What does "Family Life" mean to you?
“Togetherness”: Laughing, loving, and learning is what Family Life means to us.
Describe your childhood:
Adoptive Mom: As a young child, I was extremely close to my brother and sister. I used my imagination to its fullest. I could be found outside playing whiffle ball in our backyard, riding my bike, or engaging neighborhood children in play. I was very creative artistically and loved to draw, color and write. Every other weekend we would have meals with our grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins where we would share laughs and stories.
Adoptive Dad: We were a very close family. Growing up with two brothers, while likely creating fits for our mom, was so much fun. Pick a sport or an outdoor activity and we did it. From playing ice hockey until dark on the rink my dad built in our backyard each winter, to travelling to soccer tournaments each summer, to picnics with family and friends, to traveling to Europe multiple times to visit extended family, I have so many fond memories. I loved puzzles, chess, and reading. My parents created a fun, nurturing, and educational environment that allowed us the freedom to explore our imaginations to their fullest.
Tell us about your home?
We live in a large and spacious three-bedroom townhome in a family-friendly neighborhood with numerous parks and playgrounds, a swimming pool, a sledding hill and soccer and baseball fields that are crawling with children. The dog park behind our home is also a very fun place to be. Our church and an elementary school are also located in our neighborhood and are within a five minute walk.
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
Sometimes we like to relax at the pool, have BBQ’s in our backyard, or get together with family and friends to take long bike and boat rides, watch movies, or go ice skating. Other times we take road trips where we play at the beach or visit art museums.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
We have the most adorable cat named Murphee. She is a silver-shaded Persian with long, white hair. She certainly fills our hearts and home with love through her outgoing, playful and affectionate personality.
What is your favorite food?
Mark truly loves to experiment with new foods with his favorite being Spanish or Chinese. Angela loves Mexican and a variety of sea foods.
What do you hope to teach your children?
We hope to teach our children the value of hard work and the importance of family, manners, community service, respect and education, as our parents taught us. We also want our children to be independent, caring, responsible and healthy citizens who know that they are loved unconditionally.
Do you play any musical instruments?
As children, Angela played the piano, and Mark played the alto saxophone and the drums. We love music!
Describe your neighborhood?
Our neighborhood is filled with all different types of homes with beautiful trees and landscaping. It is filled with children’s amenities including: a swimming pool, baseball and soccer fields, playground equipment, a tennis court, a beach volleyball court and two basketball courts.
Share something about your spouse that only you know:
Adoptive Mom: Angela loves to eat Rice Krispy Squares at least once per week
Adoptive Dad: Mark loves to watch Oprah Winfrey (It’s a secret so please don’t tell his buddies!)
Describe the last romantic thing you did together?
We took a long, leisurely walk along a beautiful hiking trail close to our home.
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
That she was an extremely brave and compassionate woman who wanted only the best for her child.
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
We would definitely take an excursion to the park for a picnic followed by a trip to the ice cream parlor.
Do you plan on sharing with your child what their birth parents were like?
We would love to share whatever information the birthparents want us to share with our child.
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
While our county has some of the highest rated public schools in the country, our children will attend private school. Fortunately, we have the financial resources to ensure that our children receive the absolute best education possible. Education is something we believe is very important in our family and we hope to pass that on to our children.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
When we learned that a pregnancy would not be possible for us, adoption was a natural alternative. We are happy and excited to begin our family this way.
What faith will you raise your child?
Christian
How will you help your child accomplish their dreams?
We will teach them the importance of a strong work ethic and to never give up. We will dedicate our time to helping them achieve whatever their hearts desire.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
We would love to get to know our birthmom and provide whatever unconditional support we can during this difficult time. We would clearly allow the birthmom the freedom to decide the extent of the relationship with us based on her comfort level.
How did you meet?
We met while dancing at a festival in Florida.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
We were both very blessed to have great relationships with our parents. They remain our heroes and they have prepared us to raise the family that we dream of.
What attracted you to each other?
Adoptive Mom: Mark’s sense of humor is one of a kind. I loved how he started taking care of me as soon as we met. He is also extremely competitive, driven, interesting, and intelligent.
Adoptive Dad: Angela’s outgoing personality is quite unique. She loves to talk with friends and family and most importantly she loves to laugh. It’s so great being able to do just about everything together. We knew right away we were meant for each other.
Please describe your personalities:
Adoptive Mom: Angela is very funny, loving and nurturing. Family and friends are huge priorities in her life and she would not want it any other way.
Adoptive Dad: Mark is passionate and fun-loving. He is very energetic and social with family and friends and is dedicated to being the best husband he can be.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Adoptive Mom: Angela loves to study fashion, try new restaurants, shop, decorate the house and keep it homey, socialize and loves to travel all around the world when she’s able.
Adoptive Dad: Mark loves to play sports such as: ice hockey, golf and basketball, and spend quality time with friends and family. He is slowly becoming a better cook as well.
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
I am absolutely inspired and thankful for her courage and selflessness. I am truly grateful that my child has such an incredible person to be their birthmother and will always know the love that their birthmother had for them.
How will a child enrich your life?
A child will truly complete our home. We have dreamed of having a child and will be honored and blessed to add the joys of a new baby into our lives.
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Adoptive Mom: I have always loved clothing and fashion and am thankful to have had the opportunity to excel in something I am very passionate about. It doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do each day. I look forward to being a role model for my children.
Adoptive Dad: I enjoy real estate and love finance (my Master’s Degree) and have been fortunate to combine the two fields into a successful career path. The pace, the complexity, and how quickly the industries change is something that I’ve been attracted to for a very long time.
What makes a birthmom special?
She is brave and inspiring above all else. She is making a very difficult choice to help her unborn child and selflessly improve the quality of the adoptive family’s life in so many wonderful ways.
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