Greetings! We are Greg and Charis. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and learn more about why we are excited to adopt again.
You never know what can happen when you least expect it! Our story begins at a church potluck. Neither of us was actively seeking a relationship, but after a friendly conversation about a shared love of music, Charis invited Greg to an upcoming concert she was playing. We had dinner afterward and were at the altar seven months later!
Married since 2010, our love and friendship continue to grow.
Even before we were married, we both expressed a desire to pursue adoption. Our long journey to having children did not come easy. After enduring several tests, procedures, and losses, we were blessed with two wonderful children, Ephraim (Eman, age 7) and Hadassah (Haddie, age 5).
Still sensing our family wasn’t complete, we began the adoption process in 2019. In 2020, we welcomed Theodore (Theo age 2) into our family through adoption. Like all of our children, he has been a joy. From the first day, God gave us a deep and abiding love for the little guy. He is cherished by his older brother and sister but now all three want another sibling! We are extremely blessed with our family, but we believe we still have love to share. Once again, we are pursuing adoption to add to our family.
Greg is fun, loving, hard-working, consistent, disciplined, generous, and genuinely my best- friend. He sacrificially provides for our family. Although a skilled and busy doctor, he spends time with those he loves most: his family, friends, and neighbors.
A typical day with Greg starts before dawn. Our sweet and spunky Theo has usually climbed into bed in the wee hours of the morning for snuggles. It is not uncommon for one of the kiddos and I to give him a sleepy-eyed send-off. At dinnertime, when we see daddy’s car pull in, we all run to grab hugs and kisses and welcome him back home. The kiddos chant, “Chase! Chase! Chase!” knowing that even though daddy is dog-tired from a long day, he will inevitably chase them around the house while the kiddos squeal with glee.
No matter how full our week is, Greg always makes time for family dinners, reading together, watching an old movie, taking a walk, playing ball, swimming, or simply checking on the garden together. A special bookend to each day is getting the kiddos ready for bed. Listening to Greg read the Bible gives us time to calm down from our day. We snuggle together, pray and sing, and are reminded of what is most important: God, His Word, and each other.
Some children dream of becoming an astronaut, a firefighter, or a police officer. As a little girl, Charis resolutely wanted to be a wife, a mother, and a teacher. Her parents tell me that even as a young child, she (more than her sisters) would care for and nurture her younger siblings. This passion grew as she cared for other people’s children as a nanny. In God’s timing, we met, and Charis proved to be the most amazing wife. She is supportive, kind, and encouraging. She loves to play the viola and piano and sing, creatively bringing an artistic flare to her eye for simplistic beauty and design.
Whether in business, rearing children, taking care of the home, or just having fun, I consider Charis my partner in all we do. She makes me laugh and challenges me to be a better man. Charis seems to have endless patience with Eman, Haddie, and Theo. She enjoys teaching them new things in creative ways and sacrificially pours herself into their little lives. Charis will welcome another child with open arms.
Nestled in the woods, along the shore of a quiet lake, sits our home. We enjoy eating meals on the patio and watching the different wildlife year-round. In the evening, you might find us reading to the children around the fireplace or taking a stroll in the pasture. The children possess a blank canvas on which to dream up a thousand different adventures.
Though we live out in the country, we have several neighbors who live around the lake. We get together for special events throughout the year.
In the summer evenings, you may find us enjoying a blues concert in our barn, yummy cuisine from a food truck, bonfires, BBQs, boating, kids playing in the water, or just sitting on the porches chatting. In the winter, we clear an area for community skating. And fortunately, while we love our quiet little town, the culture of the city is not far. We enjoy regular trips to the local library, parks, favorite restaurants, and orchards.
We both grew up with a strong sense of family. The difference between our families is size! Greg was an only child, and Charis came from a large, immediate family and an even larger extended family! Blending our families has been the greatest adventure. Both of our parents live close by. Most of Charis’ siblings live across the United States with their families. While we try to see everyone at least once a year, we created the tradition of getting together every two years for a family reunion. The cousins (some who have been adopted!) have a blast!
Having the parents near us means the children often see grandma and grandpa or “Oma” and “Opa.” They love spending time with Oma at Greenfield Village, working with grandpa in the barn, or making cookies with grandma. Ephraim, Hadassah, and Theodore are blessed by spending quality time with grandparents who love and cherish each of them. Our parents are excited about having more grandchildren!
If we were, to sum up, the idea of a fun time for our family, it would be anything involving good food and the outdoors! We love to cook and, even more, we love to eat good food, especially when it is shared with our family and friends. Eman, Haddie, and Theo love to play outside daily. They enjoy getting herbs or flowers from the garden. The kiddos enjoy going to the local orchard to pick berries (but their bellies are often more full than their baskets!) or picking apples on our property and coming home to make a freshly baked apple pie. Yummy food family and friends = GREAT TIMES!
Together, we enjoy working in the yard outdoors, sitting around a bonfire looking at the stars, hiking in the mountains, playing in the sand on the beach, playing catch, or hitting golf balls. The kids love to be in the great outdoors, rain, snow, or shine, and we love sharing that with them. Their curiosity about the natural world around them is infectious and a delight to watch.
We cannot imagine the task of trying to pick a forever family. Thank you for taking the time and energy to look through our book.
Even though we do not yet know you, we know something important about you: You are choosing to give your baby life and a good home. Because of that, we know you are strong, courageous, and loving. We hope to meet you in person someday and, if willing, get to know you more over the years. Regardless, we will always tell your child about the sacrifices you made to give your child a full life.
Together, we often think and pray about adding to our family and what that new little boy or girl will be like. We promise to provide a healthy environment where your child can grow and learn more about who they are and the world around them. Above all, we promise to provide a forever, loving home filled with laughter, fun, and joy.
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