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Meet Russell & Candace

A video message from Russell & Candace

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A Letter from Russell & Candace

Hello! We are so excited to become first-time parents, and we are grateful that you have taken the time to learn about us. We have been preparing to adopt for the past seven years of our marriage. We knew that adoption would be part of our story from before we were married. We are excited to share the love and joy that we have found in God and in each other with your child.

 

About Us

We are active and creative. Many weekday evenings, you can find us at the track or on the treadmill at home, and on many weekends you will find us walking in our neighborhood or rollerblading or biking on our favorite trail in town. We love snuggling up for a Friday night movie night, boogie boarding in the Atlantic surf, and reading books out loud together. These are activities that we are both so excited to share with our child.  Our families also instilled in us a love of learning, which we look forward to passing on to our child as well. We love being creative about new ways to make memories too. Baking a new recipe, going to a theme park or Christmas parade, or finding a new puzzle to set out on our coffee table are all creative ways we enjoy making memories.

 

About Russ (By Candace)

Russ is the wisest man I know. He is thoughtful, discerning, and patient. He is principled, full of conviction, and he lives out his faith with sincerity and integrity. He is a compassionate listener. He is creative and spontaneous, and, while being thoughtful and wise, he is also a goofball. This military lawyer who loves his work also loves to dance around the kitchen and in the car, and he makes more puns and “dad jokes” than I can keep track of. He is so excited to help our child fall in love with art and science through fun projects, and he is also excited to teach him or her to play or sing music.

About Candace (By Russ)

Candace is constantly trying to find ways to be of service to those around her. She is also unwavering in her love for God. Our child will have a mother who will be a fierce advocate, an example of humility, a shoulder to cry on, and his or her greatest cheerleader. Candace is as interested in teaching wisdom and virtue as she is in teaching knowledge, and I know that a child in our family will receive all three from her. Candace likes to run outside and loves to curl up with a good book. She goes out of her way to build a home that welcomes everyone and bends over backward to make strangers feel like family. She cannot wait to read with our child and teach him or her to sing. She is passionate about her work as a Ph.D. student and lawyer and is ready and prepared to become a stay-at-home mom when the need arises.

Our Home in Florida

We live in a warm and inviting three-bedroom house in a beautiful Florida suburb. We very specifically chose this home with our growing family in mind. Our third bedroom is all ready to be a nursery, and the house has everything a little one needs to grow up to be happy and comfortable. We have a spacious kitchen where we love to bake (while dancing around, of course!), a cozy living room where we have many movie nights and entertain guests, and a screened-in patio for grilling and relaxing in the great Florida weather. We want everyone to feel at home when they come to visit us.

Our home is a safe place full of warmth and happiness. Our community is a wonderful place to raise a family. There are many children in our neighborhood, and our community has many nearby features, including trails, beaches, sports fields, a mall, and a theater.

Our Family

We were lucky enough to grow up in amazing families. We have parents who taught us diligently, and siblings whom we cherish as friends. We reminisce about our childhoods frequently, and we want our children to look back on their early years as fondly as we do ours. We are close to our families, and any child in our family will have doting aunts and uncles and four loving grandparents who value God, family, education, virtue, and FUN. We just welcomed a darling little nephew into the family, and we are excited for our child to grow up with him!  Your child will also get to participate in many family traditions like family movie nights, summer beach trips, baking Christmas desserts, and singing Christmas songs together.

Our Promise

We promise that your child will be cherished, provided for, and nurtured. We will be diligent in teaching and caring for him or her, and we will faithfully seek God’s wisdom in doing so. Your child will know his or her story and grow up knowing that he or she is loved by God, by you, and by us. We promise to provide him or her with all of the support, love, and comfort necessary to grow spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Our home will be a place of love, safety, grace, and truth. It will be a place where cherished memories are made as a family. We look forward to getting to know you and sharing letters, pictures, and visits with you (if you desire) throughout the years. 

To learn more about us, please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.

Learn More About Russell & Candace

  Russell Candace
Our EducationLaw and Business SchoolLaw School and Currently in a Ph.D. Program
Our ProfessionsLawyer/Air Force OfficerLawyer/PhD Student
Stay-At-HomeNoYes
Our Racial BackgroundCaucasianCaucasian
Some of Russell & Candace's Favorites
Childhood MemoryFamily movie nights: hot dogs, mac 'n cheese, and homemade popcorn!Surprise trip to Anaheim Angels baseball game, age 9
BooksC.S. Lewis, The Screwtape LettersCharles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
FoodVietnameseItalian!
Christmas MovieScroogeThe Preacher's Wife
DessertApple Pie with Ice Cream!Ice Cream!! (Vanilla with Oreos or Reese's)
Sport to PlayVolleyballSoftball
I want to teach my child to...Swim, rollerskate, play guitarSing and play a sport
More About Our Family
In Our Spare Time We:

- Go bike riding and rollerblading on our favorite trail
- Play basketball and tennis
- Go to the beach
- Have movie nights at home or at the theater
- Go to the track or work out at home
- Go apple or pumpkin picking or hiking
- Bake in our kitchen
- Sing in our church choir
- Read or listen to podcasts/audiobooks

Our Faith

Our faith in Christ defines everything about our family. His love is the example that we seek to follow in our relationship with each other and in our relationships with others. His truth and guidance are what we pray for, both for ourselves and for our future children. His word is the instruction that we apply to each aspect of our lives, including our work, our marriage, and our interactions with others.

Our Musical Interests

We love music! We have both sung in choirs for many years, and we find joy and laughter in singing together. Candace grew up with a mother who taught her to sing. She, her mother, and her sister still sing together at family gatherings. Russ and his 50 aunts, uncles, and cousins have been known to perform choral music together at Christmas. Russ also taught himself how to play the guitar and piano in high school. We sing together in our church choir.

Fun Facts & Quirky Traditions

- Between the two of us, we have traveled to 42 states, DC, and 13 countries on three continents
- BIG FAMILIES! Three of our parents have nine or more siblings
- Candace played shortstop in softball; Russ was a first baseman in baseball
- "Snackage" is our version of dessert in which we try to make ourselves feel better about our sweet and savory cravings by having "low-calorie" snacks and treats with our favorite shows
- Sometimes we have "high tea" in the afternoon (tea and homemade scones with clotted cream and jam) and pretend to be British (pinky fingers up and accents!)
- Instead of spending money on anniversary or Valentine's Day cards, we get a laugh out of going to the store together and picking out silly or sentimental cards for each other to read in the store

We Prefer a Child Who Is...
Age of Child

Newborn-12 months

Twins

Yes! We would love twins.

Gender

Either

Race

Any race

In Closing

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us! We are so excited to become parents. The opportunity to love, teach, and provide for a child thrills and humbles us. We would be happy to share photos, letters, and occasional visits if that is your desire.

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