Dear Birth Family-
Thank you for taking the time to consider our family as you make your adoption plan. Having adopted Sam, we have seen first-hand the amount of love, courage, and strength it takes to entrust your child in another family’s hands, and can only imagine how difficult the decision is for you. We are forever grateful for the gift that adoption gives us, and will always think of you as part of our family. Our children will know they are adopted and we wish to give with them as much information about you as you are willing to share. We continue to provide updates to Sam’s birth family and love sharing his milestones and accomplishments with them. We are willing to work together with a birth family on the level of openness that is comfortable for all of us. Raising a child is our greatest adventure together, and we love helping a child grow and develop. We want to see it happen again with a second child. We value family, honesty, and humor and pour that into how we parent. Sam is incredibly excited to become a big brother, and is already talking about all the important things he can teach a sibling (how to build train tracks, which candy is the best, and which of his cars go the fastest). Here is a little bit about us.
Our Journey
We spent most of the first 5 years of our 10 year marriage trying to be parents through numerous unsuccessful infertility treatments. Through that process, we learned the value of open, honest communication and emotionally supporting one another. It was through these conversations that we realized being parents was the most important thing. That journey, although difficult, was a blessing as it led us to adoption, which led us to our Sam. As he grows, we find ourselves wanting a second child, and believe now is the right time to add to our family. We love being his parents, and work to instill confidence, kindness, and respect in him every day.
Will
Will is adopted and an only child. He is close with his parents and they are active in Sam’s life. He is the stay at home parent in our family. He is a fine artist and had a studio in our home until Sam came along. With a similar background, he believes he can help our children navigate the process of understanding adoption. Some of his favorite things are:
• Super hero movies
• Cooking
• Random movie trivia
• Bad Dad jokes
• Halloween
Lori
Lori is the youngest of five children born to deaf parents. Both of her parents have passed away, which has made the sibling bond even stronger. We gather at Thanksgiving or other special events, and spend a lot of time playing silly games and laughing together. Lori works as a manager at a large corporation, but enjoys a flexible schedule that allows her to volunteer at Sam’s school frequently. Lori’s favorite things:
• Building Legos and train tracks
• Movie theater popcorn
• Baking Christmas cookies
• Beach vacations
Sam
Sam is a very articulate and imaginative pre-schooler who keeps us laughing. He is as stubborn as both his parents, and loves to be moving. He loves the local zoo, the Children’s Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and just going to a park or play place. He is s flirt and loves teenage girls, and they usually love him right back. His favorite things are:
• Trains
• Garbage trucks
• Pizza and ranch dressing
• Dogs
What we want to give our children:
• Endless love and security
• Honesty and kindness
• The freedom to define their own identity
• A path to higher education
What we will teach our children:
• They can be anything they want to be
• To be kind
• How to solve problems
• To find humor and a life lesson in all situations
• The importance of family and friends
• And when life knocks you down, get back up and find another path
Our Family
We enjoy spending time together as a family. Sam loves the local zoo, Botanical Gardens, and Children’s Museum. We also frequent multiple parks in our area, which gives Sam lots of time to run, play and meet other kids. We have a small community of parents with whom we set up regular play dates. Family time can also be just vegging on the couch watching a movie together or playing some of Sam’s favorite board games (he beats us at Candy Land frequently), hide and seek, or trains. We also enjoy traveling together, either to see the grandparents on the West Coast or to our favorite beaches in Florida. We also do road trips to cities that have interesting train museums, or other great kid attractions. We definitely want our kids to see different parts of the United States and the world to give them an appreciation and understanding of different cultures and locations.
We value time with our extended families, and one of our proudest moments was introducing Sam to his grandparents. Will’s parents are so excited about a second grandchild, they are already making plans to be able to spend more time with us. Lori’s sisters love on Sam like a grandchild. One sister lives in the same town as us, and Sam is a frequent visitor to her house. She even put a nursery together when Sam was born so he could spend the night once a week. Lori’s brother is already a grandfather, and Sam loves spending time with his cousins when we are all together. The whole family is excitedly awaiting the arrival of another baby to our home.
Thank you for considering being a part of this big crazy bunch as a cherished birth family. We love big and laugh often and somehow that keeps our family together.
With great love and respect,
Will & Lori
