All About Kelly & Charae

Our family currently consists of us, Kelly and Charae, and our four-legged babies, Paddy Murphy and Briar, who we just adore!  

Kelly was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1975 and his family moved around the country as his father’s job changed, ultimately landing in California. It is in Kansas that his love of Kansas City BBQ and the Kansas City Chiefs were born!  He became an uncle at 17 when his eldest brother had children, and then more recently became an uncle again when Charae’s sister had two boys, and a great uncle when his first nephew had two babies. His mom moved to Beaverton, OR from Arizona several years ago, so we get to spend time with her often, which usually includes belting out show tunes. Kelly is a software engineer and works for a small company in town. In his free time, if he’s not playing with our dogs or preparing for a camping trip, he is watching one of his favorite sports teams, Formula 1 racing, or playing video games.  

Charae was born in 1979 in Moorpark, a small town in southern California, and is a fifth generation Californian. Her name is actually a tribute to both of her grandmothers – it’s a combination of “Charlotte” and “Rae,” and she remains close to both grandmas today!  Her ancestors originally traveled west from Oklahoma and ultimately settled in the Los Angeles area. Charae is very close with her sister and parents who still live in the same area. We get to visit with them regularly. She is a Change Management and Communications Consultant, meaning she is hired by companies to assist them in helping their people transition to some new desired state, which she loves. Being able to use her communications and psychology background to help people has been a dream come true.