Traditional Letter About Us


Dear Expectant Parents,
 
We're thrilled that you stumbled upon our profile page. We are hoping to adopt and we love sharing our adoption story and teaching others about the blessings of adoption. As you look through our page, we hope that you get some sense of who we are and our interests and how adoption has blessed our lives. We encourage you to contact us directly to learn more about adoption in general, our adoption story or to consider us as part of your future family. Or you are welcome to get in touch with our Caseworker Tawnia Singleton, LMFC ; she would be happy to tell you more about us and about the services that LDS Family Services can offer (including free counseling services for expectant parents).  We would love to hear from you and wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors.  Below is some additional info about us and our family.

A bit about Larissa (written by Casey):
Larissa grew up in the Great Northwest, in Oregon. While living there she became an avid lover of the outdoors and the beautiful area where she grew up. She comes from a family of four and has two brothers and one sister. Her parents have been married for over 25 years. Larissa’s parents are well educated and have a knack for intellectuality. Her father has studied English and business. He served in the Military and returned to pursue a career with the State of Oregon. Her mother is currently studying entrepreneurship and working on starting her own business, while working as a behavior specialist at a middle school. Larissa’s parents are active members of the LDS Church and enjoy working in the Portland Temple regularly. At the age of seventeen, Larissa moved away from her family to pursue higher education. While attending BYU Idaho, she received her Associates Degree in Social Science. She then transferred to Brigham Young University where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. After working with teenagers in a residential home, she started the Masters of Social Work program at the University of Utah, from which she graduated with honors. She then spent several years working as a child therapist. Currently, she works part-time with LDS Family Services both providing counseling and adoption services.  She particularly enjoys her role as a mental health therapist for young children and their parents. Larissa's talents include working with other people, quick learning skills, speaking Spanish, openness to other cultures, and a compassionate and sensitive personality. She enjoys foreign travel, reading fictional novels, impressionist art, backpacking, hiking, sleeping in, and spending time with her extended family. She has a talent for understanding and helping all types of people to become better. Larissa is a great mother and she has a great talent of working with and serving others. I love spending time with her. Her personality is a perfect match with mine. I can't imagine a better partner and friend.

A bit about Casey (written by Larissa):
Casey has spent most of his childhood in different communities throughout Utah. He was born in Salt Lake City, shortly after his birth, his family moved to Orangeville in Central Utah. His family moved around to support Casey’s father in receiving his various degrees from BYU and University of Utah. After living in Kentucky for a year and receiving his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from BYU, Casey’s father and family settled down in Springville, Utah for a few years. Casey left for his mission in Spain, and two years returned to a new home in Park City. Casey has always loved cultural studies and graduated with his degree in Humanities from BYU. In 2007, Casey completed his graduate degree in Art History from the University of Utah.  In 2011, Casey graduated from the TMMBA Program at the University of Washington from the Foster School of Business.  Casey enjoys entrepreneurship, learning, watching movies, gardening, reading informational books, researching Art History and studying other cultures. He loves rock climbing, hiking, biking, mountaineering, skiing, and virtually any active outdoor high adventure sport. He also loves to travel and experience foreign cultures. He has traveled to over 26 countries and 6 continents. One of his favorite places to visit is Northern Thailand. His family is of utmost importance in his life and we spend many weekends on trips with his brothers and sisters. Casey has also been very involved in the Scouting program. While living in Jackson Hole he was Scoutmaster, and was honored as Scout Master of the Year. He has many talents including singing, guitar playing, leadership skills, and an ability to always have fun. He is fun to spend time with and a great companion.


A bit about Dylan:
On August 30 2005, our family was blessed through adoption and Dylan joined our family with our son Dylan. We met Dylan’s birthmother through LDS Family Services in Salt Lake City, UT and shortly after he was born we moved to the Seattle Area. Dylan has added an entirely new dimension to our family. He is a ball of energy with the sweetest personality. Dylan loves to talk, and he can make friends with anyone. He enjoys playing with us and spending time with friends. He especially loves outdoor activities (including camping and hiking), swimming (anywhere anytime but especially at the beach), and playing in the park. He is really into Indiana Jones and now has a dog named Indy.  Dylan is seven-years-old and has already had a busy, fun life. He has been traveling since he was 5-weeks-old and has been many places including Germany, Canada, Hawaii, Thailand, Mexico, Croatia, etc. and many states in the US.  He would love to have a brother or sister with whom he could play and share his love.

As a family we all get along very well. Larissa is very calm and steady which goes well with Casey’s passion and romantic ideals, Dylan adds energy and an outgoing personality. Our personalities complement each other and make our family a perfect match.  We enjoy being together and share many of the same interests. As our relationships continually change and improve, we hope that our family can also grow and progress. We know that through adoption we can expand our family and further our relationships. If you place your child in our care, we will create an environment of love, creativity, learning, and one centered on the family which will include you. We will dedicate our lives and talents in raising a child with eternal perspectives and goals. We will teach correct values by setting good examples and continually teaching gospel principles. Adoption has been a special and important experience for our family. We are a loving family and will welcome you into our lives. We offer you all of our love and support as you make this difficult personal decision.  Check out our blog (http://roadtrippinwithmyfavoriteallies.blogspot.com) to get to know us a bit more and feel free to contact us by email at CaseyAndLarissa@gmail.com. We’d love to set up a time to visit and get to know one another. 

Sincerely,

Casey, Larissa and Dylan