Occupation 

Doctor

Education

Doctor of Medicine

Hobby

Planting apple trees, woodworking & baking

Favorite Family Activity

Boating & watching movies

Favorite Food

Cajun

Favorite TV Show

Top Gear

Favorite Place to Vacation

London

Occupation 

Teaching Assistant

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Hobby

Hiking, exercising, and curling

Favorite Family Activity

Biking

Favorite Food

Indian

Favorite TV Show

Scrubs

Favorite Place to Vacation

Mexico City

Our Story

Carl and I first met at a Denny’s when I was 18 and he was 22. I was sitting at the counter reading a book, and he was playing Magic: The Gathering. After he finished, we started chatting and hit it off right away. He eventually invited me to his family’s cabin by the river, where our first dates were spent in a hammock under the stars.

From then on, we were inseparable, spending most of our time at the cabin swimming, canoeing, watching sunsets, and sitting on the dock under the stars. We also loved going to the movies, watching every film playing, and grabbing Applebee's appetizers afterward.

Five years later, for Christmas, Carl surprised me with a trip to the Dominican Republic. I was completely shocked—he had even arranged time off from my job without me knowing. One night, while walking along the beach, he proposed under the stars. We married a year and a half later, and now, 11 years into our marriage, I couldn’t be more grateful to have such an incredible partner to share my life with.

Svea is an incredibly sweet and adventurous 9-year-old. She enjoys arts and crafts, Girl Scouts, and playing the piano. She also plays soccer and competes in Ninja, an obstacle course event similar to American Ninja Warrior. Last year, she qualified for Ninja Worlds, and we traveled to Florida for the competition. She finished the year ranked 70th in the world for her age. Svea has a vivid imagination and loves to play pretend with her friends. She has lots of energy and is known for breaking into dance at any time of the day. She loves laughing and making up jokes, even if they rarely make sense. Svea is very loving and CANNOT wait to be a big sister and talks about it with anyone who will listen!

Our Home

Our home is located in a beautiful neighborhood in a thriving city. It’s a 3,500 sq ft two-story home on a dead-end street surrounded by nature, so we see different types of wildlife daily. It has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and a finished basement. We are surrounded by woods that we love to explore together. There is also a pond behind our home that we skate on during winter and watch the tadpoles swim in during summer. We love taking walks with our dog down our long dead end street. There are many young children and families on our street who will make fun first friends.

We enjoy exploring our community by visiting farmers' markets, trying out new restaurants, and frequenting the nearby zoo, water parks, and children's museum. We also live in a place with many different ethnicities and backgrounds, and we were drawn to it because of that. There are so many different festivals celebrating every ethnicity you can think of, as well as grocery stores with every type of food imaginable. It is very important to us that our children have a connection to where they came from and that it is a central part of our lives.

Carl's Family

We are extremely fortunate to have a large support group of close friends and family. My family includes a loving mother and father who have been married for 43 years. They have been a tremendous source of support and help in all aspects of our lives. My father, who was a boat captain and mechanic, always assisted me with any car issue or home improvement project. Our daughter loves helping him with any project he’s working on. My mother loves to travel and loves taking our daughter on adventures. She takes Svea to water parks in the winter and amusement parks in the summer. They live about 4 and a half hours from us but, we get together every couple of months and talk regularly. I also have a younger sister who lives in Minnesota and recently got married. She's a wonderful aunt and is looking forward to starting a family of her own.

I am the middle child of three. My younger sister lives in Minnesota, but she is still my best friend. My sister is also excited to start a family of her own and we dream of the day when our babies will play together. My sister loves to dote on her niece. She always travels from Minnesota for Svea’s birthday parties and brings her the best gifts. My older brother is married and lives about 5 hours from us. He came to the hospital when Svea was born and is desperate for another niece or nephew. He has a great sense of humor and values family more than anything. My parents are very involved in their granddaughter’s life. My mom loves to spend time with Svea and tries to go on a couple of trips with her every year. My dad is recently retired and has been using the time to work on his hobbies and spend extended time with his granddaughter. He will often live with us for a month or so throughout the year. Svea and my dad have the closest and most incredible relationship. I’m so grateful that my daughter has been able to have so much time with him and create such a close and joyous relationship.

Carl & Brianna - A Look Into Our Life

Our Pets

We currently have a four-year-old Mastiff named Nargles. She loves chasing and running around with our daughter and her friends. Our daughter loves climbing on her and often uses her as a pillow. She is an incredibly sweet, loving, and gentle giant. We also recently adopted a cat from our local humane society. His name is Atlas (named by our daughter) and is an absolute lover! He is incredibly sweet and allows our daughter to carry him around the house in any way she can hold him.

Fun Times Ahead

We are an active and fun family that loves adventure! During the week, we love to have pizza parties and movie nights. In the summer, we enjoy hiking, riding bikes, and swimming. We have a close-knit group of friends we cherish, often hosting game nights or movie marathons. It’s always a joy to watch the kids play and bond together. We’re passionate sports fans, especially in soccer, following two teams from the English Premier League. And when football season arrives, we’re all in—Go Vikings!

Let's Explore

We love to travel! It has always been a passion of ours. We love to experience new places and different cultures. We try to take at least one big trip a year. We recently went hiking in the Smoky Mountains, which was beautiful. We went to Jordan last year and Spain this year, and we plan to go to Peru next year. We also visit Mexico at least once a year. We went to Playa del Carmen this year, and last year, we fell in love with Mexico City! We can’t wait to travel more as a family and show our kids the world.

Our family cherishes several holiday traditions, especially at Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Easter. Every Easter, we make a huge mess decorating eggs, and in the morning, our daughter Svea eagerly searches for the basket of goodies the Easter Bunny has hidden for her. Halloween is another favorite, as we love carving pumpkins, dressing up, and trick-or-treating in a neighborhood that goes all out with elaborate decorations and plenty of candy.

Thanksgiving is a special time too. Carl’s dad prepares an amazing turkey, and I tend to make way too many pies. The day after, we have a tradition of going out together to choose our Christmas tree. Svea and I skip through the fields until we find the perfect one, and Carl cuts it down.

On Christmas Eve, we make cookies for Santa and then drive through Candy Cane Lane to admire the incredible light displays. Carl drives while Svea and I stick our heads out the sunroof, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. When we get home, we set out cookies for Santa and porridge for the Tomtes—Swedish gnomes from Carl’s side of the family who take care of the house throughout the year. On Christmas morning, Svea rushes downstairs to check if the cookies are eaten and the porridge is gone. Sometimes the Tomtes even leave tiny footprints, adding an extra touch of magic. The wonder in Svea’s eyes is simply priceless.