About David
David:
Growing up
I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to some really great parents! I grew up in a suburb about 20 miles south of Salt Lake. It was a larger city for Utah but felt small to me and my friends and family. I had four brothers and no sisters, although my mother wanted a daughter more than anything, and they tried and tried to have one. Unfortunately, having a daughter just wasn't in the cards for them, but they loved each of us more than we could imagine. My dad was a police officer and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. Both of my parents sacrificed a lot for us.
Adventure & hobbies
I really love the outdoors and exploring. Canyoneering and slot canyons, rock climbing, biking, scuba diving, kayaking, and hiking are some things I'm especially into. Safety is very important to me so I am very careful when I do outdoor activities.
I am curious by nature and love to fix things and put things together with my hands. This could be anything from designing and putting together a planter box for our backyard to building an oversized birdhouse, or in the past even landscaping and putting up a pergola at my dad's old home. Building and creating are fun to me and I have always loved art and drawing as well. I like learning from Audible and reading books. My favorite holidays are Halloween and Christmas. I love to dress up and also decorate the house for Halloween. One of my favorite hobbies is to create recipes that are both flavorful and healthy. Sometimes this latter hobby results in some interesting concoctions that people put up with, but often it results in something yummy! I love sitting with my wife out on our patio with a little bonfire and just enjoying the local birds and wildlife.
Being a father
Next to being a husband, nothing is as important to me as becoming a father. I have looked forward to having and raising children my entire life. I feel it is one of the greatest joys we can have. My parents really tried to do their best with raising us and were great examples. I hope to emulate them in many areas.
Both my parents encouraged us to be driven for success, and each of my brothers is successful in their own right.
Travel and service
While growing up I loved to travel. The desire to experience new places and cultures really took hold during high school. I had a trip to Russia that changed my life and allowed me to really see that the world was much larger than where I grew up. After graduating high school I spent two years in Texas on a church mission. This was another significant event that changed my life and helped me make some important choices. I loved serving the people of Texas.
After my mission, I went off to college. I ended up graduating with a bachelor's in Economics and later getting a Master's of Business Administration at Thunderbird School of Global Management. During my Master's program, I taught high school math, economics, and science and helped graduate two classes of students. I really loved working with the students and found this time of my life to be very meaningful, even though it was not part of my career plan.
I currently work as Director of Product for a medical software company and have been fortunate to have had the opportunity for this role, as well as others I have held. I love my job and find it fulfilling to better people's lives by creating good products in medicine.
Faith in God
I have a strong love for our Savior Jesus Christ and strive to follow his teachings. I have always been spiritual and feel it is an important part of who I am. I decided at a young age I wanted to go to church, even though it meant going by myself. I did so until leaving on a mission for my church at age 19. God has provided me peace and strength at different times throughout my life, and he has also inspired me in many ways. I am grateful to him for my life and who He inspires me to become.
My Angel
Although I searched and searched, I did not find my true love, April, for a long time. As mentioned in the intro, we met at a dance on the deck of a battleship in California. She was a very successful singer/songwriter and had many guys pursuing her. She made such an impression that night that she stood out among all the many girls at the dance. I pursued her even though I was afraid she wouldn't be interested in me. It was an honor to fight for her heart and I'm glad I didn't let fear stop me from trying to court her. It was totally worth it. In early 2018, I proposed and we were married in August of that same year. April is truly my best friend and partner, and I love her dearly! She helps me want to be a better man, and I would do anything for her. I am so grateful to God for her in my life.
Family & adoption
Both April and I are very anxious to be parents and raise our family. It is our deepest desire...our sweetest hope in life. I have tried to be a support to my nieces and nephews and help to teach them and take them on adventures when possible. I have also taken youth groups on trips through slot canyons and rock climbing and worked closely with them in the Boys Scouts of America where I was a Commissioner.
Adoption is no stranger to my family. I have two brothers who have adopted children—one adopted the kids of his wife from a previous marriage, and the other adopted two babies. They are all very much a part of our family. I have great examples of both the challenges that come from adoption, as well as the joys and love. We have been unable to have kids thus far, but I feel I will be a caring dad because I will strive to be the greatest father possible to my kids, which includes a lot of quality time with them as a parent.
Each of the four brothers I mentioned earlier has been a very good example to me in the individual ways they are good husbands and fathers. I am impressed with how they have raised their children and the love they show them. I love my nieces and nephews very much. They fill a special place in my heart! They range in ages from very young to married with their own children. My brothers married well, so I also have some fantastic sisters-in-law. We are blessed to have very good women in our family.
With my marriage to April, I gained a wonderful new family that includes the best parents-in-law you could imagine, as well as a lot of wonderful brothers and sisters. Of course, they come complete with some very cute nieces and nephews from her side of the family!
In addition to all this, I have the best group of lifelong friends a person could ask for! This means even more Aunts and Uncles to spoil them. They are a great support system to both me and April and will be there for us through our adoption.
What does April say about David?
"For his birthday last year, I bought David a t-shirt that says, “I never thought I’d be the world’s greatest husband, but here I am KILLING it.” It was just true...so I bought him the shirt.
I looked for a long time to find a man like my husband. David is the REAL deal; he not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. I like to call him my kind, lion-hearted man. I know no one is perfect, but he’s pretty dang close. He surpassed my expectations with his warm, open heart. David is as family-focused, honest, and devoted as they come. He is a FULL partner in our marriage.
One of the things I most admire is how steady and growth-minded David is. He is able to deeply connect and care for others and he loves God. I find myself regularly singing his praises because I honestly can’t help it. There is a lot to brag on him about. One of the things that stuck out to me as we dated was how relationally and emotionally mature he was. He is often attuned to the needs of others. When we were dating, my mom pointed out how unusual and impressed she was with how naturally David could anticipate other's needs. He would notice a possible want or need I had and try to fill it, sometimes even before I even thought to ask (who does that?!). I know his desire to serve and his caring heart will be evident with our children as well—that’s just who he is.
After work, he often joins me when I’m cleaning or cooking and rolls up his sleeves to help with housework and anything else that needs to be done. He is always dependable and concerned for my welfare, with a laser-like focus on his family's happiness and desire to be there for those he loves. He has been loyally supportive of my music profession and often will lend a hand where he can when I'm working extra hours on a music project.
The surprises I discovered with David in marriage have been good ones. For instance, I learned he has all these other crazy talents I hadn’t known much about; his ability to woodwork, his eye for design, and all the different facets to his sense of humor. He's great at surprises too, which keeps me on my toes! I think he qualifies as a legit renaissance man.
David has ALWAYS wanted children too. He is all about quality family time. The way he interacts with children like our nieces and nephews is priceless. He has a talent for creating fun and he is also sensitive to their thoughts and feelings. He could spend hours playing games or zombies with them! He regularly talks about how much he hopes to create memories with his own kids and teach them cool things about science. He will be a fierce protector of his little girls.
He is THAT kind of man. And I know he will be THAT kind of a father."
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