Rob & Andee

We love traveling, either by car or by plane, and we’re always up for an adventure. Rob usually drives if it is a road trip. During Covid-19, we renovated a 1940’s teardrop trailer and have spent a lot of time camping in sites located in our National Forests. We love camping and being outside. It is a wonderful feeling to unplug, reconnect with the basics, and enjoy the beauty of nature. One thing we really look forward to is sharing our love of the outdoors with our child and seeing them explore and find their own love for the natural world. We love being outdoors. During the heat of the summer, we try to spend time kayaking and playing in the water. When it is cooler, we garden, hike, and camp as much as we can. When we were married in 2012, we decided to buy kayaks after we both became certified kayak instructors. Although we haven’t used our certification much, since then, we have developed a love for paddling Texas rivers and lakes. Some of our favorite paddling rivers include the Medina and San Marcos rivers. We look forward to expanding our boats to include a 2-seater when our child is old enough to safely share in the adventure! We love going fishing! They would call it catching if it was easy! While we like to try, more often than not, we don’t actually catch fish, but we have a good time trying. Our favorite fishing spots are in Canada near Redfern Island where Rob’s grandmother taught him how to fish when he was a small boy. Some of our favorite memories with friends and family are made fishing around Redfern Island. Both of Andee’s grandmothers were avid gardeners and helped her develop a love of gardening. Rob’s family comes from a family of farmers and since living with Andee, Rob has reignited his green thumb. From our small residential plot, we regularly harvest peaches, Meyer lemons, loquats, pecans, mint, cilantro, and tomatoes. We both love live music and going to shows as often as we can. Andee and a friend even ran a small music blog for a while. Since the pandemic, we haven’t been able to go see live music so Andee started learning to play the guitar and Rob thinks she sounds great!

We live in a wonderful town. It has economic vibrance as well as available open space and abundant outdoor activities. One of our favorite outdoor activities is kayaking the lake. We also love live music and although we anticipate attending fewer late-night shows when we have a baby at home, we are excited to share our love of music at the multiple kid-friendly music events throughout town. We have a rich music and arts culture that is welcoming and educational for kids and we look forward to sharing in that. We are fortunate to live near a community which includes walking paths, a pond, shopping, and a kid-friendly interactive museum with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) exhibits and programs. Additionally, we have excellent schools that value diversity and innovation. We are proud to live here and look forward to raising a child here.

We have one small orange tabby cat named Cornflake. Thirteen years ago, Andee got her as a kitten from a friend that had barn cats and she has been part of the family since. Like most cats, she is generally aloof and spends a lot of time napping. Once Cornflake warms up to you, she loves company, and finding the cutest spots for naps. Whether tucked into a box, or curled up on a suitcase in the closet, she is never far away from her favorite bag of treats. Cornflake knows too, when her humans need a spot of love. She can feel illness or sadness and provides a warm feeling of love and reassurance by cozying up in bed or on your lap.

I grew up in Texas in a traditional, middle-class family. Both my parents were born and raised in our town and I was lucky to grow up surrounded by a community of friends and family. Our city also offers a great arts community, which I became involved in at a young age. I have always had a love for the arts and when I was four years old, I was cast in my first theatrical production. I was active in theater growing up and received a scholarship for Musical Theater. I transferred closer to home and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Radio, TV and Film. While I was working on my undergraduate degree, I joined the Sierra Student Coalition and learned more about environmental issues and decided to pursue a graduate degree focusing on Environmental Science, Sociology, and Public Administration. Environmental justice and helping my community have been a central reason for choosing my career path. Throughout my career, I have been able to work in San Francisco and Hawaii, but I missed my family and made my way back to Texas. I have maintained my passion for the arts by playing guitar and singing. I love going to live performances and have regularly volunteered for music festivals and the local theater. I enjoy volunteering, not only to see great shows, but I also enjoy the friendships that I have formed over the years and the sense of support for the arts. I look forward to instilling a sense of volunteerism and love of the arts in the child we raise.

I was born in New York and am the youngest of three boys. There is an 8-year difference between me and my next youngest brother, which makes me the baby of the family. I grew up in a small town where my parents and many of my friends and extended family still reside. I have a very close friend group from growing up in such a small town. My graduating class was only 95 students. I continue to make an effort to see as many local friends whenever I travel back to my hometown. My parents remain active in their community in retirement. My parents both reflected a “blue collar” work ethic that the Western New York area prides itself upon and instilled within me too. When I was young, I spent a lot of time with my Grandma Jeanne, whom I consider a very strong influence on my life. Grandma Jeanne was a pioneer in her own way, she attended nutrition school in the 1940’s and worked as a cook. We spent a lot of time outdoors together and I have fond memories of learning about birds, picking berries, fishing, and her general love of nature. I think of my grandmother often as the inspiration for my career path that shares outdoor sports and hobbies with new users. In school, I was drawn to the sciences, which led me to my career path working in the outdoors. I have a bachelor’s degree in Environment and Forest Biology and a master’s degree in Environmental Interpretation. I worked my way through college, at times working 3 jobs while carrying the coursework of a full-time student. It was especially trying and difficult at times to accomplish all of the tasks laid out for me, but my determination allowed me to still graduate Cum Laude, with a little less debt, and a great group of friends who shared my drive. Now that I live in Texas, people often ask if I miss the snow. I quickly answer that “one week a year during visits is just fine with me.”