Andrea is a middle school special education teacher. She has been teaching for 15 years, and has always taught in Title 1 schools. She has taught Math, Social Studies, and Language Arts. She is currently a small group teacher and a general education teacher in Language Arts. Through the years, she has been able to mentor children of all races, cultures, and abilities. As a teacher, you are not only teaching the students, but also learning from them. Some of them share the difficulties in their lives, but also their successes. It gives her great joy to be a little part in their lives.

Chris has worked in the entertainment industry for 16 years. He started off working on cruise ships as a stage manager and automation technician for the stage shows in 2009. After a 4 year career, it was time to move home and start a life on land. He worked as a freelance carpenter, flyrail operator, and stage manager in most of the major venues in Atlanta. In 2017, Chris took a fulltime position as Director of Scenic and Fabrication. His job duties included running the fabrication shop, working with project managers to design and implement sets, and vetting new innovations for the company. In 2023, he accepted his current job in product and inventory management with the same company. His tasks include vetting and purchasing new equipment, maintaining gear physically and in the database system, and disposal of old or damaged items.

Our lifestyle reflects our general philosophy on life. We work hard, while maintaining a healthy balance. During the weekdays we focus on our careers. Andrea is an extremely dedicated teacher that rarely misses any time. Chris goes to work and focuses on important company tasks. We have both been recognized by our employers with promotions and raises. Every day we spend about two hours after work completing house goals. In the two houses that we have owned, we have renovated 5 closets and a guest room, landscaped our yard, and built a new pantry and deck. We have done all of this while keeping the inside and outside clean and tidy.

Our life is not all work and no play however. We try to focus on relaxing, traveling, or attending events. We make sure to spend several hours together at the end of every day. Usually, this takes the form of having dinner together at our house. On Fridays, you will find us on the deck relaxing and talking. Most Saturdays are spent going somewhere fun. We visit family often, have dinner with friends, and occasionally go shopping to decorate our holiday tree. Our favorite leisure activity is going to live events. We attend an all-day concert every year. We got engaged in front of our friends in the morning before our second year there. We also go to football games in the fall, and try to go on a vacation twice a year.

Several times a year we go down to Fernandina Beach, Florida. Andrea's parents own a house one block from the beach. It is an incredible retreat for us. Every July, we take an extended vacation of 10 to 14 days down there. This has become one of our most coveted times a year. We can go there and turn our brains off and get away from the world for a bit. It is always a much needed reset from our careers and daily responsibilities at home. Additionally, we go down there several other times a year We have been there many times for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

There is plenty to do down at the beach. A typical day at the beach house is as follows. Chris gets up early and goes fishing until mid-morning. Then we find or cook breakfast while planning the days activities. The days adventures could include any number of possibilities. We might set up the tent for a beach day, take a walk on the greenway, go out to lunch, look for shark's teeth, or sit on the porch and read a book. Fernandina Beach also has a spacious downtown area. There are a variety of restaurants, plenty of shops to explore, and an occasional festival. There is a large area with a stage that frequently has live bands where people dance and sing along to the music.

We live just outside of Atlanta in a small suburban community. We have lived here for approximately three years in a modest, single story(except for the bonus room) brick home. We have 3 bedrooms and three bathrooms. We have an outrageously large deck that Chris built. We spend some time every week out there lounging, watching sports, and making fires in our portable fire pit.

The neighborhood is quiet and located in metro Atlanta, GA. We are close enough to the city where we can go to a major event with ease but far enough away where we can see the stars at night. There are families of all ages around us. The couple across the street is in their 60's and we talk to them often. There are TONS of kids in our neighborhood. Halloween is bonkers!

Our surrounding area is filled with diversity. Both in terms of populous and activities. There are plenty of things to do just minutes away from us. We have a park with a creek for swimming or fishing within walking distance. We have a community pool with a pond and picnic area. There is another park, with waking trails, camping, biking, archery, and canoeing. Our area enjoys a well-known horse park that has events, concerts, and festivals throughout the year. We are also minutes away from our downtown area with department stores, ice cream shops, and movie theaters.

Our parents each live about an hour away from us, and there will certainly be disputes as to who will get to see the baby first! We both have a very loving and supportive families who we see often. Something tells us that those visits will increase with addition of a grandchild.

Andrea was raised by her incredible father, mother, and two younger sisters. One sister is living in Boston with her husband. She is almost finished with her residency to become a pediatrician. Her youngest sister has Downs Syndrome and lives with her parents. We absolutely love going to their beach house where we swim, fish, look for sharks teeth, explore new restaurants, and hang on the porch with the neighbors.

Chris has a wonderful family as well, including parents who have been married for 47 years! He has one sister. His sister is married and also has three children. The cousins are excited to meet Uncle Kika and Auntie Andrea's child. Our favorite times are going to visit Chris' parents at their house. They live on a golf course that is located near a quaint rural town with lots of shops and local restaurants. Our visits always include a meal. In the summertime we cook burgers on the grill and Chris' mom makes her award winning potato salad.

We are, first and foremost, thankful for the opportunity to get to know you and your family.

We are in awe of the incredibly complicated decision you are considering making for your child. Your bravery, determination and selflessness are truly impressive. We are humbled by your consideration of us. We are here to support you in every way possible. We are looking forward to sending pictures, updates, and stories of your child's development. As our child discovers their adoption story, you will always be spoken of with great regard in our house. We are committed to open and honest communication throughout the child's life.

We have been together for ten years and married for 9 years. We met on a popular dating app and have been inseparable ever since. Our relationship is based on love, understanding, and open communication. We can argue that we have been through more than most married couples. We have had to deal with surgeries, flooded basements, power outages, family loss, job loss, and near-death experiences. We are the epitome of making the most of it. When our basement flooded(twice), we used that opportunity to improve our house with an updated guest room and expanded pantry. When the power has gone out, we make dinner over the fire pit and light from flashlights and two liter bottles. One of greatest strengths is our resiliency. It hasn't been all obstacles though. In fact, it has been a pretty fulfilling and enjoyable life together. We share a love for concerts, festivals, and sporting events. We always make sure to have an event or vacation planned that we are striving for.

We work incredibly hard at our jobs and at home to achieve our goal of a prosperous life together. Andrea is a special education teacher in a Title-1 school. She never misses a day or takes a vacation. Rain or shine she is there to help her students. Chris works for an entertainment company that produces and executes live events like corporate meetings and conferences. He has worked many areas of the business including road technician, Scenic department manager, and now Product Management. His current job requires zero travel which leaves plenty of time for home life. We generally come home and work on the house or do chores after work. Our evening are filled with dinner and winding down before we go to bed and start all over again tomorrow.

Our parental journey started many years ago. For about 3 years, we tried various ways to conceive naturally without success. Our next step led us to IUI. We went through the process twice. Again, without success. After that we moved forward with IVF. Again, we were unable to conceive. Throughout all of these disappointments, we have remained steadfast in our desire to have a child. This hunger to start our family has led us here to you.

We want you to know that your child will always be unconditionally loved and cherished. We will nurture and guide them through life's journey. Our home will be filled with loving parents, family and, friends. We promise to support and encourage their passions and interests. They will be provided with every opportunity to succeed. We vow that they will always be safe and protected.

We are looking forward to sending pictures, updates, and stories of your child's development. You will always be spoken of with great regard in our house. As our child learns their adoption story, we are committed to open and honest communication about who they are and where they come from.

Thank you for taking the time to view our profile. We look forward to getting to know you.

With love and admiration,

Chris & Andrea