A strong foundation in life begins with family. At the age of 17, I embarked on a journey to find my own path, leading me to wander and reside in various places throughout my twenties. My nomadic lifestyle took me from Georgia to Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and several other states, each offering unique experiences and adventures. Eventually, in 2004, I found myself in Eau Claire, WI, a place that resonated with the comforts of home, amiable people, and a welcome lack of overcrowding. In 2006, I made the decision to officially call Eau Claire my home.

A significant turning point occurred in the fall of 2015 when I met the woman who would later become my wife. Our love story unfolded swiftly, and just one year and two weeks after our initial conversation, we were married. Family held immense importance for both of us, and we shared a deep desire to have children, without a specific number in mind. We embarked on a remarkable journey that turned out to be quite different from what we had initially envisioned.

Although we knew we wanted children, it seemed to elude us naturally. After much soul-searching and research, we sought answers from medical professionals. It was a heart-wrenching revelation when we discovered that we couldn’t conceive children naturally. Undeterred, we made the decision to grow our family through alternative means: embryo adoption, traditional adoption, and fostering children in our home.

Our journey commenced with embryo adoption in 2017 when we traveled to Florida to “get pregnant.” Miraculously, it worked on our first attempt, and my wife became pregnant with our twin girls. Tragedy struck at 20 weeks, and on April 18th, 2018, we tragically lost our two beautiful daughters, Pearl Evangeline Lee Gibson and Everly Elizabeth Joy Gibson. This was an incredibly difficult period for our family, and their absence is felt every day. Though we held them in our arms for only a brief moment before they departed this world, those precious moments remain etched in our hearts.

Fast forward to the present day, our family is now blessed with three children:

Vada, our eldest, celebrated her fourth birthday in September. She was born on our wedding anniversary, and each year we commemorate both occasions with a shared birthday cake. Vada is an extraordinary bundle of energy, aspiring to become a mermaid when she grows up and assuring us that we can join her in her mermaid kingdom.

Bentley entered our lives in July 2020 through foster care when he was just two days old. Since then, he has remained a part of our family, and we officially adopted him in 2022. Bentley is our personal family superhero, donning various costumes throughout the day, all inspired by the Marvel universe.

Alder, our youngest, was carried by my wife through embryo adoption and was born healthy and lively in February 2022. He’s particularly fixated on shoes, both wearing them himself and ensuring that everyone else has theirs on. With his big personality despite his small stature, Alder never fails to make us laugh, and his future endeavors may lead him to a career as either a tax accountant or a linebacker.

Building our family foundation has introduced us to remarkable individuals, often under challenging circumstances, but together we have worked towards the best possible outcomes for everyone involved. Our family foundation is not only vast and robust but also brimming with love.