Basic Info
Elissa
Age: 36
Ethnicity: White
Religion: Christian
Denomination: Baptist
Richard
Age: 38
Ethnicity: White
Religion: Christian
Denomination: Baptist
Elissa & Richard
Texas
Intro
About
Work & Education
Elissa
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Profession: Product Manager
Richard
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Profession: Technology Consultant
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Environment
Country: USA
State: Texas
Parent Relationship: Married
Parent Neighborhood: Urban
Parent Years Together: 10 to 15 years
Parent Residency: House
Parent Pets: 2 Dogs; 1 Cat
Children At Home: No children
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual parents
Preferences for a child
Age: Newborn to 1 year of age, 1 to 3 years of age, 4 to 7 years of age
Gender: Either
Multiple Children: Twins, Triplets or more
Race/Ethnicity: All, African American (Full), African American (Half), Caucasian (Full), Caucasian (Half), Hispanic (Full), Hispanic (Half), Asian (Full), Asian (Half), American Indian (Full), American Indian (Half), Pacific Islander (Full), Pacific Islander (Half)
Special Needs: Open to discussion
Certification 
Gladney Center for Adoption verified this family completed an adoption homestudy including: background checks, character references, official interviews, required training, home inspection, financial review, etc. and are approved for adoption.
Our Family
Home & Pets
Our Travels
Elissa and Richard
Introduction
Thank you for considering us and taking the time to get to know us, just as we desire to know you.
We know that your decision to explore adoption is not one you took lightly, and we want you to know we recognize the strength, courage, and selflessness it took for you to get here. Thank you for considering us and taking the time to get to know us, just as we desire to know you. We hope this book gives you a glimpse into who we are.
We know that your decision to explore adoption is not one you took lightly, and we want you to know we recognize the strength, courage, and selflessness it took for you to get here. Thank you for considering us and taking the time to get to know us, just as we desire to know you. We hope this book gives you a glimpse into who we are.
Why Adoption
We are eager to become parents and share all of what this world has to offer!
Elissa, Richard, and their dogs
We both had discussed our desire to adopt a child prior to getting married. When we decided to grow our family, we struggled to have a child and tried some fertility treatments that ultimately did not work. We were faced with exploring more invasive fertility treatments or pursuing adoption. We were both excited about adopting and found our way to Gladney through friends and family who had previous positive experiences both as adoptive parents and mothers looking for families to adopt their child. We are eager to become parents and share all of what this world has to offer!
Our Story
As a couple, we support each other through strong communication, compassion for each other, and our complimentary perspectives and passions that make us a good team.
Elissa and Richard in their home.
We met in college but didn’t start dating until after we had both graduated. We have been together for 12 years and married for 7 of those years. As a couple, we support each other through strong communication, compassion for each other, and our complimentary perspectives and passions that make us a good team.
Our Traditions
We plan to give a child the same fun we experienced for big and small holidays alike.
Elissa, Richard, and their families.
Both of our families have similar traditions for holidays and birthdays. Our mothers always love to celebrate in a big way, and we share that enthusiasm. Birthdays usually have a theme with a cake. Our families Christmas and Thanksgiving includes several group activities. Whether a puzzle, crafts for the kids, or baking together, it always ends up being something fun for kids and adults alike. For our own family, we want to do a lot of what our parents did with us - dinner together every night, sharing hobbies, exposing us to different cultures and activities, and encouraging exploration. We plan to give a child the same fun we experienced for big and small holidays alike.
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Certification
Gladney Center for Adoption verified this family completed an adoption home study including: background checks, character references, official interviews, required training, home inspection, financial review, etc. and are approved for adoption.
Posts
Meet Elissa
Elissa is funny, smart, thoughtful and caring. She has a passion for community volunteering and giving. Elissa also works in technology leading teams, and she works with her teams to ensure work is interesting and fun. Elissa enjoys cooking, gardening, and entertaining others at our home (we both like this!). She likes to watch old sitcoms and comedies. For reading, Elissa likes poetry and history books, but she is also a fan of epic series like Harry Potter. Elissa enjoys walks and yoga. She is also usually the planner, finding some new event or activity for Elissa and Richard to try together.
Meet Richard
Richard is patient, fun, and generous. He is always happy to lend a hand to family, neighbors, and friends. Richard works in technology leading teams, and he makes time to make sure his teams feel supported and included. For fun, he likes working on home projects, building legos, grilling, and college football. Richard loves to watch sci-fi tv shows and movies, and he reads. He also enjoys snow skiing and running. Richard is always up for all the new adventures Elissa finds for them to try.
Our Families
Elissa’s family lives in the country. Her parents, brother, and stepbrother all live in the same area, so visiting them always gives us a good opportunity to be together as a group. The kids and adults either swim or play with the dogs; then, we all enjoy a big meal together. Richard’s parents and brother live farther away, but we meet in the middle at their home in the country frequently. He has a big extended family of cousins and aunts that we see whenever we can. They love playing board games, solving puzzles and times together are always full of laughter.