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Waiting Families

Cyndi and Chris

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Dear Birthparent,

I admire and respect you so much for making the tough decisions you have made and placing the needs of your child ahead of your own.  Recognizing you are not ready to parent at this time takes honesty, wisdom, and courage.  I sincerely hope you find peace with your journey and this process.

Family life is a top priority for both Chris and I. We had discussed adoption even before we were married but were surprised when I became pregnant with our son Grant.  We would love to expand our family but after years of emotionally and physically difficult infertility procedures and 4 miscarriages, it was determined that we could not have more children biologically. We returned to our original idea of adopting.  Grant cannot wait to be a big brother and is already looking forward to playing with a younger sibling. Please be assured there would be absolutely no difference in our love for either of our children due to how they came to our family. Our extended family is also very excited and supportive of adopting and are anxious to welcome another member with open arms.

As background, Chris and I met over ten years ago when we both volunteered through the Junior Chamber of Commerce. We were friends for a couple of years before our attraction turned romantic. We both enjoy the outdoors so Chris proposed at a wetland complete with lots of wildlife and the dogs going for a swim in the stinky pond. We have been married for over six years and still enjoy going back to the same wetland. Other than being alumnae of rival Universities, we are amazingly compatible. We both come from close families where our parents were married 48 and 52 years before one of the spouses passed away.  Both of these marriages demonstrated the love, respect, and commitment to each other that we want to pass on to our children.  All of our siblings truly enjoy spending time together and it does not matter if we are celebrating holidays, playing a game, skiing or just having dinner.

From the pictures in this book, I hope you can see we are an active family who truly enjoys just being together. Some of our favorite activities are hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating, skiing, camping, fishing, wildlife watching, ball games and of course traveling. Since Chris is a commercial pilot, we have been able to travel fairly extensively both internationally and domestically. Chris’s schedule also allows him to be home more days than just weekends and he devotes his time to being an amazing father. I had a demanding career before I had Grant but gladly gave it up for my favorite job of being a Mom. Staying home with him has been more rewarding than I ever expected. We think it is important for at least one, if not both, parents to be available to attend school and sports functions.

Thank you for looking at our book. I hope it demonstrates the loving, happy life we have waiting for a child. We truly believe parenting is a privilege and an honor. We would be honored if you would consider us as parents for your child.

-Cyndi


Dear Birthparent,

I am glad you get to read this, thank you for taking the time.  Being the father of a five-year-old boy is a rewarding, humbling, exhausting, amazing, learning experience for me.  I know I am a better person because of our son.  I have learned how to be patient, how to be organized (!), and how to see the wonder in everyday, ordinary things.  He gives me a proper perspective on life, and as I watch him grow, I never thought I’d be blessed like this.  I don’t take any of it for granted.

I am sure a lot of things are swirling around in your head right now.  It was that way for us when we found out our child was on the way.  When Cyndi first told me we were pregnant, my reaction was a happiness I had never known before — combined with, I’ll admit, an anticipation I don’t think I had ever known before, either.  I guess that’s how most of us guys react to such news.  I am also convinced that it was the right time in my life for me to become a dad.  In that I feel lucky, since I know that not everyone is so fortunate.  Sometimes things happen in life that you’re just not ready for, in one way or another.  There’s nothing right or wrong with that, of course.  It just happens that way sometimes.

I consider it an honor and a blessing to be a dad now.  I know it is my most important job in life.  There isn’t an hour when I don’t think of Grant and want the best for him.  Yes, parenting is a full time job.  If I had a quarter for every time I watched him discover something new, or just say “I love you, daddy”, I’d be pretty rich.  It’s also true that if I had a quarter for every time my parenting missed the mark, I’d have some change, too.  Being a dad is, at different times, incredibly rewarding, maddeningly frustrating, completely fulfilling, or just plain interesting.  Or, usually, a big mix of all four.  But you know what?  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I think a part of that conviction is because I was ready to assume the role of a dad.

Please know that your little one would be just as loved and cherished as Grant is now.  He or she will be joining a big family and will be thoroughly surrounded by the attention from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and so on.  I never knew what it is like to have a big family until I married Cyndi.  My family is scattered all over the globe on three continents, but hers is mostly all here in Oregon.  As you can see from the pictures, there is a large amount of “fun-factor” that this group believes in exercising whenever possible.  They all love to share, which is good, because we want that trait to be among those our children are raised with.  Grant has been able to grow up with this from day one of his life; your child would have the same experience.

We applaud your willingness to make an adoption plan for your child at this time.  I hope this family book, and the pictures in it, help you with your decision.

-Chris