Chris & Amanda

Most weekends you will find us attempting home improvement projects, watching sporting events, biking along the beach and seeking out new restaurants. We enjoy going to concerts and trying to become the next top chef at home. We look forward to including our child on these adventures. Our extended family lives close by, a couple times a month we have dinner as a group. While our parents are a plane ride away, they remain a big part of our lives and we do see both sides every couple of months.

We both love the adventure of travel and have incorporated our love of sports by visiting major league ball parks around the US. So far, we have seen 14 stadiums. We love a quick weekend getaway to see the sites California has to offer, most of the time encouraging friends to join us. Our love for travel extends internationally as well. We can’t wait to show our child what the world has to offer.

About Chris by Amanda:

Besides Chris being the reason I can find my car keys every morning, I never put them in the same place twice he will tell you, Chris is always thinking about others and what he can do to help them. I will mention something in passing and three months later he will bring it up and/or find a way to get it done. Kids gravitate towards Chris, he is the fun “uncle” who is willing to get wet from a water balloon or take some whip cream to the face (during a game of pie in the face). He does it with a smile and is looking forward to the next time it can happen again. Chris will be the dad who is there for the good and bad, ready to support a child no matter what, the same way he does me. When I had an opportunity to take a big leap in my career by moving to Seattle, Chris didn’t skip a beat and said take it we will figure this out. I know Chris will be the supporting loving father to our child as he is to me. I can’t wait to see him as a father-it’s going to be wonderful!

About Amanda by Chris:

Amanda is the reason I wake up early every morning (even the weekends) with a smile on my face. She has the ability to assess any situation and light up the room when she needs to and be the supportive rock when it’s called for. I feel as though we’ve grown together in large part because I attempt to emulate how she conducts herself in a loving, structured manner. I couldn’t imagine attempting to raise a child without Amanda by my side and can’t wait to experience all that a family of our own has to offer.

Traditions-:

One tradition we can’t wait to pass on is during the Christmas season. Amanda grew up sharing a sawdust pie with friends and family. The sawdust pie requires each participant buy small gifts, wrap them and then place them into a container full of sawdust. From youngest to oldest we go around and pick the first present you touch-the coveted prize being a deck of cards. The tradition was introduced to Chris and his mom, they loved it so much we’ve brought the tradition into their family celebration.

For Thanksgiving, we spend the week on vacation as a couple, enjoying a new tropical local if possible. We started this tradition when we lived in Seattle with a trip to Hawaii (and an engagement) and have looked forward to this time of year ever since. For us our family includes close friends we’ve made along the way. We include our “extended family” in our holiday celebrations, the more the merrier.

Chris is a native of Southern California. He is an only child but grew up with lots of extended family as his mom is one of 10. Amanda grew up in Colorado where parents and brother still live. While both of our parents live a plane ride away, we see them often throughout the year. Our child will be the first grandchild on both sides of the family, we have two sets of grandparents and one uncle who can’t wait to expand the family.

Friends are a very important part of both of our lives, we’ve shared these lifelong friendships as a couple. Amanda and her sorority sisters spend one weekend a year on a girl’s weekend trip, this tradition has been going on for 18 years. We invite the husbands to join us for weddings and big life celebrations. Chris and Amanda see these friends individually throughout the year. We spend a couple weekends a year with my best friend (we meet in 3rd grade) in Colorado and her family. Her boys are our “nephews” and all parties have a blast when we’re together. Chris’s best friend lives in New York and we make a yearly visit to go see him and his family. Uncle Chris is always the center of attention and everyone is excited to see him. We want our child to create lifelong friendships and will encourage them to foster those relationships throughout their life.

We both have a passion for sports and enjoy watching/playing. You can find us at a stadium watching baseball or football. While Chris is a Dodger fan and Amanda a Rockies fan, we don’t let that ruin a good day at the park. We try to arrange our yearly trip to a ballpark when one of these two teams visit a stadium/city we have not been to. Most weekends you will find us on a bike ride along the coast enjoying the beach and sun. Our golf game is not great but we both enjoy hitting the links. During the pandemic we found the sport of Pickleball and enjoy playing while meeting new friends.

When Chris met Amanda, he didn’t own a passport, that soon changed, and he has a few stamps to show. Travel is always on our mind. We enjoy both a quick weekend getaway and a long vacation overseas. We visit Colorado, Northern California and Seattle to see family/friends every year. Our travels have taken us from Bora Bora to Canada to Kansas we always find a new adventure and love seeing new places. We have a map in our house to record all our trips we’ve taken as a couple. We look forward to including our child on future adventures.

When the weather isn’t great outside, you will find us inside playing a boardgame doing a puzzle or going to the movies. We were introduced to strategic boardgames when we lived in Seattle and our friends visit to play games and catch up. We can’t wait to share some of these passions with our child.

Amanda took after her dad and granddad and went into sales after college. Currently I work for a for winery based out of Santa Barbara, CA as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. I am home office based and have a flexible schedule. The best part about my job is interacting with new people regularly and establishing relationships with my customers. Throughout my years and multiple states in the industry, I have made lifelong friends and have had the opportunity to further my love for wine.

After college, Chris accepted a full-time position at a health insurance company. After a couple of years, and a better idea of how the industry was aligned, I pursued a position at a broker’s office and has been there since 2007. He currently is a Vice President / Account Executive. My job is home based with a flexible schedule. I have developed into an expert in Native American tribes and enterprises and his book of business is exclusively that niche. The best part about my job is that keeping up with a changing marketplace allows me to further strengthen is client and vendor relationships.

Our home is based in Orange County, CA only a couple miles from the beach, which leads to bike path that takes you up and down the coast. The elementary school is a few short blocks from our house. We have a park around the corner from our house which is full of kids playing on the playground daily. Our neighbors are super friendly, you can find most people on our block out front on a Saturday catching up with one another.

Our house has a big front yard ready for a kid to play. We enjoy yard games (cornhole, ladder ball and large connect 4) and throwing water balloons with our young cousins. Our backyard features a pool with a basketball hoop which is where you will find us most weekends and most importantly outdoor shower (for when we return from our adventures at the beach). One of the reasons that we fell in love with our house is that it has ample room for our child as well as a guest room for visiting grandparents (which we anticipate will be used frequently). Our extended family near by has young children who can’t wait to add another member to the club.