Cassandra & Blair In Alabama

Blair and Cassandra met online about 5 years ago. They got to know each other long distance before she moved to AL to be with him, just in time for COVID! Lockdown meant they really got to know each other and what the other person is like to live with. Blair hadn’t lived with someone in a while before Cassandra came along, so he had to learn what it was like to share a limited bathroom and closet space with another person. It was an adjustment, but he did great! They lived together in an older home before moving to their current home about 3 years ago. The biggest reason for moving was to have a better school district for future children and a fenced in yard their dog, Biscuit.

Cassandra works five days a week. She is able to work from home most days but does go into the office for a few hours. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending her time going out to stores like Target, HomeGoods and Barnes and Noble. Reading is a new hobby she has picked up and reads mostly fantasy books. She is a big fan of wearing comfortable clothes and most times, that includes being inside so she does occasionally spend her weekends at home. Cassandra will return to school in the near future, but it is an online school so she will be able to continue her journey to earning her Master’s in Social Work while raising a newborn baby.

Blair is self-employed, which has provided him the flexibility to support his family in meaningful ways. When his mother fell ill, he was able to care for her during that difficult time until her passing in 2023. His flexible schedule will also allow him to be an involved and present parent when a child joins the family. Blair currently takes care of the home, manages the pets, and ensures the pantry and fridge are always well-stocked. While cooking isn’t his strong suit, Cassandra enjoys preparing meals and steps in when needed — making them a great team.

Cassandra and Blair enjoy traveling together. Blair has played a trading card game called Magic The Gathering since 1994. He got to travel to Japan and the Czech Republic to play in professional tournaments. He still plays casually with friends at the local card shop and has taught Cassandra to play. Cassandra enjoys spending her time with her friends or going shopping. She has found a close friend who enjoys the same books as her, so they sometimes go out to a local coffee shop and read for the day. When her friends are busy, she enjoys spending time in her back yard reading by herself. She also enjoys photography on the side. She enjoys taking pictures of nature, her pets, and the occasional human model.

We have one dog and one cat. Biscuit is our dog. He is 3 years old and loves our backyard. We call it “Biscuit’s yard” because he runs around chasing the squirrels. He is friendly, loves all people and other pets, and gets along well with the neighborhood kids. He really loves when he sees them while on a walk and they give him treats. Amelia is our cat. She is 9 years old and came with Cassandra when she moved from NJ to AL. She grew up with multiple dogs and knows how to tell us and Biscuit when she does not want to be bothered. She enjoys laying on blankets, in warm sunny spots and looking outside the window to watch the birds.

Our neighborhood is very quiet. We have lived here for three years now and have gotten to know all of our neighbors. We live in a cul-de-sac so traffic is never an issue. There are many children in the neighborhood as our city has a great school system. There is a playground within walking distance which is great, and our yard is fenced in. It is large enough to run, maybe install a swing set or to just play in the grass. Our extra bedroom space is a great space for the baby to grow into, as well as having plenty of toys in their room once the time comes.

Cassandra’s family currently resides out of state. They have come to visit a few times, but we mostly go to them to visit as it is easier since a few of them do not drive. She has two older sisters and an older brother. Her second eldest sister has 3 kids whom Cassandra has helped raise since she was 12. She is close to them, in fact, they came to Alabama during the summer and stayed before needing to go back home. One of Cassandra’s aunts, who herself has adopted a child internationally, married Cassandra and Blair at their wedding 2 years ago. She became ordained specifically for their wedding since it was something she wanted to do since retiring. Cassandra's father passed away 10 years ago, and, although it has been difficult for her family, they have become closer since then.

Blair is an only child and doesn’t have any family in town after his mother passed. His father passed away when he was young. He has two aunts and two cousins, one of which has two children. They all live about 4 hours away, so visiting isn’t difficult. His father was adopted, so he knows what it means to build a family through adoption.

An important holiday tradition for Cassandra is putting up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. It is something that her mother and her did together while growing up, and it has since become something that she and Blair do.

Cassandra and Blair enjoy traveling. So far, they have visited Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago, Savannah and New Jersey. They both prefer to travel by car and make a fun family time out of it. Whenever they go to a new state, they visit a cat cafe and an aquarium. It is their fun little tradition they have created together.

After a year of marriage, we learned about fertility issues and wanted nothing more than to be parents. Both of us have a family member who has been adopted so adoption is important to both of us. We are excited to be on this journey together!