—as written by Bradley
“Elizabeth was born with a natural ability and a passion to connect with children, and she has wanted to be a mother her entire life. She is one of those rare grown-ups who has managed to maintain a child’s sense of joy and wonder, and anyone who meets her will see this right away in her buoyant energy and bubbling curiosity. Getting to know Elizabeth more deeply reveals how she has focused on her love of children throughout her life, both personally and professionally.
Elizabeth is an only child who dreamed about being part of a large family when she was young. To fulfill this desire, she created families of handmade dolls and invented a unique personality and interests for each one. Elizabeth developed her creative and artistic talents through college and is skilled in working with many different materials and techniques, including drawing, painting, printmaking, knitting, wool felting, and more.
Elizabeth delights in bringing color and beauty into our home, not just with her art, but also with flower bouquets picked from the garden, bright hand-sewn napkins for our dining table, and a variety of other colorful creations. She even hangs our laundry on the clothesline in rainbow order! Inspiring a child’s natural creativity is one of Elizabeth’s greatest gifts, and she has a vast trove of art and crafting supplies that I know she can’t wait to share. When we become parents, I am fully prepared for our walls, windows, refrigerator, and any other available surfaces to be covered with artwork made by tiny hands!
After college, Elizabeth discovered Waldorf education and fell in love with its philosophy of developing a child’s ‘head, hands, and heart.’ Her Waldorf training led her to Vermont, where she taught at a Waldorf elementary school and was beloved by her students and colleagues. One of many creative projects Elizabeth undertook for her students was making hand-drawn Advent calendars with whimsical scenes of animals enjoying winter and celebrating the holidays in rather human-like ways. She has now started her own business drawing and producing these calendars for local bookstores and toy stores, as well as donating them to organizations that work with chronically ill children.
I love Elizabeth for so many reasons, and I feel grateful every day that she is my partner in life. Here are just a few of the reasons why I love Elizabeth, and why I know she’ll be an amazing mother! I love to make Elizabeth laugh, because in her laugh I can hear the pure joy that sings in her heart. I love that she finds delight in the simplest things — a beautiful color, a birdsong, sunlight through the clouds. I love that she rescues the spiders in our house and talks to them soothingly as she carries them outside. I love that Elizabeth is both gentle and strong. I love that she cares so deeply for others, and I admire how she stays connected with her family and friends, especially when they are going through challenging times. I love that she whistles and sings while cooking, and I can already picture a child joining in with both the cooking and the singing! Most importantly, I love that she accepts me for exactly who I am, and I have no doubt that she will provide this same unconditional love for a child.
Elizabeth overflows with a love of life, a love of people, and especially a love of children. With her energy, creativity, compassion, patience, and joy, she will be an incredible mom, and I can’t imagine raising a child with anyone else!”