Felisha and David
We are so excited to be meeting you and want to thank you for taking the time to get to know our family. We cannot imagine the weight of the decision you are about to make, and we hope learning more about us brings you some peace. We can only imagine the love and feelings you have for your baby and promise that your story will be protected and cherished. You will not be forgotten or erased as time passes. In fact, as a multi-cultural family ourselves, we promise to honor your heritage as well. Our hope is that through this book you will get to know us a little bit and see the love and joy that we share within our home.
We will love your child with all our hearts, unconditionally and forever. All of our children will always have a home to come back to. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, whether they are having hard times or coming home for Thanksgiving, they will always have our home, our love, and our family to come back to as the consistent North Star in their lives. Their safety, happiness and health are always on our minds and we will strive to give them the best life we can.
We hope to meet you soon and wish you all of life's very best.
With love,
Felisha, Dave, Abby and Asher
Our Adoption Story
In many ways, we followed a pretty typical (and fortunate) path - we fell in love, got married, bought a house together and soon after, decided to start a family of our own. We had never really considered the possibility that this would be a struggle for us, but that is where we found ourselves. Month after month led to disappointment and we had watched many of our friends go through fertility treatment and so we decided pretty early on that we did not want to go that path. We decided that if we could not get pregnant on our own, we would absolutely want to start our family through adoption. In looking back, it seems that it was almost right after we had that conversation that we got pregnant with Abigail. And then we were blessed once more when we became pregnant with our son, Asher.
Even though we have two amazing and awesome kids, the conversation of adoption really never stopped. We were so close to starting the adoption process before our kids were born that we never gave up on our dream of adoption being a part of our lives. We may not have fully realized it then, but all those years ago, we decided that adoption was in our future.
Our Promise to You
We know in our hearts that our family is not done growing. We want to share the love and stability that our family has with your baby. We are committed to you and your baby and are already dreaming of (and planning!) the perfect nursery. We even find ourselves shopping for the new things a baby needs. Picking out a new car seat may seem boring to some, but after two kids, we really know what to look for and that is exciting to us. We look forward to things that seem small but are really big; the first time they smile, the first time they hug you back, the first time they roll over, all the firsts.
We look forward to growing with them, playing with them, riding bikes and climbing on rocks. It is truly a blessing to be a part of something so beautifully wonderful, and in a way, you really get to do everything for the first time again.
We would imagine that one of our biggest concerns is that you may think your child will be raised differently than the children we already have. But please know that the truth is, we only want to love them and include them in our lives, just the same as Abigail and Asher. Your child will simply be our third child, another amazing addition to the games Abby and Ash play, to bedtimes, family trips, dinners, breakfasts, all of our everyday living. We truly see this as adding another member to our family who we can't wait to share our true unconditional love with. We want your baby to have the best life that we can provide, and we hope that we can raise them to be strong enough to make their own decisions about what kind of life they want to live. We want to raise them knowing that making mistakes is ok and mom and dad have made our fair share of mistakes and we can help them through it. We always want them to know that they can come to us about anything anytime, there is nothing that we cannot get through together and we hope that we can guide them to living a balanced and fulfilling life. As parents, we have always said that we don't care what they decide to do or who they want to be as they grow up, we only really care that they are happy doing it.
Our Family
Between both of us, we have a large extended family, and they are all so excited that we are growing our family through adoption. Felisha's brother and sister-in-law live very close by. This was really important to us as we wanted our kids to grow-up together, to spend holidays and weekend trips together or just be able to hang out for a BBQ.
We are blessed to have grandparents, great-grandparents, as well as aunts and uncles back in Washington that we travel back to see about once a year. Many of our relatives also come to visit and stay at our house in Colorado throughout the year. We have more great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in Kansas and Arizona that we see often, whether they are stopping by our house or we take a weekend trip to see them.
All of our family gatherings are full of laughter and love. Dave's parents, Meemaw and Papa, are very involved with our family, visiting when they can and video calling as often as possible. Every member of our family has been very supportive of us going down the path of adoption and cannot wait to have another grandkid or niece or nephew to love on. We are truly blessed to have such loving people in our lives who support our decisions the way they do. We too can't wait for your baby to feel all our love.
About Us
Our first date was a magical day. It is hard to explain, but we had an immediate connection, and I fully admit that I knew Dave was "IT" that day. What was supposed to be just an afternoon date, turned into an entire day of being together - we simply did not want the day to end. And all these years later (12 to be exact!), we still have the same connection. We are truly best friends and we believe that is why our relationship is so strong. Everything else in life will fade and change over time but our friendship will always be the foundation of everything that we do. We see and treat each other as equals, though we do share different roles. We like to say that Felisha is the propeller pushing us through the water and Dave is the rudder keeping us on the right course. After four wonderful years of dating, we were married in a small ceremony with 16 family members in Dave's parents' backyard. It was a day filled with love and one we will never forget.
We try to get creative with what we do as a family but most of what we do is pretty low key. We have discovered all kinds of activities that we enjoy doing together - from science experiments in the kitchen, working on puzzles, playing Monopoly Jr, having a dance party, watching cartoons, or just simply coloring. We love to be outside and so do the kids, riding bikes and coloring with street chalk. We have a bouncy house that we put in the front yard and the kids just go nuts inside that thing.
Sometimes we turn our basement into a pretend movie theatre and we give the kids fake tickets and fake money to buy treats with. Then we dim the lights, sit down together and watch whatever the new Disney movie is while we eat microwaved popcorn. It is the simple things we love most! We also like to take little weekend trips to different places within driving distance just to explore what is around us. Most weekends though, we stay home and the kids play with their neighborhood friends while us parents get to socialize with the other parents!
As a couple, we love to share good food. We are always searching out new places to eat and recipes to try. Felisha makes some of the best chocolate chip cookies in the world and her homemade tortillas are something people fight over for the last one. Dave can make some outstanding dishes that can make anyone feel spoiled. After the food is done, the mess is cleaned, and the kids are in bed, we like to sit on the couch with each other and watch our favorite movies. When the weather is just right, one of our favorite things is to build a fire in the backyard and sit with each other while we watch the stars.
Meet Felisha
Felisha is the most compassionate and loving person that I have ever met. She has shown me what true unconditional love is, love that has no bounds or limitations. She shows us all in big and little ways how much we all are in her thoughts every day. It is her love that reassures me that there really is nothing that we cannot do when we do it together. She is the person who also makes me feel at ease under even the most stressful situations.
Felisha really loves to bake - she can make some of the most delicious things and she loves watching people dig in and enjoy her creations. She doesn't make these things because they taste great, she makes them because they bring people joy that warms the soul. Felisha's other hobby is crocheting! She is really good at it and every winter, she crochets a new hat for Abby and Asher. It has become her claim to fame!
Felisha is the most amazing mom and it is obvious in all that she does that this is her greatest joy. I know first-hand that she puts our kids before everything else. She is kind, patient, thoughtful and understanding with them and they are her #1 priority, 100% of the time. She is the one who gets us out as a family, whether it be a weekend trip camping or flying us back to Seattle to visit friends and family.
Something else that she does which I think is incredibly special, is that she finds time and ways to focus on each of our children individually. With Abby, she will plan a mommy daughter outing to our basement (lol!) for a girls’ night where they do their nails, watch girl movies and spend time together without the boys. With Asher, they go on mommy and son dates where they go out to eat and have ice cream and spend the evening together.
I know she is making incredible memories for our kids and I know more than anything that Felisha has room in her heart to make memories with your baby too.
Meet David
Dave is my rock. Being together for 12 years means we have been through a lot of ups and downs together, but we have done it exactly that way - together. Early into our relationship, my grandfather became very ill due to lung cancer. Growing up, he had been more of a dad to me and his illness and then his passing was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. Dave was there for me, through it all. He drove 3-4 hours every weekend just to make sure I was okay and to help me get through those rough days and nights of worry. To this day, Dave is still the kindest and gentlest man, always asking, "what can I do for you?". He is always ready to go out of his way for others.
Dave is a passionate model railroader and volunteers at a local railroad museum. This is something that has deep roots in his life as his grandfather was a railroad conductor his whole adult life and has passed on his joy of model railroading to Dave. He is also starting to pick up golf. On most weeknights, you can find Dave cooking up dinner in our kitchen while Abigail and Asher lend a hand. My favorite thing Dave makes for us is a steak with parsnip puree dinner that is beyond delicious (trust me, it is amazing!).
Family is what is most important to Dave. He loves us unconditionally and is an amazing teacher, using his creativity and patience in a way that is inspiring to me. Dave loves being a dad and it shows when he is reading stories to the kids or coming up with science experiments that take over the whole kitchen. This last year Dave has stepped up in a way that just proves this even more by becoming a stay-at-home dad. He built a classroom for the kids, took the time to figure out a curriculum for each of their ages, and came up with field trips they could take. We were in a hard position with moving and the pandemic and Dave took all of it in stride to do what he could for our family and to keep us all moving forward and safe.
HOLIDAYS & TRADITIONS
Holidays are a very special time for our family. Having grown up going between houses, we wanted holidays to be about enjoying our time together without loads of traveling back and forth. So now, for Christmas we stay home, lounging in our pajamas as long as we want, eating and playing with the new toys without any obligations except to just be together and stay home. We do this for ourselves as much as we do it for the kids so that we have memories of just being together for Christmas as opposed to running around like crazy trying to visit everyone.
For Thanksgiving, we host extended family at our house where we cook all the traditional dishes while watching movies and football. The menus we come up with typically mean every appliance in our house is being used for the day and we could feed 20 people. It is our hope to always have a crowded table in our new home starting with inviting everyone to Thanksgiving.
One of our favorite times is October because not only do we have all the fun that Halloween brings, but because we celebrate Dia De Los Muertos (day of the dead). This is a time to remember our loved ones, celebrating the time we had with them and passing on the memories to the kids. Coming from a Hispanic background, Felisha wants to bring back different cultural aspects to our lives so they are not forgotten. We love how this holiday preserves the memory of family, when too often it is forgotten too soon.
ABIGAIL (GOOBER!)
We like to describe Abigail as colorful. Her favorite color is the rainbow! Abby has an amazing imagination and an equally amazing heart. She is so compassionate and kind to others around her (both kids and adults!). She is already a wonderful big sister who watches out for Asher but also does her share of bossing him around, lol.
Abby is so excited to have another sibling. She has been asking us when the baby will get here and if she will be able to help take care of them. She has big plans for helping feed them and we have already gently explained that babies do not eat candy or chocolate, which blew her mind, LOL. Abby likes to spend her time playing chef, watching anything Disney, playing with her neighborhood friends and recently learned to ride her bike with no training wheels.
ASHER (BUBBA!)
Asher is carefree and goofy and someday we bet he may even be the class clown. As silly and playful as he can be, he also has an almost magical way of giving hugs and snuggles that warm our hearts daily. Asher loves his trucks, trains, dinosaurs, and watching his favorite TV show, Blaze. He also loves his stuffed animals ("stuffies"). His favorites are monkey and vaca-lola (a cow).
Asher is super excited to have another playmate in the house and has been asking about what stuffies he can give the baby from his collection. Just like Abigail, I know Asher will love your baby with all of his heart, the same way they love each other today.
WHERE WE CALL HOME
Our home is the home we always had in mind for raising kids. It is important to us that our kids have space - space to play inside and outside. Being able to provide a place where our kids could have their own rooms was important to both of us. When we found our home, we knew this was the place where we wanted to make memories, a place for kids to come back to and say, "when I was a kid...". Our favorite part of our home is the backyard, where there is so much room to run and play and places for adults to sit, relax and socialize. We were even able to put in a play house in the yard with slides and a pretend outdoor kitchen - it has been the neighborhood hangout in the summers.
Before moving to Colorado, we lived in Washington. Washington was a wonderful place to be, we would spend our summers boating and camping trying to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings. While Washington was our home for most of our lives, we were looking for somewhere different to raise our kids. And so here we are, in beautiful Colorado.
Moving to Colorado has been one of the best decisions of our lives. Not only are we close by to Felisha's brother and his family, but we are in a community filled with young families. We are within walking distance of our neighborhood pool, amazing schools and of course, we have that big backyard we have always dreamed of. We are located in a part of Colorado at the base of the mountains and is probably one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. There are a few towns close by but our neighborhood is surrounded by open spaces and farms and is just very peaceful. Keeping Washington close to our hearts, it was important that we still be close to the mountains for the beauty and outdoor activities and thankfully we have found that.
Travel and Adventure
Traveling is something that we want to have in our lives. We want to show our kids the world. As a couple, we have taken a few trips abroad including to Mexico, Hawaii and Italy. We were a little too chicken to take two toddlers on a 15 hour plus plane ride to go overseas, so our trips with the kids have been more local, visiting places like California and Washington, DC. With having moved to a different state, we have also taken the time to explore Colorado (the mountain towns are so beautiful!). One of the best trips we took recently was driving back to Washington. We rented a camper trailer to tow and took 3 days each way to make the drive. It was a great way to see 4 different states and spend time together as a family. It has also given Dave an itch to get our own camper in the near future!
Our Furry Friends
Felisha grew up with pets; dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, rats, fish, pretty much anything that could fit in a small cage. She always wanted our kids to have that experience as well. Pets show us unconditional love and teach responsibility. We are a cat family. We currently have 3 cats; Gizmo (12 years old), Mia (10 years old) and our newest is Julian at 2 years old. All the cats love being around the family - they want to be in the same room with us, watching all that we are doing while they hope for a dropped treat or extra scratches behind their ears. Mia, is our small all black girl and she is kind of our kitty nanny. She is always watching the kids and on more than one occasion when they were babies would come get us if they were crying. If it were up to Felisha we would have a whole farm of animals but for now we are sticking with cats.
Conclusion
Thank you again for taking the time to read our profile and for getting to know us. We would love to learn more about you too one day - about your hopes and your dreams, for your baby and for yourself. We would be honored to have the chance to answer any questions you may have for us and for the chance to get to know each other.
We are keeping you in our thoughts and wishing you only the best as you decide what is right for your baby.
With love,
Felisha and David