We met in early 2008 while working at the Apple Store. The magnetism was immediate. We were drawn to each other’s sense of humor, adventure, and outgoing spontaneity. As our friendship blossomed, it became increasingly rare to find us apart. Even during periods of time where we were in separate relationships, we often double dated. So the only surprise when we began seeing each other in 2013 was that it hadn’t happened sooner. The next four years were one endless adventure. We shared a love of traveling, and when we weren’t on one trip, we were planning the next. In 2016, while crossing Paris off of our list of destination cities, Chris proposed to Erica on the steps of Sacré-Coeur Basilica. We were married the following July in the presence of our many friends and extensive families.
Soon after marriage we began talking about building a family. We both knew what family meant to us and what we would like ours to be. A handful of those that mean the most to us come from families that had opened their hearts to them as infants. We knew we wanted adoption to be a part of our family story. At its core, family is love. Our dream was to have children; to watch them grow and play, to guide and teach, to learn from them, to share our love. We first tried to have a child on our own, and we planned to grow our family through adoption. But after years without success, several rounds of IVF, and hope followed by heartbreak, it became clear that the plan for us is to focus on adoption. When our extended families get together, it crosses genetic lines and bridges biological gaps. Many family friends and neighbors are in the mix, and are fixtures at holidays, barbecues, and birthday parties. The more, the merrier!
We feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such a loving group of people, and are excited and hopeful to show a child the love this family has to offer.