Jennifer & Robson In Washington

I am Robson. I was born in Brazil but have lived in the US for most of my life. Most of my extended family still lives there and we visit when we can. However, both my parents and my brother live in the US. I’ve lived in a few different states, we originally moved to Durham, NC when I was a kid then back to Brazil for a couple of years. When we returned to the US, we lived in Texas where I attended both high school and college. After graduating, I moved to Oklahoma where I met Jennifer and it was almost love at first sight. We met, got married, and spent a number of years there before moving to Washington State to be closer to my parents.

I try to keep a good balance in my hobbies. I’ve always been a fan of video games, but I also enjoy keeping physically active. In the past it was basketball or frisbee with some friends, but recently I have been doing regular strength training. You’ll often find me watching a good movie or sitting on the couch with a new book. A joy for reading was something I picked up from my parents starting back in middle school when I borrowed a paperback my dad had taken with us to the beach, and it’s something I hope to kindle a passion for in my future child as well. I also enjoy cooking, baking, and while I’m not great, I am also a big fan of karaoke even if it’s sometimes just singing in the car.

Hello, my name is Jennifer and I was raised in Springdale, Arkansas by my grandmother. Music was always an integral part of my life since I was a child. I participated in Band, Choir, and enjoyed after school programs like B.E.S.T. Robotics. I graduated with honors at the Springdale Senior High School in 2006, and began community college that summer. After a year at the Northwest Arkansas Community College, I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I attended the University of Tulsa. I graduated with my Bachelors in Arts for Vocal Performance in 2011. It was soon after graduating college that Robson and I started dating after meeting online. We fell in love quickly and knew we wanted to build a life together.

In my freetime, I love to read, play the piano, take walks to enjoy and appreciate nature, cuddle with my pets next to the fireplace, and drive to Seattle to see Seattle Opera performances. I’m also a huge foodie, so I love trying out different food places and cuisine from other cultures. Robson and I have been trying to hike because the views in Washington are so breathtakingly beautiful. I always feel surrounded by nature even though we are in a developed area.

We have two wonderful pets, Sam and Marie. Sam is a small terrier weighing around 18 pounds. He loves giving and receiving affection, playing with his toys, and napping Marie is a calico cat, the runt of her litter and definitely an indoor cat. She was taken in by Jennifer and while sometimes slow to warm up to new people, she’s ultimately a very sweet cat.

We live in a wonderful, new neighborhood in Lake Stevens, WA. It’s around 33 houses and completed development last year. Far enough from bigger cities to enjoy the peace and quiet, but close enough that we can still appreciate the amenities and cultural opportunities such as going to see musicals or orchestras in Seattle.

There are families here from various backgrounds and, when it’s warm, you’ll often hear the sounds of children playing outside. The size of our neighborhood also makes it easy to manage children’s needs as home is only a couple of minutes of walking away. There is a definite sense of community here, we’re close with some of our neighbors and regularly have cookouts or celebrate holidays together. We love spending time not only with them but with their children, including two toddlers.

Our house in particular is well situated near the end of a road that we share with only two other houses. It provides some space for children to play without much worry about passing cars. While our yard may not be the biggest, it still has a decent amount of space and it’s within walking distance of a number of neighborhood and city parks including a dog park and a skate park. We also have family within a 5 minute drive who have a bigger yard when needed. Our house has plenty of space to grow into. We’re in the process of changing a room into a nursery and future bedroom.

We regularly visit with family from coast to coast. We are the Godparents to Jennifer’s cousin’s children. We make great efforts to visit friends and family throughout the year to stay connected. We are making new friends in Washington and love our neighbors. Jennifer has a weekly girls’ night in the neighborhood where they take turns visiting each other’s homes.

One of the many reasons we moved to Washington was to be close to Robson’s parents. We want to ensure our children have family nearby and we are within walking distance of their home. They are in good health and will make excellent grandparents.

Our household is a Korean-Brazilian American family, so we celebrate a variety of holidays from all three cultures. Our favorite holidays are Christmas and Halloween. On Christmas Eve, we open presents and have a feast with Robson’s parents and stay up late. On Halloween, we love to visit haunted houses, dress up in costumes and hand out candy. Another holiday we plan to celebrate with our children is Brazilian “Children’s Day” where children receive a special gift from their parent(s) every year.

Robson and I have big hearts full of love and compassion for children. We are confident that we are able to provide a loving and stable environment for our adopted child/children. We have spent time with our nieces, nephews, and cousins which highlighted how our family is incomplete without children.