How We Met

Blind dates do work!  Laurie was a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding.  During the pre-wedding “girls only” get-together Laurie remembers the bride’s friend, Debbie, mention a guy named Larry, but didn’t think anything of it.  The day of the wedding, Debbie asked Laurie if she could give Larry her phone number.  Laurie agreed, but didn’t hold out much hope for a “blind date”.  Larry called a couple of days later… and the rest is history.  We’ve talked every night since, even when one of us is out of town.  We've been happily married now for six years.

Hangin' out in our backyard

Larry on Laurie

Laurie is my best friend.  It is truly amazing that we met on a blind date. She has the most amazing gift with children.  In fact, children seem to just gravitate toward her every where we go.  Her career, as a classroom teacher, allowed her to work with children every day.  Laurie truly cared about the success of her students, and often went the extra mile to make a difference for them.  Now that she's a stay-at-home mom, one of my favorite things is to watch Laurie play and read books with Mackenzie. Laurie still makes time for herself.  She enjoys scrapbooking, hiking, and working out. I adore my wife, and can not imagine a better mother or a better partner with whom to share the joy of parenthood.

Playing around at the park

Laurie on Larry

I think Larry is an amazing person.  He is one of the kindest and most sincere people I’ve ever met.  Larry is down-to-earth and makes family a top priority.   He’s the kind of guy you count on to get things done whether it be in his work as a telecommunications engineer, or at home.  Larry makes me laugh every day, and sometimes still surprises me with how silly and funny he can be.  When he finds time for himself, he loves to go mountain biking and hiking with our dog. He enjoys every part of being a dad, from changing diapers to being a "tickle monster".  Mackenzie and I think he's the best!

Mommy & Daddy on Mackenzie

Mackenzie is a happy, energetic little girl who loves to be around other people.  She is always on the move, exploring and learning new things everyday.  Mackenzie loves to be outdoors.  She enjoys hiking around in her backpack with daddy or playing at the park with mommy.  She always has so much fun with the babies in her playgroup.  Mommy and Daddy think she's a joy!

Our Thoughts on Children

After years of working with children, if there’s one thing Laurie’s learned it’s that every child is an individual.  We look forward to encouraging Mackenzie's individuality and nurturing her chosen path as she grows older.  We want to help our children to be happy with who they are, to feel challenged by life, but not afraid of it, and to be able to see the beauty that exists in others as well.  Acceptance, respect, a safe secure environment with clear limits are the values that our children can internalize so that confidently they can make good personal choices and feel successful.

As our children learn and grow, they will have a core family support that can support them through any life challenge.  Teaching our child the importance of giving to others is also a key part of our parenting philosophy.  Having a sense of humor and living a balanced life, as well as having a healthy curiosity and being life-long learners is what our family is all about.

Careers

Laurie has been teaching for ten years, mainly in first grade and kindergarten.  She has spent the past year at home raising Mackenzie.  They love to go to playgroup, the park, swimming lessons & Gymboree!

Larry enjoys his challenging and rewarding work as a Telecommunications Engineer at a small firm in the Bay Area.  He appreciates the small, family-oriented atmosphere of his office, where most of the staff have small children.  Larry loves to show off Mackenzie at company functions.