Family & Home

We bought our cozy townhome in 2020 and it has been perfect for us, with room for little ones! We have a large kitchen island for baking and cooking. Torie has many plants that fill the windows. The nursery is fully set up and ready for Baby. Our home is a place where we celebrate the good. We prioritize joy, peace, and quality time together. God is present in everyday conversations. We are firm believers in the saying “Home is Where the Heart is”, meaning we will always prioritize our home and family above all else. 

Our neighborhood is a rural-ish suburb about 30 minutes outside of Salt Lake City. It is clean, safe and full of parks, playgrounds, walking/biking trails, and tons of fun places to eat and shop — all within walking distance or a short drive. We love going to the Monday Night farmers market and food trucks. We have a favorite spot a few blocks away where we can see a panoramic view of the entire Salt Lake Valley. We enjoy going to the town rodeo or other events held at the town hall down the street.

A few miles west of us, the homes start to get a little more spaced out and many properties have horses or other animals. It’s so quaint and feels very much like a small town. The sage brush hills and winding roads give us such joy. This is where our heart is and we know that we’re desiring our future home to be more rural. Our hope is to have space where kids can play in the dirt, pick veggies from the garden, and raise animals. Brandon wants goats and I’ve always dreamed of having chickens! It’s so fun to dream and we are excited for what the future holds or where we might be, but for now we are content and so blessed.

Our Family -
Since adopting our son in 2022, our household has been so rich with love and sweet times of cuddling, playing and nurturing our wonderful boy. We try to keep it simple and not commit to very many activities during this stage, but we are at church every Sunday. Brandon works from home 100% so we are home together all day long. We make sure that we are equally sharing the duties when it comes to our sons needs (feeding, changing, etc,.)

We are blessed to live within 10 miles of most of our extended family. Both sides are extremely excited and supportive of our decision to adopt.

Torie’s Family:
I am the only child of a single mom. She worked hard to raise me and to have everything I needed. With some help from my grandparents, I was able to participate in many activities and had a great childhood. I did have a lot of lonely times, because my mom worked so much, which inspired the desire to be a stay at home mom and have multiple children so they always have a friend! I grew up with my cousin living just a few blocks from me, so she and I were much like sisters. My closest relative besides my mom is my grandma. She graciously allowed Brandon and me to rent her basement for the first 4 years of our marriage and we are so blessed by her. My mom, Grandma and I enjoy going shopping and to restaurants together. They also share my love for breakfast food. (must be genetic) My total family can be counted using just one hand. Other members of my extended family stay connected over texts, social media, birthdays, and holidays. Over the last few years, I have made contact with my biological dad, who lives about an hour away. That relationship is growing and blossoming! My family is generally pretty quiet/simple people and not really religious, but they are supportive of my and Brandon’s lifestyle. Everyone is excited for us to continue our adoption journey!

Brandon’s Family:
I am the middle child of three, with an older sister and younger brother. I grew up in a tight-knit, Christian home with many vacations and Disneyland trips. My parents now have a large home and we are frequently over there for dinners, s’mores around the fire pit, and grilling/smoking meat with my dad. My parents are incredible grandparents to their grandchildren. My brother has 2 young children with his fiancee who are both very close in age to our son. Cousin time is super cute as the toddlers are figuring out how to play together and share toys. My extended family is big, loud and fun. Christmas and other holidays often involve several special gatherings with activities, food and card games. If it’s your birthday, we have a special family dinner and you get to choose the meal and dessert. Grandma makes the best homemade apple pie and pecan pie at holidays. We are multi-generation Christian. God is not only part of our roots/heritage, but our daily lives. The child we adopt will be very much loved by my big, crazy family!