Marie & Brent
This family is adopting through our premier partner, the Gladney Center for Adoption.
About
Marie
Brent
Relationship
Environment
Child Preferences
Certification
Letters
Hello,
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about us! We hope that you will see the warmth and joy that we bring to each other’s lives.
Though we do not know your whole story, we want you to know that we support your decision to do what’s best for you and your child. We admire your strength, your unconditional love, and your heart.
We thank you for considering us to be a part of your journey.
– Marie & Brent
Our Why
Our Why
When we started the process of family planning in 2023, we struggled for years to have the baby that we knew we wanted.
After seeing many doctors and working through our losses and grief in couples therapy, we began discussing what adoption could look like for us as a couple. Marie had adoption on her heart from a young age because of her experiences with her own health, and Brent’s mom and her sister were both adopted. Speaking with Brent’s mother about her experience gave us comfort in knowing that we could provide a loving home for our adopted child.
Our desire to be parents has never waned, and we are ready to love our child. We know in our hearts that our child is out there and we are ready to meet them.
Our Story
Our Story
We met through mutual friends at a birthday dinner in November of 2014. We had both just moved to the area and had been hanging out in similar circles.
We began dating in the summer of 2015 and made it “official” after a few dates. For our first two dates, Brent planned a dinner and Painting with a Twist – where Marie was super nervous about knocking over her paints/easel, so she didn’t try any of the cheese and crackers Brent had cut up for the date! Brent requested that Marie pick the third date, so she (true to herself) picked up tickets to see a lesser-known band (Royal Teeth) at a small concert venue.
While Marie completed Yoga Teacher Training that fall, Brent hung out with her floofy cat Bear and supported her through her yoga teaching journey by attending her first classes. Marie supported Brent through buying his first home, going to see different listings, and then helping him shop for his first couch.
We married in 2019 and have been together for over a decade. We’ve celebrated our anniversary with a Staycation each year, getting to explore different parts of our city. We both love to cuddle, take walks in nature, and try different restaurants. We recently began playing Dungeons and Dragons with our friends and have loved creating stories and characters! We hope to continue finding new hobbies together as we grow.
Meet Marie by Brent
Meet Marie by Brent
From the butterflies when we first met to the love and comfort only she can bring to my life after a long, stressful day at work, Marie has always brought a special feeling to my heart. When the sky feels like it’s falling, a hug from Marie makes all the pressures of life disappear. I have no doubt she will bring these same feelings to a little one and make them feel loved.
Marie has helped broaden my horizons, and she continues to help me find joy in new aspects of life, like yoga, board games, music, travel, and especially caring for kitties. She will encourage our child to find what they have a passion for in life and will support them in their pursuits.
My feeling of home is always where Marie is, even if we aren’t at our house. I cannot wait to see the joy being a mother will bring her, and I am looking forward to experiencing that joy together as parents. I know that our little one will love Marie’s cuddles and hugs just as much as I do.
Fun Facts
- Marie started piano lessons when she was six years old, which spurred a lifelong passion for music.
- She loves to collect things (stickers, books, plushees, candles).
- Marie started her tattoo sticker sleeve two years ago and is almost done!
- She LOVES to read, and will typically read 30 to 40 books a year. Her current favorites are Fourth Wing, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and Theo of Golden.
- Marie recently started playing Dungeons & Dragons with Brent and her friends!
Meet Brent by Marie
Meet Brent by Marie
Brent is one of the most joyful people I know! He constantly makes me laugh, finds new ways to surprise me, and I couldn’t imagine doing life with anyone else.
Brent is extremely hardworking and driven. He strives to be knowledgeable and skilled in the areas that he is passionate about. One of my favorite things has been watching him pick back up the hobby of paintball. Seeing how dedicated, practiced, and methodical he was toward that sport was impressive! He is detail-oriented in his approach, but never forgets to have fun. I know that he will bring this attentiveness and playfulness into being a father.
Brent is also compassionate. He always has a hug ready for me at the end of the day and genuinely listens when he asks how my day at school was. He still holds my hand and reminds me how much he loves me every single day. I feel incredibly cared for by him, and I am looking forward to seeing him be a father to our child.
Fun Facts
- Brent grew up playing every sport possible!
- His favorite sports memories are wakeboarding camp and playing football with his best friend.
- He has his Black Belt in Karate.
- Brent enjoys cooking and the zen and peacefulness that it brings him.
- He likes to spend time outside in nature, on walks or at the lake.
- Brent still has his childhood Pokémon card collection and is looking forward to passing it on to his future child!
Before You Go,
Before You Go,
If you choose us to be a part of your path, we promise to never take you or the gift of parenthood you’ve given us for granted. Most importantly, you will be woven into our child’s story, and they will know how much they are loved.
We promise to love our child unconditionally. They will also be loved and cuddled by our fluffy cats! Our child will be encouraged to explore nature, to pursue their passions, and with our deepest support, they will be encouraged to live as their authentic self every step of the way.
We thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for considering us and hope to meet you.
-Marie & Brent
Posts
Our Home
Our neighborhood is diverse, friendly, and full of life! Some neighbors have been in the neighborhood for over 30 years, while others are new to the block. We feel extremely safe and like a part of the community.Our neighborhood boasts a large park that has a big play area for kids. The park has many trails for bikes and walking, as well as recreational areas for softball/kickball. We are close to many fun places to eat and explore!
Our Pets
Ser Tormund Oatmeal Giantsbane and Lady Quiche are our furry shadows. Tormund is our big orange boi, and Quiche is our tortie-calico girliepop. They were both adopted through a local foster-to-adopt agency in Houston. Tormund LOVES Brent and follows him everywhere, especially when he’s on the couch! He is curious, will come out to meet new people, and loves to lounge in his checkered couch. Quiche and Marie are besties! Quiche will sit on the bathroom floor demanding morning pets until Marie is almost late for work! She’s a bit shy and somewhat of a classic scaredy-cat, but she LOVES to snack and will talk to you for treats! Bear was Marie’s first forever friend. He lives always in our memory and inspires us to continue rescuing stray kittens and cats. We have helped rescue five kittens since we’ve been married, many of whom now live with our friends and neighbors!
Our Friends
Since our families live out of town, we feel extremely loved by and lucky to have our close circle of friends. Our friends are our chosen family, and we are so thankful for their support in our journey. Marie’s Book Club started as a small group of coworkers looking to be more disciplined about reading, and has since morphed into a beautiful inner circle of girlfriends. She sees them weekly in some form or fashion, and they spend lots of time talking on the Marco Polo app! Book Club are all in a similar stage of life where we are family planning and supporting each other through the journey of marriages, new babies, and parenthood. Brent’s close circle lives further away, and Brent is the glue that holds everyone together. He often schedules FaceTimes to check in on his friends and makes sure to keep everyone updated with life events. They like to play sports, go to concerts, and listen to music when they’re together. While we both have different close circles, we get along famously with each other’s friends and love to spend time all together! Most recently, we’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons and love to have board game/video game nights with the big group. We are ALL competitive at Mario Kart!
Our Traditions
We have quite a few traditions that bring us warm memories and joy each year! Marie loves Halloween and has fond memories of getting dressed up with her mom and carving pumpkins, so each year we make sure to set aside time for pumpkin carving. We decorate the porch and transform the house to feel spooky-cozy. Our favorite decoration is the floating Hogwarts lights we put up in the entryway! We alternate seeing each other’s families on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it is important to us that we host Thanksgiving for our family. We cook, watch football, and spend quality time with our parents. For Christmas, we visit our parents (who live both near and far) and our siblings. We love to drive to see Christmas lights, exchange gifts with the family, wear our matching onesies, and complete Marie’s annual Christmas Eve puzzle! When we get some time, just the two of us, we love to rewatch the Harry Potter series. During the summer, we attend Brent’s family reunion at the lake! We spend time fishing, paddle boarding, and riding the jet-skis. We grill, eat barbecue, and watch the sunset together with our family. A small tradition we love is visiting our local coffee & dessert shop each Friday at the end of the work week. Marie’s dad also loves to cook pancit (traditional Filipino food) every time the family gets together and has passed the recipe on to Marie!
Our Adventures
One of our favorite things to do together, and with family, is travel. We didn’t realize it at first, but we have become Disney Adults in the last 5 years! We visited Disney World in 2021 with a group of friends (it was Marie’s first visit) and have been making our way back annually ever since! Marie’s favorite ride is The Haunted Mansion and Brent’s is The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. (Brent also wanted to make sure we mentioned he loves Mickey Ice Cream). We also make sure to visit Universal Studios, specifically to spend a day living like Harry Potter! Marie loves to eat Pumpkin Pasties and ride Escape from Gringotts (she loves dragons), Brent’s favorite ride is Flight of the Hippogriff, and he loves feeling as if he’s living in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade for the day. And of course… We have magic wands. We visited Mexico City recently and absolutely loved our trip. We took time to visit Teotihuacan and spent the day learning about the history of the city and its people. Marie loves to learn about culture and history, and we both believe that is extremely important for us to do as humans. We try to visit Cape Cod with Marie’s family every other year or so. Marie’s mom grew up on the East Coast, and the Massachusetts area is a place we like to visit as a family. Our most recent trip was during the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival! We spent our days walking through gardens of hydrangeas and enjoying the beach. Both our families had the tradition of taking one big trip a year, and we hope to do the same with our future family. Some of our favorite memories have been made exploring, and we cannot wait to explore with our future child! One of our favorite things to do together, and with family, is travel. We didn’t realize it at first, but we have become Disney Adults in the last 5 years! We visited Disney World in 2021 with a group of friends (it was Marie’s first visit) and have been making our way back annually ever since! Marie’s favorite ride is The Haunted Mansion and Brent’s is The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. (Brent also wanted to make sure we mentioned he loves Mickey Ice Cream). We also make sure to visit Universal Studios, specifically to spend a day living like Harry Potter! Marie loves to eat Pumpkin Pasties and ride Escape from Gringotts (she loves dragons); Brent’s favorite ride is Flight of the Hippogriff, and he loves feeling as if he’s living in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade for the day. And of course… We have magic wands. We visited Mexico City recently and absolutely loved our trip. We took time to visit Teotihuacan and spent the day learning about the history of the city and its people. Marie loves to learn about culture and history, and we both believe that it is extremely important for us to do as humans. We try to visit Cape Cod with Marie’s family every other year or so. Marie’s mom grew up on the East Coast, and the Massachusetts area is a place we like to visit as a family. Our most recent trip was during the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival! We spent our days walking through gardens of hydrangeas and enjoying the beach. Both our families had the tradition of taking one big trip a year, and we hope to do the same with our future family. Some of our favorite memories have been made exploring, and we cannot wait to explore with our future child!
Our Family
Brent’s parents are a 4-hour car ride away. We visit them quite a few times a year and they also come to visit us just as much! We enjoy going out to dinner, working on house projects together, as well as gardening and bird watching. Brent’s sister and her family live out of state and we try to visit with them once a year. Brent and his mom talk weekly on the phone and are quite close. His mom was adopted as an infant and he has had many heart-to-hearts with her about our choice to adopt. Brent’s family is thrilled for our journey and cannot wait to support our little family!
Marie’s family are a 4-hour plane ride away. We see them for major holidays and whenever we can get the chance to fly out. Marie loves to listen to her dad play guitar and to do puzzles with her mom. The whole family are big Dallas Stars fans. We even went to a 2024 playoff game! Marie’s brother also lives out of state with his family and we get to see them when we visit her parents. Marie speaks with her mom most days either through text or on the phone. Marie likes to Facetime with both her mom and dad on the weekends, as well as her brother and her nephew. Her family is extremely supportive of our choice to adopt and are very much looking forward to supporting us through this journey! Both of us have large extended families that we see for annual reunions. We have a combined total of 10 aunts and uncles, 17 cousins and 15 grandbabies in our family. There will be many cousins for our future child to play and grow up with!