About Us

Here is a little more about who we are as individuals, as well as our extended family and culture. In addition you can learn more about our family and why we might be a good fit for your baby or child by reading our Pick Us page. 

Richard is the youngest of three siblings and was born and raised in California and Florida. When he was 19 years old, Richard served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended BYU-Provo for his undergraduate and MBA and currently works at Adobe in Partner Marketing. The best thing about Richard’s job is that he can work from just about anywhere. We often travel to Hawaii or Idaho and Richard is still able to work allowing us to spend extended amounts of time with family. We love that. Richard enjoys playing all sports, but most particularly loves basketball, mountain biking and golf. Still a chubby boy at heart, Richard loves food! Whether it is a protein bar, fruit, popcorn, or ice cream, Richard is always eating! It’s a good thing he also enjoys exercising. The best word to describe Richard is a “provider”. He will go above and beyond to make sure that his family is taken care of before he is. Richard loves being a dad and never expected it to be as good as it is. He is the father that embraces every moment with his children. Playing hide and seek, story time, cuddling and kissing, you name it and Richard is there for it. He is an exceptional father. 

Mari is the second oldest child in a family of four. She was born and raised in Aiea, Hawaii in a very close knit immediate and extended family. Some of her best childhood memories are playing with her cousins in the river behind her grandparent’s house. Mari attended college at BYU-Provo in Utah, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Social Science Teaching and minors in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Asian Studies. During college, Mari took time off to teach English in China with a non-profit organization and also served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Singapore and Malaysia. Those two trips contributed greatly to the person Mari is today, someone who loves service, teaching and learning about new cultures and languages. After graduating from college, Mari taught middle school History and Student Council for five years before deciding to be a stay-at-home mom. Most recently, she graduated in April (2018) from BYU with a masters in Teacher Education. Although Mari loved being in school and learning, by far the most rewarding and satisfying job she’s ever had is being at home with Winston and Eve. Mari is the social butterfly of our family. She’s often organizing BBQs with friends on the weekends, and playdates for Winston and Eve during the week. Mari loves step aerobic classes, scrapbooking, journal writing, eating Korean BBQ, laughing with family and friends, but most importantly, being a mom to Winston and Eve. 

Winston is our oldest son. He was born in January of 2014 and brings such great joy and laughter into our lives. We consider him to be our miracle baby since he was conceived through IVF and also fought hard to join us on Earth. He was born four weeks early and came out not breathing. They performed chest compressions and intubated him and we were, and still are, blessed and grateful that he made it through. He has a strong-willed personality and we joke that he got the stubbornness from the both of us. He always knows what he wants and tries to find a way to get it. He is a social child that loves other babies and kids, but hates the spotlight and absolutely dreads performing in any way. He loves to read, play puzzles, cuddle and is absolutely obsessed with anything that is Disney CARS. Winston has the sweetest spirit and has asked multiple times when a baby brother (though we'll take a baby sister too), will be joining our family. 

Eve is our spunky baby girl, born in August 2016, when Mari was in her first term of graduate studies. She is our unexpected miracle and in every sense of the word is a mini Mari. She's got too much attitude for her little body to handle and we know she'll work us hard when she's a teenager! Eve loves dancing and will always shake it on the counter tops in our family dance parties. She also loves reading books, playing (basically rolling) in the sand pit, picking strawberries and raspberries (we've found her in the middle of the patch on multiple occasions) and following around her big brother Winston. She will make the best big sister to a new little one. 

Although Winston and Eve bring such joy to our lives, we know that a part of our family is missing, and they can feel it too. Winston has asked on multiple occasions when his baby brother is coming.

Our Extended Family and Culture

Any child who joins our family will be warmly embraced by all of four loving grandparents along with wonderful aunts, uncles and cousins. Mari has two of her three siblings that live here in Utah, and we all get together weekly. Also, Mari’s parents frequently visit Utah to spend time with all of us, and we get home to Hawaii at least two times a year. 

Richard’s closest brother is in Idaho and we see them every other month on average. Just

last week, we were up in Idaho at a family cabin on the lake. All our days were spent wake boarding, surfing, and tubing. It was so fun! Richard’s parents who live in Florida, visit often. Mari also has three of her four grandparents still living in Hawaii and we feel so blessed that they are healthy and still with us. Family is very important to us and we make it a priority to spend time with both sides of our family as often as possible. 

Since we are both of Asian heritage, the Japanese/Hawaiian culture is very important for us. Footwear are not worn in the house, chopsticks are called hashi and used regularly, and anyone older than you is called an “aunty” or “uncle”. We are excited to add to the culture of our family with the culture of a birth family.