Kevin & Kellie
We met in the northeast of England at a barbeque hosted by a mutual friend in the summer of 2007 and have been together ever since. Both of us knew that we had found the person we wanted to go through the peaks and valleys of life with. We moved from London, England to Indianapolis in 2014. Kevin is an HVAC Service Technician Apprentice with a background in carpentry, so he is a very handy guy. Kellie is a scientist and proud to be a nerd. Dealing with medical issues including endometriosis and infertility has made our relationship even stronger. We love going to concerts together and exploring Indianapolis restaurants, museums, parks, and shopping. We have also enjoyed traveling together to places such as Rome, Paris, Athens, Dublin, Cancun, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Gulf Shores. We hope that you are interested in learning more about us because we can’t wait to get to know you!
MEET KEVIN (BY KELLIE)
Kevin is a caring, cheeky, clever, loyal, hard-working man. Making people laugh comes naturally to him. One of the many reasons I love him is that I have always seen that he will be a great dad. He is bursting at the seams to kick the soccer ball around with a child, read books with them, and give lots of hugs. He’s a wonderful uncle to our nephew. Although he will always consider himself British, he is looking forward to gaining his American citizenship so that he can vote! Kevin is a very supportive husband and a great listener. He might seem (rightly so) like he is tough and masculine, but I also know his soft side: the tender playful side with a heart of gold that loves cats, especially our kitties Faustino and Miss Elizabeth.
MEET KELLIE (BY KEVIN)
Kellie is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her gentle, caring nature. I love her selflessness which shows when she gives her spare time to help others by tutoring kids and helping with homework at the Julian Center or fundraising for charity. Kellie has always wanted to be a mom, and I can see her being an amazing one. When she dotes on our nephew, I can see her tenderness and the joy she takes in being with children. She is super smart and driven. When she sets her mind to do a task she does not rest until it is done. The list of things I love about Kellie is endless but the most important is how she cares about helping other people. That shows in her work as a scientist, in her spare time and everything in between. She is someone who would offer you her umbrella on a rainy day and go get soaked herself. The world is a better place with Kellie in it.
OUR HOME
We live in Indianapolis on 1 acre in a diverse neighborhood near good schools, parks, shopping, and entertainment. There is a good mix of young families and retired couples. Our house was built in 1965 and it is made for family, which is why we chose it to be our home! With 5 bedrooms, there is plenty of space for the baby’s bedroom and a guest room for our family whenever they come to visit. Currently one bedroom is set up as a home gym, and another is a home office, which Kellie uses occasionally to work from home instead of commuting to work. There is a swimming pool in the back yard where we spend all of our free time in the summer, and we have lots of extra green space to run around and kick the soccer ball. There is a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and making S’mores. We have a basketball goal along the driveway where we can practice shooting hoops.
Inside the split-level and open plan layout allow the whole family to be in view from the kitchen, dining room, living room, sunroom, and family room on the first floor. We enjoy 2 fireplaces in the wintertime, especially when we can be surrounded by the warm twinkling glow of lights on the Christmas tree inside and on the house and trees outside.
OUR KITTY CATS
We adopted 2 cats from our friends who live on a farm. Faustino was the first one we brought home on New Year’s Eve. He is named after one of Kevin’s favorite football players Faustino Asprilla from Colombia. He’s also named after one of Kevin’s favorite Spanish wines. In September of the next year we brought home Miss Elizabeth, who is named after the manager and wife of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. They love to sunbathe in their cat tree in the sun room with the windows open, smell the fresh air, hear the birds chirp, and stalk the squirrels scampering around the garden.
OUR IDEAS ON PARENTING
Balance is the key to our parenting philosophy. We will encourage our child to be independent, generous, work hard, and equally we will ensure that they enjoy their childhood. We want them to have ample time to play, be creative, develop their talents, and do the things that they love. We want them to experience the real world and nature, not just staring at computer screens and iPads for hours on end. We want to teach our child to be kind and to work to make the world a better place. We see ourselves as global citizens, and we want to inspire a thirst for knowledge and appreciation of diverse cultures.
OUR EXTENDED FAMILY
Kevin has a big family who all live in Newcastle in England. We keep in touch with them regularly on WhatsApp and Skype.
Kellie’s mom, dad, and 98-year-old grandmother still live in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Her sister, brother-in-law, and nephew live in Atlanta, Georgia, and we traditionally spend Thanksgiving with them. It’s part cooking and feasting, part riding four-wheelers and making target practice on the farm in Kentucky. We spend the time between Christmas and New Year with Kellie’s parents and grandmother in Memphis. We are also close with Kellie’s cousins who live in Knoxville, TN and Raleigh, NC. The whole extended family gathers throughout the year for birthdays and special occasions.
In Indianapolis, we have a network of close supportive friends that we have made through work and volunteering in the community. We have dinners with our friends, in their homes or ours. We love to play games or sing karaoke with our friends. This diverse network of friends and family all support us in the journey to grow our family and are excited to see us welcome a baby into our family.
We are an open book and welcome any questions that you have. We would love to know you as well!
- I love football, which Kellie and Americans would call soccer. I am a faithful supporter of Newcastle United, when they are on a winning streak or when they are relegated to lower leagues.
- I love wrestling, whether it is WWE, Japanese, Luchadore or British. Some of my favorite wrestlers include Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Seth Rollins, and AJ Styles. I was like a kid in a candy store both times I got to go to Wrestlemania. And I’ve even been known to wear a wrestling costume when I’m watching Wrestlemania at home.
- Weightlifting and fitness is one of my favorite hobbies. I’ve enjoyed putting together a home gym and working out to keep myself strong for my job and to be a fit and energetic role model.
- Listening to live music is another of my favorite pastimes. My tastes are varied and eclectic. Some of my favorites include Metallica, Andrea Bocelli, Fleetwood Mac, Bruno Mars, Zac Brown Band, Elton John, Billy Joel, Camila Cabello, Rob Zombie, Motorhead, Megadeath, Girls Aloud, Ray LaMontagne, Merle Haggard.
- I am handy around the house. Last summer I repaired our air conditioner for $6. I also laid a tile floor in our family room. There are always little things to be done around the house and troubleshooting and making repairs comes naturally to me.
- I love to take photographs (#selfie), but so far, it’s just with my cell phone. When we become parents, I’d like to invest in a nice camera to take good quality pictures to document the milestones and everyday life of our family.
- I can sew. I’ve made wrestling costumes to wear while watching Wrestlemania.
- My favorite American holiday is Thanksgiving. I love a roasted turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce. It’s one of the many reasons I’m so glad I found Kellie and we got to make our home in America.
- Monopoly is my favorite board game. I have a secret strategy that Kellie has always wanted me to teach her. It’s about the only secret that I won’t share with her. I plan to pass it down to our children, so that they can always win against their mom, but they will have to promise to keep the secret.
- I like to cook anything from chili or spaghetti Bolognese to grilling steak or baking birthday cakes for Kellie.
- I love to make candy at Christmas time. Ever since I was a little girl, my grandmother and I would make almond crunch, otherwise known as English Toffee, to give as Christmas gifts to family and friends. It wouldn’t be Christmas without this special treat!
- U2 is one of my favorite bands. I have been to 5 of their concerts in 3 countries.
- I love the water. My parents put me in swimming lessons when I was 22 months old, and I’ve been a water bug ever since. It doesn’t matter if it’s a swimming pool, ocean, river, or lake. Being in or near the water makes me extraordinarily happy. This filters in to my favorite colors, which are blues and greens that remind me of water. Growing up one of my dreams was to have my own swimming pool. Now I am so grateful to have a home with a pool in the backyard where we spend all of our spare time in the summer.
- I learned the English dialect Geordie, which is spoken in Newcastle, when I lived there. Kevin and I still use it in our regular communication. For example, we greet each other with “Alreet?!” Which means “Hello, are you doing alright?”
- When I was in high school, I won the map reading competition in Science Olympiad.
- I love to travel, experience different cultures and especially food! Barcelona is one of my favorite places to visit because of the excellent food, wine, beach, history, art, and architecture all on in one city.
- I love going to the movies. Steel Magnolias and Top Gun are 2 classic favorites. Some of my favorite movies from the past year include Lady Bird, Black Panther, and The Shape of Water.
- I like to volunteer in the community for organizations like School on Wheels and Art with a Heart. I've also run 3 half-marathons to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
- I like watching medical dramas, including ER, Grey's Anatomy, House, The Good Doctor, and The Resident.
- I am honored to be the godmother of 4 children: Zac, Joey, Maya, and Jai.
