What does "Family Life" mean to you?
To us, family life means always being there for each other, for our children and for our whole family, no matter what. It means supporting each other in every day life. Family life means having fun together, laughing together and loving together. It means focusing on what matters most, being together. Jeff and I truly live a family life. Our main focus is on our family and it is what brings us the greatest joy. We both have large extended families and we get together with them often. There is nothing either of us would rather do than spend time with our families, whether celebrating a birthday or a graduation, taking a trip together, going to the zoo, having dinner or just hanging out.
Describe your childhood:
Adoptive Mom? I had a wonderful childhood. I have one older sister (who is adopted) and two younger brothers. The greatest gift our parents gave us growing up was their time. They were always there for us and still are. Our home was happy and positive. I grew up knowing that I was loved and supported. We did lots of things together. We were lucky enough to get to travel a lot too so I have lots of fond memories of family vacations.
Adoptive Dad? I have one younger brother and an older sister. My dad is from a very small town and we spent a lot of weekends camping and fishing with my extended family. I am still very close to my whole family and we still frequently visit my dad’s hometown.
Both of us had multiple siblings and love having large families. In both of our homes growing up, there was always something going on along with the sound of joy and laughter.
Tell us about your home?
We live in a beautiful two-story white colonial home with a large, park-like backyard. There are lots of trees, flowers and a big, swing set play system. The whole neighborhood is very peaceful. We have four bedrooms, three and a half baths, a large sun porch and a large finished basement. We spend lots of time on the sun porch, especially when the weather is nice!
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
We love to go to Jeff’s parents’ lake house which is about an hour away from our house. It is right on the water and is very relaxing. We love to get up in the morning, go fishing or take the dogs for a walk. In the afternoon, we might have a picnic lunch and then go out on the boat for lake activities. There is always time to take a nap in the hammock too. At night, we frequently have a bar-b-que and then have a campfire and roast marshmallows.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
Yes, we have two Labrador Retrievers, a Chocolate Lab named Moose and a Yellow Lab named Ham. They are both awesome dogs. They are very loyal and have great personalities. They love to be with the family and follow us from room to room. They are very good with children and are very easygoing. They love to go to the lake as well and they are always the first ones in the water as soon as we arrive!
What is your favorite food?
Patty’s favorite food is pizza. Jeff’s favorite food is pasta.
What do you hope to teach your children?
We hope to teach our children to love and to laugh. We hope to instill in them a strong faith in God and a good sense of moral values.
Do you play any musical instruments?
No but Patty sings around the house a lot.
Describe your neighborhood?
We chose our neighborhood because it has lots of young families. Our neighborhood is very peaceful. In the afternoons and evenings, there are always families out and about riding bikes, walking their dogs and taking walks. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming.
Share something about your spouse that only you know:
Adoptive Mom? Jeff loves to take care of people. He is most happy when he is doing something for someone else. He is very unselfish.
Adoptive Dad? Patty is a very good horseback rider and loves to watch Grey’s Anatomy.
Describe the last romantic thing you did together?
We do little romantic things for each other frequently. If I have to leave the house before Jeff in the morning, sometimes, I leave a little note wishing him a good day and telling him I love him. Sometimes, Jeff will buy a CD with one of my favorite songs for me and will put it in my car set to play that song the next time I use my car. But the last major romantic thing we did was we went away for a long weekend in February for our five year anniversary. We went skiing in Park City which is also where we spent our honeymoon. We had a great time.
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
We plan on telling our children (and have already told our two sons) how wonderful their birthmothers are. We have told them giving a child up for adoption is the greatest gift of love a mother can give and that their birthmothers loved them very much, so much that they made the ultimate sacrifice for the good of their children. Although they are still fairly young to understand the concept of adoption, we talk about it openly and in a very positive manner in our house.
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
Jeff loves to go fishing with our three year old son who is crazy about fishing with Daddy. Our one year old son is too little yet to go but some day soon, he will be able to join them. When we have a little girl, it will depend on what she likes to do (maybe she will like to fish too) but really just spending time with our children is fun for Jeff.
Do you plan on sharing with your child what their birth parents were like?
Yes. Hopefully through the adoption process, we will get to know her birth parents and will be able to describe them so that our child will have a sense of how special her birth parents are!
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
We both believe in the importance of education. We both attended college and Patty went to law school. We plan on sending our children to a private school. Although each child is different so we cannot say for sure, we are planning on our children going to college and maybe even beyond as well.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
Jeff and I were not able to conceive a biological child. We are truly blessed by the adoption of our two sons. Also, Jeff is adopted and so is Patty’s sister, Kelly. So we are very comfortable and in fact, embrace adoption.
What faith will you raise your child?
Catholic.
How will you help your child accomplish their dreams?
We will help our child accomplish her dreams through love and support, and by providing positive role models. We believe that if a child develops a strong sense of self worth and has positive support and guidance, that child can achieve anything that she dreams of achieving.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
We hope to provide her with love and support. We want her to know that we are there for her. We want to get to know her so that we can share that knowledge with her child as she grows up and we want her to get to know us so that she has a strong sense of peace and comfort about her decision.
How did you meet?
Jeff and I met through his brother Rob who used to work with me (Patty). I was having a party one night and Rob asked if Jeff could come. I of course said yes and that was pretty much it. He asked me out shortly after that and we started dating. We quickly realized how much we had in common and how much we enjoyed being together. We got engaged six months later. We have now been married over five years and we both say all the time how lucky we are to have found each other.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
We both have always had close relationships with our parents. We live about ten minutes away from both sets of parents so we see them frequently. Both of our sets of parents are incredibly supportive too and are always there for us, even now. Since our parents are getting older, we think it is important to spend as much time as possible with them. We also recognize the special role that grandparents play in our children’s lives. So we try to do something with our parents once a week or so. We also go on vacations with both of our parents and our siblings and their families (and in fact both families have traveled together too). It’s good fun to go on a large family vacation. There is always lots to do and fun to be had.
What attracted you to each other?
We have a lot in common. We both are very family oriented, love to laugh and have fun and we both have a strong faith in God. We both love the outdoors. If we are outside, no matter what we are doing, it is a good day.
Please describe your personalities:
Adoptive Mom? Patty is out-going, easy to get along with, has a good sense of humor, is caring and is a bit of a daredevil.
Adoptive Dad? Jeff is friendly (but more quiet than Patty), also has a good sense of humor and is unselfish and loyal. Jeff is also a good listener.
We are also both strong people. We know that whatever life brings us, we will be there for each other and will make it through hand in hand.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Adoptive Mom? Patty loves to hike, ride horses, boat and snow ski.
Adoptive Dad? Jeff loves to fish, bike ride, ski, boat and work in the yard.
Together, our favorite thing to do is really anything outside. We love to take the dogs for a walk, go hiking, go to the park and spend time as a family.
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
What a special, unselfish and incredibly strong person you are. You will be celebrated in our home. Your child will grow up knowing that you loved her so much that you made the ultimate sacrifice, all out of love for your child.
How will a child enrich your life?
There is nothing more fulfilling than loving a child. Jeff and I think that raising children is the most wonderful experience that we could share in life. It is so much fun to watch them learn and grow. It is the greatest thing to hear them belly-laugh with glee or watch them as they experience something new for the first time (like seeing a deer in the backyard for the first time) or to have them throw their arms around you at the end of the day for a “two-armed hug” and a kiss before night-time. We have been truly blessed with the adoptions of our two sons. We can think of nothing better than to be blessed with the adoption of a baby girl to complete our family. We can’t wait!
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Adoptive Mom? My grandfather always told me that I should go to law school because it was a good foundation for whatever I wanted to do in life because it would teach me to think through things and make balanced decisions. So I went to law school and ended up loving it.
Adoptive Dad? I have always been good with numbers and with people so I got a degree in accounting and began working after I graduated from college in a finance department of a large company. After many years there, I decided to try my hand at operating a business from a broader perspective. I really enjoy working through the strategies of a business and then seeing them executed. Leading and mentoring people also provides me with satisfaction in my career.
What makes a birthmom special?
What makes a birthmother special is her tremendous love for her child and the fact that she loves her child so much that she is willing to give her child the greatest gift she could ever give – the gift of love, even though it is the ultimate sacrifice for her.
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