Raquel & Toby In Washington

We met in college. One of Toby's teammates was Raquel's roommate, and she helped unite us. Toby was on the track team and Raquel played tennis. The track and tennis courts were right next to each other, so we saw one another every day. We were serious athletes, and after graduation we pursued professional sports.

We have traveled the world together, learning different cultures, exploring and experiencing some of our favorite things...good food!
Our biggest strength as a couple is our communication. It has come easy to us because we are best friends and try to enjoy every moment together.

Toby lived in Nigeria for 7 years pursuing a business. His parents emigrated to Canada from Nigeria in the 1970s, so he has always had a strong connection to Nigeria.

Dominic is our 3 year old son. He is active, energetic and affectionate. He learns very quickly and picks up new words every day. He is becoming a better sleeper and a more adventurous eater. He watches tennis quite a bit, due to Raquel's job, so he is swinging a racquet a lot and seems to love it. He also watches soccer with Toby. Dominic is very well liked at school. Ever since he first went to daycare, he has always loved being around other kids. As a big brother, Dominic will be very affectionate. He likes to give hugs and kisses to his family and friends.

When we have some free time, we will be outdoors, taking hiking trips or hanging with family. We are always searching for a place for Dominic to burn off his energy. That includes, the trampoline center, the playground or the water park.

We live in a small town, which makes it a quiet, safe place to live. We live near an elementary school and are able to walk often to the playground. We have a nice backyard space to play, and have BBQ's during the summer. We have a beautiful view of the Palouse hills which we are able to admire from inside and outside the house. We also live down the street from a swimming pool, so have been able to teach Dominic to swim frequently. Our house is filled with toys, balls and books.

We are both close with our immediate and extended families. Raquel has two sisters, and Toby has two sisters and a brother. Even though they are all spread out over the USA and Canada, they make time several times a year to meet up. Raquel's sister, Renee, adopted two children. When we lived nearby, we were able to play a huge role in the lives of our niece and nephew. Those two kids have a special place in our hearts. We even traveled with Renee to meet the birth parents on several different occasions.

We are also close with Toby's brother's children. They have two kids, living in Vancouver, and they meet up each summer for the cousins to play. We also get several visits each year from each of our mother's and Tobys dad, so Grandma's and Grandpa are in town pretty regularly

Our free time includes travel, outdoor activities, family and exercise. Since we both grew up as serious athletes, there is an appreciation for how sport has positively affected our lives. We will always value exercise, and the health that it brings to our lives. Toby has maintained a friend group from his college track team, and they meet up once a year for an activity. This year they will go to the NCAA Track Championships. Typically, Raquel's family is either traveling to her, or Raquel and Toby travel to them. So, time together includes cooking, exercising and the kids playing.

We had our 3 yr old son through IVF and have always wanted more children. We can no longer have kids naturally and adoption is very close to our hearts. Raquel's sister and cousin have both adopted 2 children each. We have been deeply connected to the adoption process and have seen the blessing it has been for our family. We both have siblings, and that relationship is special, so to raise children as siblings would be a dream come true.