a night out. We both love music and enjoy going out to concerts and music festivals.
Describe your neighborhood?
Our neighborhood is perfect for families. It is a private, quiet, gated community with lots of walking trails, parks, and ponds. There are always young families with children or pets walking around the neighborhood or playing at the park. Our neighborhood plans special events for families with children for every holiday or special occasion. We have parades, play days, and neighborhood carnivals that all the kids love!
Share something about your spouse that only you know:
I wanted to share something special that Ken does that no one else knows about. He always writes me a long heartfelt letter every year for our anniversary. The first letter he ever wrote was on our wedding night. Each year he writes a letter about what we’ve been through that year, the ups and downs, the fun times and the hard times, and how much he has grown to love me more that year. It is a very special tradition that he started that I love. I have saved every letter and can’t wait to keep reading them as we get older.
One of the special things Kristen does is that she leaves me little notes in the mornings, saying she loves me and reminding me of little things I need to get done that day. She is always encouraging me and reminding me how much she trusts and admires me. Kristen also has a special chest of unique things she has been collecting to give to our first child. In the chest are a few things from her childhood that she wants to share and some books, toys and other items we’ve bought over the years. Even her mother has started putting a few special things in the chest for her first grandchild. Kristen is so excited and can’t wait to share this with a new baby.
Describe the last romantic thing you did together?
The most romantic moment we’ve had recently was on our recent cruise through the Mediterranean. On the night we were entering into Venice, Italy, we were having dinner out on the deck of the ship. The ship made its way slowly into the waterways of Venice at dusk. As we watched together, seeing Venice for the first time, they played Andrea Bocelli’s music, a beautiful Italian singer, overhead throughout the boat. It was truly breathtaking to see the city, the canals, and the lights lining the streets. It was a very special and very romantic moment that we shared and that we will never forget.
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
We plan to tell our child how much their birthmother loved them, and how brave and selfless she was to make such a tough decision. We will share how the birthmom had big dreams for them and that she wanted to give them the best life she could. We will remind them how special adopted children are because they have two mothers that love them deeply and each gave them everything they could to put them with a special family. The most important thing of all is that their birthmother gave them their most blessed gift, the gift of life!
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
Well, it would involve golf, of course!! The day would start with going out for our child’s favorite breakfast. Then, we would head to the golf course to play and learn a little about golf, and just to enjoy each other. What better way to end the day than a special trip for ice cream.
Do you plan on sharing with your child what their birth parents were like?
Yes, we would love to share with our child about their birthparents. Kristen is adopted and loves that her adoptive parents told her about her birthparents when she was young. We would love to be able to tell them whatever we can, their likes/dislikes, their interests or talents, their favorite foods, music, places, etc. We welcome whatever the parents would like us to share with our child.
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
We both grew up in the public school system and think public schools are great. We hope that we will stay in a community where we have pride and trust in the education provided by the public school system. However, we plan to give our child the best education possible. And so, if we feel that the public school is not ideal, we have the means and will plan to enroll them in private school.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
We truly believe that adoption is what God has planned for us. We’ve both experienced the gift of adoption in different ways. Kristen was adopted at 9 days old. Ken’s mom was adopted from a foster home when she was a child. I (Kristen) always had a special place in my heart for adoption. Ken and I both dreamed of adopting a child even before we ever met. Ken has always believed the 2 most important women in his life came from adoption. As we have been married, we have talked and thought more and more about it. Our backgrounds, experience, and our hearts have led us here. Through prayer, we feel that God is, and always has been, leading us to this place, readying and preparing us for adopting that special child who will make our family complete.
What faith will you raise your child?
We plan to raise our child in the Christian faith. We both were raised in the Baptist church, but we currently are members of a local Bible Church. We plan to teach our child how much God loves them, about God’s plan of salvation through Jesus, and how to live in this world demonstrating God’s love for others.
How will you help your child accomplish their dreams?
We plan to start by encouraging them to dream as a child. We want to foster their ideas and dreams, giving them avenues to explore their interests or talents and providing them with the best education we can. We will give them the opportunities to explore their own gifts and talents through school, extracurricular activities, or sports. We will be there to support and encourage them, to help them learn, and to financially support them through college or any graduate school or further education.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
We hope to build a new friendship and a relationship of love, support, and trust with her. We want her to know how proud we are of her, how much we care about her and her child, and how much we support such a tough decision that she has made. We want her to learn about us and us to learn about her. We want her to learn how much we will love her child and strive to provide the perfect home. We want her to feel comfortable letting us raise her precious gift, her child in our home.
How did you meet?
We met through friends at our church. We had a large group of friends through our singles Bible study group at our church. We served together at our church and often spent time together through our class activities. We were good friends first, but our relationship grew as we spent time together and really learned more about each other. We dated about two years before we were married.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
Kristen is an only child and has great memories of growing up with her parents. Her mom stayed at home and was always there for her, teaching and nurturing her throughout her childhood. Kristen and her dad were in a YMCA program called Indian Princesses, which was a father-daughter group. They had monthly meetings with their “tribe”, frequent campouts, and other activities. He was always her biggest supporter and fan as she went through school. Her parents now live minutes from our home. She goes shopping and on outings with her mom often and talks to her daily. She is still very close to both of them and we often meet them for dinner or spend the weekend together when we can.
Ken’s parents are the most important people in his life. He had a great relationship with his parents and still does today. He realizes and appreciates that the morals and values that have made him the man he is today were instilled in him through his parents. His mom was very supportive and always the nurturer and comforter through his life. He has always looked up to his dad immensely, being the strong foundation of his family. His dad was and still is his greatest hero.
What attracted you to each other?
Ken was first attracted to Kristen’s smile and fun-loving personality. She was fun to be around, smart, independent, and seemed like a sweet and genuine person. Kristen was attracted to Ken because he stood out in the crowd. He had a really caring demeanor and he really made me laugh. We had similar backgrounds, families, and shared the same values. I think we also liked that we were a little different from each other. As they say, ‘opposites attract’. He was the handsome outgoing athletic guy and I was the sweet fun yet sometimes reserved girl. We really seemed to complement each other. We had different hobbies and interests which was intriguing.
Please describe your personalities:
I would describe Ken as outgoing, honest, loyal and devoted, and witty. He is kindhearted and very passionate about his beliefs and his family. He shows compassion and dedication to his friends and the same dedication to any responsibility he accepts.
Kristen is very kind, gentle, and is definitely a nurturer and encourager of those around her. She is easy-going, intelligent, and fun-loving. She is extremely compassionate and very sensitive to the needs of others around her. She is a very giving and generous person.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Ken’s favorite hobby is golf. He loves to play and is a member of a golf club nearby where he tries to play at least once a week. He also loves watching and playing multiple sports, including football, softball, and basketball.
Kristen loves to be outdoors. She loves swimming and being by the pool. She also loves home decorating and has a side hobby of making floral home accessories with her mom. She also loves dancing, shopping, and playing cards and games.
Together, we enjoy watching sports, working out, and walking our dogs. One of Kristen’s greatest passions is travelling and seeing new parts of the country and world. We travel a lot together. At home, we also enjoy going out to movies, concerts, museums and comedy shows. We really are still kids at heart! We still love going to Six Flags, a nearby amusement park, and riding all of the roller coasters as many times as possible. Kristen grew up in the Dallas area and has been to the Texas State Fair at least once every year since she was 5 years old. This is something we look forward to every year. We love seeing all the exhibits and animals, playing the games, riding on the rides, and tasting the food, especially the corn dogs and funnel cakes!
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
I feel so thankful to her for giving us such a special and precious gift. I am overwhelmed by how strong she is and want her to know how much we admire her for entrusting us with this special one. I want her to know how much we will treasure this child, love them, cherish them, and give them the best home and life we can dream for them.
How will a child enrich your life?
This child will bring new joy and purpose into our lives. Undoubtedly, this new baby will bring us years of joy, laughter, and excitement. Ken and I feel that God has really blessed our lives, providing for us, and really filling us with His love. We really want to share these blessings and love with a child. We want to share with them all of the great things we’ve experienced and learned, the places we’ve been to and love, and the beauty of life and the world around us. It will be so exciting to be able to teach our child about our values, beliefs, the importance of character, and all those things that our families have instilled in us.
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Ken initially graduated with a degree in economics and went into the chemical business, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He eventually became the manager of a small landscape chemical company in Houston. Although successful, he longed for more of a challenge and a career that suited his interests more. He was always interested in the real estate market and so decided to pursue that path. He loves being a realtor because he is able to really help people make important and exciting decisions, because he loves researching the market and showing homes, and because it provides a very flexible work schedule. The flexibility of his schedule is ideal for us, working well with Kristen’s schedule and allowing us to manage time at home together and hopefully, taking care of a new baby soon.
Kristen always loved school and excelled in science and math. She was intrigued by biology and wanted a career where she could make a difference in people’s lives. Deep in her heart, she had a passion for helping others and was sensitive to the unspoken needs of those around her. Medicine was the natural career choice for her. She was pre-med in college and volunteered at local hospitals to see healthcare firsthand. She loved the excitement, the unexpected, the challenge of it, and the chance to really help and heal people in need. In medical school, she was exposed to the OB/GYN field and loved it immediately. She rejoices in the miracle of pregnancy and birth every day. Her job is difficult, demanding, and often stressful, but truly rewarding and right where God wants her to be.
What makes a birthmom special?
Birthmothers are special because they have given their child the most important gift which is the gift of life. She gives her child life, the ability to love, the seeds of her talent and interests, and she gives another family the most precious gift anyone could imagine. She gives us a child that we have longed for, prayed for, dreamed of, and planned for, and who we will cherish forever, all thanks to her.
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