It's kind of a funny story - Coleen is from Minnesota, while Chris hails from Colorado and Western N.Y. We met in California, married in Nevada, on our way to Pennsylvania, grew our family for ten years in Virginia, and now have settled in Minnesota.

Chris spent eight years in the Navy as an AW, which used to mean Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator. He was stationed in Florida, Tennessee, California, and Pennsylvania. Chris accumulated over 2000 flight hours on P-3Cs, and deployed to Diego Garcia (in the Indian Ocean) from both coasts of the U.S. in just over a year, completing his circumnavigation of the world.

Coleen left her lifetime home in Winona, MN to attend the Beverly Hills Nanny Institute before taking a position in San Francisco, just three days before the 1989 earthquake that hit the city pretty hard. We dated for over a year in California, then got engaged prior to Chris' last sea duty deployment.

We were married on our way to Chris' shore duty station at the Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, PA., and got used to the idea of being together at home in the evenings. The idea of more six-month deployments apart from each other didn't sit well as shore duty drew to a close, thus we made the decision to leave the Navy life, and Chris transitioned into a career as a Systems Engineer for Lockheed Martin in Manassas, VA.

Not too long after moving to Warrenton, VA., Chris was lead to the Lord by the witness and testimony of his coworker/mentor, and the prayers of many. Chris & Coleen began studying God's word together in a discipleship bible study and were shortly thereafter led to the decision to be baptized (by immersion) and join the fellowship of Grace Bible Church.

Since that time, we've come to know our Lord Jesus better through the Holy Spirit's leading in personal devotions, discipleship, and bible studies. Though we are human and prone to stumble in our walk, God has blessed us richly as a couple, and has brought us closer together with each passing day - as He brings us even closer to Him.

With three young children and two being home schooled, we prayerfully considered a home-business for some time. Following an extended leave for the placement of our daughter in the summer of 2004, Chris started Fellowsheep^TM Technology Services to promote a spirit of entrepreneurship and lifestyle of service to others within the family.

After ten wonderful years in Northern Virginia, we've now relocated to Winona, MN. We have been truly blessed during our time in VA, but we were led for a year or two to raise our children in closer proximity to extended family, and expose them to the family farm lifestyle. In many ways, the Winona area looks very much like our beloved Fauquier Piedmont with all the wooded bluffs, which is kind of funny. The winters are surely a bit more harsh, but we're excited about the opportunity to expand our personal ministries as well as the small business community here. Besides, we've got to do our part to push MN into the "red-state" category! Check out more about Winona at: VisitWinona.com, and Winona Chamber of Commerce

	The Lord has worked mightily in our lives, and we praise Him for blessing us with our children through international adoption...see the Adoption page for the whole story!

Our story also wouldn't be complete without our furry family - Scully, Kia, and Ralphie

Scully joined us early in 1995 after we moved to a farmhouse in Warrenton, VA. Without concern of deployments, we jumped at the chance to get a Siberian Husky, though she's not likely a fullbread. About a year and a half later we bought our first house and got a Kia as a playmate. Chris' brother Andy was living with us and picked her out of the litter.

Ralphie the hamster joined us in November 2003 in a profound way! Read The Hamster Story on our Korean adoption page