What does "Family Life" mean to you?
Family Life is a very important part of our lives. It means supporting one another, being there when someone is in need. It is about creating memories and enriching the quality of our lives. Family Life also means traditions such as Sunday morning breakfasts, family vacations, and putting up the Christmas tree the weekend following Thanksgiving by spending the day at home placing the ornaments on the tree.
Describe your childhood:
Adoptive Mom? I had a very fun childhood. I always looked forward to our family vacations that we would take each year. My family was very active together, going to baseball games or playing miniature golf. Growing up we had a lot of traditions, and the best part is that we still do many of them today.
As you can see, spending time together as a family was very important. My parents were very supportive and loving in all of my decisions. One nice part was that I was lucky to have my mother home as I was growing up. Because my mother didn’t work she was able to help out in many school activities and Girl Scout campouts.
Adoptive Dad? My childhood was simple and nice. I remember fondly about family vacations each year, especially when we went camping where my dad taught me how to make a campfire. I remember about Christmas morning, my mother would always cook a big breakfast after we opened our gifts, then my sister and I would spend all day playing with our toys. My parents put a lot of effort in being there for both my sister and I in everything we did.
Tell us about your home?
We have a 3 bedroom 2.5 baths home that was built in 2006. It sits on an open lot within a very nice subdivision. We have spent a lot of time trying to create a very warm and cozy feeling inside our home. We have a fireplace that when it is cold out side, we love curling up in front of it. We have already painting the nursery, hoping the day will come soon when we will hear the giggle of a little one.
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
This depends on what season it is in our state. If its winter, we love to stay inside, having a fire and simple spending time together. We may go sledding, or watch a movie or two. If it’s the summer time and the weather is nice, you would probably find us camping somewhere throughout our state. Or, we may take our kayaks and bikes and spend the days at the metro park that’s only a few miles away. We love to take small trips where we may stay overnight, just to get the feeling of being away from the daily grind of life. In the fall we love to go to the apple orchard and pick fresh apples, or pick our own pumpkin for Halloween. September we found is the best time to visit the many zoo’s that we have near our home because the weather is perfect for the animals to be out. As you see there is so much to do in Michigan and we are normally up to anything. Having a long weekend gives us the opportunity to do so much. Whether it’s the same thing, or something new the important thing to us is that we are having fun and we are together.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
If so tell us about them? We have a dog and a cat. Our dog’s name is Sadie and she is a miniature daushound. Sadie is black with a little bit of brown patches under her chin. Smokey is our cat and he is a domestic short hair. Smokey is gray and is almost twice the size of Sadie. Watching the two of them play is very funny because even though Sadie is much smaller then Smokey, she still stands up to him. Both are very loving to us and are always at the door when we come home. One of the best parts of having the two of them is the feeling that we get just to see how excited they get when they see us.
What is your favorite food?
Jill’s favorite food is Chicken Enchilada’s and Jason’s is Pizza.
What do you hope to teach your children?
We desire to teach and watch our child learn and grow through each circumstance in life. We plan to teach them about life, and about the importance of values. We want to teach them about what’s right and wrong and about the importance of family.
Do you play any musical instruments?
No. Although both of us would love to learn an instrument sometime in our life.
Describe your neighborhood?
There are many families with children throughout our neighborhood. There is a park with swings, a plays cape for the children to enjoy and sidewalks for bike riding. It’s a new subdivision that is right next to a cider mill. In the fall time you can smell the doughnuts being made, and every morning you can hear the rooster call. We are a short walk to town where there is shopping, places to eat and our favorite ice cream parlor. Our neighborhood has this friendly vibe about it that is very relaxing to live in. You always see people outside walking their dogs, or just going for a walk. Everyone waves hello, or stops by just to chat about the day.
Share something about your spouse that only you know:
Husband: Jason will only eat M&M’s if they are the original colors.
Wife: Jill does not like her feet touched.
Describe the last romantic thing you did together?
We took a weekend trip to a small town up north near Lake Michigan. We went to dinner, walked along the water to the lighthouse and watched the sunset.
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
We would tell our child just how much she loved him or her and that she only wanted the best for him or her. We would be very open to share everything that we know about their birthmother, because we feel this is very important for the child.
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
I would take my child to the zoo for the day. I can’t wait to see their eyes when they get their first look at a rhino, or the giraffe. I would tell them everything that I know about the animals.
Do you plan on sharing with your child what their birth parents were like?
Yes, we would be very open to share everything that we know about their birthmother.
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
Public because we both went to public school. We also feel that our school district is one of the best in our state. We are very excited about this because we want our child to have the best education.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
After the doctors told us it was highly unlikely to have our own children we knew right away that adoption would make our dreams of having a family come true.
What faith will you raise your child?
Catholic
How will you help your child accomplish their dreams?
It is important if you have a dream to follow it and we would help our child by providing support, compassion, dedication and most of all love.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
We hope to develop a relationship that we will be able to build a friendship. We would like to learn about her so that we could share this information with our child. We are very open to what ever the level of relationship the birthmother is comfortable with.
How did you meet?
During the spring of 1997, we were introduced by mutual friends. Till this day, both of our friends say it wasn’t a setup, but neither of us believes them.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
We’re both very close to our parents, and have a wonderful relationship that is built on trust with an open understanding. They are amazing and caring people that have always given us the opportunities to achieve what ever we have attempted. Both of our parents have always been there for us and are still an important part of our lives to this day.
What attracted you to each other?
Our personalities, sense of humor and we had many things in common. We found that we shared the same morals, values and outlook on life, which gave us an instant connection.
Please describe your personalities:
Husband? Very outgoing, laid back, and easy going.
Wife? Fun, outgoing and loving.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Husband & Wife - Kayaking, camping, watching movies, going to the zoo, taking walks, and mountain biking.
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
An Angel that has been sent to us. She would be giving us the most beautiful, precious gift in the world. She is someone who is so special in making my dreams of becoming a mother a reality, and that makes me feel so great-ful and bless.
How will a child enrich your life?
Having a child will fulfill a dream that both of us have had since we said “I Do”. We dreamed about hearing the tap of babies’ feet throughout our house, and raising him/her the way that we were raised. We want to create the same memories that we had when we were children.
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Husband? I had the intention of going into Accounting, but realized quickly that my outgoing personality was better suited to dealing with people instead of sitting at a desk. During college, I took a job as a supervisor and found that being a leader and pushing people to achieve their best was something that I was very good at. So because of that, I stayed in the management field and I love everything about it.
Wife? When I was younger I had my first job babysitting like most young girls do. Because of that experience I realized how much I liked being around children. When I was in high school I dealt with some special needs children and realized how amazing these children were. I decided that helping these children communicate was very important and it was something that I wanted to be a part of.
What makes a birthmom special?
A birthmother is special in so many different ways. She shows a great deal of courage, love, trust and hope. The strength that is needed in order to make such a difficult decision shows just how amazing she is. The family that she helps has been praying for an angel, and that’s exactly what she is. A birthmother makes a dream of a family become a reality.
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