Welcome! Meet:

Eddie + Carrie

Development Director / Family Support Specialist

Florida

Caucasian

Christian

All About Eddie & Carrie
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Eddie & Carrie

We cherish our friendly beach town, enjoying family activities like beach walks, putt-putt golf, and festivals. We frequent Disney World and when it's hot, we visit local museums. We love taking family vacations to places like Tennessee, Indiana, and our favorite spot, Anna Maria Island, they are so meaningful to us.

Quality time is sacred, with weeknight dinners, brunches, and playtime being essential. We love our simple daily life, from grocery shopping to cleaning together.

Favorite memories include our annual 'cousins camp,' celebrating Fall in Carrie’s hometown, summer cookouts, and trips to see friends across the US, creating lasting memories with family and friends.

Carrie has a beautiful singing voice, plays piano, and loved her experience as a voice and violin teacher. We share a love for classical music and cooking, and her welcoming family creates a warm atmosphere for friends. She finds joy in hosting and celebrating seasonal events, making our house a home.

Eddie is reliable, calm, and playful. He enjoys building Legos, exploring, and all things Disney. He prioritizes self-care and quality time with his family. As a dedicated educator, he helps parents reunify with their children in foster care and is nearing completion of a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling focused on young children's mental health. His passion for supporting emotional well-being is evident in his work.

We have a genuine friendship and respect for one another. As each year of marriage passes we find a deeper well of love and admiration for one another. Our heart is to always share love, joy, peace, and kindness with each other, our future children, their family, friends, and all who enter our home and are connected to us. After 18 years of marriage, we’ve found life to be an unfolding adventure filled with all of the hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Why Adoption?

Our hearts always desired to grow our family through adoption and natural conception. Carrie dreamt of six children, and we agreed on four. We dreamt of two boys and two girls. After facing infertility, we paused our adoption plans in 2012 to support Carrie's sister during a family crisis.

In Fall 2023, a family friend called asking for our help. Their newborn granddaughter needed care; her parents were experiencing personal difficulties. We opened our hearts and home to their precious baby girl at seven days old. We are so thankful she is now home with them.

Caring for a child unlocked our hearts, and reignited our desire to finally become parents and start the adoption process. Now was the time to open our hearts and lives to an expectant parent choosing adoption for their child.

Family & Home

Our home is a quiet, cozy space designed for nurturing relationships and filled with natural light. We cherish our diverse and kind neighbors from various backgrounds, including families and retirees. Our youth pastor and his family are also neighbors! Safety is a priority, with secure access and a supportive community. The nursery will be directly next to our primary bedroom and will be completely devoted to our child. We’ve chosen a diverse faith based private school just a few minutes from our home that we love and plan to send our future child to. It is the primary reason we chose our neighborhood.

We have a loving circle of friends with both adoptive and biological children. From kids’ baseball games to weekend outings together at a state park or local family festival, we’re surrounded by those who love us, are actively supporting us in our adoption journey, and whom we love to support. They’ve already committed to babysitting, meals, and any other support we may need, not just in the early months of our baby’s life, but in all the years to come.

Together, we have 19 nieces and nephews aged 1 to 21, and frequently communicate and gather for events like our annual 'cousins camp.' Our families are very supportive of our relationship and adoption journey. Since our dating years, we’ve been blessed to have families who are also friends with one another.

Carrie’s parents, George and Julia, raised their family in a friendly Midwestern town. They have a beautiful diverse family. Her two older sisters were born to their biological mom from Thailand, while Carrie’s mother and father raised them together. Her family celebrated their heritage by experiencing various Thai dishes. Her younger sister’s children share a Hispanic and African American heritage with their fathers.

Eddie’s parents, Ed and Lou, are pastors and former missionaries. He grew up with a younger brother and sister in the bluegrass state of Kentucky. Despite living in different states, we stay connected through weekly FaceTime calls and family gatherings hosted by his parents during vacations and holidays. Mamaw and Papaw host the entire family for summer vacations and the Christmas season.

How others describe me

“Her joy is contagious, and her love for me and others proves time and gain as steady and true. She is a mother to so many of our nieces and nephews, and my greatest treasure. I am excited to watch her become a mother and forever love our child.” - Eddie

“Eddie has a steadiness and generosity that brings security and peace to our home. His hugs melt the stress and cares of the day away, and his youthful playful heart always brightens my mood! The thought of him becoming a father overwhelms my heart and I can’t wait to share parenthood with him..” - Carrie

How We Met

Our love story blossomed in the summer of 2001 while we served as camp counselors. Within a few weeks, we recognized God's plan for us. Eddie always says it was love at first sight! We took time and established a strong foundation of friendship over the course of four years.

Eddie’s proposal came as somewhat of a surprise to Carrie in the early spring season. While strolling across our hometown’s walking bridge, where we had shared several special moments, including one of our first dates, as the early spring snow floated from the clouds, Eddie knelt on one knee and popped the question! We even captured our engagement pics at the very spot he proposed!

Then, on a snowy January day in the glow of candlelight surrounded by loved ones, we vowed to cherish one another for all our days to come. We embraced life's journey, buying our first home, celebrating graduations, and enjoying being Aunt Coco and Uncle Eddie.

Advice to Future Child

Celebrate the present, hug often, and be open handed and gracious to everyone.

Family is forever and knows no limits when it comes to sharing love with all.

Faith is key to believing in yourself and others. Have hope and remember, the sun is always shining just beyond the clouds.

Embrace your childhood, honor and protect your family, and remember, home is always a safe haven where you are affirmed, encouraged, protected, and cared for in every way.

Your family history is a timeless and priceless treasure. We’ll always support you in guarding, celebrating, and understanding all the facets of who you are and who your family members are, far and wide.

Finally, dream big and live with courage, honor and cherish life, and share joy and kindness.

Perspectives on Open Adoption

One of our favorite quotes really speaks to our heart for open adoption. "Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life." Lisa Weed

We believe every birth parent should always be honored and celebrated, and the wonder and joy of their child’s growth and development shared in meaningful ways. Open adoptions provide a child with a whole and complete life, ensuring every opportunity for love, understanding, and a full perspective on their own self identity.

Favorites

Eddie

Favorite Movie: Star Wars; Return of the Jedi
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Birthdays are super special to me. Every niece and nephew gets a special gift from Uncle & Auntie, decorating for each other at home, celebrating the special day with that person and doing all the things they love to do! I also LOVE Thanksgiving. It’s a quiet simple time to be together and look forward to expressing gratitude with one another for one another.
Hobbies/Interests: drawing, painting, building, traveling, outdoor adventures, shopping and visiting Disney World with my family and friends
Dream Vacation: Visiting the pyramids in Egypt, various archaeological sites, followed by a trip to Disneyland Paris with Carrie and our children
If I Could Choose a Superpower: super strength, like Mr. Incredible

Carrie

Favorite Movie: Disney’s Sleeping Beauty
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Those magical days between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Night! Baking and prepping holiday meals together, decorating our home for Christmas, cookie baking, caroling, and cozy PJs with the entire family on Christmas Eve.
Hobbies/Interests: music, playing the piano and violin, singing, quiet afternoons at the beach, visiting museums, taking walks, bike riding, and hosting friends and families for holidays and birthdays
Dream Vacation: Tour of England, Scotland, and Ireland to connect with my ancestry and heritage.
If I Could Choose a Superpower: I’ve always wanted to FLY.