Printer Friendly

Annabelle and John

Dear Birthparent:

My name is Annabelle and I want to thank you for reading our letters and considering our family for your child. I am deeply touched that you have made the decision, which I can only imagine must have been very difficult, to bring a child into this world and give someone the gift of parenthood.

I grew up as the youngest of three children in a loving and supportive home in South Africa and moved to the United States to attend graduate school. When I met John, I was immediately attracted to his sense of humor and as I got to know him better, I fell deeply in love with this honorable, loving and faithful man. We were married 13 years ago, moved to Colorado for a few years, and have been living in the Portland area for the past seven years.

After it became clear that we would not be able to conceive, we decided to build our family through adoption. I like the fact that, through an open adoption, our children will have the opportunity to know their biological roots and heritage, and that you as birthparent(s) will have the benefit of knowing that they are well cared for. We had the wonderful experience of adopting our daughter, Hannah Marie, into our family four years ago. She has brought so much joy! Hannah Marie’s birthmom preferred a more closed adoption, but we were able to meet with her once and we are open to more visits if she requests them. As parents we are committed to providing a loving and secure environment for our children to grow, learn and explore.

We were both raised in Christian homes and our faith forms the foundation of our marriage and our daily lives. We are part of a large, multi-cultural church with outreach activities in our local community as well as in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. We met many of our closest friends at church. We value our relationships with friends and family and we love hosting them at our home for dinner or a BBQ in the summer. We don’t watch much TV, but we enjoy board games and movies, especially action or drama.

We enjoy being active and exploring the outdoors. I love to hike, swim and bike and took up running about ten years ago so that I could do triathlons. In the winter I enjoy cross country ski trips, and I prefer ungroomed trails where I can experience the natural beauty and stillness of a snow covered landscape. I am an avid reader and hope to pass on my love of reading and learning to my children, as well as an appreciation for music.  I have been playing the piano since I was six years old and I love to play with Hannah. Finally, I also like to travel and explore new places.

John also enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and biking and while he prefers summer activities, he goes on snow trips with me since I enjoy it so much. He is not much of a reader, other than the newspaper, since he likes to stay up to date on the news. He enjoys working with his hands, which is great for me since he can make or fix just about anything. He is an introvert, so seems somewhat serious when you first meet him, but once he gets to know people, he loves to joke around with them. He is very dependable and faithful and he takes his commitments very seriously.

Hannah Marie is a sweet little girl. Her favorite activites are dancing, playing at parks, drawing and being read to. She attends preschool a couple of mornings a week, a weekly music class and we rotate through gymnastics, dancing, soccer and basketball classes.  She is very excited about becoming a “big sister.”

Thank you for reading my letter. I am very excited about the prospect of welcoming another child into our home.

Sincerely,
Annabelle

Dear birthparent,

My name is John and I admire you for making what must be a very difficult decision. Thank you for taking the time to read our letters.  Annabelle and I look forward to welcoming another child into our family. Our desire is that, as they see our love and commitment to each other as well as to them, it will provide a safe and stable environment for them to grow up in.

We have been greatly blessed to have adopted our daughter Hannah, and she has brought so many joys to life.  It has been fun to help her learn to ride a tricycle, teach her to count, do puzzles, and play with her toys together. She likes to pretend that she’s a princess and I either have to be “the good king” or “the prince,” but often times I end up being the horse so that she can take a ride on my back. We anticipate being able to do the same things with our next child along with encouraging the kids to enjoy being with each other.

Something else I look forward to is teaching our kids about life.  As they grow up they will make many important decisions in their lifetimes and I want to help convey things I’ve learned from my parents and others to them.  One of the most important things in my life is my faith in God and it is important to me to teach them about how He loves them and what we can learn about Him from the Bible and the world we live in.

I grew up in Southern Oregon, the second of four kids, and my parents and siblings all still live in Oregon. Hannah loves playing with all her cousins. I enjoy sports, especially running and biking, spending time outside and woodworking. I also enjoy sharing my interests with Hannah and we’ve explored several bike trails together with me pulling her in a bike trailer, and more recently on a tag-along. It’s also important to me to be aware of what interests my kids so that I can encourage them in those activities.

It is very important to me as a parent to spend time with my children.  In today’s hectic world it seems schedules can quickly fill up.  I plan to have ‘dates’ where I spend one-on-one time with my children doing something they choose. I will also include them when I do everyday activities such as working on projects around the house, getting the mail together, riding in the jogging stroller when I go on a jog, and joining us for errands when we go to the store.

I’ve been very blessed to have Annabelle as a wife and she has been a great mother for Hannah. Hannah is her little shadow and likes to help with everything she does. Annabelle has a zest for life. She loves to get involved and participate in things and meet new people. She volunteers to help with various events, signs up to join ski trips, researches our next outdoor adventure or vacation, and organizes outings for our friends to join us on.  Something that she has done for Hannah and will continue doing with all our kids has been to sign her up for classes such as gymnastics, soccer, and music. This wouldn’t have even occurred to me but I’m amazed at how much Hannah has enjoyed it and comes home showing off the new things she’s learned.

Again, thank you for reading through our letters and considering our family as you make this challenging decision.

Sincerely,
John

Mikal and Irena

Hello, I am writing this letter in the hopes of sharing a little bit about me and my journey with Irena, and that it is helpful to you at this time in your journey. You and your unique story are unknown to me, but I am grateful that you are looking at our family book. And I hope that where ever your journey leads you, it is your desire.

First a bit about me: I grew up in Los Angeles with my Mom, Dad, brother and sister. My siblings are quite a bit older than me (9 and 11 years) so I feel like I had an only-child experience growing up. However, we are close now that we are all adults and I value them tremendously. While my parents divorced when I was 11, they remained amicable and I stayed living in the same house and had an otherwise very stable childhood. I loved soccer and played from age 6 – 16. I also loved music and art and played the piano or made crafts/art whenever I could. I still love sports/being active, music and art! In my early 20’s I even made a go at becoming a rock star and was in several bands. While I had a lot of fun, none of them were very successful.

After a career in the Human Resources field for several non-profit agencies, I again decided to pursue a creative career and put all my time and resources into learning how to tattoo. I had always loved tattoos and already had a bunch, so merging my love for tattoos and art was a naturally good fit. I have been tattooing ever since and now co-own a shop with a business partner and work with 4 other awesome artists. I love what I do and hope to tattoo until my hands fall off! Some of my other favorite hobbies and likes are restoring and riding vintage bicycles, running (I am training for my first 1/2 marathon!) and other fitness activities, cooking, my motorcycle and most of all, spending time with my family.

Now about Irena and our relationship: She is the love of my life and I am very lucky to have such an amazing partner in the world! She is smart, funny, caring, loving, responsible, patient, honest and genuine. We have gone through big changes like relocating to Oregon, changing careers/jobs and buying a house with ease and grace: we have a very easy way and calmness about us. I am so excited to grow our family together and see her parent! I have no doubt that she will be an attentive, nurturing and fun mom. I have such a wonderful home and life with her, our furry family and friend “framily” that I can’t wait to share with the right little spirit.

Together, we decided early on in our family building process to consider adoption. We were both already committed to openness in family building, so an open adoption is right for us. I would not have it any other way. There will be challenges, but with love, communication and honesty those issues can be navigated. I see it as a benefit that our child’s unique story will include an extended family rooting for them through life.

Lastly, I would like to express to you that I am very ready and excited to be a parent! One of my greatest strengths is my duality of being a big goof ball who loves to joke around and have fun, while also being very stable, grounded and strong. I have an endless well of patience and love ready to give our child.

I wish you peace in making whatever decision is best for you and your child. Thank you.
-Mikal

Hello! Well, I don’t think it’s going to be possible for me to tell you everything that I want to say to you in the next few paragraphs, so the best I can hope for is that you get a little bit of a sense about me, our family, and our ideas about adoption. I hope that you have all the support and love you need and that you feel empowered, honored and at peace with whatever choices you make along your path.

It’s easy for me to talk about Mikal, so I’ll start there. By the end of our second date in early 2006, we were both pretty sure we’d found our “person in the world,” and we were right! You would not think that someone with so many tattoos and who loves riding vintage bicycles would also be a successful business owner and have what our loan officer described as the “second best credit score she’d ever seen,” but it’s true. So not only is she fun, funny, smart and cute, but it turns out she is also incredibly stable, steady, and dependable – a combination so rare and precious that I often joke how I married a unicorn! Watching her in the world – with kids, with animals, at work, with our two rescue pups – fills me with so much joy, and I can’t wait for the opportunity to parent with her.

Some things that I like include: Mikal, our two small dogs Lucky and Fifi, science, my career supporting low-income families in their financial goals at a local non-profit, gardening (after almost four years in our house I think I am finally growing more vegetables than weeds!), tidepools, a good cry over ridiculous sad music, learning how to be a better person in the world every day, our home, laughing, being honest even when it’s hard, photography, easy summer hikes through the woods, and not taking myself too seriously.

As a family, Mikal and I bring a lot of strength, self-knowledge, and respect (for our selves, each other, and others in our lives) to the table. We will not be perfect parents but we know how to be accountable when we mess up, how to learn from it, and how to do it better next time. I have learned so much about myself, about honesty and commitment and communication, about how to listen, and about authenticity and love from Mikal, from my friends and family, and from learning to listen to my own heart that I am truly ready for the adventure of being an adoptive parent.*We both have flexible work schedules, and both plan to be home (full or part time) for at least the first several months. My work is extremely family-friendly, and allows babies up to 6 months to come to work several days a week. After that, we will transition into a regular work schedule of 4 days a week each and plan to have in-home care for about 15 hours a week. We have family in the area who are excited to be a part of our child-care plans too.

Openness is extremely important to me. I believe that a truly open adoption is the best way to support an adopted child in growing up with an integrated sense of self that honors their unique identity as a child of many families. I welcome our kid’s family of origin as an important part of our own extended family, and look forward to continued contact and sharing the experience of loving and supporting our kid as they grow up. A member of my family was placed in the era of closed adoptions; we still have not found them and the sadness that I feel about this definitely confirms my commitment to an open and connected adoption.

I hope this letter can help you figure out if you want to know more about us. Thank you for reading our letters and taking a look at our book. Thank you.
-Irena

Alicia and Chris

Dear birthparents,

My name is Alicia and I want to thank you for looking at our family book. I cannot imagine what you are feeling right now, but I know this must be the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make. I want you to know how much I respect and appreciate your choice to help us create our family.

I’d like to help you get to know my husband, Chris, and I a little better. My favorite pastime is spending time with my family and friends. I spend a lot of time with the people I love doing anything from hiking, fishing or shopping to just hanging out and talking. I make jewelry (mostly for myself or friends and family), I love to paint (oils or acrylic) and I love to read (usually memoirs but sometimes I like a good mystery). I work downtown in Portland as an IT Supervisor.

Both Chris and I believe in the importance of helping to build a stronger community through volunteerism. We are both members of nonprofit organizations in our community and we volunteer our time when possible to the Oregon Food Bank and to provide services for the homeless in our county.

Chris is my favorite person in the whole world. He makes me laugh all the time and is extremely supportive. Chris is truly a good guy; he is honest, generous and caring, he goes out of his way to help others, he is strong and supportive and he is fun! Chris and I have been married for five years. We joke that we are psychically connected because we always seem to know what the other is thinking or feeling and frequently say or do the same thing at the same time. Chris is my best friend, and I cannot wait for him to be a father, he is going to be the best dad!

We have so much love and fun in our home and we want to share that with our child. We look forward to teaching our child about the world and about life. We look forward to family dinners and helping with homework, seeing our child’s first school play or little league game. We know that parenting is not all sunshine and rainbows, it can be hard, but we even look forward to working through the hard times and teaching our child to learn and grow from those experiences.

Chris and I have tried, unsuccessfully, to have biological children for the past four years. While this has been emotionally difficult at times, we have been open to adoption throughout. We would be so honored to be blessed with a child and we will work every day of that child’s life to make sure they know how much we love them and how lucky we are that you made the selfless decision to allow our family to grow.

We both believe that openness in adoption is the best approach. Chris was adopted and it was not open, he was always curious about how it came to be. As an adult Chris located his birthmother and they’re developing a relationship, which is a wonderful thing to watch. We want our child to always know where they came from and for you to always know that your child is being loved and given the best life possible.

Thank you and I wish you strength as you make this difficult decision and I hope that we have the opportunity to meet.

Alicia

Dear Birthparents,

My name is Chris and I want to thank you for taking the time to read our letters and get to know us through the pictures and information in our book. I hope that learning more about us and how much love we have to share can help ease the weight of this very difficult and important decision. Alicia and I have tried to have biological children over the last four years without success and have talked about adoption from the very beginning. We are very excited to start a family and talk about it every day.

I was adopted by my Grandparents when I was a year old, along with my older brother, and feel I was very fortunate and loved by my adoptive parents. My brother and I were raised by wonderful role models who provided us with a great education and a loving home. My adoption was closed and as I grew older there was a need within to address the many unanswered questions I had about the circumstances surrounding my adoption. Even though I had asked while growing up, these questions were never answered and this left me with feelings that perhaps I had done something wrong. My adoptive family members have all passed away and as a result, left my brother and I with those same, unanswered questions. A few years ago I located my birth mother, began talking to her over the phone and finally met her in person. This was a very special and meaningful event in my life and I felt as if a large void in my heart was beginning to fill. We are still getting to know each other and have started to talk about the events surrounding my adoption. From the beginning, I understood this is a very emotional and painful subject for her and knew it would take time for her to open up about my adoption.

My own adoption as a child provides me with the unique experience to talk to our child about what a wonderful blessing they truly are and what kind of selfless act it takes for a birthparent in helping us create our family. Alicia and I are both committed to ensuring you are updated and have the opportunity for contact with our family, if this is your wish.

I was born in Southern California and grew up in Las Vegas. I have lived in Oregon for the last 16 years, not far from my brother and his family. I have worked for the same company for the last 15 years and enjoy my work very much and find it very rewarding. I met Alicia at work and found we had many things in common and seemed to connect immediately. She is my best friend and I love the fact we are so close and share every aspect of our lives together. I enjoy acting silly around Alicia, making her laugh and seeing her smile. We spend a lot of time with family and friends but most of our time is spent together. Alicia is very outgoing and I am amazed at her artistic abilities and love to watch her paint or make jewelry. We love to have fun, going fishing and hiking and spending lots of time with our dogs and our cat (who thinks he’s a dog by the way). We are both very involved in our community through several volunteer groups and activities.

Alicia and I look forward to sharing all of this with our child as a family. I can promise you we will provide the most loving, fun and safe home possible. Our family is one of love, nurturing and open communication. Our home is place for us to share our lives and teach each other about life and the world around us. We have so much to teach our child and so many things to learn from them as well. We are excited to take this journey together the rest our lives. We look forward to meeting you and sharing more about ourselves and hearing your story.

Chris

DeaQuan, age 7

“This is a very sweet boy, who has come a long way.” ~Caseworker

A child that everyone really likes, DeaQuan loves school buses and is constantly adding to his collection.  He enjoys music as well as singing and dancing. Despite the odds against him, he has an ongoing zest for life, is warm and affectionate towards others and loves to give hugs goodbye. He needs a family who will provide him with patience, consistency and trust, while challenging DeaQuan to continue to learn to do things for himself and accept him for exactly who he is.

Watch a video about DeaQuan

To learn more about DeaQuan, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 503.542.2301.

Ashley, Brett and Kiara, Ages 10, 9 and 6

“These children need an experienced, two-parent family who has the time, energy and willingness to give each child the attention they deserve.”- ~Caseworker

Siblings, Ashley, Brett and Kiara, long for a family of their own who will love them unconditionally and accept them for who they are.  Ashley loves to help out around the house, listening to Justin Beiber. She does best with older children and adults. Brett is a pleasant, bright, outdoorsy guy who loves to explore and discover how things work. Easygoing Kiara is a happy little girl who goes with the flow, loves going to school, coloring and playing with her friends.  A physically healthy handful, this troop of three will be a happy addition to any adoptive family.

Watch a video about Ashley, Brett and Kiara

To learn more about Ashley, Brett and Kiara, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 503.542.2301.

Carly and Justin

Dear Birthparents,

Our names are Justin and Carly. First and foremost, we would like to thank you for giving us and other couples the opportunity to do what we have dreamt of doing all of our lives, to parent. The decision you make whether to parent yourself or choose adoption is insurmountable and we admire your courage and desire to want what is best for yourself and your baby. Without you, people like ourselves would never be able to have a child of our own and for that we are eternally grateful. We know each family is unique, as are we, but what we do share with all parents-to-be is the love and compassion necessary for a healthy, happy baby and a loving family. Regardless of your decision with us, we think it is so noble that you would think about giving someone the gift of parenting.

We first met in 2004 while Justin’s band was on tour in Southern California. We had numerous mutual friends, since we both had interest in the same music scene, and we became best friends in a matter of no time. A couple of short years later, Carly moved from New York City to Portland in a cross country drive that we made together. Shortly after that move, we were both single at the same time for the first time, and we finally realized what most people around us had already figured out; that we were deeply in love with one another and that a relationship was inevitable. We started dating and fell deeply in love and soon our relationship included marriage. We got married on the waterfront in Portland, Oregon almost four years ago and continue to live in Portland close to Justin’s family. Our house includes our best pal Ambrose, an 11 year old pug with the best intentions but the worst snoring we have ever heard from a four legged friend.

Two years into our marriage we eagerly started trying to have a biological child. Quickly, Carly got pregnant and just as quickly, she lost the pregnancy. Eight miscarriages and no answers later, we were at a loss. No Dr. was able to explain why this was happening to us and every test we took came back inconclusive. Due to the overwhelming emotions and disappointment that came with every pregnancy, we decided to stop trying to on our own and chose adoption. Justin soon got a vasectomy to ensure that Carly wouldn’t have to go through any more physical trauma, since she was getting pregnant so easily. Soon we decided on adoption knowing it was the right path for us to take. The journey to get to this point has been hard and heartbreaking but also eye opening. Through the hard times we came out with a love and understanding for each other that many couples never reach. Now we are able to stop grieving the past and are ready to move forward with a bright, positive and exciting future knowing that a child is out there for us.

Justin’s thoughts about Carly: Carly is the greatest person that I’ve ever met throughout my life, and I feel very lucky that we were able to become such close friends before we ever even started dating. She’s caring, smart and extremely passionate. I know that any child coming into our home will be very fortunate to have Carly as a mother. They will certainly be fed well too. Carly is an amazing cook (soon to be published!), and I have never eaten as well as I have during our time together.

Carly’s thoughts about Justin: Justin is an amazingly loyal, intelligent and selfless person. He always puts the people he loves before himself. His parents have been in a happy marriage for over 30 years now and that has been a great tool for him to grow up loving, respectful of others and compassionate. When I see him with our two year old Niece, I can see just how great of a father he will be one day.

We are both very close with our families and because of that we know how important relationships can be. We hope that a respectful, open relationship can be established and maintained over the course of the child’s life by utilizing a few visits a year, and keeping an open dialogue through emails and pictures. Such openness should be beneficial for everyone, but especially the child. We both eagerly want to welcome a child into our home and be the kind of loving parents that we were both blessed to grow up with. We have passions for music, food and far more that we would love to share with a child as they grow up.

We wish you the best in your decision and while we will never know what you are going through, we want you to know that we are grateful for people like you and your willingness to consider adoption. Without people like you we might never have a reason to buy that little play kitchen or child sized baseball glove, but more importantly we would not have a family of our own to love eternally.

Sincerely,
Justin and Carly

Dominick

Dominick, age 9, is affectionate and can be very snuggly and loving. He often tells his foster parents that he loves them and wants a hug or kiss. He is a smart and witty boy who likes to laugh. Creative, he enjoys arts and crafts type activities. Dominick needs to be kept busy as he has plentiful energy that benefits from healthy and active outlets. Dominick really enjoys video games or riding his skate board and bike. HE doesn’t tend to like to play outside and seems to prefer indoor activities. A family would have fun introducing him to new hobbies and activities!

To learn more about Dominick, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 503.542.2301.

Photographed by
Jay Hager

Jayden

Jayden, age five, has a great smile and loves to laugh. Jayden does really well with structure and routine. Jayden loves trains and other mechanical toys. His favorite movie is the Polar Express. Jayden also loves swimming and playing with his hot wheels. Jayden is very loving and likes hugs and kisses.

To learn more about Jayden, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 503.542.2301.

Photographed by
Jay Hager

Angelina and Rose

Angelina, age 16 is both unique and engaging. A fan of fiction stories, Angelina can often be found with her head in a book, imagining how to create a witches brew or where to find a hidden map. Her imagination also takes her to her notebook, where she loves to write poems and draw. Angelina’s combination of creativity and depth in everything she creates is inspiring. Bubbly by nature, 11-year-old Rose will talk to you until she is blue in the face. Possibly a future explorer, this young lady loves new experiences and places. When she is not dreaming of a new adventure, Rose can be found playing basketball, reading, or drawing. While these two squabble like typical siblings, they love and depend on one another. They are a special sibling group that deserves a loving forever family.

To learn more about Angelina and Rose, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 503.542.2301.

Photographed by
Emily Hall

Jessica and Wyatt

Dear Birthparents,

Hello, my name is Jessica and with my husband Wyatt we would like to give you a glimpse into our life and family.

Wyatt and I have been married for 6 years and together for 9 years. We met through a mutual friend and instantly hit it off. Wyatt is the man I had always dreamed of marrying. He is an excellent husband, father and provider. I know I can always count on him for anything. He is a very likeable, outgoing person and he makes me laugh everyday. We have a lot of fun together and no matter what it is we are doing my favorite place to be is with him. I respect him immensely and love him with all my heart.

Wyatt has two sons from a previous marriage, Jesse 17 and Jeremiah 15. They are great boys who I love like they are my biological children. They brought and still bring so much joy to our home. They lived with us for quite a few years but decided they wanted to live in the big city with their mom. I miss them every day and we always tell them we want them to move back with us but the big city calls to them. Though they live four hours away, we still see them as much as we can including holidays.

When I was 15, I found out I could not carry a baby. Being a mom has always been a dream of mine, so for quite a while I have known the only way I could become a mother was by way of adoption. Though I am a step mom and love that role, I am excited to be able to experience the other side of motherhood.

I am a dental assistant and have been for 12 years. I really enjoy working with people. There are three dentists in my office and one of them adopted his two daughters, so I have a lot of support. My schedule is very flexible, there are 5 other dental assistants that will help me out and work for me if need be. We are like one big family in my office, we all get along great!

I am excited to share the holiday traditions that my parents shared with my siblings and I and that we kept alive with Jesse and Jeremiah up until they moved. Such as coloring Easter eggs and hiding/finding them, picking out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch and carving them, making Christmas cookies for Santa, and making a big deal about birthdays with a special dinner and cake. Wyatt and I still do these things but we are excited to share them with someone again!

We enjoy family time no matter what we are doing from watching a movie, to playing board games, to going and doing stuff outdoors. All of my family live within 10 miles of us and we see them often. We are all close and they are all excited to welcome a new family member!

We have a lot of love to give and we are so excited to add to our family. Jesse and Jeremiah are excited to have another sibling as well!  We have waited a long time to bring another child into our lives and we know now is the right time. I cannot imagine the love and courage you have to make an adoption plan for your baby and I want to tell you I respect you very much for your decision.

I hope you feel like you have gotten to know us a little better. Thank you for considering us as a family for your child. I wish you the best in your decision and in your future.

Sincerely,
Jessica

Dear Birthparents,

My name is Wyatt and my wife’s name is Jessica. We want to give you a look into our lives.

Here is a little information about me and our family. I am a union journeyman electrician foreman. I have worked at my job for 12 years now and I love it!  Being an electrician presents many challenges and also many great rewards. For several years now I have become the hospital and medical building guy. I have got to install many different new technologies and I get to see and understand a lot of different types of machines. It is a pretty awesome feeling knowing that a new MRI or Cat scan machine will help save peoples lives. My job is also flexible so that I can attend school functions and events. In my spare time I enjoy many outdoor activities like hiking, camping, rock hounding, golf and just hanging out with my family. I also like to spend time indoors by the fireplace, playing the Wii or watching movies.

The past nine years with Jessica in my life have by far been the happiest. I love Jessica so much and I know that she is my soul mate. We laugh together a lot we both enjoy joking around with each other. She is so down to earth and fun. I love to spend time with her it does not matter what we are doing. Since we met our all time favorite place to be is at the coast. We don’t care if it is raining or sunny, we just love to go there. Because of Jessica’s ability to save money we have been able to go on fun vacations to places like Hawaii and Sea world. We also were able to buy our dream house. I know that Jessica will make an excellent mom, she has taken classes and done research on child development and care for years now. She has also been a great mom to the boys, she has helped take care of them since Jesse was 8 and Jeremiah was 6. I have to let you know that Jessica is an awesome cook. I love everything she makes.

Mine and my wife’s parents both live in the same town as does almost all of both sides of our families. My parents love and enjoy the boys very much. I am an only child and so the boys are my parent’s only grandkids and they want nothing more than to be able to have a grand daughter.

Now I will tell you about my awesome kids. Jesse is just like me, especially when I was his age. He is now 17 and is a senior in high school. He enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and he is getting ready to make the big decision of what to major in college. Jeremiah is a very active 15 year old and has more energy than most people. He loves to ride his skateboard ( I taught him every thing he knows ha, ha)  just like I did for most of my life. He enjoys listening to music and updating his Facebook account. A couple of years ago, Jesse decided to move up north to the big city and live with his mom and Jeremiah followed the next year. This has been very hard on Jessica and I because we love them both very, very much and they were such a big part of our lives. We do visit them every chance we get and they come stay at our house on all of their breaks and vacations.

Our entire family on both sides are so ready and excited for us and we have a huge amount of support in our decision to adopt. This has been a very happy and emotional time in our lives. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for looking at our book.

Thank you,
Wyatt