Casey & Karen
marriage length
16 Years
State Location
Idaho
Church Denomination
Nondenominational
pets
1
About us
We met in 2007 at Grace Christian University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After filling out an "Application to date my daughter" for her dad, we started dating and quickly fell for each other. We got married on May 29th, 2010 in Seattle, Washington in the church where Casey was raised. After a 6 month internship in Phoenix, AZ, and a final semester in college for Casey, he was offered a full-time position as the Associate Pastor of Youth Ministry at Mountain View Bible Church in Post Falls, ID.
We moved to Post Falls in 2011 and haven’t looked back. We love the family we have at the church, especially since our families don’t live nearby. We have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in many ways including hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, disc golf, and much more. We also enjoy regular time together as a family playing card games and board games at home, throwing a football or kicking a soccer ball at the park, and traveling to visit our families.
We wanted to have a family soon after we got married, but God has been teaching us to wait on his timing. After 5 years of marriage, we adopted our son Landon at birth on November 20th, 2015. He has brought so much joy into our lives, and his story is truly incredible. We are beyond blessed to be his parents. Now we look forward to the day that we can bring another little life into our family to love and protect.
Children
Landon
8 yr
Meet Landon:
How old are you? 8
What's your favorite color? Blue
What is your favorite food? Pot pie
Where do you like to go? Legoland!
Who's your best friend? Peter
What do you like to do in the summer? Go to Silverwood
What are you really good at? Soccer
What do you want to be when you grow up? A missionary
Letter to you
Dear Birth Mom,
We would like to thank you for taking the time to consider our family for the placement of your child. We know that this is an incredibly difficult process for you, and we want to offer our encouragement as you pursue the best option for your child. Choosing an adoptive family for your child is a truly selfless and sacrifical decision that puts the best interest of the child ahead of your own desires.
As you move through this process, we want you to know we are praying for our future child and the mother of our future child. We have been praying for protection and wisdom, and as you consider our family, we believe those prayers extend to you, whether you choose our family or not.
Our first adoption process brought us our son Landon, who has been an amazing joy. It was clear to us that God was active in every step we took toward growing our family. Our home is filled with love and joy and we truly believe that God has brought us here to adopt another baby to grow our family. Adoption holds such a special place in our hearts. We can't wait to open our arms and hearts to our next child. Landon is so excited to be a big brother, and we love that he and our next child will get to share the bond of adoption.
Thank you for considering our family. Please know we have the greatest appreciation and respect for you. We look forward to what the future may bring.
With love,
Casey and Karen Duke
"
Casey's testimony
As a child, my parents set a good example of what it looked like to live for Jesus. They demonstrated things like generosity, service, joy, peace, and many other elements of the Christian life. As I grew in my understanding of God, who He is, and what Jesus did for me, I learned to submit my life to Jesus as my Lord and savior. Through that commitment, I find myself today seeking to bring honor to Him in everything I do. As a youth pastor, my goal is to help the students in our community grow in their understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done, and can do for them.
"
Karen's testimony
I grew up in a pastor's home. I was taught from an early age how to be a follower of Jesus. I made the decision to make Jesus the Lord of my life when I was very young. It has then been a time of learning and growing and deepening my relationship with God. I fully believe that Jesus died and rose again and is now providing a way for me to have a relationship with Jesus. It has not always been easy, and I can see in my life where God grew me and stretched me. I married the love of my life at the age of 20, and we wanted to have a family right away. It was then that we realized the challenges we would have in trying to conceive. We are 13 years in to the infertility world, and have experienced deep loss and grief. But we have also seen God’s hand of mercy, grace, and provision. We were able to adopt our son 8 years ago, and it has been such a joy and answer to prayer. We are excited to grow our family again through adoption, and be on a road that so obviously points back to our Creator and Savior.
about Casey
What Karen wants you to know about Casey:
He is loving
He is an amazing dad!
He assumes the best in everyone
He invests in others
He is an awesome youth pastor
He is goofy and fun
He is a musician and very active
He loves Jesus with his whole heart
Casey and Landon have a very strong father/son bond. It's very sweet to watch.
Casey teaching at youth group
Celebrating Landon's adoption day!
Permanent +1
Vacation Bible School at church
about Casey EXTENDED FAMILY
Casey's family has lived in the Seattle area his whole life. His parents are Steve and Sheri, and they have lived in the same house since he was 3 years old. His sister, Holly, is the middle child, and Shawna is the youngest. Shawna and her husband, Danny, have three boys: Benett, who is 2, and Hunter and Remington, who are 1. We enjoy getting together as much as possible!
Aunt Holly (Casey's sister)
Pops and Grams
Aunt Shawna (Casey's sister), Uncle Danny, Bennett, Hunter, and Remington
Casey, Steve, Sheri, Shawna, and Holly (The original 5)
We go to a lake house with the Duke side just about every summer for a long weekend.
Landon with his three cousins, Hunter, Remington, and Bennett
about Casey work & education
Casey is a full time youth pastor at our church. He is a teacher, mentor, challenger, event planner, and more. He loves to watch people discover their gifts, and then use them to serve God and serve others. His schedule is fairly flexible, which means he is able to make family his top priority.
about Casey HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Casey is a fun guy. Because ministry is so woven into our family life, there isn't much time for actual hobbies. But his enjoyment comes from being around others, encouraging others, having fun with others, and building others up. He likes to live an active lifestyle, where disc golf, hiking, sports, and camping are often involved.
about Karen
What Casey wants you to know about Karen:
She is an amazing wife
Family is top priority
She loves to laugh
She is a great mom
She is a hard worker and a strong mentor
She loves Jesus with everything she has
Karen and Landon are very close
Enjoying fall harvest
Date nights with Casey
The youth group February formal was renaissance themed
She volunteers at Landon's school
Together with Casey since she was 17 years old
about Karen EXTENDED FAMILY
Karen's family is the Spykerman clan. Her parents are Gary and Sue, and they live in Holland, MI. She is the youngest of 4 kids. Michelle is the oldest, Kevin is next in line, then Brian, then Karen. Both Michelle and Brian live in Michigan with their families, and Kevin's family lives in southern California. Even though we are spread out, we remain close, and visit as much as we can. With 11 grandkids for Karen's parents, there is never a shortage of fun, silliness, and laughter.
Papa and Mimi
Uncle Mat, Aunt Michelle (Karen's sister), Kaelyn, Ethan, Colin, and Adelyn
Uncle Kevin (Karen's brother), Aunt Tracy, London, and Allie
Uncle Brian (Karen's brother), Aunt Lauren, Lily, Tessa, and Samson (and one on the way!)
We like to be active together
And we love to eat together
about Karen work & education
Karen graduated from Grace Christian University and taught 1st grade for a few years. Once Landon was born, she was able to be a fulltime mom, staying at home. She works hard to keep the house clean, the meals planned, the schedule organized, and is also involved in the ministry at church. One of her giftings is making people feel seen, acknowledged, and important. She is good at encouraging others, but also challenging them.
about Karen HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Karen's primary hobbies and interests revolve around her family. Her favorite nights involve spending time as a family with nothing specific on the calendar. Going shopping, out to dinner, or just staying home to watch a movie are some of her favorite things as long as she's with her favorite people, Casey and Landon. She can often be caught watching cookie and cake decorating tutorials, and makes and decorates some amazing cookies.
about Children Landon
Meet Landon:
How old are you? 8
What's your favorite color? Blue
What is your favorite food? Pot pie
Where do you like to go? Legoland!
Who's your best friend? Peter
What do you like to do in the summer? Go to Silverwood
What are you really good at? Soccer
What do you want to be when you grow up? A missionary
Casey's mom has horses, so we get to enjoy learning about them and riding them
Gingerbread house decorating together! One of our favorite family traditions
2nd grade school picture
Landon likes to make pancakes for the family
A big helper!
Landons birth mom and birth sister
The day we brought Landon home from the hospital
Loved by both sets of grandparents
about our home
We bought our current home in 2018, and it is truly our happy place. With four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and both a living room and play room, it is perfect for raising a family. With the addition of a basketball court in the back yard and a park right around the corner, it fits perfectly with our active lifestyle. If the sun is out, there isn't a day where we don't spend time outside.
Riding on the trails around our neighborhood
Our family dog Tigger
Cocoa and pancakes at the kitchen counter are one of our favorites
We love Christmas time!
Snowman building in our front yard
Taco night with friends
about our world
Basically our world is filled with family and friends. We worship together, serve together, laugh together, play together, support each other, encourage each other, and all around 'do life' together. We visit our families as often as we can, but are content to be a family here in Post Falls, Idaho.
We have a kids program at our church every Wednesday night
Always up for an adventure!
Just a snapshot of some of our church family
Fishing together
and camping together!
Sometimes our favorite thing to do is walk around Costco