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I stayed in Missoula, worked at Sears, went back to school and obtained a Paralegal Degree. I got bored with Missoula and decided it was time to move on. I moved out to Portland in 94. I met Karen later that year and in 95 we got married.
We started having kids right away as neither one of us wanted to wait. On our first date I told Karen I wanted a large family, which she was in agreement. We talked about adopting a child from a different country, but each time we started to pursue that Karen was pregnant. In 2006 we were approached by Karen's brother and his wife who were pregnant and were not going to be able to raise the baby, it wasn't hard for us to say yes and Hope joined us in 2007. Truly the greatest gift I have ever been given is being a husband and father.
The other part to our family and really what Karen and I live for is opening our home up to those who are in need of a place to stay. For the last 3 years we've had college-age exchange students live with us. Currently we have Hani who is from Saudi Arabia and has been with us the longest, he will be with us for another 4 years until he completes his degree. In the spring of 2008 we decided to start doing Foster Care with the intent of having another boy live with us. We have 1 little boy currently living with us named Joeseph.
Since moving to Portland I have been involved in Social Work in some kind of capacity. I developed and implemented a program for Developmentally Disabled Adults who suffered from Autism and Severe Behavioral Disorders. I set up on the program on a farm and utilized animals as therapy. I moved on from there and went to work with Adults who suffer from chronic and persistent mental illness.
I am able to work Monday through Thursday so I can have Fridays off and spend it with my kids at school. I work as a Parent Volunteer on various projects the teachers need me to. It has definitely been a great experience for me.
Our family is actively involved in our church. I was fortunate to have the experience of being a High School Youth Pastor for a few years. I got to work with some very difficult inner city kids that really opened my eyes to what kids from broken families deal with and the importance of being involved in my own kids lives. I work closely with men from different walks of life and have been running some FMO groups for the last couple of years. These groups are set up for men who struggle with sexual integrity and need accountability in that area of their life. I also enjoy planning and running men's retreats, breakfasts and other events. I also have been able to conduct some fathering son's classed and helping dad's to be better fathers.
My wife is truly an amazing woman and I don't deserve her by any means. She is a full-time mom and wife. God definitely put us together for a reason and as the years go by I am able to look back and catch glimpses of why. I never imagined in my life I would find someone who would love me for me and yet I am so lucky to be able to spend my life with her. In all that she does she is still able to have her own catering business and by the way, she has the best cinnamon rolls you will ever taste.
We spend the majority of our time entertaining, cooking dinners for friends and co-workers and enjoying being a family. Our kids love camping and so we try and go as much as we can during the summer, that or spend time at the beach house on the Oregon Coast. Most of the time our home is open to everyone.
Life has been a great experience and I don't have much to complain about, nor should I. God has blessed me beyond measure and it's more than I deserve or could even begin to fathom. In the 20 years since leaving high school my life has gone in directions I never imagined at the time, but overall I would say I am right where I am supposed to be and doing the things I was meant to do.
