Letter
You are Incredible...
In times of trial, it is difficult to feel strong, or gracious, or special. Let us assure you that you are those things.
Neil will even face his fear of heights for Kristy!
Dear Friend and answer to someone's prayers,
Dear Friend and answer to someone's prayers,
Nothing we say can take away the difficulty that lies in front of you physically, emotionally, and mentally. We do not know what it is to place a child through adoption, but we do know what it is to say goodbye to children. Our first-hand experience has given us an understanding about the magnitude of the gift that you are considering providing to individuals who are – for now at least – strangers. In times of trial, it is difficult to feel strong, or gracious, or special. Let us assure you that you are those things. We sincerely hope and pray that as you read about us, our family, and our experiences, you will feel a connection to us, because we feel one with you even though we may not know your name yet. Our trials make us friends and family, and even if you do not pick us, know that we appreciate you.
Dear Friend and answer to someone's prayers,
Nothing we say can take away the difficulty that lies in front of you physically, emotionally, and mentally. We do not know what it is to place a child through adoption, but we do know what it is to say goodbye to children. Our first-hand experience has given us an understanding about the magnitude of the gift that you are considering providing to individuals who are – for now at least – strangers. In times of trial, it is difficult to feel strong, or gracious, or special. Let us assure you that you are those things. We sincerely hope and pray that as you read about us, our family, and our experiences, you will feel a connection to us, because we feel one with you even though we may not know your name yet. Our trials make us friends and family, and even if you do not pick us, know that we appreciate you.
About Our Family...
We think that laughter makes life better, and we always try to find levity in the world around us.
Our family the day we brought Daniel home.
In our family we love to laugh. This means comedies, jokes, practical jokes, poking fun at each other (nicely, and lovingly), and making fun of our own mistakes. Essentially, we think that laughter makes life better, and we always try to find levity in the world around us. We try not to take ourselves so seriously that we cannot laugh at some of the dumb things we do or say, and I am proud to say that our home is a place where we smile easily and laugh often. We smile because there is abundant love for each other and for life.
Our journey for kids began six months after our marriage in 2009. We tried for many years to have children, but after five and half years without any success, we made the choice to pursue IVF (in vitro fertilization). We were extremely blessed to learn that our first attempt had been successful, and we would be welcoming twins into the world. Sadly, 17 weeks into the pregnancy Kristy went into labor and gave birth to our two sons, Eli Parker and Oliver James Basinger. They were both born alive, and we got to hold their tiny but perfect bodies for a short time before they passed.
Saying goodbye to our sweet boys broke our heart and changed us in profound and meaningful ways. As a couple, it taught us how to comfort each other in grief and to communicate our feelings even more openly and honestly.
A little over a year later we both began to feel like there was a little girl waiting to come into our family. While the idea of getting pregnant again was scary to us after the previous experience, we knew that what we felt was real and decided to move forward with IVF a second time. Once again, we had success, and soon it was confirmed that we would be welcoming a daughter into our family.
On the Monday morning following Thanksgiving in 2017, at 24 weeks, Kristy went into labor again and gave birth to our baby girl, Skylee Lynn Basinger. Skylee was taken by the doctors to the NICU, where she received specialized care for the better part of a day. We got to hold her, tickle her feet, and then had to say goodbye to her because her little heart was too small to support her body.
In the wake of Skylee’s passing, and in the grip of grief, we felt the loving promptings of the Lord inviting us to trust Him. We felt a calming and warm pressure to move forward with adoption. It was a challenge to trust again, in the face of our three angles, but we did so and prepared ourselves to open our home through the adoption process.
Since then, we have added three wonderful boys to our family through the miracle of adoption. Carter and Bentley are five years old, and are thirty-three days apart, each entrusted to us from different birth moms. Daniel came to our home in March of 2023, at the age of one and has added his joy to ours. We have open and healthy relationships with all the birth moms, and the boys are blessed by the love of increased family in their lives. We have a miraculous story for how each of them joined us, and we would love to share that with you if you would like to hear it.
Our journey for kids began six months after our marriage in 2009. We tried for many years to have children, but after five and half years without any success, we made the choice to pursue IVF (in vitro fertilization). We were extremely blessed to learn that our first attempt had been successful, and we would be welcoming twins into the world. Sadly, 17 weeks into the pregnancy Kristy went into labor and gave birth to our two sons, Eli Parker and Oliver James Basinger. They were both born alive, and we got to hold their tiny but perfect bodies for a short time before they passed.
Saying goodbye to our sweet boys broke our heart and changed us in profound and meaningful ways. As a couple, it taught us how to comfort each other in grief and to communicate our feelings even more openly and honestly.
A little over a year later we both began to feel like there was a little girl waiting to come into our family. While the idea of getting pregnant again was scary to us after the previous experience, we knew that what we felt was real and decided to move forward with IVF a second time. Once again, we had success, and soon it was confirmed that we would be welcoming a daughter into our family.
On the Monday morning following Thanksgiving in 2017, at 24 weeks, Kristy went into labor again and gave birth to our baby girl, Skylee Lynn Basinger. Skylee was taken by the doctors to the NICU, where she received specialized care for the better part of a day. We got to hold her, tickle her feet, and then had to say goodbye to her because her little heart was too small to support her body.
In the wake of Skylee’s passing, and in the grip of grief, we felt the loving promptings of the Lord inviting us to trust Him. We felt a calming and warm pressure to move forward with adoption. It was a challenge to trust again, in the face of our three angles, but we did so and prepared ourselves to open our home through the adoption process.
Since then, we have added three wonderful boys to our family through the miracle of adoption. Carter and Bentley are five years old, and are thirty-three days apart, each entrusted to us from different birth moms. Daniel came to our home in March of 2023, at the age of one and has added his joy to ours. We have open and healthy relationships with all the birth moms, and the boys are blessed by the love of increased family in their lives. We have a miraculous story for how each of them joined us, and we would love to share that with you if you would like to hear it.
About Us...
Kristy does not think about her own comfort before doing things, which means she is able to serve others and accomplish amazing things others can’t or won’t because they avoid discomfort.
Strawberry picking and posing
About Kristy:
Kristy loves spending time with family, and is happy doing so even in the most simple circumstances. She doesn't have to be doing anything 'special' to enjoy herself around people she is close to. Good people and good conversation give her a sense of belonging.
Woodworking has become a hobby over the last 5 years. Kristy enjoys building new and fun things for their home and kids. Some of the things she has built include: jeep beds for Carter and Bentley (per their request), a playhouse with a kitchen and loft reading nook, custom name signs for each kid, an entertainment center and more.
In the remainder of her free time, Kristy enjoys being outdoors with Neil, their 3 kids and 2 dogs. Walks, hikes, kayaking, snowshoeing, and other such activities are all things she loves to do. Unlike her husband, she isn't afraid of heights, and likes to be adventurous by going skydiving with friends. Though that has only happened once, she and her adventurous friends have plans for other similar excursions.
Taking care of people is like second nature to her. In high school, she spent additional time outside of class taking college level courses to get certified as a CNA and Medical Assistant. She worked evenings at a Nursing home and grew close to her residents, talking to them, joking with them, and of course caring for them. She more recently worked full-time as a Medical Assistant for an ENT (Ear, nose, and throat), which she thoroughly enjoyed. Five years ago, she quit her job to become a stay-at-home mom. She did all of it because she has a nurturing spirit. Down the road Kristy hopes to complete her nursing degree and take a job in the NICU helping children and parents through the tough days they may be experiencing.
What Neil has to say about Kristy:
"Kristy is the most wonderfully honest and dedicated person I have ever met. Her blunt honesty is the thing that first attracted me to her, and is still the thing I cherish about her most. She is deeply dedicated to the things that she cares about. In those things she will do everything in her power to help, improve, protect, and nurture. She is an incredible mother, who pours her heart and soul into daily demonstrations of her love and care for Carter, Bentley, and Daniel. Kristy does not think about her own comfort before doing things, which means she is able to serve others and accomplish amazing things others can’t or won’t because they avoid discomfort. All of this, plus her wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor, make her a constant source of joy in my life. The fact that she is my wife is proof to me that God is good."
About Neil:
Neil identifies first as a husband and father. These two things bring him joy beyond expression, and he strives to be the best he can at them. He loves any activity that involves him spending more time with the family, but is especially fond of Mario Kart, hide and seek, and heroes and villains where Neil gets beat up by the super hero alter egos of his children.
At church Neil volunteers his time in a role that organizes and leads the men of the congregation in worship and service activities. He strives to demonstrate his faith through action by putting God and others before himself. It is his hope to share a vision of happiness and faith that invites others to draw closer to God.
At work, Neil is an executive with Amazon, leading an organization of 2400 employees, and managing 42 front line managers, 12 mid-level managers, and 3 senior level managers. He loves to solve problems by listening to others, and finding their frustrations and challenges, then utilizing the resources and influence he has to make broad improvements. In all things, Neil strives to lead by example.
When he does have free time, Neil prefers to spend it reading, listening to podcasts, writing, or learning more about leadership or business. While his time to do things out doors is limited, Neil loves to hike, Kayak, and enjoy the outdoors generally. He also greatly enjoys swimming, tennis, racquetball, and basketball.
What Kristy has to say about Neil:
"Neil is the kindest, most loving and most generous man I have ever met. He's my best friend and the best father to our children. No matter what we are going through, he always tries to put me first. He frequently writes love notes, does more than his fair share of housework, makes up fun games to play with the kids and shows his love and appreciation for me and our family. I love him more than words can express, I'm incredibly lucky to be his wife."
Kristy loves spending time with family, and is happy doing so even in the most simple circumstances. She doesn't have to be doing anything 'special' to enjoy herself around people she is close to. Good people and good conversation give her a sense of belonging.
Woodworking has become a hobby over the last 5 years. Kristy enjoys building new and fun things for their home and kids. Some of the things she has built include: jeep beds for Carter and Bentley (per their request), a playhouse with a kitchen and loft reading nook, custom name signs for each kid, an entertainment center and more.
In the remainder of her free time, Kristy enjoys being outdoors with Neil, their 3 kids and 2 dogs. Walks, hikes, kayaking, snowshoeing, and other such activities are all things she loves to do. Unlike her husband, she isn't afraid of heights, and likes to be adventurous by going skydiving with friends. Though that has only happened once, she and her adventurous friends have plans for other similar excursions.
Taking care of people is like second nature to her. In high school, she spent additional time outside of class taking college level courses to get certified as a CNA and Medical Assistant. She worked evenings at a Nursing home and grew close to her residents, talking to them, joking with them, and of course caring for them. She more recently worked full-time as a Medical Assistant for an ENT (Ear, nose, and throat), which she thoroughly enjoyed. Five years ago, she quit her job to become a stay-at-home mom. She did all of it because she has a nurturing spirit. Down the road Kristy hopes to complete her nursing degree and take a job in the NICU helping children and parents through the tough days they may be experiencing.
What Neil has to say about Kristy:
"Kristy is the most wonderfully honest and dedicated person I have ever met. Her blunt honesty is the thing that first attracted me to her, and is still the thing I cherish about her most. She is deeply dedicated to the things that she cares about. In those things she will do everything in her power to help, improve, protect, and nurture. She is an incredible mother, who pours her heart and soul into daily demonstrations of her love and care for Carter, Bentley, and Daniel. Kristy does not think about her own comfort before doing things, which means she is able to serve others and accomplish amazing things others can’t or won’t because they avoid discomfort. All of this, plus her wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor, make her a constant source of joy in my life. The fact that she is my wife is proof to me that God is good."
About Neil:
Neil identifies first as a husband and father. These two things bring him joy beyond expression, and he strives to be the best he can at them. He loves any activity that involves him spending more time with the family, but is especially fond of Mario Kart, hide and seek, and heroes and villains where Neil gets beat up by the super hero alter egos of his children.
At church Neil volunteers his time in a role that organizes and leads the men of the congregation in worship and service activities. He strives to demonstrate his faith through action by putting God and others before himself. It is his hope to share a vision of happiness and faith that invites others to draw closer to God.
At work, Neil is an executive with Amazon, leading an organization of 2400 employees, and managing 42 front line managers, 12 mid-level managers, and 3 senior level managers. He loves to solve problems by listening to others, and finding their frustrations and challenges, then utilizing the resources and influence he has to make broad improvements. In all things, Neil strives to lead by example.
When he does have free time, Neil prefers to spend it reading, listening to podcasts, writing, or learning more about leadership or business. While his time to do things out doors is limited, Neil loves to hike, Kayak, and enjoy the outdoors generally. He also greatly enjoys swimming, tennis, racquetball, and basketball.
What Kristy has to say about Neil:
"Neil is the kindest, most loving and most generous man I have ever met. He's my best friend and the best father to our children. No matter what we are going through, he always tries to put me first. He frequently writes love notes, does more than his fair share of housework, makes up fun games to play with the kids and shows his love and appreciation for me and our family. I love him more than words can express, I'm incredibly lucky to be his wife."
Thank you...
We want to make sure you understand how appreciated you are.
Exploring Gardener Village
We want to make sure you understand how appreciated you are. Thank you for your decision to place your child through adoption. Beyond that, we are grateful that you have taken the time to learn more about us and consider us for the honor of loving your child.
We hope to be able to build an open relationship of mutual respect and trust with you!
Love,
Neil and Kristy Basinger
We hope to be able to build an open relationship of mutual respect and trust with you!
Love,
Neil and Kristy Basinger