I recently had the chance to chat with hopeful adoptive parents Chris and Casey from New Mexico. Before making a decision about adoption, you can speak with several hopeful adoptive parents. Sometimes, it’s nice to just get a bit more info to understand who they are and what they’re about.
I asked Chris and Casey some fun questions that you won’t find in their adoption profile. I learned that they’re an energetic, fun-loving couple who are overjoyed to be able to share their love with another child!
1. If you could only eat one meal the rest of your life, what would it be?
Casey: Brinner!!! Because I don’t ever like eating the same things over and over. With this choice, I have ENDLESS options and combinations! I could have a sweet meal like stuffed French toast with cream cheese icing and fresh strawberries. Or a salty meal that has a kick of spice, like a green chili bacon breakfast burrito (and yes, it must have beans)!
Chris: The more I thought about this question, the more I realized that a good barbecued meal is where it’s at for me. I’m a pretty simple “meat and potatoes” guy when it comes down to it. Give me a few ribs, steak, or some good ole chicken legs, and I am a happy man.
Barbecuing is fast becoming one of my more enjoyable hobbies as well. The preparation, patience, and planning involved to pull off a good recipe for whatever meat you fancy is always worth it in the end…and don’t forget all the fixings either, there are countless to choose from!
2. What is a fun fact about you that usually surprises others to know?
Casey: That I am a second-degree black belt in Tae-Kwan-Do. This is a sport that I fell into, and I am so glad that I did!
This training gave me the self-confidence and awareness that I still draw on today. The skills that I gained in over a decade of training have been unsurpassable in life knowledge skills. I was even blessed to open up a branch dojo and train others in these foundational life skills! Tae-Kwan-Do teaches self-respect, discipline, courage, how to de-escalate situations, teamwork, and self-defense.
3. What is something from your childhood that you want to make sure your child gets to experience?
Chris: The great outdoors! When I was growing up, most of our trips and adventures could be found either on the beach in California or camping/backpacking out in the many mountains and wilderness areas near New Mexico, where I was raised.
The beauty of this world only grows on me the older I get. The hardships of being “uncomfortable” because I was wet, cold, or the ground was hard under my sleeping bag at the moment didn’t always seem worth it. But looking back, I had a blast, and the memories I made over countless adventures are to this day some of the most vivid and rewarding ones I can recall.
Casey: I have to agree with my handsome hubby, the great outdoors! Growing up, my parents did have a sense of adventure that they have instilled in my siblings and l: the urge to see what is around the next bend in a trail. To discover what you can see when you are out in the middle of nowhere, looking up at the gorgeous night sky that is littered with brilliant stars.
Seeking adventure is infectious, and after becoming a mom, I have learned how many ways I can share the love of adventure with all our children. It is often thought of as being found out in the wilderness, amongst the dirt and trees (which I have to say I LOVE), but it is also found in the pages of great books and novels.
We read every day in our house, for school, for pleasure and the thrill of adventure! It is not an understatement to say that we go on adventures every day to far-off places. There are plenty of hikes, camping trips, and stargazing that goes on, but when we can ‘get out,’ we still adventure!
4. You’re stranded on a desert island and can only take 5 movies. What are they?
Chris: I really enjoy sitting down after a long day of work with my beautiful bride and letting my imagination roam in the world of a good movie. However, if I only had to choose a few movies for this deserted island, then I think I’d have to go with the following, in no particular order: The Princess Bride, Remember the Titans, Ocean’s Eleven, Thor Ragnarok, and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I’ll try any movie pretty much, but I tend to drift towards action/comedy movies usually since I really just want to be entertained and enjoy the moment.
5. What did you want to be when you were a kid? Why?
Casey: I wanted to be a chef. I made this dream into a reality. I went to culinary school and graduated with honors. Then I proceeded to become the head baker at a local restaurant while also being the culinary tutor at the institute that I graduated from.
I have enjoyed having these skills and the adventures that went along with acquiring them. Making delicious, eye-catching things and creating new combinations is a staple in our home at dinner time! And let’s not forget dessert! I am far and away a baker to the core, even though I do love to cook!
Chris: From the time I was young, I always wanted to be a veterinarian and work with animals. The joy I have for learning about animals and how diverse and incredibly interesting all of them are has always been part of who I am.
I even began volunteering at a veterinarian clinic for about two years in high school to understand that world and what it would take. Even though I love animals, my entrepreneurial spirit took over as I got into college. My world expanded, it led me into the fields that I currently work in. Despite that, you can regularly find me watching YouTube videos or National Geographic specials with my kids – having as much fun or more than them – soaking up all I can about the animal world around us.
Curious to know more about Chris and Casey? 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.
Linda Rotz, CWCM-S, CWCM-Trainer, ACC, is the Director of Adoption Services at Lifetime. Linda has worked in the field of adoption for 20 years within the child welfare/foster care system in Florida. She has degrees in Mass Communications and Human Development, and completed graduate studies in social work.
Due to her extensive expertise, Linda was called upon to write adoption procedures and training materials in Florida. She is certified as an Adoption Specialist, Child Welfare Case Manager Supervisor and Child Welfare Trainer in the state of Florida.