I was born and raised in the part of California known as the Bay Area. I'm the middle child with two sisters and my parents have been married for 50 years. Growing up we had lots of different pets at different times. Everything from parakeets and hamsters to a goose and a rabbit named Buffy. I started writing poetry in the 4th grade and it became an important way for me to express my feelings. I even had a poem published at the age of 13, which I like to call my 15 minutes of fame. My favorite memories of childhood and adolescence were being in the Girl Scouts and taking family vacations in the summertime. I went to college and studied psychology knowing I wanted to become a teacher and eventually a counselor. Today I work with families who have children with special needs.
Some of my favorite activities include spending time in nature, doing arts & crafts and learning to play the ukulele. I'm always looking for something new to try and I can hardly wait to share in many new adventures with the child in my life. A fun fact about me is that I LOVE Halloween! I'm sure this has a lot to do with how fun my mom made it when we were kids. She created our costumes by hand for years, and even as an adult, I still have fun dressing up. My mother is teaching me how to sew because one day I would like to be able to make Halloween costumes for my child.
I currently work four days a week as a Marriage and Family Therapist supporting families who have children with developmental disabilities, such as Autism. I feel lucky that I get to work from home and have every Friday off! Children have always been the focus of my work life. I have always worked in jobs that give me the opportunity to support people who are going through difficult times in their lives. I was raised to believe in the importance of community service and caring for others, which is something I hope to teach a child someday.