Describe your childhood:
Adoptive Mom? I grew up in a small town in Montana where literally everybody knew everybody. We spent a lot of time camping, hiking, fishing and skiing as a family. Family vacations were spent touring the Western US and visiting different landmarks and historical points of interest. My Mom was very easy going and required us to spend time volunteering for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. My Dad was the Superintendent of my school and I spent after school hours at the gym instead of attending an afterschool program or daycare.
Adoptive Dad? I grew up in a family surrounded by love and laughter. My parents were strict but fair. My older sister and I were taught at a young age about good work ethics and the importance of being ourselves. I had a lot of friends to play with, and we usually ended up doing something at our house. In the summer, we rode bikes, went swimming, and just had a lot of fun. As a family, we camped, fished, did a lot of waterskiing during the summer and always had friends and family at our house during the holidays.
Tell us about your home?
We live in a four bedroom, two story house on a private golf course. Our home is warm and inviting and has a lot of open space with a large deck on the back that is great for entertaining. We a have a big kitchen, and our family room is adjacent to it. This allows all of us to be together when we are cooking and entertaining. We have a huge bonus room with games and a home theater that houses our collection of pinball machines and carousel horses that will be a great play room for our child when he/she gets older.
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
We enjoy traveling, so a three day weekend gives us the perfect excuse to get out of town for a few days. We often go to a small town to enjoy some down time, and learn about the people who live there. We love to go the the famers markets, and buy local fruits and vegetables. We also go to the ocean where we enjoy walking on the beach and watching the sea life. During the summer, we love to go camping and in the winter we enoy snowmobiling or skiing. Three day weekends are a great opportunity to spend time together as a family.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
We have a black kitty that we got from our local humane society, her name is Lucy. She is very loving, and has a personality all her own. Lucy has a very strong voice, and loves to meow. She provides us with hours and hours of entertainment and love.
What do you hope to teach your children?
We hope to teach our children to be generous, courageous and caring individuals. We want our children to grow and develop into their own person, and we want to provide a postive enviroment that allows them to learn and grow. We want our children to know they are unconditionally loved, and how important it is to give back. We hope to teach them to be passionate about life, and never give up on their dreams. Anything is possible!
Describe your neighborhood?
We live on a private golf course in a well established and safe neighborhood. We also belong to the country club that has a swimming pool, tennis courts and lots of green grass to run around. There are tons of kids in the neighboorhod as well as two private parks to play in. Everyone is very involved in our neighborhood,we have bbqs, scavenger hunts, and potato sack races in the summer. Kim's parents live about 20 minutes from us, and Todd's are only five minutes away. We also have a state park minutes from our home that has saltwater and a sandy beach. We each have a sister, and both of our sister's families live within minutes of us. We have three nephews and have been fortunate to live close to them, so we are able to attend all their events.
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
We will tell our child that their birthmother made the most difficult and courageous decision of her life when she chose an adoption plan. We will explain that she loved them so much and that is why she made the decision to give them the best life possible. We will tell our child that their birthmother wanted to provide them with opportunities that she was not able to and thus gave us the greatest gift possible.
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
Doing things we both can enjoy, perhaps building a sandcastle on the beach, or studying some tide pools. Or, trying something new together that allows us to stay connected. Towards the end of the day, we would pick mommy up for some ice cream, and share with her what a fun and exciting day we had together.
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
We would like to provide the best possible education for our child. We plan to send our child to a private school, because we think that will give him/her the best possible education.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
Since Todd is adopted, we have always known that adoption is a great way to build a family. When we lost our son Parker, shortly after birth due to genetic complications, we knew that it was the right time to start the adoption process. We love children and can’t wait for the opportunity to raise your child.
What faith will you raise your child?
We were both raised Christian and we plan to raise our child as a Christian.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
We will treat her with respect and dignity and would like to build a strong relationship with our birthmother. We hope to provide her with a strong support system and offer her as much reassurance as possible during this journey. It is our desire to provide her with a good understanding of who we are so she feels at peace with her decision to allow us to be the parents of her beautiful child.
How did you meet?
We worked together for many years and formed a strong friendship. We eventually realized the friendship was developing into more. We began dating and quickly realized that we had found our soul mates in each other. When we lost Parker, many said it would brake us apart, or make us stronger. It made us so much stronger, we are each other's bestfriend, and partners for life.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
Adoptive Mom? I had a great relationships with my parents growing up. I am lucky to have a family that is supportive and always there when we need them. My parents live close to us and we get to see them often and enjoy spending time with them and vactioning. My parents taught me to always be myself and to dream big. We hope to pass on to our children what our parents have given to us and provide the same supportive and loving environment.
Adoptive Dad? My relationship with my parents was, and still is, very supportive. When I wanted to try new things, or react to a situation differently, they allowed me to do so. The both taught me to be creative, passionate and take responsiblilty for my actions. I can remember like it was yesterday when we would go camping on the beach and dig for clams. We spent a lot of time at the beach during my childhood. Sometimes, I can still smell the fresh chowder my Mom was making for our lunch, and hear the ocean crashing against the rocks.
What attracted you to each other?
We clicked immediately when we met and realized our passion for life was a strong attraction for both of us. We quickly realized that life was much more fun when we got to experience it together and that we are much better people together than apart.
Please describe your personalities:
Adoptive Mom? I am energetic, passionate and outgoing. I love to be around people and enjoy skiing, hiking, shopping and spending time with friends, but I am just as happy at home with a good book. I am sensitive, caring and spend a lot of time volunteering in our community. I love to spend time with my family and extended family.
Adoptive Dad? I am passionate, caring, and love a good prank. I have a great work ethic and a natural ability to lead. I love to make people laugh, The Beatles, and have a great sense of humor. I love my wife, my job, community and I am extremely passionate about giving back.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Adoptive Mom? I enjoy camping, hiking, skiing and just about anything outdoors. I love to read and bake and find it relaxing to take long walks. Traveling is a passion of mine. I love to go new places and explore other cultures. As a couple, Todd and I really enjoy the outdoors together. Whether we are camping, riding horses, hiking or just relaxing in the sun. We also have started taking pottery lessons, which Todd will cetainly need some extra class time.
Adoptive Dad? I enjoy fishing, collecting pinball machines, reading and the outdoors. I like to work with my hands and enjoy building and remodeling projects. I have recently started to cook and love trying new recipes. I enjoy traveling to new places, and I am always up for checking out a new water or amusement parks. Both Kim and I also do a lot of vounteering in our community. Such as our local Rotary Club, men and women's homeless shelter and the Boys and Girls club.
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
I am so thankful for the child she has blessed me with; I know I will never be able to repay her for giving me the greatest gift imaginable. I admire her strength and the precious love she has for her child. As our child grows, I will forever think about our birthmother and pray that God provides her with peace in knowing she made the right choice.
How will a child enrich your life?
Every aspect of our life will be enriched by this beautiful blessing. A child will fulfill our dream of becoming parents;we have always wanted children and are looking forward to providing support and unconditional love to your precious baby. We also pray that our birth mother's life has been enriched knowing she made the best choice possible for her child.
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Adoptive Mom? I graduated with a degree in Speech Communications and started my career working at a bank in the Human Resources Department. Human Resources has provided me with a career that is always changing and the opportunity to work with a large number of people. I am always learning new things and everyday is different.
Adoptive Dad? I graduated from college with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Business Administration. I started my career as a seasonal employee at a local amusement and water park. The Marketing Manager for the park was looking for help in her department; offered me the job and I have been hooked ever since. I fell in love with the business right from the start. We were a small family owned amusment park owned by a local businessman. They treated their employees like family, and taught me how to be passionate about our business. I feel so blessed to have been able to use both my degrees from college, and love what I do. I love it so much that I am currently the General Manager of that same park.
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