Hi there!
We are Chris and Rachel, and we are so grateful you're taking a moment to read about us!
Before jumping into our current lives, we want to share a little about why adoption is so important to us. Chris and his brother were 2 and 4 years old when their mom placed their baby sister for adoption. It was an open adoption with yearly visits and ongoing communication, so they were able to build a relationship through the years and are close as adults today. We have had the privilege to hear his mom's side of the story recently, and know it was one of the hardest decision of her life, but one she never regretted - a decision made out of love in order to provide her daughter with the life that she couldn't provide at that time. Although we can't fully understand what you are going through, we feel we understand, to some degree, the courage and love that it takes to choose adoption, and we deeply respect and honor you in this.
Our Adoption Journey: Watch Now
Nuestra Historia de Adopción, Mírala Ahora
Our Story
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We met 8 years ago through mutual friends. We were complete opposites in personality, so the thought of a relationship was not on our minds. However, the more we got to know each other, the more we realized we were great together and complimented each other well. We began dating on New Years Eve of 2019, were engaged and married just 10 months later, and have now been married for 6 incredible years!
When we were dating, we talked about our mutual desire to have both biological and adopted children. We suspected that it might be difficult for Rachel to become pregnant, but those concerns were confirmed 2 years later. Despite medical intervention, we were not able to get pregnant. Our hearts remain hopeful, knowing that we still have the opportunity to grow our family through adoption. We are incredibly excited to meet the little one(s) that will soon join our family!
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Hobbies and Interests
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Our favorite date-nights are at home playing cards, or snuggled up for a movie.
Family is at the center of our lives - with 30 nieces and nephews, we're always enjoying our time together.
We love to hike! Whether in GA, or WA, we try to take a hiking trip every year.
We've always wanted to travel, and just this year got to visit both Costa Rica and Jamaica!
We enjoy an active lifestyle, going to the gym, running outdoors, or swimming/kayaking/snorkeling.
In the summer months, you'll frequently find us at the local springs, or a beach.
Rachel loves to bake and cook, and we both love trying new foods!
Chris loves wood-working and building projects.
Rachel loves music, and even sings and plays viola.
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What Matters Most
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Our faith in God is our foundation and guides our lives.
We prioritize family, and our time together.
We respect and honor others through our words and actions.
Authenticity - we value honesty, vulnerability, and real connection.
Hard work builds confidence, resilience, and strength.
We make room for joy and laughter!
We value hospitality, providing a home that is open, warm, and welcoming.
We never stop learning and growing.
Say what you mean and mean what you say, just don't say it mean.
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“The best things in life aren’t things — they’re people, moments, and memories.”
- Author Unknown
“Placeholder for Quote in Spanish here”
Meet Rachel
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by Chris
Rachel is incredible, and I'm lucky to have her in my life. She has a background in nannying and Child Psychology, and her God-given gift of loving and working with children is unlike anyone else I've met. She's unbelievably patient and her nurturing way of interacting with children is eye opening and helpful, and I'm blessed to have the best by my side.
Right now, Rachel works as an Account Manager for a staffing company, but is looking forward to becoming a stay-at-home mom, which has been her life-long dream. She loves to cook and bake, particularly decorating cakes for our nieces/nephews. She loves horses, singing, reading, sports, and anything active outdoors!
Rachel is gifted with communication, has incredible discernment, and is emotionally intelligent. She was raised in a stable and loving home, which I respect, and I'm excited for her to be able to create the same loving environment for our children. She has a strong work ethic, and is driven to succeed, has unwavering values, morals, and ethics, and she brings out the best in me. Some people wonder what it is like to win the lottery, for me I can relive that feeling every day waking up next to my wife.
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Meet Chris
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by Rachel
I was first drawn to Chris because of his compassion, his loyalty to those most important to him, and his work ethic. It was his drive to become who he was meant to be, his willingness to fight for our future together, and his heart of gentleness that made me fall in love with him!
Chris didn't grow up with an easy life, but it was full of love. As a young boy, he felt the weight of wanting to help provide for his family, learning work ethic and hustle from his mom. Today, he has a successful and flexible career in Construction Sales, but still loves woodworking and building things from scratch.
Chris loves a good dad-joke and making others laugh, and compliments my more serious personality with his light-hearted humor! There are many things that make me excited to see him as a dad - he loves playing with the kids in our family, and is the "fun uncle" who will wrestle, play games, and get on their level. But more importantly, he has an inner drive to provide his kids with what he never had growing up - to be a father who is present in their lives, teaches them their worth, provides adventure, and shows them how to live life to the fullest with confidence and purpose.
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Where We Live
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We live in a cozy 3-bedroom home in a family-friendly neighborhood in Central Florida. We have a fenced-in back yard with plenty of room to play, and an open-concept floor plan which provides a "together-ness" feel that we love. We chose this home for a few reasons - it is less than a mile from one of our siblings and their kids who we spend lots of time with, and we are walking distance from two different parks, one of which is very large with multiple playgrounds, sports fields and courts, and a lake where we can fish or rent paddle-boards and canoes. The other parks nearby are home to turtles, ducks, and year-round community festivals (like a Santa-Run for kids at Christmas!). We have access to lots of stores, restaurants, excellent schools, and are less than an hour from beaches, springs, and major amusement parks! While we make our house a home, it is truly the access to so much nearby that we love the most.
While we enjoy all of this together already, we often tell each other how incredibly excited we are to add to our family and share in these experiences with our children!
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Family Traditions
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Birthdays have traditionally been intimate, but very special. The birthday child gets to choose the dinner and dessert (whatever they want!), and we celebrate them with birthday songs and a few gifts. First birthdays are always celebrated with a chocolate smash cake!
Thanksgiving is our biggest family-gathering with incredible amounts of food, and sometimes up to 45 people between our parents, siblings and all the children!
Christmas traditions include cookie-baking throughout the month, Christmas Eve service, and then a late night of wrapping gifts and making cinnamon roles for the next morning's celebrations.
New Years Eve is celebrated with as much family and friends as possible, with a dinner of cheese fondue and then chocolate fondue for dessert, and lots of games and laughter until we ring in the new year!
Once a year, we take a trip north (usually somewhere in GA) to hike and enjoy the mountains.
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A Parting Note
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We want you to know that we celebrate and honor diversity. We are committed to being lifelong learners as adoptive parents - we know we don't have all the answers, but we will continually seek opportunities to grow so that your child can thrive in an environment that honors and celebrates their unique story and identity.
It is our hope that your child would be able to know you as they grow up - we've seen the value of this first-hand, and believe that the connection between you and your child is valuable and important, whether it be through stories or ongoing contact. Whatever your desired level of communication with your child, we commit to following through on that agreement with you.
Thank you again for taking the time to read through our profile! We are incredibly excited to become parents and hopeful that our profile gave you a sense of peace in knowing that should you choose us, we will love your child beyond measure and we will provide a safe and nurturing home for them. We would love to hear from you as well, be it your story, your hopes and dreams for your child, or more!
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Contact Us 24/7
Contáctanos 24/7
Adoption by Shepherd Care
South Florida
Call and Text (954) 981-2060
Central/North Florida
Call and Text (407) 265-9599
Pregnant?
Text (754) 666-2973
Adopciones con Shepherd Care
Sur de la Florida
Llama o manda mensaje (954) 981-2060
Centro/Norte de la Florida
Llama o manda mensaje (407) 265-9599
¿Embarazada?
Escribe al (754) 666-2973