Family & Home

Elizabeth is from Western North Carolina. She is an only child, and because of this she is close to her parents, aunts, and uncles. Since she does not have any siblings, it is important to her to bring people together in friendship and community. Friends, family, and community are one of the most amazing, beautiful gifts from life.
Michael was born and raised in the Portland Metro area. He is the second child to his parents Michael and Valerie. His mom stayed home with my sister Sara and him for the first nine years of his life before she went back to work as the IT Manager for the City of Tigard. 

Sara was born with serious learning disabilities. As a child, I was given a good amount of responsibility for her care. These early instances of accountability helped me develop a sense of purpose and gain an understanding of the importance of family.
Our Portland neighborhood is full of small, 1940s and 1950s houses. We have a park 2 blocks from our house that is connected to an Elementary school. We take our dog to the park almost everyday. On our block, around 75% of our neighbors have dogs. We have gotten to know them (and their humans). We have a great group of neighbors that check in on each other. This May, we are planning to host our first neighborhood cheese and wine happy hour!
Our house has 2 bedrooms and a basement that we would like to convert into a movie, art, and game room. Elizabeth's mom has a tiny house in our backyard where she lives part time. 

We grow vegetables and flowers in the front and back gardens. We have already begun to talk about the traditions we'll establish once we welcome a child into our lives: volunteering at animal sanctuaries and backyard summer movie nights under the stars are two traditions that will create cherished memories that last a lifetime. With each tradition, our family grows stronger, united by love and shared experiences.