Kris & Ashley

In November 2017, we brought home a tiny 5 lb. 10 oz beautiful baby girl, Josephine Aila. She was perfect in every way and we loved her from the moment we learned of her. Upon bringing her home, her first few days and weeks were filled with confusion, but as time quickly passed, her frown softened and has been replaced with silly, expressive eyebrow raises, she has become our cuddliest little girl who always needs to be touching or caressing someone and she loves to be the center of attention and make us laugh. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t delight us with her silly expressions, her goofy demeanor, or her botched attempt at making a joke. Josephine is a thriving, smart, silly, sassy, polite, helpful, hilarious, and loving little girl. In Josephine’s words, she loves things to be “perfect”, loves all things “fancy” and one of her favorite responses to us is “cool”. Josephine is our tidiest child. She follows us as we do our chores and lends a helping hand with a happy heart. Every night before she goes to bed, her room must be clean and have everything in its exact place before she is ready for her “huggies” and “kissies”. She has a heart to help others in any way, and it comes so naturally to her. Josephine enjoys reading and writing her letters and she is a talented little artist who loves color. Some of Josephine’s favorite things are mermaids, Frozen, babies, cooking, tea parties, crafts, dress-up, dance, games, scootering and snacking. Josephine takes after her big sister Giselle and loves ballet, tap and hip hop. She also enjoys a good living room dance party! Our dogs, Oskar and George know without a doubt that Josephine cares deeply for them. She often stops playing and sits down to cuddle and love on her Oskar and “Porksy”. Josephine also adores and idolizes her big sisters just as any little sister does. If they can do it, she wants to try, too. The three of them are an inseparable, unstoppable force. We are incredibly proud of the bond they share, and we are certain Josephine will instantly connect with her little brother or sister just as her sisters have with her.

In October 2014 Giselle Laine entered our world in an instant, but we fell in love with her even faster. From the moment we met her, she turned our life into the most beautiful of places. Giselle has been such a gift, such a rare treasure. She was the best baby and now the most easy-going little girl; always sweet, always loving and truly always happy. Giselle radiates joy; with everything she does and everything she is. She brightens every day with her smile, big hugs and her deep belly giggles. We know in our heart of hearts that she will always be a perpetually happy, joyful and positive person. Giselle is a true rule follower, a helper by nature and she was born with a motherly instinct. She is a lover of the dramatics, a performer at heart, a beautiful storyteller, and a sly jokester. It’s no secret, she has a very silly side and provides never-ending laughter in our home. She has a fierce determination to learn and thrive in all endeavors and she is brilliant in her very own way. Giselle is a loyal and loving friend, always helping her friends in need, and comforting a classmate who may be hurt, lonely or sad. Giselle loves to get dressed up, never leaves the house in anything but a dress or fancy skirt and is always accessorized. She is the ultimate girly-girl and a lover of fashion just like her mommy. Giselle’s passion lies in ballet and she is a graceful and determined dancer. She also has a heart for all animals, especially horses, so our weekly horseback riding lessons are the highlight of her every week. Outside of school and her passions, Giselle loves her family deeply. From the moment we met her, she instantly bonded with Ashley and has been her sidekick ever since. Where you find Ashley, you find Giselle. Giselle’s favorite moments are when we enter her world, her imagination and play dolls, unicorns, or her doll house for hours. Giselle has such a kind heart and loving disposition that we knew without a shadow of a doubt, she would be an incredible role model and big sister one day. What we didn’t realize is that her motherly instinct was her true gift. She can reach her sister’s heart and instantly comfort them in a capacity only a sister could. We will never forget the sheer joy in her eyes the moment we told her she would become a big sister again. She’s dreamt of this moment alongside us for so long and she was made for it.

In June 2012, we were blessed with an incredible gift - our daughter Emeline Elise. Our world became a brighter place the day we adopted her. Emeline is made of pure joy, pure love, and an unbreakable spirit. She is full of life. Her sweet smile, big bright eyes and silly nature draw people in, and they can't help but be enamored by her. She never meets a stranger. She is a happy, loving, wise, kind, silly, independent and an active child with such a strong determination to accomplish whatever task she puts her mind to. And she is sharp as a tack. From the moment she was born, Emeline has been so immersed in the world around her, constantly checking out her surroundings, touching and grabbing everything she can and staring at the people in her life with such desire to get to know them better. To this day, she lives her life with such purpose, and we hope she always will. Her brilliant mind and instinct to question the ways of the world will set her on a path to a very bright future. She is a veracious reader, a lover of facts and a whiz on any electronic (she’s taught us a thing or two already!). Emeline also enjoys horseback riding, cooking, traveling, Legos, climbing trees, fishing, exploring in nature, Harry Potter, tigers, dragons and teaching herself how to play the guitar. Emeline is the kind of daughter who tells you she loves you 100 times a day, kisses us often and is always dreaming up new ways to make us feel more loved. She exudes love and happiness, and we knew with all our heart, she would make a wonderful big sister. And she has. She’s made us proud with how loving and doting she continues to be with her little sisters. Her sisters are her best friends and they have idolized each other from the moment that they met, but more than that, Emeline is Giselle and Josephine’s protector, always looking out for their safety and best interests. She’s proven to be a wonderful big sister and we’ve never seen her happier than the moment we told her she would earn her big sister badge once again.

Despite her “enormous” height of 4’11” and weighing less than half of what I do, Ashley’s larger-than-life heart is the first thing you’ll notice when you see her. Her love and everlasting support of me since we met in college is truly unbelievable. It was in college that she literally stopped me dead in my tracks, and I had to search hard to find my words. Although she doesn’t particularly like it when people tell her, she is absolutely adorable and stunningly beautiful. I’ve had the unique privilege of experiencing life’s greatest moments with her – bringing home our baby girls, traveling the world together, raising our two dogs, buying our first house together, dreaming huge dreams for our family, and hopefully one day soon, growing our family with a new baby boy or girl. Ashley is undeniably beautiful to me, inside and out. She has a keen eye for fashion and loves to get dressed up for any occasion. She is cherished by her friends and family as a dependable and caring person, always willing to lend a hand. She is courageous and selfless, and she is living proof that persistence and dedication will always pay off. She is a girly-girl at heart but can hang out and have fun with the guys. My greatest memories with Ashley have been watching her closely as she raises our girls with so much love and laughter; she is an incredible Mommy. Each and every night, I kiss my girls goodnight and I know that that those smiley, life-loving babies of ours are who they are because of Ashley's unconditional motherly love. Our girls have not a worry in the world; Ashley ensures that they can just focus each and every day on being a child and soaking up this amazing world. Above all, Ashley is fun, loving, patient, and selfless - all things that make her my perfect partner in life, and an outstanding Mommy to our family. Ashley’s Work: I am grateful and blessed that Ashley chooses to be a stay-at-home mommy to our girls. Every day Ashley wakes up early and loves on our girls - they eat breakfast together, play games together, work on learning new things, play outside, take runs, or bike rides, and go to the park. You will also find Ashley toting the girls to school, many play dates, horseback riding lessons, and dance classes. The girls in turn help Ashley with errands and chores (in whatever way they know how). No two days in our household are alike and Ashley does an unbelievable job of providing fun, safe, and stimulating activities for our girls, so they are always loving life and developing. Ashley is also a very talented photographer, and I’ve encouraged her to one day become a family and child portrait photographer. Emeline and Giselle attend a university model school – this means they go to school two days a week and Ashley homeschools them two days a week. On Fridays, they have what we like to call ‘Free Play Friday’ where they often go on little adventures together or spend a slower day at home playing. This model of schooling has worked beautifully for our family. We have more time together to teach our children, bond as a family and our girls have more time to chase their individual passions. Ashley’s Hobbies • Photography • Health & fitness • Holidays and family gathering planning • Travel • Baking

Kris is my dream come true; my happily ever after. He’s everything I ever wanted in a husband, but never knew it. He is simply the most wonderful man I know. I love Kris for the way he loves me. He’s my biggest supporter, my rock, and my best friend. From the moment I met Kris I was instantly attracted to him. He is tall, dark and handsome, but more than that, he has a great sense of humor. He keeps me laughing and smiling every day and fills my heart with pure joy. Kris consistently thinks of others before himself and this is the quality I admire most about him. His optimism is something that is contagious, and his courageousness helps me face my fears. He is kind, genuine and honest. Kris is not only an incredible role model to our girls, but he is a silly and playful daddy who makes every experience together fun and exciting. All of these traits make him an amazing husband, a true friend and an exceptional father. As a father, he is the most loving, devoted and hands-on Daddy I always knew he would be. He is truly my partner every step of the way on our parenting journey. He puts our family first and our happiness is the cornerstone of everything he does in this life. He is a wonderful provider for our family and the ultimate protector of his girls. I’m truly blessed to spend the rest of my life alongside this man and our children are truly blessed to have a doting and fun father who sets such a great example in every facet of his life. Kris’ Work: Kris’ constant dedication and passion to succeed in whatever he puts his mind to is something we can all learn from. His work ethic was developed as a young child and those early experiences helped frame where he is today. Kris has spent his entire career in finance in the oil and gas industry. His position allows him the freedom to work from home exclusively and the flexibility to be present anytime we may need him most. This is what he treasures most about his career. Kris’ Hobbies: Grilling Working Out Archery & Hunting

Our Ranch In November 2016, we were able to realize a life-long dream to purchase 200 acres in the hill country overlooking many beautiful Texas landmarks. The funny thing is, we’ve known the name for our ranch well before buying a ranch was even a possibility. Our dream of owning ranch property was to use this beautiful land to be of service to others. Our dream is to open our property to families touched by adoption, where they can come together as a family and spend time hunting, fishing, camping, and being outdoors bonding as a family. We want to provide the opportunity for a child to harvest their first deer, turkey, or wild hog, and to witness the pride on that child’s father’s face. Over the years, our ranch has served as our happy place. A place we can go as a family or with friends, quiet our minds, live the simple life and allow our children to spend their days wild and free. We have a quote hanging up at our ranch and it speaks perfectly to our days there, “And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.”

We love traditions - date night every other Friday night and Sunday Suppers with Ashley’s family every other Sunday night. We have a tradition of driving our classic truck in a parade every July 4th, hiking in Colorado every Labor Day, visiting the Texas State Cemetery every Memorial Day to pay our respects, ringing in each New Year at our ranch with fireworks, partaking in a giant confetti egg fight that grows with each passing Easter and the list goes on. As you can see, we love traditions and believe each special moment in our life is a chance to celebrate and celebrate big. These are moments outside of work and the stresses of day-to-day life that we can simply focus on our family and each other. Outside of our traditions and celebrations, you will often find us introducing our girls to life as we know it – full of adventure. Our girls share our zest for life, so we spend our time together discovering new things, enjoying the magic of their childhood, and making as many sweet memories together as we can dream up. We find our greatest joy in life’s simplest moments and we love to have fun, so it doesn’t matter what we are doing as long as we are enjoying it together. Some of our favorite memories are made when we… Travel Take a road trip to explore the undiscovered places nearby Dive into nature and hike Visit our local zoos Go on long bike rides Are in the water at the pool, the ocean, the river, the lake or even a water park Take the dogs for a walk as a family Have dinner parties and play dates with our friends Go on a family date to get our nails done - even Daddy! Play at the park as if we never left our childhood behind Enjoy a picnic Swing, jump, swim, run through sprinklers and catch bubbles in our backyard Fish Spend long, slow, simple weekends at our ranch As a couple, we enjoy cooking, exercising, watching movies, attending music concerts, traveling, and best of all just spending quality time together. Fitness and health are also important parts of our lives and we enjoy eating healthy and staying active whether it is by cycling, hiking, or lifting weights together each week. We are best friends and truly treasure each moment we spend together.

These words hang on our walls as daily reminders of the promises we are making to you, today. We will love you with all our hearts and every part of our being, forever. You will live in a happy home filled with unconditional love and the constant sound of laughter. This has been, and will always be, our top priority. We will make sure you know the history of who you are and who your birth family is. You will know the special love they have for you. In our home, we will honor her always. You will be surrounded with a large extended family that waits to welcome you with opens arms. They will be there for you in ways you can’t imagine to show their love and support for you as you grow older. We will raise you in a Christian home where church and faith are a fundamental part of our family. We want you to have the opportunity to learn valuable life lessons and grow up generously doing things for others and giving back to those less fortunate. We promise to always be there when you need us, any hour of the day. We will protect you, catch you when you fall and wipe away your tears. And when you’re lonely, we’ll surround you with our love, so you never feel alone. We will help teach you right from wrong, guide you with morals and values and introduce you to the unique traditions of our family. Our hope is that all of these things will teach you to be a well-rounded, honorable individual, ready to conquer the world. We will support you at all times as you follow your dreams and become the person you were always meant to be. You will know the feeling of self-worth and accomplishment because we will be on the side lines cheering you on each step of the way. We will strive to see the world through your eyes and remain young at heart. We realize just as we will be teaching you life lessons, you will be teaching us how we can better live our lives through your honest heart and open mind. We will help you follow every educational desire you have. Not only in the classroom, but in the real world as well.

Welcome little one! We are so excited to have you be a part of our family. Kris and Ashley have been dreaming of you for a long time…. And so have we. We both live in California and are looking forward to your visits. As you grow, you can play at the beach, go camping and swim in the pool. Grandma Belinda loves to read stories snuggled on the couch, play games, cook, and find fun places to visit. Grandpa Allan loves sailing, camping, playing games and laughing. Kris and Ashley are a happy, caring, loving couple who laugh often and enjoy life… and desire to share that with you. We are so excited to meet you and hold you in our arms. Love and hugs, Grandma Belinda and Grandpa Allan

To our future grand-baby, We cannot express the excitement and anticipation we are experiencing as we eagerly await your arrival. Being grandparents is beyond wonderful. It is everything we dreamed it would be and more. There truly are no words to describe this stage in our lives. The love we have for your big sisters is life changing and we have so much more love to give to you. The moments we enjoy most with our grand babies are weekend sleepovers, baking and going on dates together. We can’t wait to introduce you to our home and make these memories with you. Your parents will show you so much love and they will provide such a wonderful life for you. You won’t know a worry in the world. Your sweet loving family is waiting patiently for the day God brings you into our lives and so are we. We love you already. All our love, Mimi and Poppa

We love to travel distances near and far. From weekend road trips around the Texas hill country with friends and family to leaving the United States all together and experiencing something truly unique. Each time we travel, we experience these new trips as a family or as a couple to the fullest, seeking out the best local restaurants, learning new cultures, trying new activities, and seeing new sights. We love the thrill of immersing ourselves in a new culture and finding the hidden gems in each and every place we visit. Growing up, neither one of us was able to travel much, so now as adults we are thrilled to share these life experiences together and with our children. We know with complete certainty that discovering the world will always be an important part of our family. These travels will help shape who our children will become from all the life lessons he or she will learn from other cultures, as well as seeing and experiencing the beauty of the world around us.

Our Home We have loved every second of making this house our home. It started with a small vision and ended with a complete renovation making every space perfect for our growing family. Those who walk through our door feel right at home. Our home fills us with a sense of peace and calming, the kind you find on vacation. Coming home, here, feels like a permanent vacation - just one that requires lots of TLC and chores! Ashley has created a beautiful nursery and this nursery will be the room we lay all our children down to rest at night. Our nursery already holds a lot of love and memories and our hearts overflow with simply the thought of raising another baby in that room. The main room on the second floor is a playroom and we’ve made it the perfect play haven with every safeguard in place. Our property is large with mature trees, many of which Emeline claims as her “climbing tree”, we have a greenbelt behind us and breathtaking hill country views. We have a long driveway and live on a cul-de-sac, making it an ideal place for children to ride bikes and scooters, cover every square inch of the driveway with sidewalk chalk drawings and pretend play for hours. We often spend our evenings grilling under the back porch, swinging with the girls under an old oak tree, jumping on the trampoline, swimming in the pool, soaking after a long day in the hot tub, or roasting marshmallows while cuddling by the fire. Our home is a safe and loving environment that we love and cherish coming home to everyday. Each day as we enter our driveway, our girls joke, “Who owns this house? We need to send them a note saying we would like to buy it.” and then, we are the blessed ones who pull into the garage and walk inside these doors to home. Our Community We live in a beautiful community just outside the hustle-and-bustle of the city, with sweeping views of the hill country. Our neighborhood is in the hill country, which means it is near a number of natural wonders, surrounded by beautiful live oak trees, and we are fortunate to live amongst an abundance of deer and bird life. Located within our community is a clubhouse, a lazy river pool, fishing ponds, a playground and sport court, a nature preserve and nature trails. All of these things are within walking distance from us, and we often take the girls to a nearby pond to feed wildlife, the park for playdates, or even just for a stroll or bike ride in the neighborhood or hiking trails. Many of our neighbors have ATVs or golf carts and it’s not unusual to see us driving around the neighborhood taking in the beauty around us. We have a close-knit community, each neighbor waves as you pass by and seeks to be there for one another, just as it should be. Our next-door neighbors are the kind of people you dream about sharing a fence with. We share celebrations with them, they share their garden with us, and they treat our girls to holiday and birthday surprises. It’s a beautiful relationship we all cherish. There is so much to do nearby that we can enjoy plenty of fun-filled weekends right here in our own “backyard”.

We cherish the little things in life and understand that without close relationships with family and friends, we wouldn’t have anyone to share our happy moments with. Our extended family is very close and has always been a big part of our lives. Each of them plays a vital role in our girl’s life and they are thrilled to build a relationship with the newest addition to our family. Our extended family is fully supportive of our adoption and is overjoyed to welcome another child into the family with open arms. Ashley’s parents live only 15 minutes away. We feel fortunate to live so close to them. We see Ashley’s parents every week for any and no reason other than we enjoy each other’s company. We are so thankful for their endless love and support of our family. They are always there for us in any way we need them to be. They come to our aide when we don’t have the answers (or tools!) and they are the kind of grandparents who never miss a performance for their grandchildren. Ashley’s parents are very loving, hands-on, and devoted grandparents who dream of welcoming home another grandchild. Ashley’s extended family gets together for every holiday, birthday, and family celebration of any kind. Her family gatherings often include sitting around the table telling stories, playing games where you often hear loud cheers coming from the other room and eating entirely too much at a family BBQ. Each person in her family is born and raised in Texas and each one has a huge heart and is friendly to everyone they meet. They are fun and outgoing and just love to be together as a family no matter what the occasion. Ashley is an only child, but that’s okay, her cousin is too. They have a sister-like relationship and our children are all very close in age. Our kids are all best friends and even though they are not true cousins, we call them as such. Each time we see our cousins, it’s never long enough. We enjoy frequent cousin dates and weekend slumber parties at our house each summer. There are now 7 grandchildren in Ashley’s family and growing. Each one of Ashley’s aunts plays a grandmother role in each grandchild’s life. The little ones in our family have brought so much joy into Ashley’s family and our next child will add an even greater sense of joy to our lives and gatherings. Most of Kris’ family lives in California where he was born and raised as a middle child. He has a sister who is two years older and a brother who is seven years younger. His sister lives in New Hampshire and has three children. We love our niece and nephews and wish we lived closer so that we could spend more time with them. His brother is engaged and is living in Canada with his fiancé. Every year we take a trip or two to California, the Northeast or the entire family goes on a trip together. Kris’ parents also come to visit us often so they can see our life in action and love on our girls in their own environment. This year, Kris’ entire family gathered in Northern California to celebrate Christmas and his mom’s 60th birthday together and later this year, we will visit New Hampshire for a true Northeast fall. These trips are always special, and we cherish the moments we get to spend together. In between our visits, we have monthly family Zoom calls to catchup with everyone. His parents are outgoing and energetic and always a quick Zoom call away when we need them. We have a great group of friends that we’ve met in different chapters of our lives. We love each of them dearly and consider their families to be a part of our family. Our friends truly are extended family. We all realize how blessed we are to have found one another to share and celebrate our lives with.

Meet Oskar! Hi, my name is Oskar and I’m sixteen years old. Yes, I’m an old man, but a happy and healthy old man. I am Mommy and Daddy’s first ‘baby’ and I know the special place I have in their hearts. I spend my days taking long walks, cuddling with my family, kissing the people I love and napping with my best friend, George. I’ve been lucky to grow old with my best friend. I love when my sisters come looking for me, sit down with me and love on me. It makes me feel like the most loved pup on the planet. I’m an old, gentle soul who lives for back scratches and treats (we call them cookies). My favorite memories are my birthdays. Mommy and Daddy make sure we feel extra special that day and spoil us with a ‘Happy Birthday’ cookie in the shape of a bone, our favorite treats, and a special outing for the day. We are showered with love and a million kisses daily and have a very happy life. Meet George! Hi, my name is George and I am twelve years old. I’m the “baby” boy of the family and boy do I know it! My best friend is Oskar and we do everything together. Anytime we are apart, it makes me very lonely. He is my older brother, and he has taught me everything I know. I look up to him always. Emeline, Giselle, Josephine and I are best buds too. We love to cuddle together with Mommy and fight over her lap. They give me lots of kisses, hugs and pats on the back and they even throw ‘Mr. Squirrel’ for me. ‘Mr. Squirrel’ is my favorite toy, and he goes everywhere with me (even to potty!). I live for sunbathing outside, cookies and going on walks with Mommy and Daddy. I’m a sweet and shy little guy who just likes to snuggle. Mommy and Daddy make us feel like the center of their world and we are very loved and cared for every day.