Andy & Carrie
– Missouri –
Ethnic Background
White/Caucasian
It’s not often that you meet the person you’ll spend your life with when you’re 9 years old, but that’s our story. We met for the first time in 3rd Grade in Sunday School. As we grew up, we continued to get to know one another through our church youth group. After a whirlwind middle school romance and a year of dating in high school, we got together for good during college. We were married in June 2012. We’ve known each other for years and cannot wait for what’s next.
According to Carrie: I can say with confidence that there isn’t anything Andy wouldn’t do for me or the people he loves. He is kind and patient and gives of himself daily to the people around him without second thought or hesitation. He brings enthusiasm and energy to everything he does whether it is his job as a middle school choir teacher, his game board collection (I think we’re getting close to 150 games!), or as my best friend and husband. I love watching Andy interact with his students because he does an amazing job of connecting with them and building relationships to make sure they feel seen and appreciated. Andy makes me smile every day, and I love his sense of humor and playfulness. He is going to be an amazing dad, and I’m lucky to be his.
According to Andy: Over the 23 years we’ve known each other, Carrie has become my closest friend and the person I can’t imagine doing life without. She is strong and independent and is also an amazing partner who shows me how much she loves me and others in her life every day. Carrie loves to learn and laugh and is amazing at bringing those things to our life together. She goes from spouting random facts about sharks or history to quoting “The Office” and making me laugh. She pours her organizational skills, passion for learning, and sense of humor into her students and gives them her best every day. Carrie inspires me to be a better person with her humor, her strength, and her spirit.
Our home is located on a small cul-de-sac in a suburban area of Kansas City, Missouri. We picked the location because of the great schools located nearby. There is an award-winning elementary school a short walk away.
Our home is located on a small cul-de-sac in a suburban area of Kansas City, Missouri. We picked the location because of the great schools located nearby. There is an award-winning elementary school a short walk away.
Our neighborhood has lots of kids, including several who live on our street. We love to take walks through the neighborhood where there are always people out and about. There are ponds, trails and playgrounds nearby as well.
Carrie’s first word was “dog”, and she grew up loving them. Andy had dogs growing up too but fully embraced his love for dogs after marrying Carrie. Our dogs, Harper and Gus, are an important part of our family.
Harper is a 10-year-old Chihuahua-Jack Russell Mix. (We were very surprised when we saw her breed profile results!) She is a sassy old-lady who loves to nap in the sun, play with Gus or go on walks in the neighborhood.
Gus is a 2-year-old Beagle Mix. He is a sweet boy who loves to snuggle, run as fast as he can around the backyard in big circles, or play with his toys that are scattered around the living room.
Harper and Gus have both spent time with kids and are patient and relaxed around them.
We are lucky to have a lot of family living nearby including our parents, siblings, grandparents and cousins. Because we have family closeby, we are able to spend time together every holiday and just because. Carrie also has extended family who lives in Ohio, and Andy has a brother who lives in Chicago. Both of our families are excited to welcome a new member and are excited to be on the adoption journey with us!
We both love teaching but also love the fact that we have breaks together throughout the year. Because we get summers off, we have been fortunate to be able to travel and make lots of memories.
We decided that for our anniversary, instead of gifts, we would take a trip each summer. Sometimes these are smaller trips to the lake or Branson; sometimes we go on bigger adventures to places like the United Kingdom, Disney World, and New Orleans.