We matched on OkCupid, a dating app. It was unexpected because Adam lived in Philadelphia, and Jackie lived 3.5 hours away in the Catskills in New York.
After spending close to 24 hours total on the phone over the first few days that they started talking, Adam drove to meet Jackie on her birthday, January 9, 2021.
Adam was born in California and lived there for a few years until his family moved to Utah. Adam stayed in Utah, except for two years in Hong Kong, until he went to podiatry school near Scranton, PA, then completed his residency in Philadelphia. Jackie and Adam met during his residency, and upon finishing, Adam moved back to Utah in June, 2021. Jackie was born in Detroit and moved to upstate New York when she was nine years old. She moved to New York City in 2003 for college and stayed there for the next 16 years except for two years in graduate school in Boston, and 1-5 months in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, Ghana, Indonesia and South Carolina. In 2019, burned out from working in public finance in NYC, Jackie moved to the Pocono area of PA, then the Catskills in NY, where she connected with Adam. Jackie moved to Utah to be with Adam and the kids in December, 2021.
When Jackie and Adam met, Adam's three children were 4 (Finlay), 8 (Lydia) and 9 (Liam). Jackie had spoken to them over the phone and seen them on facetime, but she met them for the first time when she and Adam went to Utah in March of 2021. Initially we planned for a slow introduction, but because of covid and other logistical issues, we stayed for most of the week-long trip with the kids and Adam's parents at his parents' house in Orem.
Liam is 12. He is in 6th grade and loves math, camping, video games and cooking/baking. He can play the ukulele and recently started learning the viola for his school orchestra. Liam also plays indoor and outdoor soccer on a league team. He is energetic and perceptive, and he is the best helper when you need to get something done. Lydia is 11. She is in 5th grade and loves reading, making jewelry and resin molds, and all things tiny and pretty. She also plays the ukulele and recently started learning violin for her school orchestra. Lydia is just getting back into tumbling after an arm injury, she is great at doing handstands and cartwheels. She is thoughtful and witty, and makes us laugh with her unexpected one-liners. Finlay is 8 and is in 2nd grade. He loves Where's Waldo, puzzle and activity books, and riding his bike and the hoverboard. Finlay will pick up any musical instrument and play, and will join just about any board or card game. He is curious and silly, and will be the first one to give you his gloves if your hands are cold, or share his snack if you are hungry. All three kids enjoy doing puzzles, decorating for holidays, helping with dinner or dessert, and answering Brain Quest questions. They can also each play a little on the piano. Together they love to blindfold Adam and surprise him, and organize food fights and silly string fights against Adam (with Jackie's help).