Hi, I’m Erin!  This picture is of me with our son Jacob at the zoo.  We adopted him and love our experience with adoption (and his birthparents – we couldn’t be luckier to have contact with them).

Thomas talking about Erin:

It’s incredibly cliché, but I liked Erin from the first time I saw her. No really, I did! We had just finished Church and I was standing next to a classroom when Erin walked out and caught me staring at her. I had the distinct impression at the time that I needed to get to know her better! Thankfully, she didn’t remember our first interaction, and over the course of the next few years, we were able to get to know each other. We traveled to various national parks, enjoyed painting together, played sports like soccer and ultimate Frisbee, hiked in the mountains, attended musicals, plays, ballets, symphonies, bottled jam and other foods, read books together, and had a lot of other fun. We grew to be good friends before we ever dated seriously, and that foundation has served us well since we have been married.

Erin is cleverly funny. She can make me laugh in somber or mundane moments, crafting quick comments or spontaneously saying something I wouldn’t expect. Of course, she can be serious when the situation warrants it, and she has a good sense of tact and appropriateness, but she is confident in herself and will usually speak her mind. We are definitely equals in our relationship, and I value her insight and opinion, since it allows me to see things from a different or unique perspective.

It seems like Erin is always reading a book. Fiction, juvenile, childrens, nonfiction: you name it and she has probably read it! Erin grew up in Texas, and she is quite close with her family, especially her five sisters (her one brother is pretty cool, too). We make a point of spending time with our family and when they live too far away to visit frequently, we email, video chat online, or call them on the phone. Erin also works hard to be the favorite aunt to our nieces and nephews.

Erin loves to be creative and try new things. This year she has taken a drawing class and a costume sewing class to hone her artistic skills, and she is planning to take a photo editing class next semester. She also enjoys beautifying our home and is always on the lookout for cute additions.

Erin has a caring heart. She is a wonderful example to her sisters (and to mine), and they often come to her for advice. She listens without judging, and gives good counsel. She is always interested in hearing how my day went, which blows my mind because I think work would be the last thing about which she would want to talk to me. But she is interested and supportive of me and my life, and I love her for it!