12
Illinois
Lutheran
Caleb 2 yr
Caleb is a very curious little boy who studies everything before diving into the fun. He loves reading, singing, construction vehicles, trains, cars, dinosaurs, running, playing in the sand, general high energy activity and eating.
Caleb was born in 2022. We got the call that we had been chosen by his birth mother a few days after he was born. About 3 hours after that call, we held our son for the first time.
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Howdy! We are a quiet and slightly nerdy family of three. Our home is full of love, laughter, and play, and we are looking forward to increasing in these wonderful gifts as our family grows.
We met in 2010, while we were both graduate students in Chemistry. Tyler was shy at first, but he eventually asked Carrie out for a date in 2011. We married in 2013 and have lived in Texas, Indiana, and Illinois since then. Our son Caleb joined our family through adoption in 2022, and life has never been the same!
Carrie is creative, scientific, and an avid reader, while Tyler is more interested in playing sports and games. Together we cherish our time with family and friends, whether we are in person or connecting through video calls or greeting cards. We travel for work and for pleasure, but we love being together at home as a family best of all!
From Carrie:
I am so happy to introduce you to my husband, Tyler!
One of the first things that attracted me to him, and that I want to make sure you know, is that he is a patient man. He is a man of love and kindness and of course he has passions, quite a few even, such as golf. But it is his patience that always astounds me and he shows this same quiet, peaceful and gentle attitude towards others and life.
Tyler is a wonderful father, quick to laugh, always ready to make time for our son and a source of calm strength in what can be crazy days with a toddler. He shares his passions with Caleb by playing sports with him, reading books (they both love to learn) and cooking and eating together (both of them also love to eat).
Tyler is the rock in our family, a strong Christian man we can look to for wisdom, dependability and help.
Tyler is an only child, and his parents (plus many aunts, uncles and cousins) live in Minnesota. His parents are both retired and are always up for coming to see us, especially since they became Grandparents! Time with Tyler's parents always includes excellent meals and lots of card games. We video call almost every week and visit in-person multiple times during the year.
I developed an interest in Chemistry after attending summer program in 6th grade and seeing all the cool materials which are added to fireworks to make different colors. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from a small science college, then went on and earned my Ph.D. in Nuclear Chemistry.
I work for the Government to handle, store, and dispose of unwanted radioactive materials. We are the experts who handle the materials in a safe and compliant manner, protecting people and the environment. I manage the radiation safety program at our consolidation facility to ensure that exposure to radiation is minimized. We reuse and recycle as many materials as possible in order to minimize waste.
I played golf competetively in college and still enjoy hitting the links today! Caleb comes along sometimes and loves digging in the sand. I like to play any kind of games (cards, board games, and sometimes video games), and I am still very competitive, especially when trying to beat Carrie's brothers. I play flute at church and enjoying listen to music and singing with Caleb. In the summers, we go to farmer's markets, the local zoo, and the botanical garden (where Caleb spends more time digging in the sand).
From Tyler:
I wake up every morning knowing that Carrie has my back. She rejoices when I am happy, comforts me when I am stressed, builds me up when I am sad, and laughs as we share a special inside joke. That is the woman I fell in love with and married - fiercely loyal yet kindhearted, with a mischievous streak and a spunkiness that is beyond compare, and full of faith.
Carrie is an amazing mother to Caleb! She continually emphasizes learning through reading and playtime, and one favorite activity is coloring with chalk on the sidewalk. Carrie also takes Caleb to story time at our local library and swim classes at the local pool. Food is a shared passion in our family, and Carrie whips up healthy and delicious meals that we enjoy together.
Carrie is the biggest advocate for our family and always fights for what is right. She teaches and corrects Caleb with gentleness and positive reinforcement. Her steadfastness and love hold our family together.
Carrie has two adult younger brothers, one of whom is married. Her family lives in different parts of Texas and one brother in Mexico.
We don't go down to Texas as often as we would like, but we make at least one road trip of it every year and stay a while (plus get some Texas BBQ). Since Caleb arrived, there have been many more visits of all the different family members coming up to see us.
We have a family message group that we communicate on almost everyday, often sharing jokes, photos, or news. Inbetween visits we also try and video call either as a big group or one-on-one.
Everyone excited to have Caleb visit Texas at 4 months old! 2023
Carrie's brothers love to play and joke, as seen here with their nephew
Carrie's mother enjoys plants and outdoors, here she is sharing that with Caleb
Carrie's dad getting to share a baseball game with Caleb
Zoo time for Caleb with Carrie's parents, brother and his girlfriend!
All the family at Carrie's brother's engagement party
Carrie has a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Chemistry. While she has taught chemistry labs and courses at the college level, she is currently very happily a stay-at-home mom. Along with keeping up with Caleb she is active in many church volunteer activities. Carrie tries to use her experience and education to help integrate learning into Caleb's play time, trying to emphasise the fun and humor to go along with asking many questions. Parenting has been the most challenging and most rewarding job she has ever had.
Carrie loves to read, bake, craft (especially crochet), write and talk with friends. She also enjoys going on trips with Tyler and Caleb and playing games with Tyler and other family and friends (and looking forward to Caleb joining in soon!).
Caleb is a very curious little boy who studies everything before diving into the fun. He loves reading, singing, construction vehicles, trains, cars, dinosaurs, running, playing in the sand, general high energy activity and eating.
Caleb was born in 2022. We got the call that we had been chosen by his birth mother a few days after he was born. About 3 hours after that call, we held our son for the first time.
We have a three bedroom house with an office that we can convert to a guest room when the kids are older.
Our home is often filled with smells of baking treats or that day's dinner. In our living room, there are always a lot of toys and books around. We believe that a home is a space to be lived in and enjoyed and that is often filled with laughter. Weekday evenings are usually spent at home eating meals, reading books, taking walks or playing games. Weekends are spent enjoying the outdoors, going out and exploring our community (such as coffee shops and farmer's markets), church, and chatting with our family and friends.
