Meet the Families

Matthew is the oldest of six, including the youngest two who came to his family through adoption. He grew up in New England, not far from Boston. He spent the first 15 years of his professional life coaching youth sports, which was most impactful because of the many young people he had the opportunity to mentor and support. In 2016, he went back to school to pursue a graduate degree to become a therapist and now he works with student-athletes at the college level. Both as a coach and, now, as a therapist he has devoted himself to helping other people’s children and cannot wait to have the chance to be a father himself.  Matthew loves to spend time outside, wandering through the mountains on a hike or mountain bike ride. Growing up in New England gave him a love for all four seasons, especially winter, and skiing is one of his favorite things. He also appreciates the analog way of life and enjoys listening to vinyl records and cassette tapes as well as reading newspapers, magazines, and novels. Sports have always been a family pastime, thanks to his dad, and he loves catching a game as often as possible. 

Malarie is the older of two girls from a tight-knit family that was always on the move. Moving frequently across the Southeast allowed her to experience all kinds of different communities. Her dry and subtle humor serves her well, balanced with a deep desire to feel connected with those around her. Although occasionally described as a little shy or quiet, her skill for building relationships was a great asset for her years working as a professional nanny.  She didn’t just make sure the kiddos stayed out of trouble — she became a cherished part of the families she supported, helping their kids learn and grow. Now working as a dietitian in human services, Malarie helps adults with severe mental health conditions and developmental disabilities. This work has deepened her empathy, teaching her about the incredible diversity of life experiences, and has given her a more profound way of thinking about her future family. 

Spending much of her time in Florida as a child, Malarie enjoys visiting the beach and fishing in the summer any chance she gets. After meeting Matthew in her 20’s she was introduced to skiing and quickly fell in love with the sport. On their weekends home in Boston, she enjoys walking around the neighborhood with Matthew and Mookie. The aquarium is one of her favorite spots in the city and she hopes to always live near the ocean. Malarie also enjoys reading  fiction and swapping books with her sister-in-laws, finding reads she would not have chosen for herself. 

We are so excited to share our interests and adventures with our future child. We cannot wait to show them the wonders of the world around them, and help them to explore it. We are excited to create a library for our child and have many books from our own childhoods to pass down, like The Velveteen Rabbit, Love You Forever, The Rainbow Fish, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and (later) the Magic Treehouse series. We are excited to discover what our child’s favorite books are, what foods they like, and what activities they choose to try. We will provide our child with opportunities to try many different things and will support them as they confidently forge their own path, knowing we are behind them every step of the way.

We enjoy the vibrant culture of our community and the endless local restaurants and shops. We frequently attend Mass at a church across the street from our apartment. When we are ready for a change of pace, we enjoy camping, going to the beach, skiing, hiking, fishing, and all things outdoors. We find restoration in spending time with family and experiencing the beauty of the outdoors together.

Matthew’s family lives nearby and we get to see them quite often. We have four nieces and nephews, ranging in age from six to thirteen years old.

Malarie’s family lives in Texas and we visit them every year for rotating holidays and sneak in an extra visit whenever we can. Malarie’s grandmother usually visits for a couple weeks each year and her parents enjoy regular visits as well. Malarie has one sister who also lives in Texas, not far from their parents.

We both enjoy the flexibility to work from home at times, allowing us to sneak away to the mountains or the beach. We each find our work incredibly rewarding and also appreciate time away from work. We are a sports family and love to cheer on the C’s at home as much as possible!