Where do you live?
We live in a charming, little home in a quiet neighborhood in northern Utah. And we lucked out with the best neighbors ever. We are all friends on our street and are constantly lending each other a hand- shoveling walks, helping with home projects, and looking out for each other. There are many families in our cul-de-sac with young children, so we’re frequently playing in each other’s yards and hanging out. It’s a dream set up for us as parents.
What are your families like?
We both come from big families- 6 kids in each. It makes for really fun, sometimes chaotic, family get-togethers. But we love it. We love that the cousins see each other often and are great friends. Our parents both live within an hour’s drive, and our siblings are mostly all nearby. Our upbringings were similar; our parents worked incredibly hard and taught us that family is everything.
What do you do for work?
Tyler is a manager of business development at a tech company. He enjoys the teaching and problem-solving aspect of his job. He has typical work hours, but also has flexibility, which is great for our family life.
Shellie is a pediatric ICU nurse. She has worked in this field for more than 10 years. We’re both grateful for her knowledge- it comes in handy when raising a child. She works 12-24 hours/week. We don’t have a need for childcare because Tyler is home when she works and vice versa.
Why are you hoping to adopt?
We discussed adoption early in our relationship, before marriage. Shellie’s first job out of high school was much more than just a nanny job. It instilled within her a desire to adopt, as she bonded with a sweet, little girl, who had been adopted, and the girl’s mother. She saw the beauty in a child and mother, from different worlds, joining together to a make a family. Later, during our son’s birth, Shellie was injured. She has had a long recovery. The experience has only reaffirmed that adoption is our path; we’ve always felt that it would be part of our journey.
Are you religious?
Yes, we are Christians. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). Above all else, we believe in having and showing love and respect for all people.
Shellie + Tyler hoping to adopt 