Mike and Amy
Mike and Amy have known each other since their first year of college at Idaho State University. They lived in the same apartment complex, which is how they got to know each other. They started dating a few months after they met, and finally, three years later decided it was time to tie the knot. The time they spent dating and getting to know one another helped to give them a solid base upon which to build a great marriage and friendship.
Mike and Amy both excelled at ISU, where Mike got a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Business Administration. Amy earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish. During college, Mike spent a summer studying in Madrid, Spain; Amy spent the fall semester of her junior year studying in Valencia, Spain. They were married the summer before their senior year, and two days after the wedding they moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Mike had a summer internship and Amy worked teaching English.
Following graduation from Idaho State, they spent a couple of weeks traveling around Peru, visiting Machu Picchu and the Amazon rainforest. After a relaxing vacation, they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Mike got his master's degree in Health Services Administration. Amy worked while Mike attended school full time. Living in the East gave them more fun opportunities for travel to Chicago, New York, Canada, and the greatest amusement park of all time--Cedar Point in Ohio.
After Mike finished his studies, they moved to Loveland, Colorado, where Mike worked as the Administrative Fellow for the Poudre Valley Health System. There were a lot of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in Colorado, and they had fun hiking, camping, skiing, and snowboarding. After a short year in Colorado, they moved to East Oregon where Mike accepted a position as the CEO/Administrator of a rural health district. Amy completed her master's degree in May 2010 at the University of Idaho. It was while living there that they adopted their two little boys. Amy spent most of her time at home with them, but she taught an adult Spanish class one night each week through the local community college.
They loved living in their small town, but when an opportunity came up for Mike to advance in his career at a hospital on the Oregon Coast, they were excited to take it. There they enjoyed spending time together doing all the fun things their beach town had to offer. Some of their favorite things to do were spending time at the beach (especially having bonfires and roasting hot dogs and s'mores), flying kites, hiking the coastal mountains, going on walks, and trying new restaurants. It was while they lived on the coast that they adopted their daughter.
A couple of years ago, a job closer to home opened up and they were excited to move back to Idaho and live near grandparents and cousins. They live east of Boise and enjoy their small town. Mike enjoys his job as the CEO of the local hospital, and they are happy that Amy has the opportunity to stay home to care for the kids and keep things running smoothly. They are especially happy to be living near the mountains where the family can camp in the summer and ski/snowboard in the winter.
Mike and Amy both excelled at ISU, where Mike got a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Business Administration. Amy earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish. During college, Mike spent a summer studying in Madrid, Spain; Amy spent the fall semester of her junior year studying in Valencia, Spain. They were married the summer before their senior year, and two days after the wedding they moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Mike had a summer internship and Amy worked teaching English.
Following graduation from Idaho State, they spent a couple of weeks traveling around Peru, visiting Machu Picchu and the Amazon rainforest. After a relaxing vacation, they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Mike got his master's degree in Health Services Administration. Amy worked while Mike attended school full time. Living in the East gave them more fun opportunities for travel to Chicago, New York, Canada, and the greatest amusement park of all time--Cedar Point in Ohio.
After Mike finished his studies, they moved to Loveland, Colorado, where Mike worked as the Administrative Fellow for the Poudre Valley Health System. There were a lot of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in Colorado, and they had fun hiking, camping, skiing, and snowboarding. After a short year in Colorado, they moved to East Oregon where Mike accepted a position as the CEO/Administrator of a rural health district. Amy completed her master's degree in May 2010 at the University of Idaho. It was while living there that they adopted their two little boys. Amy spent most of her time at home with them, but she taught an adult Spanish class one night each week through the local community college.
They loved living in their small town, but when an opportunity came up for Mike to advance in his career at a hospital on the Oregon Coast, they were excited to take it. There they enjoyed spending time together doing all the fun things their beach town had to offer. Some of their favorite things to do were spending time at the beach (especially having bonfires and roasting hot dogs and s'mores), flying kites, hiking the coastal mountains, going on walks, and trying new restaurants. It was while they lived on the coast that they adopted their daughter.
A couple of years ago, a job closer to home opened up and they were excited to move back to Idaho and live near grandparents and cousins. They live east of Boise and enjoy their small town. Mike enjoys his job as the CEO of the local hospital, and they are happy that Amy has the opportunity to stay home to care for the kids and keep things running smoothly. They are especially happy to be living near the mountains where the family can camp in the summer and ski/snowboard in the winter.
Laurel Amy
Amy is the oldest of five kids who are all pretty close in age. Her house was always full of life, love, fun, and activity growing up. She and her parents and her brothers and sisters are still very close and talk on the phone all the time. She feels very happy to live close to them so they can visit in person often.
Being a full-time mom is how Amy spends most of her time. She truly enjoys staying home to care for our kids. She likes to involve them in all the different things she does during the day, from running errands with them, to letting them help cook meals, to having them help her tidy up the house. Amy majored in Spanish in college and then received a Master's degree in adult education and human resources. She enjoys helping the kids learn to speak Spanish and we are working to be bilingual at home. We speak Spanish often, listen to Spanish music, and watch tv and movies in Spanish.
Amy's mom was a wonderful example to her as she was growing up, and her greatest desire has always been to be a stay-at-home mom and have a large family. Amy loves to read and loves teaching others. She and Mike share a passion for traveling to new and exciting places and she is always up for an adventure. Amy also enjoys cooking, watching college football, doing her friends' nails, and learning how to build and refinish furniture. She is always on the lookout for cool thrift store finds, and is always dreaming about her next vacation destination.
Being a full-time mom is how Amy spends most of her time. She truly enjoys staying home to care for our kids. She likes to involve them in all the different things she does during the day, from running errands with them, to letting them help cook meals, to having them help her tidy up the house. Amy majored in Spanish in college and then received a Master's degree in adult education and human resources. She enjoys helping the kids learn to speak Spanish and we are working to be bilingual at home. We speak Spanish often, listen to Spanish music, and watch tv and movies in Spanish.
Amy's mom was a wonderful example to her as she was growing up, and her greatest desire has always been to be a stay-at-home mom and have a large family. Amy loves to read and loves teaching others. She and Mike share a passion for traveling to new and exciting places and she is always up for an adventure. Amy also enjoys cooking, watching college football, doing her friends' nails, and learning how to build and refinish furniture. She is always on the lookout for cool thrift store finds, and is always dreaming about her next vacation destination.
Michael Dan
Mike is the oldest of three boys. He was raised on a family farm and spent his summers growing up working in the fields and driving heavy machinery. Growing up on a farm was a great experience which contributed to a strong work ethic that has helped Mike be successful in his education and his work. Both of Mike’s parents were great examples to him and helped him develop many admirable qualities. He regularly talks with his parents and his brothers and he enjoys playing with his nieces and nephews. Mike has also had some great friends since High School that have been a very positive influence in his life.
Ever since first living in the Dominican Republic for two years, the Spanish language has been a very important part of Mike’s life. While attending school at I.S.U. Mike earned certification as a state court interpreter and was able to interpret in legal proceedings throughout Southeast Idaho. He has really enjoyed traveling to foreign countries with Amy and they both plan to make traveling something they always do with their family.
Currently Mike spends most of his time working as the CEO for the community hospital where we live and he loves his new job. He’s also trying to teach himself to play the guitar and he enjoys reading in his spare time. He likes running and recently completed his second half-marathon, and he also has fun figuring out new technological gadgets. He’s a very organized person, mostly because of his work, and he likes to make sure he follows through on things that need to be done.
Mike also really enjoys listening to all kinds of music and he’s often trying to get Amy to appreciate some new acoustic or indie band that he’s discovered. He loves learning new things and is always looking for an opportunity to be involved in something fun. He is very social and friendly and he likes meeting new people. While attending graduate school at the University of Michigan Mike developed an interest in college football and he enjoys watching games and cheering on his team. He’s always been excited to have children and his favorite way to spend is time is being with his family, outside playing in the yard or inside building block towers or watching movies. He is a great dad.
Ever since first living in the Dominican Republic for two years, the Spanish language has been a very important part of Mike’s life. While attending school at I.S.U. Mike earned certification as a state court interpreter and was able to interpret in legal proceedings throughout Southeast Idaho. He has really enjoyed traveling to foreign countries with Amy and they both plan to make traveling something they always do with their family.
Currently Mike spends most of his time working as the CEO for the community hospital where we live and he loves his new job. He’s also trying to teach himself to play the guitar and he enjoys reading in his spare time. He likes running and recently completed his second half-marathon, and he also has fun figuring out new technological gadgets. He’s a very organized person, mostly because of his work, and he likes to make sure he follows through on things that need to be done.
Mike also really enjoys listening to all kinds of music and he’s often trying to get Amy to appreciate some new acoustic or indie band that he’s discovered. He loves learning new things and is always looking for an opportunity to be involved in something fun. He is very social and friendly and he likes meeting new people. While attending graduate school at the University of Michigan Mike developed an interest in college football and he enjoys watching games and cheering on his team. He’s always been excited to have children and his favorite way to spend is time is being with his family, outside playing in the yard or inside building block towers or watching movies. He is a great dad.
K-Man
K-Man is a six-year-old rockstar! People who spend any time around him always notice how happy he is. He can win over pretty much anybody with his hugs and his cheerful, friendly, outgoing personality. He loves meeting new people and strikes up conversations with everyone he sees. As the big brother, he loves to help Bear and Voo learn new things and is a great example. A typical oldest child, he likes to be in charge and will boss around anybody who will let him. We're pretty sure he thinks he is an adult. He recently asked Amy when she was going to teach him how to drive. He is an outstanding helper at home and will find ways to help even when he hasn't been asked. He is very good at electronics and loves to watch movies and listen to cassette tapes, cd's, and his playlist on Spotify. Some of his favorite movies right now are the Star Wars movies, Zootopia, and the old Ghostbusters. When we let him, he also really loves watching the Hobbykids on Youtube.
K-man started full-day kindergarted this year and is having so much fun. His school uses the Montessori method which has been a great fit for him. He is becoming more independent by the day and is asking to learn how to do things like fold laundry and load the dishwasher (yay!!). He recently started gymnastics and looks forward to every class. Most days are no-screen days at home, so he enjoys jumping on the trampoline, riding his bike, and inventing games with his little brother and the neighbor kids. When he isn't outside, he is usually either coloring or looking for someone to play a game with him. Right now, he really likes Uno, checkers, Go Fish, and Memory. When he colors, he really takes his time to make his pictures look good, and he especially likes it when mom or dad will print coloring pages of his choosing off of the internet. One of his favorite things to do during the day is work on grown-up jobs with mom, such as cooking or working on crafts and diy projects for the house. In the evenings we almost always eat dinner as a family, he is a great eater and has recently become interested in learning about the nutritional aspects of what we eat, and proudly asks for seconds and sometimes thirds of dinner. Then we clear the table and clean up together. Afterward, we head upstairs to read a chapter from whatever chapter book we are reading as a family. Then he heads to bed fairly early and can read for a half hour before it is time for lights out. He is pretty gifted little reader and is consistently impressing his parents with the words he can sound out. We are so thankful to have him in our family.
We have an open adoption with K-Man's birthmom, Alyssa, and we are glad that she is able to be a part of our lives. She recently moved to the other side of the United States and we miss seeing her regularly, but have decided that video chats are a fun way to keep in touch. K-Man likes to read her stories when they chat. Until she moved away, she only lived a few hours away, so we saw her every few months ever since K-Man was born. We were lucky to be able to meet her before he was born and begin getting to know her and her family a few months before her due date. She invited us to be at the hospital when K-Man was born and it was a really special experience for us. Alyssa is a very special person to our family and K-Man will always know how much she loves him and how thankful we are for her decision to place him in our family. We plan on continuing to have an open, positive relationship with Alyssa as K-Man grows up, and we enjoy sending her pictures and updates when we haven't seen her in awhile.
K-man started full-day kindergarted this year and is having so much fun. His school uses the Montessori method which has been a great fit for him. He is becoming more independent by the day and is asking to learn how to do things like fold laundry and load the dishwasher (yay!!). He recently started gymnastics and looks forward to every class. Most days are no-screen days at home, so he enjoys jumping on the trampoline, riding his bike, and inventing games with his little brother and the neighbor kids. When he isn't outside, he is usually either coloring or looking for someone to play a game with him. Right now, he really likes Uno, checkers, Go Fish, and Memory. When he colors, he really takes his time to make his pictures look good, and he especially likes it when mom or dad will print coloring pages of his choosing off of the internet. One of his favorite things to do during the day is work on grown-up jobs with mom, such as cooking or working on crafts and diy projects for the house. In the evenings we almost always eat dinner as a family, he is a great eater and has recently become interested in learning about the nutritional aspects of what we eat, and proudly asks for seconds and sometimes thirds of dinner. Then we clear the table and clean up together. Afterward, we head upstairs to read a chapter from whatever chapter book we are reading as a family. Then he heads to bed fairly early and can read for a half hour before it is time for lights out. He is pretty gifted little reader and is consistently impressing his parents with the words he can sound out. We are so thankful to have him in our family.
We have an open adoption with K-Man's birthmom, Alyssa, and we are glad that she is able to be a part of our lives. She recently moved to the other side of the United States and we miss seeing her regularly, but have decided that video chats are a fun way to keep in touch. K-Man likes to read her stories when they chat. Until she moved away, she only lived a few hours away, so we saw her every few months ever since K-Man was born. We were lucky to be able to meet her before he was born and begin getting to know her and her family a few months before her due date. She invited us to be at the hospital when K-Man was born and it was a really special experience for us. Alyssa is a very special person to our family and K-Man will always know how much she loves him and how thankful we are for her decision to place him in our family. We plan on continuing to have an open, positive relationship with Alyssa as K-Man grows up, and we enjoy sending her pictures and updates when we haven't seen her in awhile.
Bear
Bear is a four-year-old rockstar! He is a fun, happy, loving kid. He has a quieter, more thoughtful, observant personality than his brother, and he is good at figuring out how things work. Nothing gets past this kid. If you try to pull a fast one on him he catches on every time. He has a very tenacious and stubborn streak and isn't easily distracted or swayed from something that is important to him. He is really good at doing puzzles and building with Legos--he likes to both follow the instructions to build something perfectly, and also to use his imagination to make original creations (usually some type of vehicle). Some of his favorite things to do are playing with toys, spending time with his older brother, snuggling our new kittens, playing with cars and trucks, wrestling with Mom and Dad, and reading stories.
Bear is our biggest toy-lover. Everywhere we go, he is always excited to see if they have toys. He has an incredible imagination and will play independenly for long stretches of time. He really likes to take things apart and put things together. One of his biggest passions is monster trucks. He went to his first Monster Jam (monster truck rally) last year and was in heaven. We enjoy seeing his eyes light up when he talks about his favorite monster trucks (currently Gravedigger and Max-D). We can't wait to go to Monster Jam again this year with him. Bear is enjoying going to preschool where he is learning his letters and numbers and how to write his name. He especially enjoys cutting shapes out of paper. When he has time to color at school or at home, he almost always chooses to draw monster trucks. When he gets screen time, his favorite thing to do is to watch Youtube videos, especially the Axel Show and monster truck videos (real ones, not cartoons). His favorite movies are Cars and Cars 2. He is a kind, sweet, tenderhearted little guy who wants to make good choices and make others happy.
We have an open adoption with Bear's birthparents and birth grandparents. They live several states away, so we don't get to see them much, but we keep in touch. We were lucky to be able to meet and spend time with his birth family before he was born, and they invited Amy to be in the room for the delivery which was a very special experience. We enjoy exchanging letters and photos through the mail and on Facebook, and we feel extra lucky when we get to talk to them on the phone. Bear's birthparents find too much contact to be emotionally difficult and we respect their feelings and let them take the lead on how much contact they want to have.
Bear is a four-year-old rockstar! He is a fun, happy, loving kid. He has a quieter, more thoughtful, observant personality than his brother, and he is good at figuring out how things work. Nothing gets past this kid. If you try to pull a fast one on him he catches on every time. He has a very tenacious and stubborn streak and isn't easily distracted or swayed from something that is important to him. He is really good at doing puzzles and building with Legos--he likes to both follow the instructions to build something perfectly, and also to use his imagination to make original creations (usually some type of vehicle). Some of his favorite things to do are playing with toys, spending time with his older brother, snuggling our new kittens, playing with cars and trucks, wrestling with Mom and Dad, and reading stories.
Bear is our biggest toy-lover. Everywhere we go, he is always excited to see if they have toys. He has an incredible imagination and will play independenly for long stretches of time. He really likes to take things apart and put things together. One of his biggest passions is monster trucks. He went to his first Monster Jam (monster truck rally) last year and was in heaven. We enjoy seeing his eyes light up when he talks about his favorite monster trucks (currently Gravedigger and Max-D). We can't wait to go to Monster Jam again this year with him. Bear is enjoying going to preschool where he is learning his letters and numbers and how to write his name. He especially enjoys cutting shapes out of paper. When he has time to color at school or at home, he almost always chooses to draw monster trucks. When he gets screen time, his favorite thing to do is to watch Youtube videos, especially the Axel Show and monster truck videos (real ones, not cartoons). His favorite movies are Cars and Cars 2. He is a kind, sweet, tenderhearted little guy who wants to make good choices and make others happy.
We have an open adoption with Bear's birthparents and birth grandparents. They live several states away, so we don't get to see them much, but we keep in touch. We were lucky to be able to meet and spend time with his birth family before he was born, and they invited Amy to be in the room for the delivery which was a very special experience. We enjoy exchanging letters and photos through the mail and on Facebook, and we feel extra lucky when we get to talk to them on the phone. Bear's birthparents find too much contact to be emotionally difficult and we respect their feelings and let them take the lead on how much contact they want to have.
Voo
Voo is a two-year-old rockstar. She is a chatterbox who loves to joke around and make others laugh. She has no sense of "stranger danger" and will chat with just about anyone wherever we go. With Voo around, there is never a dull moment because she is in constant motion. Even as a tiny baby, she would sit in her chair and just wiggle. That has translated into her being a little bundle of energy. She likes to get involved in whatever her brothers are doing but doesn't really like sitting still to watch television. Her independent streak is really starting to shine, as she doesn't want help with much of anything, especially choosing her clothes. In the photos section, you'll see some of her cutting edge fashion choices. She especially loves shoes, just not her own. Nobody's shoes are safe here, she will find them and wear them all over the house. The only exception to that rule is with her slippers. We're pretty sure it's the combination of shoes and stuffed animals that she just can't resist. If we let her, she would wear pajamas and slippers everywhere.
A typical day for Voo is spent with mom. After they get the boys dropped off at school, Voo always asks to go to Walmart. She's on a first-name basis with the greeters who all know her and always have a sticker ready to give her. Once she gets her sticker and goes to see the fish, she's done with her items of business and Mom can pick up whatever she needs at the store. From there, they usually head home to get stuff done around the house. Cleaning is one of Voo's favorite things to do. We've gone through many packets of baby wipes because she is constantly getting them out to "clean" stuff. Voo is fairly attached to her blankie and her puppy, whom she recently decided needs to wear a diaper. She is very smart and likes to try to do things she sees others do. Often this involves pulling chairs and stools to different places in the house so she can reach what she wants. The only problem is that she is afraid to climb down from things so she frequently gets stuck and has to call for help. We have had to put a child lock on the pantry door in our kitchen because she likes to sneak in there and help herself to whatever she can find at any time of the day. She's a really good eater, and often out-eats her older brothers! She isn't picky, and even likes spicy Indian or Mexican food. She especially likes meat and cheese--her brothers like to call her a carnivore.
Voo's arrival in our family was as sudden as it was wonderful. Her birthmom was confident in her decision to place her for adoption but she hadn't made any adoption plans prior to Voo's birth. When Voo was born, a nurse told her birthmom about us and were able to meet her and Voo shortly after the birth. Two days after we first met her, Voo came home with us. We had very frequent contact with Voo's birthmom for the first 6 months after placement, then she decided that she needed some space. We mostly stay in touch via Facebook, as that is what she is most comfortable with, and we are so thankful to have her in our lives.
A typical day for Voo is spent with mom. After they get the boys dropped off at school, Voo always asks to go to Walmart. She's on a first-name basis with the greeters who all know her and always have a sticker ready to give her. Once she gets her sticker and goes to see the fish, she's done with her items of business and Mom can pick up whatever she needs at the store. From there, they usually head home to get stuff done around the house. Cleaning is one of Voo's favorite things to do. We've gone through many packets of baby wipes because she is constantly getting them out to "clean" stuff. Voo is fairly attached to her blankie and her puppy, whom she recently decided needs to wear a diaper. She is very smart and likes to try to do things she sees others do. Often this involves pulling chairs and stools to different places in the house so she can reach what she wants. The only problem is that she is afraid to climb down from things so she frequently gets stuck and has to call for help. We have had to put a child lock on the pantry door in our kitchen because she likes to sneak in there and help herself to whatever she can find at any time of the day. She's a really good eater, and often out-eats her older brothers! She isn't picky, and even likes spicy Indian or Mexican food. She especially likes meat and cheese--her brothers like to call her a carnivore.
Voo's arrival in our family was as sudden as it was wonderful. Her birthmom was confident in her decision to place her for adoption but she hadn't made any adoption plans prior to Voo's birth. When Voo was born, a nurse told her birthmom about us and were able to meet her and Voo shortly after the birth. Two days after we first met her, Voo came home with us. We had very frequent contact with Voo's birthmom for the first 6 months after placement, then she decided that she needed some space. We mostly stay in touch via Facebook, as that is what she is most comfortable with, and we are so thankful to have her in our lives.