Occupation 

Real Estate Agent

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Hobby

Going to the gym + jiu jitsu, grilling, & DIY home projects

Favorite Food

Pizza & steak

Favorite Family Activity

Bringing the air mattress into the living room for movie night and Papa John’s

Favorite Music

Country

Favorite Places to Travel

Hawaii, skiing in Colorado & Florida 

Occupation 

Registered Nurse (NICU)

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Hobby

Reading, working on our backyard garden beds, & beating Ronnie at pickleball ;)

Favorite Food

Sushi, Chick-fil-A chick-n-minis & tacos

Favorite Family Activity

Finding new local/state parks to spend the day adventuring through hikes, swims, & picnics

Favorite Music

Indie Christian 

Favorite Places to Travel

Anywhere with a beach - Maui, Destin & Brighton (England)

It was the first week Ronnie was studying abroad from England when he stumbled upon me at a church event on campus. I was working one of the two front tables to get checked in for the event, when Ronnie saw me and decided to get in my line so he could talk to me. Ronnie pursued me with such intention it was easy to see instantly how good of a man he was. Three days after we first met, I led him on a campus tour and thus began our history of walks.

We got to know each other so well on those walks - After bad exams, I decompressed; he opened up about his dreams and goals. I shared the latest bible study I had planned with my gals; he told me about his best friends, family, and the wildly different place he grew up in. We prayed and trusted that the Lord placed each other in these moments together for a reason. Our dating days were filled with plenty more fun. Like I knew when Ronnie made a gingerbread house from scratch, I was falling in love. Ronnie knew when I planned a PB+J picnic for his birthday he was in love too!

After I graduated from nursing school, the summer of 2020 was upon us, and Ronnie asked me for my hand in marriage. Though he explained it as a cute summer date, he surprised me on a secluded horse farm after a belly full of Chick-fil-A and a handmade scrapbook of all our adventures together. I couldn’t say “YES” fast enough!

Though the pandemic slowed us down with immigration approval, we ~finally~ got married in the Fall of 2021 in our "home" church and celebrated with our closest family and friends on a horse farm in Kentucky!

Some of our most-loved memories of the day were the beautiful wedding ceremony, our scrumptious breakfast for dinner (complete with donuts for dessert), and ending the day dancing with our favorite people.

Our Home

Our open-concept home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It has a spacious, fenced-in backyard with a small covered patio for grilling out or relaxing in the shade.

Ronnie is quite the handyman and has enjoyed various DIY projects in and outside our home, including a firepit, raised garden beds, and bathroom renovations. I love the “charming” part of creating a home and have a huge passion for interior design. I create the vision and, with the help of Ronnie, execute it to make a house full of memories.

Our most recent home adventure has been gardening! Ronnie made these garden beds from scratch, and I planted all the wildflowers and vegetables from seeds—we can’t wait to reap our harvest!

Our neighborhood has a large playground for kiddos of all ages, including toddlers, and was recently expanded to include inclusive, accessible play. We also live less than a mile from the best school system in the greater area, with access to their playground.

Our small town has monthly events downtown with various vendors and blow up house, slides, and activities. We are also only a short drive away from larger city amenities with a zoo, children's science museum, and nature center. Out in East Texas, there are plenty of lakes and state parks that we love to frequent year round!

I was born and raised in Essex, England, and my family still resides there. Every year, we make the trip to visit my extended family and spend a week in the English countryside catching up, as well as exploring new cities together like London, Bath, and Brighton. My parents, who have been married for 29 years, visit us in Texas multiple times a year. After telling my parents we were following the call to adoption, the smiles on their faces did not leave for the rest of the day, and they are excitedly planning all the future trips with their first grandchild, like taking them to Europe and Disney World, as they did with me when I was young.

My grandparents are still a big part of my life, and I can't wait to share my favorite childhood activities with their new great-grandchild, like making crepes on 'Pancake Day' and going to the seaside and eating fresh fish and chips!

I also have a brother who is a year younger than me and is excited to be the 'fun uncle' and show his new niece or nephew an authentic British Sunday Roast Dinner.

Gracie's Family

I am from all over the Midwest and am happy to have settled in Texas. My parents have been joyfully married for over 31 years and reside in Illinois. With two older sisters and three younger brothers, my childhood home was brimming with activity, connectivity, and noise. We were best friends growing up, and I am so lucky our friendships have continued.

Our extended family expands by the year, with 7 nieces and nephews under the age of 6; our child will have so many cousins to build those special friendships with. My grandparents are very active in the lives of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Even though my family lives further away, we still see them several times a year and speak as often as possible. My family has walked through our journey of infertility, covering us in prayers and offering support, and with the news of adoption, they are so delighted to love any child the Lord puts in our lives!

Ronnie & Gracie - A Look Into Our Life

Quality Time With Our Nieces & Nephews 

We cherish spending time together with our growing number of nieces and nephews! The kiddos haven't known a time without us together, and we can't picture our relationship without their presence.

Adventures

Our relationship has always been filled with travel! Because our friends and family are spread out, we often find ourselves road-tripping across the country or flying abroad. We also enjoy spending time in nature, whether hiking and camping locally or on trips with family. On every family trip, our first stop is always Chick-fil-A for breakfast!

Our favorite vacation so far has been our honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii. We absolutely loved exploring the Road to Hana and literally chasing waterfalls. We can't wait to go back with our child one day and experience the joy of travel through their eyes!

Fun With Friends

We have been blessed with a large support system of friends since moving to Texas. The community we’ve built through church includes many families with young children and young couples currently expanding their families.

We are excited to raise our children surrounded by strong parents and built-in best friends! Our favorite activities to do together include backyard cookouts, bonfires, game nights, and exploring local food spots and breweries.

Not only have we found friends since moving to Texas, but we also have friends from college and even birth that we travel to and keep in close contact virtually!

Family Traditions

We cherish many traditions within our immediate and extended families. We are very close with Gracie’s grandparents, prioritizing an annual summer visit to their home in Indiana. Our yearly swim holiday at “Gigi + Great Gramp’s” pool is a week of wonder! They are avid gardeners, sharing their passion for all things vegetables and flowers with all of us.

Recently, we were honored to become our niece's godparents through her baptism, and we feel privileged to guide her and cover her life in prayer. We also love celebrating various feast days within the church with our own feasts. For example, we traditionally celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th by laying out stockings the night before to be filled with treats by morning!

Every Thanksgiving, we travel to Illinois to celebrate with Gracie’s side of the family. During the day, we keep busy chasing kiddos, creating delicious charcuterie boards for snacking, and enjoying the outdoors. Once the kids go to bed, we bring out the board and card games and spend the evenings catching up.

 We spend Christmas together at home. There's something magical about waking up on Christmas morning in your bed, wearing matching PJs with the family, and knowing Santa Claus has visited with presents under the tree right outside your door. We're looking forward to the day when tiny feet come pattering over to us with excitement, ready to spend a cozy day together with nowhere else to be. Incorporating some of Ronnie’s heritage into my love of baking, we make English baked goods like mince pies, and one year we even made a gingerbread house from scratch. Our grand Christmas feast features turkey, roast potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings. We also can’t forget to pull our Christmas crackers, a fun English tradition filled with goodies and games!