Basic Info
Melinda
Age: 36
Ethnicity: White
Religion: Christian
Denomination: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Russel
Age: 37
Ethnicity: White
Religion: Christian
Denomination: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Melinda & Russel
Utah
Intro
About
Work & Education
Melinda
Education: Bachelor of Arts
Profession: Stay-at-Home Mom/Artist/Illustrator/Business Owner
Russel
Education: Bachelors in Business
Profession: Business Owner
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Environment
Country: USA
State: Utah
Us Region: Western US
Parent Relationship: Married
Parent Neighborhood: Rural
Parent Years Together: 10 to 15 years
Parent Residency: House
Parent Pets: 4 horses, 4 dogs, 2 Rabbits and 12 cats (Ranch Mouse Traps)
Children At Home: Biological and adopted children
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual parents
Preferences for a child
Age: Newborn to 1 year of age, 1 to 3 years of age, 4 to 7 years of age
Gender: Either
Multiple Children: All
Race/Ethnicity: All
Special Needs: Open to discussion
Certification 
Adoption Service Provider
UtahAdoption SpecialistsSmith Family 2020 Adventures
Videos
Get to Know Us!
Russel and Melinda’s Note to Birth Parents
Thank you for taking the time to read this! We know that this time of change and decision is very difficult for you. We pray that as you search to know if adoption is right for you, that you will find peace and direction. We can’t even imagine all the thoughts and challenges that you are facing right now. Remember to take one day at a time and don’t give up. Things will work out.
We are excited to share some things about our family with you!
(Melinda speaking)
“I will start by talking about Russel. Russel is my jewel, my best friend and treasured husband. He is smart and energetic about life.
We met at college while at BYU-Idaho in 2007. On a first double date together he impressed me by volunteering to do the dishes and getting the doors for the young ladies. He is a gentleman in every way. Once we started dating we quickly got to know each other through long walks and talks. He is a very good communicator.
Russel will always rise to the occasion. Once while we discussed qualities that we were wanting in a future spouse; I mentioned that I wanted my future husband to be able to carry me out of a burning building. He then scooped me up and carried me all the way from the bottom of campus to the top, (about 1 mile uphill)! I protested not wanting him to hurt himself, but he laughed and ran up the hill holding me in his arms. At the top he asked, “Did I pass the test?” I responded that yes, he did.
We were married in April of 2008, in the San Diego Temple. He gave me a true courtship, and continues to court me while we are married. We go on weekly dates, often to the temple to remember our covenants to the Lord.
I still consider it a miracle every day to have him as my best friend. He really is one of a kind. Russel is so generous with his time when he sees people need help with anything from changing a flat tire, cleaning up a flooded basement, shoveling snow, teaching a lesson in church, giving a blessing or hauling fire wood. He is hard working and a wonderful provider for our family. He works in sales and marketing. Russel loves to garden and his yearly goal is to see how high he can grow his tomato plants. Last year he grew one that reached 11 feet tall supported by a trellis! If Russel is stressed from work I can find him pulling weeds in the garden. He loves to build things with his hands. He made a playground set in our backyard for our three kids and family to enjoy together.
Russel loves children and is always the first to jump in and play with them. He loves to play ball with our three sons and wrestle and play games with them.” Russel likes to coach “T” Ball with our boys. He has so much love and energy to share!”
I love her more every day!
Russel talks about Melinda!
She likes to get her hands dirty in the garden with me.
“Melinda is a joy to be with. We love long talks into the night about our day. We confide in each other our challenges of everyday living and share in each other's successes. She likes to get her hands dirty in the garden with me.
I love to strategize our business with Melinda. She always has good insight and counsel in regards to our business. She also asks for my insights and counsel in regards to home life and working with our boys. We make a great team both in business and at home. When we come up with a plan we stick to it and help each other achieve that goal.
Melinda is very compassionate and strives to understand others and their situations. Never once have I heard her say an unkind thing about someone else or spread gossip in any form about another person. Instead she will rea...
“Melinda is a joy to be with. We love long talks into the night about our day. We confide in each other our challenges of everyday living and share in each other's successes. She likes to get her hands dirty in the garden with me.
I love to strategize our business with Melinda. She always has good insight and counsel in regards to our business. She also asks for my insights and counsel in regards to home life and working with our boys. We make a great team both in business and at home. When we come up with a plan we stick to it and help each other achieve that goal.
Melinda is very compassionate and strives to understand others and their situations. Never once have I heard her say an unkind thing about someone else or spread gossip in any form about another person. Instead she will reach out and see what she can do to help. She has been a wonderful example to me in how she handles relationships and deals with conflict.
Melinda is very humble, never seeking praise or recognition. Melinda is not extravagant in her spending, clothing or appearance. She enjoys finding clothes at thrift stores. She loves to organize and find ways to create order.
Melinda is romantic –Occasionally I will get home from work and she will be all dressed up like we are going out someplace special and I will ask, "What is the occasion?" She will reply with, "I wanted to dress up for you!" She keeps our love burning strong and continually shows love for me. She is beautiful in every way and is genuine in all she does.
As a stay at home mom, Melinda follows Heavenly Father’s guidance and I believe is inspired in the way she raises our children and collaborates with me. Melinda is a nurturer - she strives to understand our boys, she doesn't jump to conclusions and takes time to listen to our boys. Through this I have seen our boys grow. She loves to tell stories and create adventurous play time with our family!
I love Melinda very much and I am eternally grateful to have her has a wife, a best friend and an eternal companion. Her patience and love is unmatched and it shows in how she treats and interacts with those around her. Melinda is a joy to raise a family with. She has so much more love to give.”
Get to Know Us!
Russel is my jewel, my best friend and treasured husband. He is smart and energetic about life!
Get to Know Us!
Russel and Melinda’s Note to Birth Parents
Thank you for taking the time to read this! We know that this time of change and decision is very difficult for you. We pray that as you search to know if adoption is right for you, that you will find peace and direction. We can’t even imagine all the thoughts and challenges that you are facing right now. Remember to take one day at a time and don’t give up. Things will work out.
We are excited to share some things about our family with you!
(Melinda speaking)
“I will start by talking about Russel. Russel is my jewel, my best friend and treasured husband. He is smart and energetic about life.
We met at college while at BYU-Idaho in 2007. On a first double date together he impressed me by volunteering to do the dishes and getting the doors for the young ladies. He is a gentleman in every way. Once we started dating we quickly got to know each other through long walks and talks. He is a very good communicator.
Russel will always rise to the occasion. Once while we discussed qualities that we were wanting in a future spouse; I mentioned that I wanted my future husband to be able to carry me out of a burning building. He then scooped me up and carried me all the way from the bottom of campus to the top, (about 1 mile uphill)! I protested not wanting him to hurt himself, but he laughed and ran up the hill holding me in his arms. At the top he asked, “Did I pass the test?” I responded that yes, he did.
We were married in April of 2008, in the San Diego Temple. He gave me a true courtship, and continues to court me while we are married. We go on weekly dates, often to the temple to remember our covenants to the Lord.
I still consider it a miracle every day to have him as my best friend. He really is one of a kind. Russel is so generous with his time when he sees people need help with anything from changing a flat tire, cleaning up a flooded basement, shoveling snow, teaching a lesson in church, giving a blessing or hauling fire wood. He is hard working and a wonderful provider for our family. He works in sales and marketing and manages our company. Russel loves to garden and his yearly goal is to see how high he can grow his tomato plants. Last year he grew one that reached 13 feet tall supported by a trellis! He loves to build things with his hands. He made a playground set in our backyard for our 4 kids and family to enjoy together.
Russel loves children and is always the first to jump in and play with them. He loves to play ball with our four sons and wrestle and play games with them.” Russel likes to take our family horseback riding on trails and take friends and neighbors around our block on pony rides. He has so much love and energy to share!”
Thank you for taking the time to read this! We know that this time of change and decision is very difficult for you. We pray that as you search to know if adoption is right for you, that you will find peace and direction. We can’t even imagine all the thoughts and challenges that you are facing right now. Remember to take one day at a time and don’t give up. Things will work out.
We are excited to share some things about our family with you!
(Melinda speaking)
“I will start by talking about Russel. Russel is my jewel, my best friend and treasured husband. He is smart and energetic about life.
We met at college while at BYU-Idaho in 2007. On a first double date together he impressed me by volunteering to do the dishes and getting the doors for the young ladies. He is a gentleman in every way. Once we started dating we quickly got to know each other through long walks and talks. He is a very good communicator.
Russel will always rise to the occasion. Once while we discussed qualities that we were wanting in a future spouse; I mentioned that I wanted my future husband to be able to carry me out of a burning building. He then scooped me up and carried me all the way from the bottom of campus to the top, (about 1 mile uphill)! I protested not wanting him to hurt himself, but he laughed and ran up the hill holding me in his arms. At the top he asked, “Did I pass the test?” I responded that yes, he did.
We were married in April of 2008, in the San Diego Temple. He gave me a true courtship, and continues to court me while we are married. We go on weekly dates, often to the temple to remember our covenants to the Lord.
I still consider it a miracle every day to have him as my best friend. He really is one of a kind. Russel is so generous with his time when he sees people need help with anything from changing a flat tire, cleaning up a flooded basement, shoveling snow, teaching a lesson in church, giving a blessing or hauling fire wood. He is hard working and a wonderful provider for our family. He works in sales and marketing and manages our company. Russel loves to garden and his yearly goal is to see how high he can grow his tomato plants. Last year he grew one that reached 13 feet tall supported by a trellis! He loves to build things with his hands. He made a playground set in our backyard for our 4 kids and family to enjoy together.
Russel loves children and is always the first to jump in and play with them. He loves to play ball with our four sons and wrestle and play games with them.” Russel likes to take our family horseback riding on trails and take friends and neighbors around our block on pony rides. He has so much love and energy to share!”
Our Family Life
Our smoothies with hidden veggies are legendary. We love to use what we grow in our garden.
We go on family trips every year! Hello, New York!
As a family we enjoy so many things! We try to capture these moments in pictures and videos as we can. Instead of movie nights, we do game nights and play with friends and family. Our smoothies with hidden veggies are legendary. We love to use what we grow in our garden. We like to dehydrate our food to make fruit leather and beef jerky and do canning every summer.
Daily we; go on walks, cook, ride bikes, go on hikes, swim, ride our horses and visit family. We love discovering wholesome movies as a family. We adore our dog and three cats, and 4 horses and mule. Each of our boys has an animal to care for. We love reading books together! At bedtime the boys pick out books to read and choose bedtime songs and stories. We have cousin and family birthday parties at least once a month.
Every year we make road trips to visit both sides of the family. For our trips there are games with cousins, swimming in rivers and at the beach, horseback riding, grandparent stories, camping, special meals, visits to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, and hugs! Family is very important to us! We have a lot of cousins, and aunts and uncles, and dear grandparents on both sides of our family. We enjoy spending time together! One time we hiked together in the desert to an oasis hidden in a canyon and our boys couldn’t understand what an oasis was until we found it! “Mommy, what is it called again?” They had so much fun playing in the water! We always celebrate holidays. We go Christmas caroling, Easter egg hunting, and go to parades, (and much more). We take time to teach our boys about our traditions and our heritage in this country.
Our sons are 10, 8, 6 and 1 years old. Our 10 year old enjoys riding horses, reading books, building with Legos and writing stories. Our 8 year old loves swim and gymnastics, and loves school. Our 6 year old dresses up in his cowboy clothes every day, loves learning in Kindergarten, doing cartwheels, riding his own horse by himself, and he loves “his” dog. Our 1 year old is a very happy boy, our family was able to to adopt him in 2017. He loves to bring smiles to everyone. He loves to see see animals and play with his older brothers, who love him and watch out for him with an amazing gentleness, love and pride.
Our sons are looking forward to having another sibling! Snuggle time is really big with our boys and they insist that we have more room for new members of our family. After the birth of our 6 year old son we have not been able to have more biological children. We have worked and prayed and we feel very strongly that we have been guided to adopt again.
Daily we; go on walks, cook, ride bikes, go on hikes, swim, ride our horses and visit family. We love discovering wholesome movies as a family. We adore our dog and three cats, and 4 horses and mule. Each of our boys has an animal to care for. We love reading books together! At bedtime the boys pick out books to read and choose bedtime songs and stories. We have cousin and family birthday parties at least once a month.
Every year we make road trips to visit both sides of the family. For our trips there are games with cousins, swimming in rivers and at the beach, horseback riding, grandparent stories, camping, special meals, visits to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, and hugs! Family is very important to us! We have a lot of cousins, and aunts and uncles, and dear grandparents on both sides of our family. We enjoy spending time together! One time we hiked together in the desert to an oasis hidden in a canyon and our boys couldn’t understand what an oasis was until we found it! “Mommy, what is it called again?” They had so much fun playing in the water! We always celebrate holidays. We go Christmas caroling, Easter egg hunting, and go to parades, (and much more). We take time to teach our boys about our traditions and our heritage in this country.
Our sons are 10, 8, 6 and 1 years old. Our 10 year old enjoys riding horses, reading books, building with Legos and writing stories. Our 8 year old loves swim and gymnastics, and loves school. Our 6 year old dresses up in his cowboy clothes every day, loves learning in Kindergarten, doing cartwheels, riding his own horse by himself, and he loves “his” dog. Our 1 year old is a very happy boy, our family was able to to adopt him in 2017. He loves to bring smiles to everyone. He loves to see see animals and play with his older brothers, who love him and watch out for him with an amazing gentleness, love and pride.
Our sons are looking forward to having another sibling! Snuggle time is really big with our boys and they insist that we have more room for new members of our family. After the birth of our 6 year old son we have not been able to have more biological children. We have worked and prayed and we feel very strongly that we have been guided to adopt again.
Our Hope!
We feel that each child is unique and is a precious child of God with immeasurable potential and talents. We are so excited and ready for our missing piece!
Our family is ready to find our missing piece! We would love to hear from you!
We want to help the birth parents with their needs throughout the process of the adoption. We hope to be able to have an open adoption. We would love to have the child/children we adopt, know their birth parents. It would be our hope that we can keep the birth parents up to date on special moments and achievements through pictures, emails, texting, phone calls, and occasional scheduled visits. We feel it is very important for children to know they are loved and want our future children to be told their story of the birth parents that love them. At night with our children we list off those that love them, including God, parents, grandparents, teachers, cousins, aunts and uncles. We believe that a strong support group of love helps to build children to who they will grow to become. We feel that each child is unique and is a precious child of God with immeasurable potential and talents. We are so excited and ready for our missing piece!
If you have any questions please call, email or text us; whichever you are most comfortable with. We would love to hear from you and get to know you!
Email: RusselHSmith@gmail.com
Phone: 801-414-1724
Visit our website for more pictures and videos! Website: http://familyreadytoadopt.com/
If you have any questions please call, email or text us; whichever you are most comfortable with. We would love to hear from you and get to know you!
Email: RusselHSmith@gmail.com
Phone: 801-414-1724
Visit our website for more pictures and videos! Website: http://familyreadytoadopt.com/
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Environment
Country: USA
State: Utah
Us Region: Western US
Parent Relationship: Married
Parent Neighborhood: Rural
Parent Years Together: 10 to 15 years
Parent Residency: House
Parent Pets: 4 horses, 4 dogs, 2 Rabbits and 12 cats (Ranch Mouse Traps)
Children At Home: Biological and adopted children
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual parents