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Luke & Cristen

We are beyond excited to become parents through adoption! We cannot thank you enough for taking the time to look at our profile. If you select us, we will unconditionally love your child and do everything we can to foster within them a love for themselves, who they are, and where they come from. We promise to not only love them, but to keep you as a loving and important person in their life and forever a part of our family. We cannot wait to share our love and open our hearts.

About Us

Luke
Cristen
Job
Music Teacher/Music Director
Special Education Paraprofessional/High School Drama Director
Education
Master's Degree in Music Education/Choral Conducting
Bachelor's Degree in Sociology/Music
Children
None
Relationship
Legally Married
State
Iowa

Our Favorite Vacation Spot

Christmas in July!

One of Luke's favorite memories of growing up involves vacations that he would take with family each summer. For many years, this would involve packing up the car with camping equipment and traveling West across the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains where they would spend several weeks camping, hiking, fishing, and exploring mountains, streams, rivers, and lakes in the west. For several years, instead of going West, we took a boat up the Mississippi River and camped on beaches each night as we explored and saw a part of the country that most do not have the opportunity to experience! It was all a fantastic adventure to have growing up, and one that we hope to carry on with our family.

Cristen's family took vacations to tropical locations growing up. Her father loves to scuba dive, so there was always a beach and body of water nearby. They have traveled to Disney World, Mexico, and have visited Italy several times to sight see and visit family that live in the town her mother is from. Together, we have been to Disney World several times, including our Honeymoon! We have also begun to celebrate "Christmas in July" with extended family since the weather is more cooperative in July than in December! We look forward every summer to getting together and opening presents in a cabin that we rent, even if it means there is no snow to be found.

Education We will Provide

Playing Music is Always Better Together

We are both in education - Cristen in elementary and high school education, and Luke in high school education. Education is something that is very important to us. Both of us were lead to paths that involved going to college after high school, Cristen has a degree in Sociology and is working on a second degree in Communication/Theater Education. Luke has a degree in Music Education and a Masters's Degree in Choral Conducting. While that was the path that was suitable for us, we both believe that it is important to find and develop something that you are passionate about, and then use that drive to pursuit whatever path you need to reach the goal. We both work with many young people to help find what that passion is, and help them to take the next steps they need in order to reach it. For some that is college, others may need vocational training or a trade school. In any case, we both believe that finding something you love to do is the most important step. We will encourage our child to find, nurture, and develop this passion and help them every step of the way as they work towards, and reach their dreams.

How We Met

Looking Fancy!

We met in 2001 in college. Cristen was a freshman performing in a musical that Luke, a sophomore, came to watch a mutual friend who was also in the show. When Cristen walked out on stage, Luke told a friend watching the show with him that he would put a ring on her finger. After our first date, Cristen went home to her roommate and told her "I don't know how I know this, but I'm going to marry him."

We have so much fun talking and spending time together that we have been together ever since that first date. Not only do we have a deep love and respect for each other, but we also like each other and genuinely enjoy one another's company. There is nobody that either of us would rather spend time with - we are very much best friends. Through all of our life's journey, our ups and downs, so far, we have been very fortunate to have each other alongside to share the load. There isn't anyone else we would choose to take on the blessing, challenge, and privilege of parenthood with!

Photos

Enjoying Some Afternoon Sun
Enjoying Some Afternoon Sun
Family Walks Around the Neighborhood are the Best!
Family Walks Around the Neighborhood are the Best!
Snuggle Time with Auntie is the Best
Snuggle Time with Auntie is the Best
We are So Excited!
We are So Excited!
Luke in His Favorite Room with His Favorite Toy
Luke in His Favorite Room with His Favorite Toy
Celebrating a Friend's Wedding Together
Celebrating a Friend's Wedding Together
Dinner with Family
Dinner with Family
Disney World is Cristen's Favorite Place in the Whole World!
Disney World is Cristen's Favorite Place in the Whole World!
Family Vacation Fun with Nieces and Nephews in Wisconsin
Family Vacation Fun with Nieces and Nephews in Wisconsin
Luke with a New Instrument
Luke with a New Instrument
Reading By the Fire Together
Reading By the Fire Together
Setting Up the Nursery!
Setting Up the Nursery!
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1 / 12
Enjoying Some Afternoon Sun
Enjoying Some Afternoon Sun
2 / 12
Family Walks Around the Neighborhood are the Best!
Family Walks Around the Neighborhood are the Best!
3 / 12
Snuggle Time with Auntie is the Best
Snuggle Time with Auntie is the Best
4 / 12
We are So Excited!
We are So Excited!
5 / 12
Luke in His Favorite Room with His Favorite Toy
Luke in His Favorite Room with His Favorite Toy
6 / 12
Celebrating a Friend's Wedding Together
Celebrating a Friend's Wedding Together
7 / 12
Dinner with Family
Dinner with Family
8 / 12
Disney World is Cristen's Favorite Place in the Whole World!
Disney World is Cristen's Favorite Place in the Whole World!
9 / 12
Family Vacation Fun with Nieces and Nephews in Wisconsin
Family Vacation Fun with Nieces and Nephews in Wisconsin
10 / 12
Luke with a New Instrument
Luke with a New Instrument
11 / 12
Reading By the Fire Together
Reading By the Fire Together
12 / 12
Setting Up the Nursery!
Setting Up the Nursery!

Our Extended Families

Matching Pajamas

We are both very close to both our immediate and extended families. Luke has two younger sisters and Cristen has one younger sister. Between both sides of the family, we have 10 nieces and nephews that are under the age of 10! Everyone is thrilled to welcome a new member of the family, and our child will have plenty of cousins to play with. Nearly everyone in both our families are teachers, so we are able to get together for holidays and long visits over the summers.

Checking Out the Views with Family in Chicago

We love to spend our time eating, laughing, and spending time together whenever we can. We have family members from Puerto Rico and Peru, Italy, and Afghanistan, so there are many different languages, holidays, celebrations, and backgrounds that make up our family time together. When we get together, we like to play board games, typically long into the night after we should have gone to bed! We love to eat as a family and spend almost every weekend gathered together around someone's table.

Family is extremely important to both of us, and we are very fortunate to have such a large, diverse, supportive family to support us on this journey!

Our House and Neighborhood

Our Home

We live in a large, diverse city in northern Iowa.  Although it is a large metropolitan area, it is filled with many smaller, historic neighborhoods.  We purchased an older house in one of these neighborhoods a couple years ago and have been working to make it our home!  It was built in 1921 and is filled with beautiful hardwood floors, a fireplace we love to gather around in the winter, and a large fenced in backyard that we grill and play in during the warmer months.  Our home has three bedrooms, one for the two of us, one that we have setup as an office, and one that is already starting to become our nursery!  Our neighborhood is made up wonderful old houses on a tree lined, shady street.  Several times during the summer, our neighbors block off the street to have a neighborhood block party where everyone brings food to share and kids gather to play together in the street.  We also celebrate Christmas each year together as a neighborhood after spending a Saturday decorating the street.  We have a wonderful Elementary school within walking distance of our house, and the local middle school and high school are also both close enough to walk to.  We have access to rivers, trails, restaurants, theaters, sporting events, and other entertainment throughout the year.  We are very fortunate to live in such a diverse area with so much to do and so much to explore!

From Us to You

Thank you for taking the time to look at our profile to learn more about us. First and foremost, please know you are loved. We cannot imagine all the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing but know that we recognize it is all surrounded WITH, and BY, love. We promise to raise your child in a loving environment that honors the loving and selfless decision you have made for them.

We have tried to have children of our own for many years, but have been unable to conceive biological children. While this has been a difficult journey for us, we are both excited to be pursuing adoption to complete our family. It will be a wonderful experience and we cannot wait to share all the love we have in our hearts with a child.

We met in college twenty years ago while both studying music and theater. In some of our earliest conversations, we started to talk and make plans for a future family. While we always anticipated biological children, we also acknowledged the possibility and desire to consider adoption as a way to complete our family. We now know that this is the perfect way to achieve this goal we have always had for ourselves. We have been married for twelve years, during which time we have achieved many of the educational and professional goals that we have set for ourselves. We are now in a place where we can begin the adoption journey, which is where we find ourselves at currently.

As we are both involved in teaching and education, we highly value the importance of education for our future child. We are committed to helping them pursue their education and passions, and to raise them to be motivated, disciplined, and respectful no matter what path they choose to follow. Our extended families are both extremely close-knit, and very excited to welcome a new member to the family. They will grow up with loving Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins that will encourage and support them as they develop and grow. We are excited to share with them the same family activities and traditions that we both enjoyed growing up; vacations, family dinners, holidays, and other joy-filled activities.

We are both looking forward to incorporating you into our family as well. We want you to know you have our utmost love and respect and would love for you to become a part of our family if that is what you would like as well. No matter what, we promise to keep you updated of your child's growth, experiences, and other milestones through photographs and letters if you desire. We will always be open and honest when the subject of adoption comes up. We will ensure that your child knows how much you love and want the best for them, and how that love is reflected in the difficult, loving decision you have made for them and their future.

We promise to parent your child with love, compassion, patience, and grace. We will do our best to teach them to love, respect, and be proud of themselves no matter who they are, or what path they choose to follow. We will always encourage them to do their best and make themselves, and you, proud.

Thank you for considering us as parents for your child. We are looking forward to making our family complete through adoption. We will provide all the love and support that any family or child can hope for. Please know that while you are considering this difficult decision for your child, we will hold you in our thoughts and prayers as you consider all of the possibilities ahead of you. Again, please know how much unconditional love we will give to your child, and you.

Luke & Cristen

Favorites

Luke
Cristen
Actor
Robert Downey Jr
Actress
Anne Hathaway
Animal
Dog
Sea Otter
Author
Neil Gaiman
Augusten Burroughs, Wally Lamb, David Sedaris. I also love biographies and autobiographies, so the authors are always different.
Book
American Gods
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Candy Bar
Milky Way
Snickers I guess... My favorite candy is Flying Saucers
Cartoon
As a kid, I loved the 90's Nickelodeon Cartoons; Ren and Stimpy, Doug, Rocko's Modern Life
Childhood Memory
Vacations with family
Anytime I spent time with my family.
Childhood Toy
Transformers
My first doll, Sarah. (I still have her!)
Children's Book
Goosebumps, Wayside School series
I have so many. The Giving Tree is always at the top, though. And anything by Sandra Boynton
City
Chicago
London or Chicago
Classic Movie
Star Wars
The Wizard of Oz
Color
Green
Purple or Mint
Day of Week
Saturday
Friday or Saturday
Dessert
Tiramisu
Ice cream, cookie cakes, Portillo's chocolate cake/chocolate cake shake
Disney Movie
Wreck-it Ralph
Wall-E
Dream Car
Subaru Forester
I honestly don't know. Maybe an old 1950s Chevy Bel Air Sport in Teal? (I had to Google the name.)
Dream Job
Teaching at a college or university
High School Drama/Speech Teacher
Dream Vacation
Pacific Northwest camping trip
Disney World!
Family Activity
Going on walks
Anything done together
Flower / Plant
The Rosebud tree in our backyard
Gerber Daisy is my favorite, but I cannot keep plants alive to save my life. :(
Food
My absolute favorite food is Ethiopian food!
Falafel! Or tacos. Or any form of Italian or... There is a lot.
Form of Exercise
Cycling and running
Umm... I really hate to exercise... Does resting afterwards count?
Fruit
Grapefruit
White Peaches
Game
Pandemic
Disney Trivial Pursuit
Hobby
Playing guitar/bass
Crafting, reading, singing, playing instruments, shopping
Holiday
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving! Yum!
Holiday Song
"Last Christmas" Wham
Oh Holy Night or I'll be Home for Christmas
Holiday Tradition
Christmas Eve with family
"Comfy Christmas" with my dad's side of the family. Pjs and soup all day long!
Ice Cream
Cookie Dough
Cake batter with cake chunks and sprinkles from Cold Stone. Or Chocolate Fudge Brownie from Ben and Jerry's
Junk Food
Dots candy
Yes, please.
Leisure Activity
Reading
Reading or crafting
Magazine
Guitar Player
Memory with a Child
Playing with my nieces and nephews, taking them on walks, playing in parks
I have too many to count. Between being the oldest of the family, teaching in Early Childhood centers, Elementary Schools, Middle Schools and High Schools, plus being an aunt to 10 nieces and nephews... I have a lot of favorite memories!
Memory with Spouse
Moving into our first house.
Our first date or our wedding are tied.
Movie
Lord of the Rings
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Movie Munchie
Popcorn
Popcorn and Milk Duds
Movie Quote
I don't know why they call this stuff Hamburger Helper, it does just fine by itself.
"From failure you learn. From success...eh...not so much." - Meet The Robinsons
Movie Type
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Comedy or Disney
Musical
Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog
RENT
Musical Group
The Decemberists
The Beatles
Olympic Event
I like to watch ski racing, although I could never do it myself!
Ice Skating
Personal Hero
My Mom
Play
I teach/direct theater... I have too many to list.
Poet
You can't go wrong with Shel Silverstein. And I've recently discovered Olivia Gatwood.
Quality about my Spouse
Her spontaneous nature. She is always able to make me laugh, even when I don't want to
Sense of humor, intelligence, honesty, calmness, kindness, how loving he is, patience... I could go on...
Quote
If you stay ready, you won't have to get ready.
"It's very easy to look at the world and think, this is all so cruel and so mean. It's important to not become bitter from it." - RuPaul
Restaurant
Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant and Native Foods Restaurant
The Melting Pot or Portillo's
Sandwich
Falafel pita with hummus and a pickle!
Italian Beef from Portillo's - extra mozzarella! Yum!
Shopping Store
Chicago Music Exchange, Dave's Guitars
TJMaxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods
Song
There are waaaay to many to pick from! It changes daily.
How High The Moon or La Vie En Rose
Sport to Play
I enjoy kicking a soccer ball around with friends, but I'm not good enough to play!
Sport to Watch
Soccer and Formula One
Sports Team
Arsenal Football Club
Subject in School
Music
Drama, Choir, Band, English
Superhero
Spiderman
Thing to Cook
Chili in the winter, anything on the grill in the summer
My Nonna's spaghetti sauce
Time of Day
Early morning
After work when Luke and I get to spend time together. Also, I am a night person.
Tradition
Getting together with family at holidays to spend time together
Family Thanksgivings and Christmases, family vacations, family dinners... anything family.
TV Show
WandaVision
RuPaul's Drag Race
Type of Music
Indie Rock, punk, generally almost anything
All types with the exception of Country Music. Sorry.
Vacation Spot
Anywhere with mountains
Disney World
Video Game
Mass Effect Trilogy, Halo series, Red Dead Redemption

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