Michelle and Roger
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Last Activity: 2 days ago
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Who We Are
Our family began in August 2010. Roger and I had known each other for a whopping 5 months before we decided to tie the knot. We were both going to school and working full time. We wasted no time trying to start our family. Roger went to school for robotics and electrical technology and Michelle was studying Deaf Culture and Music Education. During the first few years of their marriage, Roger worked in jobs involving electronics and computer programming while I worked with children with special needs.
After 5 years of trying to grow our family through IVF, IUI's, and every other way available to us, we dipped our toe into the amazing world of adoption. We were contacted by Jackson's birth family in March 2015 and three weeks later, he was here! He was perfect in every way and we formed a bond with our new family. After 4 years, we wanted to adopt again. Jackson's birth Aunt knew of a friend from high school who was looking to place for adoption which is how we got in contact with our two girls. Kennedy was Born in January of 2019. Then when Kennedy was 6 months old we got news of a surprise sister that would be due the following May! Thus formed our little family.
We keep in close contact with our birth families. We feel strongly about having a relationship with those that have a positive and supportive role in our children's lives. Since both families live relatively close to us (1 hr and 30 min drive away), we try to get together for birthday's, holidays, and special events.
I am often asked about having an open adoption and what that is like for us. For us, it has been an amazing experience. I like to compare it to having in-laws. My husband's family is my own, but they are not blood. Sure there can be bad relationships between in-laws...I've never experienced that. We've had amazing relationships with each other's families (who all live within 2 hours of us). It has been the same with our birth families. They are the family of our kids, thus they are our family too. There can never be too much love and support for a child, no matter where it comes from. Not only that, but there is no one in the world that will love my kids more than the birth families. Especially from the birth moms. If I take a picture of some stupid thing my kid is doing, no one else is going to think it is as cute as I do more than their birth mom. Not to mention grandparents. No one, NO ONE, can have too many grand parents. We have 5 involved grandma's, 2 grandpas, 1 pop pop that will always be remembered, and a great grandma. That is not to mention our birth aunts, uncles and cousins! We would love to continue with having open relationships with our future birth families.
Since our family has grown, we have both gotten our degrees and got ourselves some grown up jobs! Roger currently is working for a tech company as a data integration developer and I am mostly a stay at home mom for the most part. I do teach local kids music lessons in piano, cello, violin and viola. We are active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jackson is involved with Kenpo, Swimming, and Gymnastics. The girls love to do online preschool, preschool playgroups, swimming, and Gymnastics. We keep busy but find it very important to have down time every day to play and spend time together. We aren't perfect, but our home is filled with love.
Adoption Diary
A little about our kids
Jackson-age 8-
Jackson has to be the best kid in the world. He is 8 years old and has more energy than anyone I’ve ever met. He is caring, kind, and crazy. Something that he loves more than anything is to make people laugh. He just lights up when he has found that his silly antics has made someone giggle. He loves Pikachu….like seriously. LOVES Pikachu. Everything he has had the opportunity to name…it’s name is Pikachu. His favorite color is yellow…because Pikachu. His room is decorated in Pikachu’s. Mind you…not Pokemon. Just Pikachu. He does love Pokemon, but only Pikachu matters. He has an impressive impression of Pikachu that you only get to see if you are lucky.
Jackson has high functioning Autism. He is in a mainstream classroom and does very well with just a bit of help. Some activities don’t come naturally to him as it does others. But when Jackson learns it, he takes off like a rocket. We do everything we can to give him opportunities to learn and grow.
Because he struggles with gross motor skills, we involve him in a lot of physical activity. If he doesn’t like it, we don’t push it (baseball was a bust). This kid LOVES to swim. It’s a good thing that Grandma and Grandpa have a pool 20 minutes away! He spends more time underwater than above it. Jackson also goes to Kenpo class (Japanese martial arts) and gymnastics to help him learn how to move his body.
Jackson is obsessed with Halloween (he gets that from his birth mom). He has loved pumpkins since he was a baby. Now, that is the only thing we really grow in the garden. We have convinced him this year to leave the pumpkins on the porch in the cold so they won’t rot as easily instead of sleeping with them in his bed every night. One of our favorite activities is to go to the pumpkin patches, pumpkin walk in town, and getting ready for Halloween. Hopefully this year, there won’t be any tears when it is over.
Kennedy-age 4-
Kennedy is kind, sweet, and sensitive. She is a listener and an observer. She loves to play with Jackson and Madi. Even though she is on the shy side, when she dances, you can get glimpses into her soul. She loves ballet, dance, music, and loves to play pretend. She has many friends in the neighborhood, in her preschool group, and cousins. She loves her grandmas and loves birth mama. We love to marco polo each other. Her and Madi love to dress up, pretend to do Dad’s non-existing hair, and do mom’s make up. She knows all the words to her favorite songs and makes up dances to them.
Madison-age3-
Madi has the sass of a thousand suns. It’s a good thing she has a heart of gold or we would be in trouble! Madi loves princesses, music, dancing, her siblings, playing pretend and watermelons. She loves being in gymnastics and her preschool playgroup. She follows her sister everywhere. But don’t think for a moment that she hides in her sister’s shadow because she makes sure she is seen!
Molly -Our dog-
Molly is an Old English Sheepdog. She is 9 years old. She is a good pup.
Messages from family and friends
As one of the five grandmas of the Spencer family (I’m Roger’s mom), I can attest to the incredible love and support that abounds in Roger and Michelle’s home, and as these sweet little ones, Jackson, Kennedy and Madi have come into our lives, they have each brought an overwhelming love with them. I am so very grateful for the birth families, especially the birth moms for the tremendous courage and love for their children. They wanted what was best for these precious ones and placing them in the Spencer’s loving home has not only brought the children into our lives, but the birth families as well. They are all part of our family now.
I have known Michelle for 14 years and if I could use one word to describe her it would be, FUN! She has the ability to make an ordinary day more enjoyable and regular boring routine things more exciting. She has brought this gift into her life as a mother and her home is filled with joy. She loves her children dearly and would do anything for them. She is willing to put in the time and effort to understand and help her children excel. Any child would be lucky to be a part of the Spencer home.
My name is John. I am Michelle’s brother. I encourage you to seriously consider Michelle and Roger for your adoption. They have been wonderful parents to their kids. We see their home as a safe and loving place.
Michelle and Roger’s decision to adopt Jackson, Madison, and Kennedy was a transformative chapter in their lives, one that overflowed with love and joy. As a couple, they opened their hearts and home to these three remarkable children, each with their unique backgrounds and personalities. The journey was not without its challenges, but the love that blossomed within their family was unparalleled. The laughter, the shared dreams, and the support they found in one another created an unbreakable bond. The children brought a kaleidoscope of new experiences, perspectives, and traditions into their home, enriching their lives in ways they could have never imagined. Through this extraordinary act of love and compassion, Michelle and Roger not only changed the lives of Jackson, Madison, and Kennedy but also discovered the profound truth that family is about the connections we nurture, the love we share, and the beautiful differences that make us stronger together. -Roger’s Sister
I’m Michelle’s brother, and I have had the joy of watching them adopt three beautiful kids. Each child has had such a unique personality as well as challenges, and Michelle and Roger have gone above and beyond to make every one of their kids feel special and at home. They are always inviting to all that enter their home, and will do anything for anyone in need. I’ve watched their family grow from two college kids to a strong family of 5, and I firmly believe a family of 6 would be perfect!