Occupation 

Space Force Contracting Officer

Education

Master's Degree

Hobby

Reading, cooking, video games & trivia

Favorite Food

Mexican, burgers & Middle Eastern

Favorite Music

Hip Hop, Rock, White Stripes, Outkast & Run the Jewels 

Favorite TV

Mad Men & The Good Place

Favorite Place to Vacation

New York, Seattle, Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico

Occupation 

Radiation Oncology Therapist and CFO/Estimator for Construction Company

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Hobby

Baking, pickleball, soccer & fixing up houses 

Favorite Food

Pizza, tacos, Thai curry & anything sweet

Favorite Music

80's & 90's, Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish & Lizzo

Favorite TV

The Office, Schitt’s Creek & The Mindy Project

Favorite Place to Travel

New York, Boston & London

Our Story

We first met when we were going to different colleges but working at the same movie theater. From the very beginning, our sense of humor fit like puzzle pieces. Being around each other was always easy, fun, and comfortable, and our relationship blossomed over free popcorn, soda, and movies. I learned that Leslie loves playing sports and grew up playing soccer and basketball. She learned how I grew up living in different countries all over the world. We dated for a bit over a year before moving to Houston together to continue our education.

We’d been living in Houston for about six months when I decided to propose to Leslie during a weekend beach getaway. Nervously, I called her parents to ask for their blessing, unexpectedly finding myself asking in front of her whole family. I hadn’t planned on having such a big audience, but I guess I did ok because they said yes! I remember thinking, “Oh boy, I sure hope Leslie says yes tomorrow, now that her whole family knows about this.” We drove down to the beach and walked along the boardwalk. We had a nice dinner, and at sunset, when I got down on one knee and proposed, she said, “Yes! Of course!”



We had a beautiful Catholic wedding in San Antonio later that year. Leslie is from a big Hispanic family, and many of my friends and extended family came down from Ohio to help us celebrate, so it was a huge party with hundreds of guests dancing to Tejano music, doing la marcha, the dollar dance, and eating and drinking until very late in the night. Leslie’s youngest brother, whom she helped raise, was 11 years old at the time, and he was our ring bearer and looked so handsome in his little tuxedo. It was an incredibly fun night, and we felt so lucky to have so many friends and family there to celebrate with us.

Our Home

In 2017, we bought a foreclosed house that had been sitting empty for years and was in really rough shape. We spent two years fixing it up into a beautiful, cozy home. It took a lot of work, but we’re so happy with how it turned out! Our main home is a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom open concept with large windows and lots of natural light. We often host holidays and get-togethers with friends and family. Our home is perfect for little ones, and we can’t wait to transform our extra bedroom into a nursery. In addition to the main house, we also have an attached casita, with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, and a full kitchen. Perfect for guests, especially when the family from San Antonio comes to visit. Our home has a lovely blue roof, a blue front door, and blue accents throughout. We live in one of the nicest neighborhoods in our city, on a street with other families and kids. We live two blocks away from a large park with enormous trees and one of the best elementary schools. A couple of our best friends with young children of their own live just down the street from us.

After moving here for school and work, we decided we would give New Mexico a chance for a few years and see if we liked it. That was 14 years ago, and we’re still here because New Mexico has truly become our home. We enjoy the beautiful weather, the four distinct seasons, the mountain scenery, and the food (especially the famous green chile). Our community offers lots of kid-friendly activities such as swimming pools, splash pads, parks and playgrounds, a zoo and aquarium, college football and basketball games, an amusement park and water park, the children’s science and natural history museums, and minor league baseball and soccer teams.

On weekends, we like to get away to a little mountain town about an hour away. Leslie’s company has a cabin on the river where we stay. We spend the weekend fishing, grilling, making s’mores, and sitting around a fire under the stars. There are gorgeous hiking trails, a waterfall, and hot springs nearby. In the winter, there are several ski resorts in our part of New Mexico that we like to visit with our friends and family for skiing and sledding.

Our favorite New Mexican tradition is the annual Balloon Fiesta, a big fair where hundreds of colorful hot air balloons from all over the world go up at once, filling the sky! They take off at dawn, so everyone wakes up early, bundles up in warm clothes, and waits together for the balloons with our breakfast burritos and hot chocolate or coffee. It’s a super pretty and fun event that we look forward to every year.

My immediate family moved to New Mexico to be closer to us a couple of years ago, and it is so nice to have family near us now. They live just 15 minutes away. My parents recently celebrated their 45th anniversary and are enjoying retirement. They are involved grandparents with our niece and nephew. My mother worked as an elementary school teacher and is always planning fun and educational weekend activities with the grandkids and tutoring them with their schoolwork.

My father is a Navy veteran and loves spending time with his grandkids; he can’t wait to teach our child how to fish. My sister, Katie, is a nurse at an inpatient rehabilitation. She’s an amazing mom and is going to be a fun aunt! Our nephew Charlie is 13 and loves video games. He plays catcher for his little league baseball team, and we go to watch his games often. Our niece Caroline is 10, and she loves Taylor Swift, searching thrift stores for vintage clothes and going to the library with Grandma. They’re both good kids and are excited about getting a younger cousin to play with and babysit (when they’re old enough). We hang out with Charlie and Caroline, often taking them to parks and movies and to play pickleball, amongst other things.

Leslie's Family

I come from a big Hispanic family in San Antonio. I am the second oldest of five children. I have three brothers and one sister. My parents have been happily married for 43 years. My dad is a financial analyst, and my mom is a realtor. My brothers all work in the business sector, and my sister is a social worker. I am extremely close with all my siblings, and I love spending time with my sister’s child, Nora. She is three years old and adorable. We love playing with her HEB playset and dancing to music together. I am also super close to my cousin and her two little boys. They love to play hide and seek and watch Bluey. Our moms are identical twins, and we were born only a few days apart, so we were best friends growing up. My siblings, parents, and family are so excited to welcome our new child to the family. My parents can't wait to spend time with our child, playing with them and loving them.

My husband and I go home to visit San Antonio often, especially for major holidays, where we can get together with my grandmother, all of my 21 first cousins, aunts and uncles, and nieces and nephews. Get togethers are always a blast! We like to take the kids to the children's museum, Fiesta Texas, explore the Lightscape at the botanical gardens, and visit the River of Lights at Christmastime. A couple of times a year, we also take vacations with my parents and siblings. We have gone to Florida, Seattle, Las Vegas, and NYC, to name a few. It’s nice to be able to explore new places together and make new memories!

Bob & Leslie - A Look Into Our Life

Meet Bailey & Hobbes

Bailey is our sweet and loyal black lab that we adopted (when we first moved to New Mexico) from a shelter after the city removed her from a home where she was being mistreated. She gets so excited for walks and food she jumps straight up in the air like she’s bouncing on a pogo stick. Her favorite things are going on hikes in the woods, and snow days when she races outside to roll around and play in the fresh snow. She absolutely loves the cold weather!

Hobbes is our sweet and loving English Bulldog. Some of our friends had a litter but couldn’t find anyone to take one puppy because he was born deaf. We went to their house to meet him and fell in love with his big, loving personality. We taught him sign language, such as “shake,” “good boy,” and his favorite, “treat!” He enjoys cuddling on the couch and chasing ceiling fans in circles. He loves to sunbathe in the yard and play with kids. Hobbes and Bailey both love Greenie treats or, as we call them, their toothbrushes, as well as their yearly birthday tradition when they each get a cheeseburger!

Holiday Traditions

In our house, we love celebrating birthdays and holidays with family and friends. Fall in New Mexico is beautiful with Balloon Fiesta and changing leaves. Our neighborhood goes all out for Halloween with decorations and trick-or-treating. We always have dinner with family and friends, and I enjoy baking a Halloween dessert.

Thanksgiving is a huge family get-together, and Bob always makes his grandmother’s stuffing (he has her recipe framed in our kitchen). Each year, we take turns going around the table and talking about what we are thankful for.

During Christmas, we attend the Twinkle Lights Parade. We decorate the tree with a new ornament every year. Tamales, ham, and Christmas cookies are a must. Our family celebrates on Christmas Eve, while Bob’s family celebrates on Christmas Day.

Our Taiwanese friends invite us over every February to celebrate Lunar New Year. We make dumplings, give gifts, and eat oranges for good fortune. Birthdays are a big deal and we celebrate with family and friends, including a pinata for the kids. We have many traditions that are important to us and can't wait to share them as a growing family and make new ones.

Our Adventures

We really enjoy traveling and make it a priority to plan trips to various cities and countries so that we can experience different cultures. Growing up all over the world, learning about new places and people has always been a part of Bob’s life. My childhood did not involve much traveling, but when I got to college, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad in London. It was an amazing experience, and that was the beginning of my love for travel! We have taken beach trips to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Florida in the past few years. We love the serenity and relaxing vibe of the ocean. We have also taken trips to Boston, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Seattle. We like to try the local foods and visit different museums. We enjoy theatrical plays, and watching a Broadway play when we visit NY is one of our favorite things to do! We also love traveling to see different sporting events. We had so much fun seeing the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Bruins, Cubs, and Yankees play. Traveling with our child is something that is important to both of us, and we can’t wait to make new memories and have fun experiences as a family.

Friends!

We are thankful to have a large and diverse group of friends. Many of our friends we have known for a long time; Bob and I still keep in touch with friends from High School. Our New Mexico friends have become family over the years. They have been very supportive in our journey to grow our family; they are so excited for us. Many of our friends have children of their own, and we have babysat their kids over the years. We enjoy hanging out with our friends, traveling, playing pickleball, going to escape rooms, watching movies, going out to eat, celebrating birthdays and milestones, going to concerts, and having them over for board games and trivia nights. We’re so grateful for how our friends enrich our lives.