Hello and welcome to our family.

Our names are Mary and Brian and we are grateful for the opportunity to share this glimpse of our lives with you.  We cannot begin to imagine how difficult taking this path might be for you; we can only hope that our letter conveys our admiration and support as you travel the journey to a decision. 

Like many other couples, we grew up, fell in love, married and expected to have our lives blessed with children.  When it became clear that we could not conceive, we realized adoption could make our dreams of becoming a family a reality.  We can hardly wait for this journey to begin; making a child laugh, holding their little hands, tickling their bellies all bring a special love which would be so incredible to experience.  Watching them grow and thrive, becoming their unique and special selves, guiding them along the way will be our greatest joy.  We have so much love to give and are eager to nurture your baby and provide him or her with a loving home. 

We have been married for 11 ˝ years and we are best friends.  We were married at one of our favorite places, Walt Disney World.  It was an easy choice for us as we are both big Disney fans.  We like to laugh and have fun so what better place than the “Happiest Place on Earth”!  It was indeed magical to pledge our love to each other with our family surrounding us.  Mickey and Minnie even danced at our reception!  We can’t wait to share our special place with your child and see all the magic and wonder through their eyes!

We live in a nice, family oriented western suburb of Chicago.  Our home is located on a tree-lined, quiet cul-de-sac and within walking distance of several large parks.  We have a large backyard perfect for a swing set, sandbox or just to run and play games.  Our award winning school system has a reputation for academic excellence that is based on achievement and student learning.  We love living close to Chicago where we often take advantage of its amazing activities.  Some of our favorites are the Museum of Science and Industry, the Shedd Aquarium, the Lincoln and Brookfield Zoos, and White Sox and Blackhawks games. 

Within our own suburb, we have many wonderful festivals and activities.  In the fall, we have a costume parade and children can decorate the windows of all the downtown stores with paintings.  The Thanksgiving and Holiday Season is officially welcomed with a community tree lighting ceremony where all the neighborhood children make ornaments to hang upon the tree.  The main downtown street has a tiny home where Mr. and Mrs. Claus greet the children every Saturday.  Each child is given special time to whisper their wish lists in Santa’s ear and tickle his beard.  The smell of hot cocoa and roasted nuts sold on the corner fills the air.  Winter is celebrated with the town hosting an ice sculpture exhibit-each year has a different theme.  In the spring the town hosts an Easter egg hunt and during the warmer months, music fills the air from concerts in the park.  Summertime brings the carnival and the annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks.  As we walk among the many families enjoying these events we imagine our future.  We believe we have the best of both worlds ~ the quiet peace and family-friendliness of our suburb combined with the excitement and culture of a big city.

We love to travel and see new places.  Cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska, vacationing in Hawaii, San Francisco, Phoenix, and of course, Disney World and Florida are some of the many trips which we enjoyed.  Grandpa and Grandma own a vacation condo in the Wisconsin Dells so we look forward to many weekends spent enjoying family time on the lakefront whether it is taking walks or roasting marshmallows by a bonfire.  We also appreciate the peaceful time we have at home, snuggling up on the couch, reading a good book, playing a game or watching a good movie. Being the Disney fans we are, we already have many of the Disney films that we cannot wait to share with your precious baby

We lead a comfortable life made possible because we both work.  While we both have a strong work ethic and enjoy our professions, it is family that is the most important element.  We are extremely lucky to have flexible hours allowing us the luxury of being able to take a child to school, be there in the afternoon when they come home and to go on field trips and other school functions. Being parents will always be our first priority. 

Family is everything to us.  We spend lots of time together.  We even vacation together!  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and birthdays are spent filled with delicious food, fun, laughter and sharing.  Grandpa, Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins are waiting to welcome your child into our family.  We cannot wait to carve a Halloween pumpkin, fill his or her Christmas stocking and color Easter eggs with your child.  Our families look forward to embracing your child and welcoming them as our newest member.

What does all this mean on a daily level?  We want our children to have fun, positive experiences.  We believe children should be raised with love and understanding, guidance and positive role models, plenty of patience and a good dose of humor.  We will teach your child the value of family and the importance of kindness and respect.  We will encourage and support them, applaud them when they do well and guide them when they make mistakes.  We will love, care, nurture and be there for them every day.

Families created by adoption are special and are to be honored.  Our children will always know their adoption stories and the wonderful way we became a family.  We appreciate the idea of openness and will work with you in this area to respect your wishes.  By truly reaching out to you, we hope we will always share a unique and enduring bond.  We believe a child should not have to lose one family in order to gain another.

We want to thank you for taking the time to consider us as parents for your child.  We know that this letter cannot convey everything you would want to know about us but we hope it offered a brief look into our lives.  We want you to be assured that your child will know that you love them beyond measure as well as the care you showed in finding the very best home for him or her.  We hope that we can go on this journey with you.  Please accept our heartfelt thanks for your consideration.                                                        

With our greatest respect and admiration,

Mary and Brian