Hi there! We are Evan and Tehya! Thanks for taking a look at our profile and learning about our family, as well as our hopes and dreams as prospective parents.

We met on an online dating app (as the majority of couples do) in late 2019, and after Tehya played hard to get for the first few months, we quickly realized we had found our perfect match! After one month of dating, in March of 2020, Tehya moved to be closer to Evan (and accidentally rented an apartment a block and a half away from his!). When COVID-19 hit and lockdown kept us confined to our little corner of the world, we found ourselves falling in love in what we affectionately refer to as “The Pressure Cooker” since we were the only person the other saw for the first few months of the pandemic.

We moved in together in early 2021, got engaged in late 2021, bought our house in early 2022, and got married in January of 2023. Throughout the course of our relationship, we have assembled a small army of pets (two dogs, three cats), watched nearly all of our siblings get married and start their own families, and have gone on countless adventures!

We talked about having kids on one of our first dates, and adoption was something we were both extremely passionate about before ever meeting. Now, we know that being an adoption-built family is our greatest dream, and we cannot wait to expand our hearts through an open adoption.

Evan (AKA “Sweet E”) is a mechanical engineer working in an exciting research and development field. Most of his days are spent preparing calculations and creating engineering drawings within a small team that is focused on designing and building complex machines. He is on a flexible schedule that gives him every other Friday off, as well as having the ability to work from home whenever necessary. Even though our home consists of just us and the animals, Evan will not hesitate to drop everything and come home if I need him. He is ever-present in all he does.

Sweet E is also one of the most patient people I have ever known. He has a seemingly unlimited supply of grace when it comes to the people he loves, and even the people he struggles with. He is balanced, calm, and collected, but simultaneously warm, empathetic, and genuine. Evan has a knack for explaining just about anything with ease, and not only does he care about what he says, but the enthusiasm he holds for all information is contagious! I know he will bring his love of fantasy into any child’s life, and therefore will ensure that their childhood is full of magic, wonder, and measured excitement. I further know Evan will be an exceptional father!

Fun Facts:

• Has taken up birding
• His favorite book series is Red Rising 
• Designed a board game for my aunt and uncle
• Has been playing D&D with the same group since 2015
• Has had the same group of friends since first grade, and we see them at least once a year!

Tehya is first and foremost a homemaker, but also a self taught singer, songwriter, and performer. She is also a licensed hair stylist, but left the beauty industry because she wanted to pursue creative endeavors, as well as to become a stay-at-home wife (and someday, mom).

Tehya is a kind, conscientious person who is a relentless pursuer of all her relationships. She has a righteous sense of justice and truth, and is passionate about protecting others. Tehya was diagnosed with Level 1 autism in adulthood, and has spent countless hours learning about autism and how it affects her. Through her studies, she has also gained an understanding of neurodivergency in children, as well as how trauma affects childhood development. I know that her unique combination of empathy, dedication, and security will make her a great mom.

Tehya is always finding ways to add color and fun to ordinary days. One of her favorite things to do is celebrate—she remembers every anniversary and birthday, and is ready to make a banner and blow up some balloons at the drop of a hat. She has surprised me countless times with themed meals, homemade decor, and random cards. Tehya brings an enthusiasm and spontaneity to our home that makes every day feel special for our family.

Fun Facts:

• Finished her most complex crocheting project in 2025, and is eager to start on the next creation
• Has discovered a love for collecting, including stuffed animals and Pokemon cards
• Makes the best homemade rolls
• Has been performing in theatrical productions since she was eight-years-old and is considered a professional actor in our area

Our Home

Our house is a four-bedroom, split-level in the suburbs of Central Virginia and we have made it our mission to pack color and whimsy into every room! We both have eclectic styles, and love all things bright, vintage, and playful while prioritizing safety and comfort. We plant flowers each spring to feed our neighbor’s honeybees, along with other local pollinators!

We have two small dogs, who love to run around in the fenced-in backyard, and who both have “Scrunkly Old Man” energy. Pippin, a miniature Schnauzer, was born in 2019, and is the most adorable, but socially awkward, dog ever. Clyde is a year younger and is a mini Schnauzer-Lhasa Apso mix, the epitome of a lapdog. We also have three cats, each with unique qualities: Baker has a Garfield-level infatuation with baked goods, Myrtle is the most vocal animal on the planet, and Frida is simultaneously skittish and incredibly affectionate.

Our Neighborhood

Even though our home is in a suburban area, there are woods surrounding, and we enjoy spotting birds, deer, and other wildlife nearly every day! Tehya has become familiar with our neighbors' faces, but is on a first-name basis with every dog! 

We live near the elementary, middle, and high schools, and love the barrage of kids getting off the school bus to greet waiting parents. 

Our Community

There are parks, playgrounds, children’s museums, and several theatres. The diverse population ensures a vast number of opportunities to experience music, live performances, and cultures, and family-friendly events happen every weekend!

Our favorite activities include the market with locally-grown produce, the Fourth of July fireworks on the riverfront, and weekly bingo and trivia nights. The area offers scenic drives, hiking trails, and historic locations.

We both come from blended families, and while our parents divorced, they also re-married, surrounding us with large, dynamic families. 

We maintain very positive relationships with Evan’s immediate family, including regular phone calls with his mom and dad. Evan’s sister will give birth to her first daughter in early 2026, and we are delighted at the prospect of long-distance cousins sharing a beautiful bond as they grow.

Tehya’s family lives much closer, with the farthest relatives living within a few hours’ drive. Her mother and sister live in the same town, and her sister has an infant son. We have gotten experience caring for our newborn nephew, and feel comforted that his parents are nearby to answer any of our future parenting questions! Tehya’s extended family gatherings include her toddler half-brother and two other nephews, so needless to say there are plenty of babies to play with!  

All of our parents are ecstatic at our adoption plans. They have expressed excitement, offered support, and, above all else, agreed that our decision to adopt is unsurprising given our very early commitment to establish an adoption-built family. We are looking forward to adding on to existing family traditions and creating new traditions of our own.

We have several traditions within our home that we look forward to engaging in every year. Tehya loves to decorate the house to fit the theme of the season—Halloween pumpkins, the Christmas tree, and springtime florals. We maintain a chalkboard calendar to help organize our lives and it has become something of a ritual to “clean the slate” and prepare together for what’s coming up in our six week lookahead.

We have numerous hobbies between the two of us—both individual and together. We share a passion for the arts (such as spectating and participating in local community theatre productions), we both love games, and we relish the time we get to spend together watching our favorite shows (Survivor and Gilmore Girls are both high on the list). We also love travelling, and our favorite trip (that we cannot wait to someday share with a child!) will forever be Disney World.

Every fall, we take a day trip to the Carolina Renaissance Festival, and this is a tradition we cannot wait to share with a future family member! Events there include jousting, various shows of the educational, comedic, and musical varieties, and (best of all!) amazing costumes from hundreds of people who love the fantastical just as much as we do!

Individually, Evan enjoys creating, playing, and running tabletop role playing games, reading, writing, and engaging in any one of dozens of in-progress creative projects. Tehya’s hobbies include performing, singing, songwriting, and crocheting, and she has discovered a love for collecting Pokémon cards.

Thank you so much for taking the time to review our profile and for considering what we recognize as a complex decision for you and the child. Our hearts are simultaneously hopeful and heavy as we begin to realize our dream of becoming adoptive parents, and our promise to you is that we will give the child every possible thing that we can—love and acceptance, a large extended family who cannot wait to meet them, a wonderful, uplifting community, and every opportunity to pursue education, travel, and life experiences.

We are committed to respecting whichever level of openness you prefer in adoption, and are hopeful to create a loving relationship with you as part of our family. The child will always know who you are, where they came from, and how loved they have been from the very beginning by all parties involved in their life.

We are sending you all our love and prayers as you navigate what choice is best for you and the child, and wish you and sweet baby all the best.