marriage length

12 Years

State Location

Washington

Church Denomination

Bible Church

pets

About us

Hi! We're Darrin and Rachel. We first met in 2006 and started dating in 2009 right before I (Rachel) moved to college out of state; so we were long-distance for 3 years. We found a mutual love of comics, card games, adventure, and music. After getting married, we also enjoyed playing volleyball together and watching Seahawks games. We both grew up in the greater Seattle area and after our daughter Ellie was born in 2016, we bought a house here, near family and friends.

Some details about us: Darrin is a former truck driver, who now works in a school district. Rachel is an Aerican Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Our daughter loves making friends and playing with every kid she meets, and her second grade school year is off to a great start. We have a 4 fish and 6 chickens, and our daughter would love a cat someday.

Children

Ellie

8 yr

Ellie is a blooming extrovert. She is friendly, inventive, confident, and excited to have a younger sibling one day. She often will ask to take care of her younger friends as "practice." At school, she likes to lead, help, run, and play with her classmates. Her favorite parts of school are science, reading and music. Her teacher recently praised her "strong desire to help others." In her spare time, she builds things, explores our backyard, bakes cakes, gardens, and plays video games. She also loves biking, swimming, hiking and trips to our local library. She spends lots of time with her cousins and both sets of her grandparents, and writes to pen pals in Washington, Texas, and France.

Letter to you

Dear Expectant Mom,

Our hearts go out to you as you move through this pregnancy for the sake of your baby. Pregnancy can be overwhelming and we admire your courage and care in making this decision. Regardless of whether you choose us to adopt him or her, choosing life and a loving home for your baby to grow in is beautiful and brave. We see you. We hope we've shown through this profile how much we would cherish and protect this child, speaking positively and openly to them about you, and walking with them throughout their entire life. We hope to meet you and get to know you one day. We are so thankful for you and we are praying for you daily.

-Darrin and Rachel

"

Darrin's testimony

I accepted Jesus into my heart in 2005. I was a couple years out of high school and not making wise decisions. A friend invited me to church, and there, I found a relationship with Christ. Now, my wife and I follow the Lord together into what he has planned for us, which in turn, had led toward adoption.

"

Rachel's testimony

Can you tell writing is one of my hobbies?

I chose this profile picture of me with my book club, (I'm the one in the "Lord of the Rings" Christmas sweater adjusting my glasses) because these are some of the ladies from church I have bonded with and been blessed by for years. God has brought each of them alongside me in different seasons to strengthen me and help me grow as I follow Him.

Growing up, I effortlessly understood God made me, but I was a sinner; Christ loved me, so He died for my sins; and, as a result, I accepted Him and followed Him for years. This intensified in community college when I started questioning my sexuality, but chose to believe the Bible as God's Word (which clearly disallowed romantic homosexual relationships.) He has led me through so many experiences since then that taught me to trust Him as Lord and trust His plan as good, even when my initial reaction to it doesn't algin. I also learned in college, that it is completely by His grace that I am welcomed into life and eventually heaven with Him - not by anything I have done or could do. His kindness became so much more mind-blowing through this realization - that even as I follow Him, I don't deserve heaven, it is His gift. I live to tell others of how good walking with Him is, and I hope to encourage and walk alongside a child who needs a safe and loving home, and the birth parents who choose us to be that home.

about Darrin

Darrin enjoys golfing, BBQ, cheering on all Seattle sports teams and teaching Ellie to swim and play piano. He shares his love of sports and music with Ellie every chance he gets. He has always wanted kids and hoped to adopt since he himself is adopted. Friends and family say he is creative, diligent, fun-loving, loyal and honest.

about Darrin EXTENDED FAMILY

Darrin was adopted from Hiroshima, Japan by Japanese-American parents, Phyllis and Jerry. he has one younger sister Katie who married Isaac in 2012. They now have a son and daughter, Ellie's cousins. We all live within 20 minutes of each other, and we spend lots of family meals, day trips, vacations and holidays together.

about Darrin work & education

I graduated high school in Kent and attended one year at Puget Sound Christian College, but the college closed the following year. I currently work as a Facilities Manager for the Northshore School District. I enjoy my time with staff and students - interacting with them and assisting in keeping the schools safe and clean. I have been employed there for 8 years now and plan on staying with the district.

about Darrin HOBBIES & INTERESTS

I walk 3-4 miles everyday and enjoy listening to podcasts about current events, world history, and various cultures. I also like sports, especially golfing, and have friends over for board games, BBQs, and yard games. I also enjoy camping and video games.

about Rachel

I'm typically not very fancy, but I do enjoy dressing up on occasion - like in this picture, taken at a vinyard in Lake Chelan. I love being outdoors and trying new things. When I asked my friends and family how best to describe who I am, they responded with the words: "bold, brave, inquisistive, and just." I see each day as a new adventure and opportunity to learn something new. I try to show our daughter, through my own example, that mistakes and failures are not bad, but ways to grow, build, and explore. I am bi-lingual (fluent in American Sign Language and English) and currently learning Japanese with my nephew. My favorite hobbies are reading, runnning, Disney-bounding, and playing board games. I nerd-out over any sci-fi or fantasy novels and consider members of my book club to be close family.

Space Mountain is one of my many favorite roller-coasters.

I love hiking and being outside. This picture was taken at the park where Darrin proposed.

about Rachel EXTENDED FAMILY

Rachel, Ellie, Auntie Sarah, and Grandma at our family camping spot in Long Beach, WA.

about Rachel work & education

I started learning American Sign Language (ASL) in high school and later went to went to Bellevue College to earn an AA degree and become more fluent in ASL. That was a wonderful time of growth and discovery for me, where I really fell in love with learning. I tranferred to Western Oregon University for my BA in ASL/English Interpretation and now have been working as an interpreter for 10+ years. I love my career, but it always serves as a way for me to partner with others and grow rather than just paying the bills or being the center of my life. I get to meet and work with all different kinds of Deaf and hearing people and create a bridge of communication betweeen them. I take what I learn from each interaction and use it to fuel my interactions as a wife, mom, and friend to others in my life. I have especially grown from my working in school districts and with youth as a tutor and volunteer in co-ops and mentorship programs.

about Rachel HOBBIES & INTERESTS

Rachel is always trying something new and getting to share new experiences with Ellie. They both love animals and dressing up, so meeting ponies at the Midsummer Renasaince Fair is one of their favorite traditions. She also creates Disneybound outfits with her friends from items she receives in clothing swaps. Rachel also shares her love of reading, story-telling, and fantasy with Ellie's classmates by volunteering at her school and library reading times. She enjoys running, weight-lifting and volleyball along with anything the kids at youth group are up for playing. She's also learning Japanese and planning trips for their family to Japan and France within the next 2 years, beacuse she has always wanted to travel.

about Children Ellie

Swimming lessons were the highlight of the summer!

Ellie loves animals, whether in the neighborhood, friend's pets, or the state fair.

about our home

Our house is in a family-oriented neighborhood very close to Ellie's school. There are nearby parks, kihing trails, and our local library. Our home has a big yard and all of Ellie's grandparents live closeby. Ellie loves building, crafting, playing outside, reading, and of course video games. She has 4 pet fish and her own "fairy garden." We love that we can walk, bike-ride, and puddle-jump on our street and also nerd-out over Legos, Mario, and Lord of the Rings together on rainy days.

about our world

"A Day in the Life"

We recently adopted 5 chickens from a friend who needed to find them a new home. Darrin enjoyed building a coop and run for them to play in when they aren't roaming our backyard. Every morning, he leaves for work early, so Ellie and Rachel share the morning together, feeding the chickens and getting ready for work and school. Ellie likes to be responsible by getting herself ready most days and being first in line when she arrives. With any time she has left, she likes to build crafts or paint something to give to her friends, teacher, or school staff. She likes school a lot. Rachel drops her off, then goes to interpreting assignments in the greater Seattle area, or volunteering in her class until the school day ends. Then we hike, read, play games, do puzzles and eat dinner together, or visit grandparents until bedtime. Ellie also has piano lessons once a week and swim lessons as often as we can schedule them with her "swim tutor." On weekends, we love going on outings and adventures together like the state fair, aquarium, and friend's houses.

Family values:

Carring for eachother
Helping each other
Responsibility
Honesty
Family meal times
Ask questions
Have fun!