jeff and tiffany

our first home

2011-11-06T22:28:00.002-05:00

So this year after many years of living in an apartment andrenting we finally bought a house. Theroad to buying a house has been a festive road. Several years ago we tried to buy a house and I am very glad that itfell through because then we wouldn’t be in the current house we are in.

In our search for a house we narrowed it down to two houses, our “full service” real estate agent sat us down and discussed which house hefelt we should buy. He is one of ourreally good friends from the ward. Wefound out later that he knew which house we were going to buy before wedid. The house is one floor (1800sqft). The biggest selling point is the yard and quarter acre ofpotential. The deck is huge (25 x 13 ft)and could host a really large party after I buy a grill.

The house had good bones but needed some serious updating tobring it into this century. Theappliances were chocolate brown and the sink matched. The carpet was old and although in decentcondition the seventies kept calling and wanted it back. We still aren’t sure what color the wallsand ceiling were. I think it was someshade of tan Tiffany thinks it was peach and reminded her of her room growing up, either way it wasn’t a good color andhad to be replaced.

You can see the wall that was removed on the left.

Don' t you love the cabinets and the awesome appliances!!!

Here is the living room. Check out the wonderful carpet.


Dining Room

We decided as part of updating the house we wanted to open the cave that was known as the kitchen. However our biggest fear would be realized when we removed the sheet rock and found that the wall was indeed a load bearing wall, and I wanted to span a distance of 12 ft. Removing a load bearing wallwas very nerve racking and we kept going back and forth on whether to removeit, but wow what a dramatic change it was. I should add that Tiffany put the first hole in the wall.


Wall between the kitchen and dining room

The biggest project in the house was the kitchen. We were looking into replacing the cabinets, but our budget wouldn't allow it. The other reason we hesitated to replace the cabinets is that they are solid wood, something you can't find these days without spending a large chunk of cash. So we decided to dress up the current cabinets by adding some decorative molding, beadboard, new hardware and some white semi-gloss paint. We have been told on several occasions that they look professionally done. the change was very dramatic and the kitchen looks so different now.

There was a soffit above the cabinets, it had to came down. We added a couple of new lights and replaced all four major kitchen appliances. Although we still need to fix the electrical line to the microwave.

Tiffany called me one day and said the lights went out when she tried to run the microwave. Apparently there are three lights the TV outlet and the microwave on the same electrical circuit. I need to run a line directly to the microwave from the electrical box.

We put engineered hardwood down in the living room into the kitchen and down the hall. The floor went down much easier than I expected, but still provided some challenge around the door frames into the bedrooms. We are so excited how the floor turned out, and how it covered up the really ugly tile underneath the really ugly carpet.

The bedrooms were painted new colors and the carpet was replaced and they turned out awesome also. Tiffany's favorite color should be very evident and three rooms are painted some shade of green. It was very interesting as I was painting the craft room green I could have sworn the paint smelled like green apples. Now that was probably a directly proportional to mount of paint fumes that I had sniffed over the previous few days. Did I mention I love the smell of new paint, it reminds me of something clean, fresh and new.

Zackary's Room

Master Bedroom

Craft Room. This is the room I thought smelled like Green Apples

Extra/Guest Room

For all the projects we were able to finish prior to moving in there are several left to do. If you were to look at the bathrooms you would be transported back to 1950. We intend to change the vanities in both the bathrooms. Paint is a must, but the wall paper needs to come done first.

I guess there is a lot still left to do, but then it gives me the excuse to go the big boy toy stores. (Lowes and Home Depot).

During the renovation Zackary loved coming over to play was always trying to help dad.

run Jeff run......

2011-10-30T22:51:00.000-04:00

To begin, I was told that I would be docked a letter gradeif I failed to update this blog. Thegood news I am no longer in school and even if I were I could survive ongetting a B instead of A as B is still getting a degree.

So where to begin with the updates? This year has been quitethe year for myself and our family. I started running again, Tiffany and I bought a house and Zackary is just getting bigger, faster and funnier to listen to.

Ihave been trying for years to take up running again with the intent of losingweight. This apparently is not enoughmotivation to begin running again. A friendof decided that I needed to run a 5k with him, but of course it wasn’t just any5k it was the Mud Dog run. Now I mustpreface this a little, I haven’t run a 5k in over 16 yrs so I was thinking thiswas going to be a daunting task. I knowwhat some of you are saying “Its only 3.1 miles”, but at that moment to me Imight as well be running a marathon.

Now the Mud Dog run is not an ordinary 5k, it has 12-13obstacles that each runner must navigate in order to complete the race. The obstacles range from fording streams andrivers to climbing over the organizers Toyota Trecel (It reminded me of the redToyota Corolla).

I think the mostinteresting obstacle was the bed of flour that you had to crawling on my handsand knees. This wouldn’t have been sobad except that it was raining and what does water and flour make.

Needless to say as I jumped over the fire to cross thefinish line I was very happy to be finished and felt a great sense of accomplishment. This race was early in the spring season andI have not stopped running since.

I havebeen running 10-12 miles through the week and then Saturday I usually run 8-10miles.

The long mileage on the weekends was preparation for theBaltimore half marathon I just finished running. Here are some of the pictures of the race

http://www.marathonfoto.com/index.cfm?action=site.login&RaceOID=17472011F1&LastName=HOELLEIN&BibNumber=41644&spMAILINGID=36549661&spUserID=MTA4NjE5MjA5OTQS1&spJOBID=116342407&spREPORTID=MTE2MzQyNDA3S0

It was very grueling but very exciting when I finished the13.1 miles. Before the race began I wasthinking that I would try running the full Baltimore marathon next year and Iwas feeling totally confident that I could, however while I was running andsomewhere around mile 9 I was thinking the full marathon was the stupidest ideaI have ever had. I still might thinkabout it as the year goes on, but right now I am even close to beingready.

first birthday fun!

2010-11-24T21:09:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe it's been a year since Zackary was born. It has been full of fun and new adventures that I wouldn't trade for the world. We love him so much and he is such a sweet, fun little boy!

For his birthday we had a monster party. I made monster cupcakes and they turned out so cute! He loved the cupcake and ice cream he ate and smeared it all over his face! He got spoiled by everyone and now needs a toy box for all the fun toys he got. It was a great day!

After the party was over he found the bag of garbage and started playing with the boxes and plastic coverings for the toys. Who knew they'd be more fun than the toys that came in the boxes!

halloween

2010-11-24T20:55:00.001-05:00

Zackary was the cutest little dog for Halloween! We went to our ward Trunk or Treat on the wednesday before Halloween and then went trick or treating with our good friends on halloween night. Zackary seemed oblivious to what was going on but also seemed to have fun. By the end he was so tired he kept laying his head down on Jeff's head.

the pumpkin patch

2010-10-25T16:53:00.003-04:00

We love fall and the beautiful colors and smells. We wanted to take Zackary to a pumpin patch to see what he would do with the pumpkins and to take some cute fall pictures. When Jeff tried to sit him down by them he got scared and wouldn't get down. We finally found a small pumpkin he could hold and then he had a great time exploring. He even started to eat the hay. He met a very friendly goat and kept wanting to go back and say hi to him. I have to say we got some pretty great pictures! Happy Fall!

big trouble

2010-09-22T22:19:00.003-04:00

Zackary is becoming more and more mobile, which makes having a small apartment a good thing. I think he is going to bypass walking and go right to running as he is always on the move.

bed head

2010-09-19T21:50:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of the hair on Zackary's head we are never sure what it's going to look like when he wakes up.

books, books, books...

2010-09-19T21:43:00.001-04:00

"The more that you read..."

"The more things you will know..."

"The more that you learn..."

"The more places you'll go"

on the move and into everything

2010-09-19T21:13:00.005-04:00

Since the moment Zackary has learned to crawl he moves around very fast and gets into everything!

Sadie's bowls are so fun! Especially the one with water.

Electronics or anything with cords are also very fun!

One day we found him trying to get some of the rocks out of the red planter pot.

He eventually got high-centered on the pot. It was so funny we had to take pictures.

"Help get me out!!!!"

We helped him out as he wasn't sure how to get out.

Zackary also likes to get into Sadie's crate.

Were not sure Sadie likes him in there.

If Sadie could talk I think she would be saying

"Will you please do something about him? He's in my space!"

dewey beach, again!

2010-08-02T23:26:00.000-04:00

In June we went to Dewey Beach again with a bunch of friends from our ward. We had so much fun and it was great to go back there. I think if somebody had tried to tell me a year ago that I would be going again next year and that I would have a baby I wouldn't have believed them. It's amazing what can happen in a year!

Zackary loved it! We thought for sure he would try to eat the sand but all he did was grab handfuls and let it run through his fingers.

Sadie also had a great time and wore herself out running up and down the beach.

Don't you just love those big blue eyes!

He wasn't too fond of the cold ocean water but had lots of fun splashing in a little bucket of water we gave him.

Helping dad build a sandcastle.

The sandcastle started out to be a Lord of the Rings mountain but ended up looking like a dragon. It was built by all the big boys!

finally!

2010-06-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

This picture is worth a thousand words. Great job Jeff! I am so proud of you!

swim, little fishie

2010-06-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

Last week we took Zackary to the pool for the first time. He wasn't so sure about the whole thing. Jeff held him and they splashed and jumped up and down. Thank goodness by the end he was at least smiling a little! We are definitely going to take him there more and hopefully he will start to splash and play and really like it.

families are forever

2010-05-28T17:29:00.000-04:00

Saturday May 1, 2010 we took Zackary to the Washington D.C. Temple to be sealed to us for forever. It was a beautiful day and an amazing experience that is hard to express in words. There were a lot of happy tears and Zackary was so good. Everyone at the temple fell in love with him. I will never forget looking at him while he sat there with his little hand on top of ours! I wish everyone could have this experience because it definitely gives you a different perspective about eternal families. We are so grateful to have another member as part of our forever family!

blessing day

2010-05-28T17:08:00.004-04:00

Sunday May 2, 2010 we finally got to give Zackary a name and a blessing at church. Jeff did an amazing job and gave him the most beautiful blessing I have ever heard. It was so special! Zackary looked so handsome in his little outfit.

After church we had a special dinner at our friends house and of course ended up at one of our favorite places...the beach. Zackary loved the feel of the sand and kept squishing his toes in it. It was so fun to be able to share the places we love with our parents and we are so grateful they were able to be here to share this special weekend with us.

After playing in the sand he needed a bath and this is what his hair did when we dried it. It was so funny we couldn't help but take a picture. He was so tired and ready for bed after a really long, but great weekend!

it's official

2010-04-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

It's official, we are a family!! Last Wednesday, April 14, we went to court to finalize Zackary's adoption. Jeff and I each had to go up and testify and then the judge ordered the adoption final. (It was in much more legal words than that.) I didn't feel any differently until later that day when I read the part of the document where it says the male child born November 19 is declared to be the adopted son of Jeff and Tiffany. It suddenly hit me that I have a son! Sometimes I still can't believe that he is here, that he is ours, and that he isn't going anywhere. We are so blessed to have him and once again can't thank Yvette enough for what she has given us. We LOVE you and we LOVE adoption!

Zackary talking to the Judge after it was all over. He seemed to know what was going on and was very interested in everything that was going on around him. He seemed to like him until suddenly he realized he was talking to a stranger and then started crying. It was kind of funny.

We are a happy family!

With our caseworker, Merilee.

With our attorney, Paul.

We are so thankful for Merilee and Paul. They worked so hard to get all our paperwork in order and to get everything to go smoothly and it did! It couldn't have been more perfect.

We spent the day as a family and celebrated with lunch and dinner and shopping and lots of smiles and laughing. From now on April 14 will be family day! The day we officially became a family!

splish splash

2010-04-18T18:38:00.001-04:00

I have been giving Zackary his baths in the kitchen sink but he is just getting too big to do that anymore, so last week I decided it was time to move to the bathtub. He loved it! He instantly figured out how to splash and got me soaking wet! He takes both his legs and lifts them up in the air and then smacks them down on the water and it makes a huge splash. The whole time he had a big smile on his face. I think I might need to invest in a good raincoat!

All clean and so cute!

easter weekend

2010-04-06T17:26:00.000-04:00

We had a great easter weekend! It was beautiful weather and we spent a lot of time outside. On Saturday we went to our friends neighborhood easter egg hunt and then decorated eggs with their kids. Sunday we had a delicious easter dinner with our friends and ended the day with a walk down to their small beach. Jeff had fun playing with the camera and we got some great pictures!

zackary and dad singing

2010-03-11T22:41:00.001-05:00

sadie and zackary

2010-01-22T16:17:00.001-05:00

Sadie has not always been a fan of Zackary and is having to learn how to share the lap she had claimed as hers. She has quickly learned to keep track of him and make sure we are taking care of him. If he cries when he's in his crib she runs in there to find him and runs out to get you to make sure you're coming to get him. Anytime we leave and come back she has to check his carseat to make sure he's in there.

The other day it was pretty warm outside so I bundled Zackary up and took him with me when I took Sadie out. He loved it and so did she because we got to spend a little more time outside rather than run out and run back in!

the cutest baby ever

2010-01-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

These are all just random pictures that were too cute not to share!

He looked so cute in this little hat but did not like it! We tried to get a picture and this was the best we got.

Where is Zackary? We were laughing when we took this because he totally blended in to his swing.

merry christmas

2010-01-22T15:40:00.001-05:00

Christmas was a lot different at our house this year. We both felt like we got the best gift we could ever be given about a month earlier so we didn't do much. We didn't even wrap our presents. Jeff bought his own gift and I bought mine. It was a great day spending time with each other, our sweet little boy and our friends!

a bunch of firsts

2010-01-22T15:30:00.001-05:00

First time in the Carseat!

He didn't seem to mind it then, but sure doesn't like it now. Atleast when you strap him in. Then when we go somewhere he only cries when we stop. Even at stoplights or stop signs when we're only there for two seconds. It's actually pretty funny, almost like an on off switch.

First Bath at Home!

He loves to have his hair washed and it goes curly when it's wet. As soon as it's dry it's right back to being straight and crazy, but so cute!

First Haircut at two weeks old!

First Airplane Ride!

He was two and a half weeks old when we got to go home. He was so good on the airplane. He slept most of the time and didn't cry once. Nobody even knew there was a baby on board!

First time going to Church!

He looked so handsome in his little church outfit! Our ward was so excited to meet him and couldn't get over how cute he is and his great hair! He was really good too and never made a sound during sacrament meeting.

miracles

2010-01-21T21:40:00.000-05:00

This angel has been hanging in our room for a couple of years. I hung it there so it could remind me that miracles do happen. Every time I would look at it, it would either give me hope or make me sad becaue I questioned whether I would ever really receive a miracle. I always tried hard to have faith and believe but it wasn't always easy. We had been on the waiting list for adoption for over a year and a half and had not been contacted by anyone.

On October 19, 2009 I got a phone call from our caseworker saying there is a birthmother who is considering you to be the parents of her baby. I couldn't believe how calm I was, like it was an every day thing that was happening. We began e-mailing her and immediately felt a strong connection. Two days later we got a phone call from her that would change our lives forever. She wanted us to be the parents of her baby. Oh and by the way she said "I'm due Nov 17 and It's a boy!" We were in shock and so excited!

The next month was a blur as we continued to get to know her and the birthfather and tried to get ready to bring home a baby. We left for Utah on Nov 11 and were so excited to finally meet our birthmother and birthfather. We were so nervous to meet them but didn't need to be because they are amazing people. The baby was born Nov 19 and was placed with us Nov 21. We stayed in Utah until Dec 4 when we finally got to come home with our sweet little miracle baby boy.

Miracles DO happen to those who believe!

Now every time I look at this angel it doesn't make me sad it reminds me of my sweet little baby boy and his amazing angel birthmom!

introducing zackary

2010-01-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

Zackary Rhett

Born November 19, 2009

6 lbs. 3 oz.

18 inches long

We love his hair and cute feet that seemed so big when he was born.

Our sweet birthmom, Yvette.

These two pictures were taken at the time of placement. What an amazing spirit that was there and I'm still amazed there were so few tears. I know we were all being watched over and given extra comfort for this special moment. We love you, Yvette!!

creativity

2009-09-09T15:11:00.002-04:00

I love to be creative! It doesn't matter if I'm using paper, paint, wood, stamps, or fabric, I love to see what I can come up with. I wanted to share a few of the latest things I've created.

These are coasters.

I made this frame for my friend who had just had a baby girl. She loved it!

dewey beach

2009-08-21T13:08:00.014-04:00

Last month we spent a week at the beach with our good friends Peter and Sarah and their kids. We stayed in a little beach house that was about a 2 minute walk to the beach. Everyday we would get up eat breakfast and head to the beach. We had so much fun!! Here are a few of the highlights in pictures.

The sunrise the first day we were there.

Our first time on the Boardwalk. There were so many cute little shops and lots of yummy food. French fries, carmel popcorn, and soft serve ice cream cones which ended up being our favorite. I think we went back 3 or 4 times while we were there for ice cream!! The benches were really cool because you could move the top back and forth if you wanted to look at the beach or watch the people on the boardwalk. There were some very interesting people to watch!

Every day the boys would build a sandcastle, but they weren't just orindary sandcastles. They had tunnels through them that you could roll a golf ball through. It was fun to see what the little boys would imagine and watch the big boys make it. They came up with some pretty amazing sandcastles.

This last one turned out to be Jeff's favorite. One guy stopped on his way walking past and said it was the best sandcastle on the beach!!

Jeff and Cameron relaxing after a hard days work.

The last day I was sitting on the sand and they decided to build the castle around me. They built the sand around me so I had a chair and then did tunnels that went around and underneath me. I had sand everywhere on me by the time they were finished but the little boys thought it was great fun!!

We were able to take Sadie with us and she had such a great time too!

Peter had a balloon rocket launcher that he would shoot balloons in the air and the kids would chase them. Sadie decided to join in on the fun, which is weird because she never chases anything outside. She wore herself out pretty quick!

This is our new favorite picture of Sadie.

Tiffany and Laney at the beach. We were watching Sadie run around and wear herself out and Jeff took this picture.

Going to the beach!

We didn't want to leave! It was a much needed vacation and great to get away from everything! Good friends, Good food, Good scenery, Good times, Great FUN!

Come visit and we'll take you there!

birthday cake

2009-07-07T15:21:00.003-04:00

Sunday was my birthday and I decided to make my own cake. I know it sounds strange but let me explain. Almost a year ago my friend Sarah showed me how to do some cake decorating and she let me borrow a cake pan she had so I could practice. That pan has sat on top of my fridge for a year and I decided it was time I should use it and what a better excuse than my birthday. I tried to make it look like Sadie but I think the frosting turned out too dark. Oh well, it was fun and I think it turned out pretty good for my first try! Happy Birthday to me!

podickory point

2009-07-06T21:24:00.005-04:00

We spent the 4th of July with some of our friends at a small beach on the Chesapeake Bay called Podickory Point. It was so much fun!! We relaxed on the beach and Jeff built sand castles with their 3 year old boy. (I wish I would have gotten pictures.) I could have sat on the beach all night. I love squishing the sand through my toes!! Then we had a BBQ with really yummy food and when it got dark we watched fireworks all across the horizon. It was definitely a 4th of July we won't forget.

This is the view we had across the Chesapeake Bay. We were able to see the fireworks from every city all across the horizon. Oh and the sunset was gorgeous too!

a dog's life

2009-04-10T14:30:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I wish I was a dog! Does anyone agree? Sleep, eat, sleep, sleep some more and get spoiled rotten!! We love our Sadie!!

lego fun

2009-04-10T14:08:00.005-04:00

We love to go on adventures with our friends Peter and Sarah and their kids. The latest was a trip to see a Master Lego Builder build an 8 foot Yoda from legos. All the boys, little and big, were really excited. They each got to build a brick from smaller legos and then take it to the Lego Builder where he put it on the big Yoda.

This is a picture looking down on the fun. We only got to see the bottom half of Yoda being built. He did the top half the next day.

Cameron and Cody in front of the miniature Yoda. It is amazing to me that they can take small rectangular bricks and build this!! Jeff and Cameron building their lego bricks.

Peter and Cody building their bricks.

After they helped build Yoda, we went to the Lego Store. The boys could have stayed there all day! I have never seen so many people and legos in my life! Jeff bought the Star Wars X-Wing Fighter and put it together as soon as we got home.

a beautiful day

2009-03-07T14:44:00.009-05:00

The first Saturday in February was an unusually beautiful day. We're talking like 60+ degrees in the middle of winter. Anyway, we had a friend visiting from Utah and he wanted to go to D.C. to see some of the sights. We walked around and had a picnic lunch by the Washington Monument. We had a great time and I'm so glad it was warm outside! We love to take interesting pictures and I love how they turned out!

A cool buiding on one of the corners in D.C.

This is part of the architecture on the building. I think it looks so cool!

The ground at the World War II Memorial.

At the World War II Memorial

This was also taken at the World War II Memorial.

a visit home

2008-12-02T15:07:00.005-05:00

My grandpa died on Sept. 30. He had been sick and in a care center for a while so I knew it would be soon, but it's still not something I was prepared for. I am so glad we were able to go home for his funeral. While we were there I realized I had so many memories of him that I didn't even realize I had. Even though it was a really hard time we were able to spend a lot of time with our families and we had so much fun.

jeff and tiffany at the viewing.

tiffany's family (except my sister's husband) at the cemetary.

We took 3 of our nieces to the park. It was so much fun to play with them and to see their cute personalities come out.

We got to meet our nephew for the first time. He is so cute and hilarious!

And we also got to build Lego castles and necklaces with our other niece. In this picture she was showing us her dance she had just learned. It was super cute!

denim rag rug

2008-11-06T14:44:00.007-05:00

I saw this rug when I was watching Decorating Cents on HGTV. I fell in love with it and knew I had to make one. I cut over 2,000 1 inch by 9 inch strips of denim. ( I have no idea how many pairs of old jeans I used.) It took me 4 months to tie each strip on to a rug liner. I love how it turned out and how it looks in our home. It was so worth all the time it took to make it.

While I was finishing the rug, Jeff took two of the strips and tied them in Sadie's ears. She kept trying to climb on my lap and she looked so cute that he had to take some pictures of her.

star wars - starring Jeff as Darth Vader

2008-07-14T16:10:00.009-04:00

All of the little boys in our ward are obsessed with Star Wars. A few months ago one of the boys was having a Star Wars birthday party and his mom invited Jeff to come as Darth Vader. They trained all the kids to be Jedi Masters and then let them loose on the Star Wars Villains.

Jeff loved it because he is also obsessed with Star Wars and loves to play with the kids. To this day they all still say he is Darth Vader and ask him to bring his lightsaber over to play with them.

our new car

2008-06-20T14:17:00.005-04:00

After driving our purple Cavalier for 9 and a half years, we finally broke down and bought a new car! It's a brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla and we love it!! The purple Cavalier (known lately as "the purple Beast" or "Grimace") still exists and only gets driven on rare occasions. It's amazing to actually be a two car family.

our adoption message

2008-06-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Before we tell you about ourselves, we want you to know that we can not even begin to comprehend the decision you face and we are very grateful for your courage and strength. Your decision is a hard one and we respect and love you very much, we pray for you every night that Heavenly Father will grant you the strength to make the best decision for your baby. You are a child of God, and He loves you very much, which makes you special in every sense of the word. So thank you for taking the time to consider us to be the parents of your child.

Okay, now about us, we are Jeff and Tiffany, and we are a loving couple who have been married for nine years. We get along well and like to have fun together. At this time we don’t have any children, which has given us the time to really get to know one another and has allowed our relationship to grow strong. Although we don’t have any children, we have the cutest dog in the world, Sadie. Sadie is an American Cocker Spaniel who loves to play with people and especially children. A friend once told us that if we take care of our children like we take care of our dog then you have nothing to worry about in placing your child with us.

Tiffany is an Interior Designer and loves to come up with new ideas of how to decorate our home. She is always doing things in the home to make it warm and inviting to those who visit. Tiffany is the quiet sort, until she gets to know you, then she’ll talk to you all the time. She likes to read, and more often than not I can find her sitting in our big chair or puffy couch with a book that she’ll probably finish in less than three days. Tiffany loves to scrapbook, it is not uncommon for me to come home from work and see the table covered in colorful paper, and the scrapbooking tools necessary to capture some of our fondest memories. She also loves to tole-paint, play the piano, and really loves to play with the nursery kids at church. Did I mention she makes really good marshmallow brownies? I often joke that her brownies are the number two reason I asked her to marry me!

Jeff is an Electrical Engineering Technologist / Systems Engineer. He is currently going to school to get his Masters Degree in Systems Engineering. He likes to read, watch movies, and make movies. He has edited and put together 4 wedding videos and has made a few other movies also. He likes to go mountain biking and play with remote controlled cars. He can often be found taking apart and or putting back together his bike or RC car because he broke something while he was using it. He loves to take anything apart, figure out how it works and put it back together. He also likes to play on the computer. He is very outgoing and will talk to anyone who will listen to him. He is kind, loving, and is great with kids. He loves to get down on the floor with them and build anything they can imagine. He likes to cook, especially grilling and Dutch oven, and loves to come up with new recipes.

Together we like to take Sadie for walks in the park, play games, watch movies, read books, go camping, cook, and overall just spend time together.

We both come from close families who are very excited for us to welcome a child into our home. Tiffany comes from a family with loving parents who raised her in a loving home. She has an older sister and two younger brothers, who are all married, and we all love to get together to talk and play games. Jeff also has loving parents who raised him in a home where hard work and responsibility were guiding principles. He is the oldest of five boys, who are all married and spread throughout the world. So when the family gets the opportunity to spend time together its fun to hear the many stories.

We hope this letter has given you the insight as to what kind of family we are and hope to become. We know Heavenly Father has, and will continue to watch over us, and our hope is to have the type of home where a child has every opportunity to understand they too are a child of God. The decision you are making is a difficult one, one of which we don’t envy you for having to make, however we know that we could not have a family without you and are deeply grateful to you. The struggle of infertility has been a long and painful road, and we have had to look to our Heavenly Father for direction and comfort. Our hope and prayer is that you can have the same comfort in knowing our Heavenly Father has led us here to you, so that you may know your child is being placed in a loving home with parents who will love him/her unconditionally. Our goal is to have an eternal family, and a home where our children will be able to look to us, and to our Heavenly Father for hope, comfort, encouragement, and most of all love.

Love,
Jeff and Tiffany

all about sadie

2008-05-09T17:20:00.010-04:00

sadie, our cocker spaniel

Favorite Store - Petsmart

Favorite Treat - Snausages, Dingo Rawhide Bones with Chicken in the Middle

Favorite Food - Carrots, Apples, Chicken, Rice, Popcorn

Greatest Talent - Shake, High Five, Sit, Laydown, Roll-Over, Play Dead, Sleep, Snore

Favorite Cereal - Whatever Tiffany is Eating

Favorite Time of the Day - Morning, because I get to wake Jeff up.

Closest Family Member - Tiffany, because she spoils me and is home with me all day.

Favorite Movie - Lady and the Tramp

Favorite Season - Any season as long as I get to be outside.

Biggest Dream - As long as I get to sleep on my parents bed it doesn't matter.

Favorite Song - Who Let the Dogs Out

Favorite Possession - My Squeaky Toys

Someone You Want to Meet - Anybody who will say Hi to Me.

Best Physical Quality - My Puppy Dog Eyes

Biggest Pet Peeve - Wet Grass!!

Favorite Place to Be - On Someones Lap

Favorite Vacation Spot - Utah, because I get to play with my cousin Pele.

Favorite Thing to Do - Sleep, Play, Chew on Bones, Beg for Food, Lay on my back for Bellyrubs, Go for Walks, Go for Rides in the Car

Favorite Household Chore - Loading the Dishwasher

Biggest Fear - Chelsea, the neighbors Boxer

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Frosty Paws

Best Character Trait - Happy, Loveable, Sweet

Favorite Words - Walk, Ride, Hungry, Treat

our favorite pictures of sadie

all about jeff

2008-05-07T16:33:00.011-04:00

jeff & sadie

Favorite Color - Blue

Favorite Store - Best Buy, Apple, Lowe's, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Borders

Favorite Candy - Swedish Fish, Cinnamon Bears

Favorite Food - Grilled Chicken Marsala

Greatest Talent - Avoiding the chance to Clean the Bathroom

Favorite Cereal - LIFE, Honey Nut Clusters

Favorite Book - Lord of the Rings

Favorite Time of the Day - Evening

Closest Family Member - My Wife Tiffany

Favorite Movie - Lord of the Rings, Transformers, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean

Favorite Season - Minus the allergies, Spring and Fall

Biggest Dream - To Have a Successful Family

Favorite Song - “Everything” by Michael Buble, “With or Without You” by U2, “Beautiful Day” by U2

Favorite Holiday - Thanksgiving

Favorite Movie Star - Harrison Ford and Sandra Bullock

Favorite Scripture Story - Ammon and the Lamanites

Favorite Possession - Tiffany and Sadie

Favorite Musician or Group - Michael Buble and Hans Zimmer (Batman Begins, Pirates of the Caribbean)

Someone You Want to Meet - Steve Jobs, Norm Abram

Best Physical Quality - 2 arms 2 legs 10 fingers and 10 toes still intact

Favorite T.V. Show - Chuck, CSI NY

Biggest Pet Peeve - People who think they know everything.

Place You Want to Live - In Heaven

Place You Want to Visit - Europe (Italy, Germany, England), Hawaii

Favorite Restaurant - California Pizza Kitchen, and Carrabba’s

Favorite Place to Be - Home

Favorite Vacation Spot - Tony’s Grove Utah, High Uintahs

Favorite Type of Car - Toyota Sequoia, Tundra

Favorite Thing to Do - Make DVDs, Anything Outdoors, Play With Little Kids

Biggest Hero - My Dad, Although he is not perfect he helps me strive to become such.

Favorite Temple - Logan, Washington D.C.

Least Favorite Household Chore - Cleaning the Bathroom

Biggest Fear - Fear of what I can become

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Chubby Hubby, Butterfinger

Best Character Trait - Sociable

Favorite Hymn - “Abide With Me Tis Eventide”

jeff's family

all about tiffany

2008-04-30T17:02:00.019-04:00

tiffany & sadie

Favorite Color - Green

Favorite Store - Michaels Crafts, Any Home Décor Store

Favorite Candy - Cinnamon Bears, Licorice, Chocolate

Favorite Food - Homemade Bread, Strawberries, Oranges, Potato Casserole

Greatest Talent - Decorating

Favorite Cereal - Honey Nut Clusters

Favorite Book - Les Miserables, Harry Potter, Twilight Series, Anything by Nicholas Sparks, Any Dr. Seuss Book

Favorite Time of the Day - Night

Closest Family Member - My Husband, Jeff & My Mom

Favorite Movie - Move Over Darling, Pillow Talk, Two Weeks Notice, You’ve Got Mail, Shall We Dance, Enchanted, The Holiday

Favorite Season - Spring & Fall

Biggest Dream - To Be a Mom

Favorite Song - Bubbly by Colbie Caillat, Taking Chances by Celine Dion, Thankful, Believe by Josh Groban

Favorite Holiday - Christmas

Favorite Movie Star - Patrick Dempsey

Favorite Scripture - D&C 6:36 “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”

Favorite Possession - My Dog, Sadie

Favorite Musician or Group - Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Michael Buble

Someone You Want to Meet - My Child

Best Physical Quality - My Eyes

Favorite T.V. Show - Anything on HGTV, Grey’s Anatomy, Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, CSI - NY, Chuck

Biggest Pet Peeve - People who judge me before they get to know me or what’s going on in my life.

Place You Want to Live - Logan, Utah

Place You Want to Visit - Disney World

Favorite Restaurant - California Pizza Kitchen

Favorite Place to Be - Home

Favorite Vacation Spot - Anywhere in the Mountains

Favorite Type of Car - Small SUV, like the Ford Edge or Honda CRV

Favorite Thing to Do - Be Creative! Scrapbook, Make Crafts, Do Home Décor Projects

Biggest Hero - Jesus Christ

Favorite Temple - Logan, Utah & Washington D.C.

Least Favorite Household Chore - Dusting & Cleaning the Shower

Biggest Fear - Water

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor - Anything Chocolate with Peanut Butter or Cheesecake with Brownies

Best Character Trait - Shy, Loyal, Patient

Favorite Hymn - Lead Kindly Light, I Stand All Amazed

tiffany's family
This picture of my family is a couple of years old but it's the latest one I have. It's missing another niece and a nephew.

the two of us

2008-04-28T13:47:00.006-04:00