Hello, we are Mike and Alexandra! We are excited to share our story with you. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us as prospective parents. 

We met through an online dating website in 2010 after noticing our families both had the same breed of dog, an Airedale Terrier. Our first date was dinner and a movie; we saw “Shutter Island.” Three years and many dates later, Mike proposed at the same theater where we first met, a total surprise! We were married in August of 2014. We are best friends and feel so lucky to be able to spend our lives with each other, throughout both the difficult moments and the joyful ones. 

After being married for a few years, we discovered it was possible that any biological child we had might be born with a potentially serious health condition. We decided not to have children of our own and to pursue adoption. We are so excited to adopt a little one and start the journey of growing our family through adoption.

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and am the oldest child of four sisters. If you know the book or movie “Little Women,” which describes the stories of four closely connected sisters who share adventures growing up, being the oldest makes me the “Meg” of the family. Although I am more similar to “Jo” personality-wise. She and I are both curious, fiercely independent, and creative. Some of my favorite childhood memories are: taking swimming lessons with my sisters, going on road trips to Yellowstone, and going to the library to browse for books and attend storytime.

After graduating from high school, I went on to the University of Utah and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I have always been fascinated by the human brain and why people do what they do. I also knew I was passionate about helping people. I combined these two interests and decided to get my master’s degree in Social Work. I love providing therapy and seeing how resilient people are as they overcome challenges. 

I have always wanted to be a mother and can’t wait to share new experiences with a little one. Whether building snowmen, making Sunday morning pancakes, or planting seeds in the garden, I can’t wait to introduce this child to the amazing world around them. With many wonderful memories from my own childhood, I hope to raise this child in an environment full of wonder and whimsy.

I have always loved history. Stories like Julius Caesar’s capture by marauding pirates or the life of a peasant woman in Medieval Europe have always deeply fascinated me. So much so that I got a Master’s Degree in history. Now, I spend my days as a paralegal, where I put my writing skills to good use and help people navigate the legal system. 

In my free time, I love playing frisbee golf, traveling and hiking. On quieter days, I enjoy reading, watching movies and playing all kinds of games, though my favorites are Magic: the Gathering, Mario, and any board game you can name! My friends and I have weekly board game nights and we are always trying something new. I have pretty much always had a dog in my life and I love animals; growing up, I even had pet rats. I speak Spanish and while I don’t use it much these days, I am still pretty fluent. I hope someday to share my love of languages, history, and learning with a child. 

I am the youngest of four children. Since I’m the “little one” of the family, all of my siblings already have children of their own, which means I have plenty of nieces and nephews. My dad adopted my brother and sisters before I was born, so I have always had a special connection to adoption. I’ve wanted to become a father for many years and look forward to a future filled with bicycle rides, ice cream, hikes, and watching the same Disney movie on repeat for the fiftieth time.

Jasper is an American Staffordshire Terrier who we rescued from the shelter. He is such a cuddler; he thinks he is a lot smaller than he is and will try to sit on your lap if you let him. Jasper is very good with kids and will no doubt be curious and gentle. One of Jasper’s favorite things is food. He has a nose for peanut butter, especially, and if you break some out in the middle of the night, expect him to be right there! He also loves walks, going to the park, soft toys that squeak, and Mike’s dad. We love animals and have no doubt we will always have a furry pet for our future child to play with and love.

In our family, each season brings its own celebrations and special occasions. When someone in the family has a birthday, it is a tradition that the birthday boy or girl gets served breakfast in bed on a special birthday plate. It sets the mood for a day of celebration!

During the springtime, Alexandra loves to plant flowers and garden. We hope to plant some new trees in the yard to provide shade for future picnics and barbeques. 

Summer is a time to find new adventures and travel! Our summer vacations have included going to Italy and driving the Pacific Coast Highway. When we aren’t traveling, we enjoy spending the Fourth of July at home and lighting off fireworks in the neighborhood. We also love swimming at our community pool that has fun slides for the kids!

Each fall, we pluck our pumpkins from the vine and take them home to carve. Halloween is Alexandra’s favorite holiday; she loves to decorate both inside and out, dress up in costumes and hand out candy to the neighborhood trick or treaters. We look forward to showing the newest little ghost or goblin all the local Halloween decorations around our area.

In the winter, we pick out a live Christmas tree and bring it home to decorate. Like many of our neighbors, we put up Christmas lights on the outside of the house! All winter season, we drive through the neighborhood to enjoy the holiday light displays. On Christmas Eve, we read “The Night Before Christmas” while Christmas morning is spent enjoying brunch and exchanging gifts. Jasper’s Christmas highlight is playing in the discarded wrapping paper!

We live in a suburb outside of Salt Lake City in a quiet neighborhood with lots of trees, sidewalks, and parks within walking distance. We bought our home in 2017; it is a split-level home with lots of natural light and a back patio that our dog Jasper loves to sunbathe on. During the summer months, we enjoy spending time outdoors, relaxing in our hammock, or making dinner on the grill.

One thing that was important to us when we chose a home was the quality of schools in the neighborhood. All the schools in our neighborhood, K-12, are rated very highly and close to our home. The neighborhood children in the area love playing together and spending time outdoors. Our community swimming pool is the place to be during the summer and we are looking forward to taking a little one swimming and visiting our local library for storytime. When the weather is nice, we enjoy evening walks around the neighborhood or to the park, always with Jasper leading the way. 

The best part about living just outside of Salt Lake City, besides being close to family, is that there are so many things to see and do. It's the perfect place to raise a family. We cannot wait to take a child to the Hogle Zoo, to see a musical at the Desert Star – our local community theater – or simply feed the ducks at Liberty Park. We also love exploring the nearby lakes and mountains. We truly love the Salt Lake area and look forward to raising a family in the city where we both grew up.

We are lucky to have such a large support system here in Utah and in other states as well. Both of us love spending quality time with our siblings and parents. 

Our family members are supportive and excited to meet the newest addition to the family. We see extended family throughout the year, mostly on birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. We have nieces and nephews, who we love to interact and play with and we have loved watching them grow up over the years. 

We have enjoyed going on family vacations to Glacier National Park with Mike’s side of the family and visiting Alexandra’s grandparent’s cabin during the summer. Each time we get-together with our families, we love to play board games such as Mexican Train, Catch Phrase, and Settlers of Catan.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and learn our story. We look forward to the day when we can share our experiences and our love with a child. If chosen as an adoptive family, we promise to love, listen, and teach your child about the world and give them opportunities to learn and grow. We will provide a safe and secure home full of warmth, laughter, and love. We look forward to sharing our traditions with them and creating new ones together as a family. 

No matter the level of openness level that you choose, we will always make sure this child knows of the great love and dedication their mother has for them. We wish you the very best as you navigate this important time in your life.