Preston & Hannah
Preston & Hannah
” Sand is the WORST! Why am I doing this? ” Hannah called me laughing in the middle of the day and I couldn’t believe it. She had ordered a 1/2 yard of sand, filled the back of our car with it, and was putting together a sandbox for the kids. Of all things in the world, sand is her least favorite thing. She’ll go along with it when it’s on the beach or at a park but being tracked in the house from a sandbox was never going to happen…or so I thought.
This is a picture of our love for our kids. We just do the things. We have fun despite the mess. We check our pride (and cleanliness) at the door, and just have a fun time building relationships and memories with our kids. Messes can be cleaned. Clothes can be washed. Faces and hands can be wiped. These are the memories that we cherish with our babes and we can’t wait to make more messes to remember.
Just don’t get Hannah started on spilled milk…
Our Story
We feel like the Lord saved the best for last, except in our case, for first.
It was the day before classes began our freshman year of college when we met at a dorm mixer. This began a friendship of late nights doing homework, playing ping pong and racquetball, walks around campus and campus worship on Sunday evenings. Months later we began dating, both in our first dating relationship, navigating other friendships in the dorms, life as college athletes, and making time for each other.
Five years later, in 2014, we got married. Fast forward even further, we became parents in January of 2019 (Zander) and then again in October of 2020 (Payton).
As a married couple, and as parents, we find it important that we model involvement with family, friends, and our communities. We pray our children see Christ through those relationships and above all, see Christ in our marriage.
Our Relaxation & Fun
As a couple, we enjoy sitting in the back yard, dreaming up our next house project, playing games (Preston likes his strategy games and Hannah would rather play Go Fish), or enjoying a thrilling tv series. We make a good team when renovating our home, and have found great joy in even the smallest transformations.
As a family, we enjoy being outside! We enjoy trips to Meijer Gardens and exploring the woods near Calvin Nature Preserve just as much as reading books in the sun and digging in the sandbox in our back yard. Camping is a highlight of our summer, going a couple times each year as a family of four, with extended family, or with our friends.
As far as individuals, Preston enjoys tennis, both coaching and playing, cooking, and putting his pellet smoker to good use. Hannah enjoys building furniture for the home as well as trying new skills like sewing little girl dresses, or building a vegetable garden box. Zander has a new love for Legos and is learning to ride a bike. Payton loves being the chef’s helper in the kitchen and shadowing Zander. It is a joy to watch their little relationship through intentional time as a family!
our adoption hopes
Gender: A Boy or A Girl
Ethnicities: Any Race and Ethnicity
Age: Newborn to 2 Years Old
Total of: 1 to 2 Children or 2 Siblings
a snapshot
of us
We Live In: Grand Rapids
Our Faith: Christian
Pets: No Pets
Kids Already: Two Children Now
Child Care Plan: Family Member Child Care Friend Provided Child Care
Our Family & Friends
Intentional time with family and friends is always good for the soul.
Throughout the year, we get together with both sides of our families for holidays, birthday, random weekends, and for cousin hang out time! Summers include a vacation with each side of our families, maximizing quality time with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.
We also have a devoted group of friends who we share life with and plan a Friendcation trip with each summer. We stay connected through playdates with our kids, having game nights with just the adults, and monthly girls and guys nights.
We have other circles of friends through college, church, and work, where we engage in similar activity; intentional time spent together.
Our Home & Neighborhood
After Zander was born, we moved into our current home and have renovated almost every square inch. This has allowed our home to be a welcoming place for family, friends, and neighbors, with many places for children to play. Our garage has always been a workshop; a place for learning, creating, and transforming. It’s also a space where our children have been involved in building projects along side of us.
Our sweet home sits across from a neighborhood park that has access to tennis courts, an open field, a splash pad, playgrounds, and is located down the road from two elementary schools. This makes for simple trips outside and is a great opportunity for diverse fellowship around the neighborhood. In the winter, the park serves as the community sledding hill. We enjoy looking outside our window to see the sledding in action (we also join in the fun!) as well as beautiful sunrises over the park in the mornings.
Education
Preston attended a Christian elementary school and a public middle and high school and Hannah attended only Christian schools growing up. Zander has begun his education in preschool at a Christian school (where Hannah teaches) and we anticipate sending all of our children there. This school community is like a family and offers programs for many different interests (sports and extracurricular activities) and has a special education program that models and values all children as image bearers of Christ.
We have a desire for our children to pursue what they love (now and in the future) and to impact those around them, whether through secondary education, trade school, ministry work, or whatever path the Lord has for them.
Correction & Discipline
We feel that children thrive in an environment that has boundaries and clear expectations. Communication is crucial. When choices are made that break these boundaries, our children are given a chance to change their action through a warning, guiding them with expectations of respect and trust.
If that warning is disregarded, either a privilege is taken away, they are asked to remove themselves from the situation for a time, or a time out is given. This is always followed up with a conversation about the poor choice that was made, an apology for their action, and an expectation that it may not happen again or there will be larger consequences. Our expectations are that our children respect our given boundaries and from those boundaries and respect, we can grow trust.
Our Faith Views
Christ is at the center.
We attend church on Sundays and seek to live out the mission of Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples. We strive to do this through honoring Christ in our marriage, meeting people where they are, learning about their story, and sharing how we see God working in our lives, each and every day.
In small decisions, like buying a vacuum, and big decisions, like growing our family, we seek to honor Christ in all that we say and do. We make mistakes and fall short every single day but we know that Christ has paid for those sins on the cross.
Preston's Career
I work as a Mechanical Engineer and have been with the same company since college, specializing in LED lighting applications (automotive, agricultural, RV, trailer, etc.). I enjoy working with my hands and solving problems, but I especially enjoy coaching and equipping others to help them solve their own problems.
This can be more technical when it comes to product or process training but it can also be more interpersonal related and focus around engaging different kinds of people and how to effectively communicate. The latter has been something I have worked on, as a mentor of mine once challenged me with the idea of work life congruence: what things at work would make me a better husband, father, son, brother, and friend…and vice versa.
Following a placement, I plan on continuing work full time. I am blessed with a flexible schedule so I am able to complement Hannah’s schedule and help when needed for pickup, dropoff, preschool events, etc. When kids are sick, we are able to balance out coverage at work so one of us is able to assist whoever is sick.
Hannah's Career
As a Kindergarten teacher, it’s my joy and privilege to fill kids’ lives with confidence, a love for learning, and help grow in them a deeper relationship with the Lord. It’s also a crucial time to learn how to ask for help, share, play with others, organize belongings, voice frustrations, and so much more. All of this flows right into my love of being a Mama.
Being on a teacher schedule with kids is the BEST! I can walk down the hall and peek in Zander’s classroom and visit his classroom for activities and celebrations easily. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring breaks are a time for deep connection and Summer Break is the best time to have daily outings, playdates, camping trips, and many more adventures with my babes. We also love our “boring days” at home that give time to rest and just BE; baking cookies, reading, doing organizing projects around the house, and learning home skills to grow our independence.
Grandma days are the best days and so are Miss Sandy days!
I plan to take a 12 week maternity leave following placement and anticipate returning to teaching after those weeks. Our littles will go to my mom’s house once a week for Grandma Day as well as to an in – home daycare which nurtures a love for the outdoors as well as creative play and crafts with other friends at Miss Sandy’s house.
Preston
My mom comes from a Dutch heritage while my dad is a bit of a European mix from what we know. He was born in Traverse City, but adopted at birth through a closed adoption and sent down to Columbus, OH. I was born and raised just outside of Columbus, OH in a small town called Bexley with my younger brother and younger sister. Both of my parents were raised there as well and had put down some deep roots and loved serving their community. Watching them serve and then getting to help in serving are some of my fondest memories as a family. My parents were in charge of the 4th of July festivities each year for Bexley, so we got to check out the fireworks ahead of time, set up the parade route, and travel across the state to check out various fairs and festivals to get classic cars to drive in the parade.
Hannah
Both of my parents come from a dutch heritage. I grew up in Lowell, Michigan and lived on 10 acres of land. I spent a good deal of time outside learning various sports, helping my dad in the garden, and watching and helping my mom take care of horses. I am the middle of three kids, with an older and younger brother. With everyone living with 25 minutes of each other, we enjoy getting together for holidays, birthdays, and just cousin hangout time!
One of my favorite family Christmas traditions that continues to this day is when we are all together on Christmas Eve, my mom reads the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke in the Bible. Everyone holds a character from the Nativity scene and Mannheim Steamroller’s “Silent Night” plays in the background. As a character is mentioned in the reading, that character is placed in the Nativity scene. This is always a reverent time before the busyness of opening presents that continues the reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.
Thank you for taking time to read about our family. We pray that you see the love that we have, not just for our family, but for the community around us. We wish to honor your decision of choosing life for your child!
We have desired to grow our family through adoption since we were dating and feel the Lord calling us to it at this time. It’s both a way that we can support your choosing to give life as well as continue to honor adoption in our family that began with Preston’s dad.
We admire your strength and bravery through this unique time in your life. This child has been desired and prayed for by us for many years and we would love to partner with you on this journey.
- Child Separation, Attachment, and Bonding
- Child Development, Including Safe Sleep Practices for Children
- Behavioral and Emotional Needs of Adoptive Children
- Impact of Adoption on the Family
We imagine a relationship to be that of a close family member; welcomed to family events, holidays, and open to communicate multiple times a month. It is our hope that this child knows where they came from, and that they know they are chosen and loved by so many people in their life, including you. In honoring the decision you made to choose life, it’s our desire to build a relationship with you in loving this child so they are confident in who they are!
OUR COMFORT LEVEL WITH DIFFERENT ADOPTION OPTIONS
We would welcome monthly in-person time spent together.
- Very Comfortable
- Mostly Comfortable
- Unsure
- A Bit Uneasy
- Not Comfortable
We imagine a relationship to be that of a close family member; welcomed to family events, holidays, and open to communicate multiple times a month. It is our hope that this child knows where they came from, and that they know they are chosen and loved by so many people in their life, including you. In honoring the decision you made to choose life, it’s our desire to build a relationship with you in loving this child so they are confident in who they are!
Just one more thing...We imagine a relationship to be that of a close family member; welcomed to family events, holidays, and open to communicate multiple times a month. It is our hope that this child knows where they came from, and that they know they are chosen and loved by so many people in their life, including you. In honoring the decision you made to choose life, it’s our desire to build a relationship with you in loving this child so they are confident in who they are!