Hello! We are Matt and Angela. Thank you for choosing to hear our story!
We met in middle school, but Angela thought Matt was a dork, and Matt thought Angela was out of his league. Through high school, we didn’t cross paths much, and we didn’t reconnect until after college. After graduation, Matt made the first move and asked Angela out on a coffee date (he got a smoothie).
We started dating in 2013, but Angela had committed to teaching for a year in Senegal, so much of our relationship was long-distance. Matt flew to Africa around Christmas that same year to propose, and we were married in the fall of 2014.
Even before we met, we both wanted to eventually adopt a child. Matt was adopted by his stepdad as a teenager, and Angela was adopted as a 6-week-old, along with her biological sister. Adoption has been a big part of our lives, and we hope it will also be part of our family’s story.
We started trying to conceive shortly after we were married with the dream of having a big family. For many years, we were unsuccessful. We were able to get pregnant a few times, but unfortunately, all resulted in loss.
Adoption has always been in our hearts, and in 2019, we felt the time was right to start the process. Shortly after our home study was completed, we discovered that Angela was miraculously pregnant again. This time, praise God, there was no miscarriage, and we welcomed our sweet son, Llewyn, in 2021. We would love the opportunity to welcome another child through open adoption.
On our first date, I remember feeling a certain ease about Matt. He was quick to say a kind word, laugh, and be curious about my life. In fact, I remember him being very different from the Matt I knew in middle and high school. He told me this was due to his experience in college. There he came to find a saving faith in Jesus Christ, and this decision changed the trajectory of his life.
Since then, Matt has always had an incredible amount of emotional intelligence and empathy for others. Matt works with adults with severe mental disorders as a social worker, helping them with their finances, housing, medical and therapy needs.
He makes choices as a husband and father that lead and serve our family. He makes dinner, cleans up, and does a hundred helpful and thoughtful things, not because he feels burdened too, but because he loves his family and wants to serve us instead of being served.
His favorite part of the day is when he gets home from work to play, wrestle, build, and go for a walk with our son, Llewyn.
Fun Facts
Angela is the most wonderful wife and mother. She is always thinking about Llewyn and what we need, how to care for us, and how to make our lives easier. She does a remarkable job of keeping our house in order. It has been a joy for me to watch her with our son. She is a doting mom who loves being around our little boy, and Llewyn adores her.
Angela is an incredible teacher who makes every child in her classroom feel seen, heard, and valued. She challenges herself to find creative ways to help her students grow and truly cares about each of them. When she decides on a task, she is one of the most determined people I know at completing the job to the best of her ability.
Angela loves meeting new people and gets energized by being around others. She has a unique ability to connect with those around her and build deep, lasting bonds with them. Angela has a big heart; she notices and cares about people who usually go unseen. She is special, and I am blessed to call her my wife.
Fun Facts
Our home is a two-story detached traditional house. We love the open floor plan because we always feel together, even when one of us is cooking in the kitchen and the other is playing with Llewyn in the living room. We love to cuddle on the big couch, read books, or watch movies. In the summer, we spend lots of time on the back deck grilling, playing, and using the swing in the shade.
We live in a semi-urban neighborhood in a newly developed, partially wooded subdivision. We are fortunate to live in a community that is friendly, diverse, and filled with children. Over the years of living in our neighborhood, we have connected and built relationships with several neighbors. Our street doesn’t get much car traffic, so the sidewalks and streets are usually filled with families going for walks, children biking and playing, and a group of neighborhood dads playing basketball. During the summer, many of our neighbors spend most of their time outdoors.
Living in the Lansing area offers many opportunities for fun. We live near a major university, zoo, local parks, and other attractions. We enjoy visiting local coffee shops, going to sporting events all year round, shopping at farmer’s markets, and taking lots of walks in our local park. Our favorite park has a splash pad, a lake, a giant playground, hiking trails, and even a sledding hill in the winter.
Our families have always been small but tightly knit. We each have only one sibling and many cousins of a similar age to make memories with during summers and holidays. We both remember cookouts, spring break trips, and holiday traditions that were made even better with cousins to laugh and play with. Growing up with family, especially cousins, is something we look forward to sharing with our children.
Angela’s dad and Matt’s parents all live close by, and everyone enjoys getting together for birthdays, holidays, or “just because”. Angela’s dad is an avid fisherman and always talks about his favorite sports team, the San Francisco 49ers. Matt’s mom is very involved in our lives and loves watching Llewyn three days a week while we are at work. She used to run a daycare, so she has a million crafts and activities up her sleeve.
Matt’s brother and sister-in-law, Cody and Kelsey, are our best friends. We try to have a meal together once a week and take trips together throughout the year. Their two kids are the life of the party and have already made close bonds with our son. Angela’s sister and her husband also live close by and have a little girl that is Llewyn’s age.
Our extended family is a loving group of people who can’t wait to welcome another child into the family through adoption. They are really good at “showing up,” whether that be for a sporting event or a special milestone. We have been blessed with a close-knit and encouraging family.
A specific hobby of Angela’s is her love of reading. She especially enjoys selecting children’s books that have important messages told in unique and fun ways. She, and Matt, love to read to Llewyn every night before bed. We can’t wait to read to another sweet child during this special bonding time. Matt is an avid sports fan and plays soccer and basketball whenever possible. He loves to coach soccer as well and hopes to coach our children’s teams one day.
Spring: We like taking spring break trips to someplace warm. We like to use this vacation to relax and escape from the year’s craziness. We spend family time together and soak up the sun.
Summer: We take a trip with Matt’s family to a different lake town. We rent a place, enjoy nature, take hikes, swim, and shop during our stay. Angela loves scouting out the local coffee shops, and Matt will find the coolest tennis courts, parks, or hiking trails. We also have memberships to our local zoo and park, so we spend lots of time outside.
Fall: With fall comes football! We are BIG Michigan fans, and every year, we go to one football game at the Big House. When we aren’t cheering for the Wolverines, we like to visit cider mills, pick pumpkins, and go for walks to enjoy the changing of the leaves.
Winter: We aren’t enamored with the cold (though we do enjoy sledding), so we bundle up inside watching Christmas movies, baking, or decorating for the holidays. We enjoy hosting family and friends for game and movie nights as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our family and consider us. And more importantly, thank you for choosing adoption – you are incredibly brave, loving, and kind.
As we write this, our hearts are so hopeful to grow our family and ready to give our unconditional love to a child. If you chose us, we would love your child forever, raising them up to love God and follow Him faithfully. We would provide them with a safe home to grow in, a healthy lifestyle, excellent education, and an encouraging extended family. We are hopeful that we could meet and stay in contact with you throughout the child’s life.
We would want our future child to grow up always knowing that adoption is a beautiful and special part of who they are and that they were wonderfully made by God. We will always remind them of the loving choice their mother made for their life. Regardless of your openness, we would always speak of you highly, respectfully, and lovingly, as you deserve praise and honor for your loving choice.
© 2023 Featured Waiting Families, All Rights Reserved
Web design and digital marketing by Valorous Circle LLC
