Software Engineer / Montessori Guide and SLPA
Colorado
Caucasian / Multi-Ethnic
None
Hello! We are Devon and Rissa and we just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to learn more about our family! As we sit here writing this, our hearts are filled with excitement and emotion. We can only imagine the wide range of emotions expectant families feel during this process. Once you make a connection with someone and begin to get to know one another, we've found that it gets a little easier, more comfortable, and less scary. You're making a huge decision and we want you to know that no matter what you decide, you are so strong and we wish you and your child all the best!
Devon grew up in Parker, CO. He has an older sister and he is an Uncle to a beautiful niece. He graduated high school in 2013 and went on to Colorado State University and later Metropolitan State University of Denver, receiving a B.A in Dance and a B.S in Computer Science. Devon loves to dance, his favorite styles to teach are hip-hop and ballet. He loves going to the beach and traveling to new places. He loves snowboarding, golfing, going for walks in the summer, and swimming with his family. His favorite foods are spaghetti, hot dogs, and anything with Tabasco sauce on it. In his free time he is either working on projects around the house or playing video games. Sometimes though, he will just relax and read a book. His favorite thing to do with his wife is go to a coffee shop and drink coffee and talk. Devon plays almost every instrument you can think of, but his favorites are the guitar and his trumpet.
Rissa was born in Charleston, SC and frequently moved around, as military families tend to do. She has two sisters, with herself being the middle child, and her parents have been married for 30 years. She is an Aunt to a beautiful niece. Family has always been very important to her, and regardless of where she's been in life she keeps them as a top priority. Her favorite season is Summer, but loves the fun activities that Fall provides. She loves the beach, and enjoys family adventures, but also loves to cuddle up inside with a blanket and cup of tea. Her favorite foods include bananas, Chicken Alfredo, and smothered burritos. She graduated high school in 2010 and went on to Colorado State University and later Metropolitan State University of Denver graduating with degrees in Human Development & Family Studies and Speech Language And Hearing Sciences.
Felicity, who also goes by Cici, is a laid back yet spunky 2 and a half year old who enjoys spending time with family and play adventures with her friends. Her favorite activities are reading books and dance and her favorite color is yellow. Felicity's favorite animals are giraffes and she loves Disney (Moana the most!). Cici loves splashing in the pool and going down slides at the park. Felicity and Rissa often bake together and Felicity enjoys working on challenging materials at her Montessori school.
Together we love to see and experience new places, people, and cultures! We appreciate the beauty of the world around us, and try to visit somewhere new each year. We love to travel on cruise ships together and with other family members and friends! We hope to share our love of adventure with our children and for them to experience and appreciate the world around them some day!
In our free time we like to read, do activities outside, and get creative. Rissa loves to bake and sketch, Devon enjoys video games and spending time playing the guitar, and Cici loves dance and learning new skills. Game nights and movie nights are how we enjoy spending time indoors as a family.
We want to expand our family and we knew we could no longer do so biologically. We chose adoption as a second option because we want to share all the love we have with children and each other, of course. We want to make sure they have a safe and stable home that they will always feel comfortable coming back to. We want to provide them with enriching opportunities. We want to help them see the world, experience different cultures and environments. We want to help them gain independence in a wide variety of activities and help them gain confidence in themselves. We're very excited to continue to build our family, and Cici is excited to have a sibling.
We live in Parker, CO in a neighborhood with a wide age range and lots of children. There is a neighborhood park that we frequent, as well as other fun parks within a short driving distance. Our home is a two story townhouse and has 3 bedrooms. Our favorite place in our house is the playroom because it is set up for a lot of fun activities and there are beautiful fish to watch in our fish tank. We also love the kitchen, where we enjoy baking and making breakfasts together on the weekends. We are just a short drive from the recreation center where we like to go swimming. There are trails behind our home that offer calming views and make for great nature walks! We also take the pups to the nearby dog park when the weather is decent so they can get their "zoomies" out of their system! We have an amazing support system of friends and family who live nearby. One couple lives 2 minutes away! Most of our friends have children of their own so playdates occur frequently!
Both Rissa’s and Devon’s parents live 10-15 minutes away and we enjoy doing fun things with them frequently. The cousins are all close in age, so we enjoy having cousin play dates and outings as well!
How Devon describes Rissa: Rissa is my best friend. There is nothing she won't do for her family. She is the best wife and a fierce momma bear. I love that her weird matches my weird and we can have fun together. She is a lovely baker, and I and Felicity love her confections. She always looks out for me and Felicity, and always keeps me grounded. She pushes me to be the best I can be. I can't imagine walking through this life with anyone else.
How Rissa describes Devon: Devon is a wonderful husband and dad. He is my rock and he never ceases to amaze me. If I ever doubt myself or get discouraged, he is always there. I love him for being my travel and adventure partner. It's amazing that we both want to see the world and experience different cultures. He's the kind of dad that will drop everything to look at a rainbow with his child. He's goofy and works really hard for his family. If you ever need some cheering up, he's ready with a couple of "dad jokes."
Devon and Rissa both attended Colorado State University, but didn't meet until a local dance studio opened up and they attended the grand opening. They knew they wanted to stay in contact somehow and Rissa took the leap, inviting Devon to go paddle boarding as a first date. They maintained a semi-long distance relationship for a couple of years before moving in together. They went on many adventures together, big and small. Both wanted to pursue a second degree and they attended college together; Rissa pursued a degree in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, while Devon studied Computer Science. Devon proposed on Rissa's favorite beach and they knew they wanted the magic to continue by getting married on a beach, as well. Soon after the wedding, their daughter Felicity was born, which was the beginning of another new adventure! Though life during the pandemic was difficult (a pretty common reflection for most), Rissa and Devon's relationship grew stronger and they decided to continue to grow their family. Faced with infertility struggles, they decided to grow their family another way. They are ready to give our unconditional love to another child and expand our family through the miracle of adoption!
Be unapologetically YOU because you are unique and you don’t need to be anyone other than exactly who YOU are! Life is going to present challenges from time to time, but you are capable of doing hard things and your loved ones will be there with you every step of the way!
We understand that the level of openness greatly depends on the comfort level of the expectant family, so we wish to consider whatever level of openness makes you feel most at ease!