Elizabeth & Troy
Hi! Our names are Troy and Elizabeth.
We have a fun and enthusiastic lifestyle living in the Pacific Northwest with our young toddler, D. Together, we enjoy spending time with friends and family, taking weekend trips to the mountains and coast, going to baseball games and on hikes, swimming at the local pool or in our backyard, and playing at our neighborhood park.
Thank you for taking the time to read a bit about our little family; we’re happy to share a glimpse into our lives with you. We are grateful that you are considering us to be the family for your baby and admire the strength you are showing.
About Us
We met through mutual friends in early 2005. We clicked right away, spending the entire evening talking and laughing and unaware of everyone else around us.
Troy was already out of college and working as an engineer, and Elizabeth was finishing her senior year in college about two hours away. For the first year, we traveled back and forth to see each other, and it soon became clear that we wanted to live closer and spend more time together. Upon graduation that winter, Elizabeth moved closer to Troy, and our relationship really took off at that point. We spent the early years going out for dinners and cheering on our favorite baseball team, running a half marathon together, traveling and spending time with friends.
We moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2007 and got married in 2010. Troy’s parents live in Oregon, and Elizabeth’s parents live in Arizona, so moving out west was something we’d both planned to eventually do. After moving here, Elizabeth’s brother followed, and several of Troy’s cousins and aunts and uncles live in the local area as well. We all have busy lives but are able to spend holidays together and get together for backyard barbeques, running through the sprinklers, and watching football games. We have traveled together and enjoy holiday traditions that let us relax and spend time with each other.
In the last year, we have traveled to Wisconsin to see Elizabeth’s extended family, Arizona to see her parents, Kansas to visit Troy’s sister and our nephew, and have gone to the Oregon and Washington coast to watch the waves and the whales, eat clam chowder, and dip our toes in the very cold Pacific Ocean. Short weekend trips are one of our favorite ways to unwind, but we also enjoy time at home reading countless stories about Elmo and his Sesame Street friends, going swimming at our community center, and relaxing in our backyard. Both sets of our parents regularly visit us.
We live in a family-oriented neighborhood within walking distance of coffee shops, the grocery store, bowling and restaurants. Across the street from our house is a park that includes basketball courts, green space and a playground. We both work within a few minutes of our house, and school, church, swimming lessons, etc. are all within a five minute drive. We love our community and it will be our long-term home.
Our lives and our hearts are full, but one piece is missing. We look forward to completing our family through adoption.
About Elizabeth by Troy
From the time I met Elizabeth, and still now, there is no other person I love and enjoy being with more. She is the most caring and understanding person that I know. Her immediate and extended family are the most important things to her and it shows in how much she wants to be around all of us. She has shown me what the true meaning of family really is and why it is so important. The patience that she shows, even when it is not deserved, is amazing.
Elizabeth shows an unrelenting ambition to be the best mother and wife. She loves to cook dinner every night and believes it’s important to sit down at the table as a family and eat together.
Some of her favorite things to do are taking mini vacations to the beach or having friends/family over for a bbq. We share interests, such as camping and going to baseball games. Even though we have many different interests as well, we both agree that being together as a family is the most important thing, regardless of what we are doing.
Elizabeth appreciates that our difficult times have made us stronger as a couple and parents. She is amazing with D and shows great ability to navigate parenthood with what seems like ease and effortlessness. She has taught me what it means to be a parent and how important it is to set a good example for D (and hopefully one another).
About Troy by Elizabeth
I knew that Troy was “the one” about three weeks after we met. I remember just having this feeling in the pit of my stomach that was a combination of “wow, this is comfortable” and “dude, don’t mess this one up.” He kept me on my toes, not proposing until we’d been dating for five years and moved across the country together. The waiting was difficult, but one of Troy’s greatest strengths is his calculated thought process. He makes decisions carefully. He is outrageously smart. As an engineer, he is detail oriented and logical.
On the flip side of that, he loves to have fun. Troy isn’t the type to want to stay at home. He likes to get out of the house, visit family and friends, be outside, explore the Pacific Northwest, watch baseball and football games, and his greatest strength is grilling and smoking the best food I’ve ever eaten. He likes to camp, golf and go running. He is a wonderful husband and an even better dad. He has taught D to shoot baskets and hit baseballs and sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Troy can’t wait to coach t-ball. He is D’s favorite person in the whole world.
During the best days of my life, Troy is the best partner and teammate. There is no one I’d rather spend my life with than him. During the challenging days, especially after the loss of our first baby, he was my rock. He was there for me when I was too weak to be there for him. He is strong and caring, and he has proven that “in good times and bad” was a vow he took seriously. His strength and character are incredible. I am lucky and proud and so happy to have him as my husband, and I can’t wait to see what our future together has in store.
Thoughts on Parenting
We are happy with the parenting job we have done with D, but know we will make mistakes. We consider parenting to be our most significant role and strive to lead by example. Of course, raising healthy, happy children is our goal, but we tell D every day that the most important thing he can be is kind, caring and compassionate. We want our children to respect others, to treat others with kindness, and to genuinely care about those around them. At the end of the day, being a nice person is the only thing that really matters.
We are proud of this, and proud of how D is turning in to such a sweet child, and we will raise our future child(ren) the same.
Thoughts on Adoption
We didn’t enter into this parenting journey with intentions of adoption, but we are genuinely happy to be here, and are looking forward to bringing home our missing piece. We first looked in to adoption several years ago, after the loss of our first baby and challenges getting pregnant. We were lucky to eventually have a successful pregnancy, but we have now chosen to end that chapter and focus on adoption, as it is really the best, healthiest, happiest option for us. We have no doubt that this is the right avenue to complete our family.
Our child will always know their roots and their adoption story. We will celebrate it, talk about it openly, and you will always be in our nightly prayers. Our hearts and minds are open, ready and excited to bring another baby home.
Thank you so much for reading about us and getting to know a little bit about our family! We’re happy to share our hearts with you, and wish you the best in choosing the family that is right for your baby. If you would like to learn about us or to arrange an initial phone call, please call Cindy anytime at A Loving Alternative, 800-556-5635.
Love,
Elizabeth and Troy