I recently had the opportunity to chat with hopeful adoptive parents Tyler and Kristen from Wisconsin. I asked them some fun questions that you won’t find in their adoption profile, and I learned that they are a loving Christian couple who are so excited to grow their family through adoption again!
As they put it, “Open adoption is already a part of our family, and we cherish the connection we have with our son’s birth mother. If you’d like, we are open to keeping in touch with you too, through pictures, letters, and visits.”
1. What is your favorite thing to cook or eat?
Kristen: I LOVE to cook and bake! Cooking/baking is relaxing to me, and I enjoy cooking healthy meals for our family. I really enjoy taking recipes and then making them my own (to make them healthier or more flavorful)!
Some of my favorite things to cook are breakfast casseroles and sandwiches, stuffed shells, marinated and grilled chicken or steak, and homemade pizza! A lot of the recipes are recipes that I’ve made my own!
Tyler: My inner child would say, “Pizza, 100% Pizza!” Coincidentally, my inner adult would agree. Pizza for the WIN!
2. As parents, what is something specific you want to teach your child?
We think it’s important for our child to have good manners – always say “please” and “thank you” and be kind and courteous to others. Since Noah could talk, we ensured he always said “please” and “thank you,” and we will do the same for our next child.
We teach by setting a positive example and being good role models both in and outside the home. Teaching good manners and having a kind heart ensures a child has compassion and empathy for others, but that the child can also play well and connect with both children and adults.
3. What is something you are naturally talented with?
Kristen: I am musically inclined – I have played the piano since grade school, but I can also remember the lyrics to almost all songs. Whether it was a song before I was born, 90’s boy bands, hits from high school and college, or music from today – I will somehow know 99% of the words! And I will definitely sing them when no one’s around. 🙂
Tyler: I’m not sure if I’d consider myself “talented” per se, but I enjoy figuring out how things work. The natural everyday continuation of this fascination seems to be handy work.
I find myself looking at our home and pondering…”Could I replace that floor?” or “could I build a shelf.” Some projects take longer than others, but I’ve found that if I ask a “could I do xyz?” question, eventually, I end up doing it. Results may vary, but learning something new is just as much fun as enjoying the end result.
4. What was your first job? Did you like it?
Kristen: I got my first job at 16 and worked at a local grocery store’s bakery department. I loved it – I love chocolate and baking – so that helps! The early mornings – starting at 5 am – were the downside, but I learned so much about how a store is run and inventory.
Tyler: I worked at a local bakery and coffee shop in high school (but not the same one as Kristen!). I enjoyed learning to make “fancy” coffee even though I don’t drink it myself. I also was a soccer referee and loved helping younger kids learn and enjoy soccer as much as I did.
5. Is adoption a part of your family?
Yes! We are so blessed to have adopted our son, Noah, at birth, in April 2019. Noah was born prematurely at 32 weeks and spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We were with him all day, every day for the two months he was in the NICU.
He was the best travel buddy on our 24-hour (split up over three days) car ride back home! We have an open adoption with his birth mother and communicate through pictures/letters/and emails both formally (every six months) and informally (through email, as we have important updates). We introduced adoption to Noah very early, and he knows that he has a birth mother that chose us and that she loves him.
Curious to know more about Tyler and Kristen?
You can view their adoptive family profile online.
If you’re interested in talking to them as potential adoptive parents to your baby, just text or call Lifetime at
1-800-923-6784 and we can connect you with them.
As the Vice President (VP) of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
