Families Ready to Adopt
Wes and Summer
Summer's letter
On Christmas Eve 2001, I went to church with my family to worhip in the midnight candlelight service. As I was leaving to go home, my parents introduced me to Wes, the son of their friends. We shook hands at midnight on Christmas Day. We were married in that same church 15 months later. In January of 2007, we adopted our daughter Paloma, who is now three years old.
Our family lives in a suburb of Dallas in a great neighborhood with kids all around. Our home has a nursery and playroom ready for a new baby. We have a neighborhood playground and pool that are great to play in when the weather is good, and museums and art studios to explore when the weather is bad. We have a black lab named Landon that loves to play in the backyard with the kiddos.
We have always wanted two children for our family. We chose to adopt our children because of my infertility. Our connection with adoption began with my mother, who is adopted. Wes and I feel that this is God's plan for our lives and the lives of our future children. We are grateful every day for this opportunity, privilege, and gift.
Wes is the most giving, loving, caring, and compassionate man I have ever met. He is a great father and he is very involved in Paloma's life. He is so ready to have a second child. It is a pleasure to be married to him and have the opportunity to raise children with him.
I love to give back to my community and church. Since 2003, I have sat on the Board of Directors for an organization called Visions of Sugarplums, which provides food for children on the free and reduced lunch program during school breaks. I am the children's activity coordinator for our neighborhood mom's club. And I volunteer with Paloma's school and our church. I want to teach our children about community and the value of helping others. I want to be an example for our children.
Wes and I love to travel. As a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines, I am allowed the freedom to travel with my family and to take the time off to be a stay-at-home mom to Paloma and our future children.
We take a few international trips a year. Wes and I believe that it is important to take our children wherever we go, as a child's perspective is part of the shared experience and part of a lifelong education. We also go to South Padre Island twice a year. In the summer we go to eat Pringles, play in the surf and build sandcastles. In the winter we go to celebrate the day that Paloma came into our lives. We tell her the story of her birthparents and the selfless and loving decision they made to give Paloma the best future possible. We can't wait to have another opportunity to celebrate a special day for a special baby.
We have a wonderful family that provides a great support structure for us as both families live within two hours of us. Our children will have the luxury of a full set of grandparents, great-grandmothers, uncles, aunts and cousins. We love to spend time with our family, and we will instill the value of family in all of our children. Wes and I will use our family's knowledge and experience to make sure we raise wonderful, caring, and considerate children.
Wes and I will see to it that our child has every educational opportunity available to him or her. We believe in both education and fun when it comes to kids. Children need a good education to get ahead in life, but not at the expense of being a child and having fun. We hope to instill this zest for life in our children, as well as a thirst for knowledge found through education and life experiences.
Paloma would like to share a little about herself and why she would like a brother or sister. She says " I will love my brother or sister. I will read the baby stories and help the baby with their prayers. I will protect my sister or brother, and brush his hair." And unlike our dog Landon, Paloma looks forward to the day when the baby will talk to her. I think she is disappointed that our dog won't carry on a conversation with her. This is what she tells me:" Momma, Landon does not speak English." Paloma is such a good girl and will make a great older sister. I know she is looking forward to this exciting addition to our family.
I hope that my story has given you an idea of the kind of parents Wes and I are. Please be sure that we will fill your baby's life with love, caring, comfort and affection. Thank you for making such a loving decision for your child in choosing adoption for her or him. We can't begin to imagine how you are feeling at this time in your life, but if you place your baby with us, your son or daughter will always know that he or she is with us because of your love. God bless, Summer
Wes' Letter
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to introduce you to me and my family. It is impossible to tell you in such a short letter all you need to know about us to make such an important decision for you and your baby. However, I want to share with you what is important to me.The most important thing in the world to me is my family. My wife Summer is my best friend. She is strong-willed, driven and determined. She is also loving, compassionate and a wonderful mother. Summer has already described to you what she does on a daily basis. However, what she left out is that she is the bond that holds our family together, and I would not want to live life without her.
Our family includes two full sets of grandparents, who can hardly contain their excitement over a new grandchild to spoil. Both of our families live within an hour of our home. We spend most weekends with our parents at Lake Texoma. During the summer on the lake we enjoy laying on the beach or riding in the boat. During the winter we relax on my in-laws farm.
One experience that Summer and I share a common love for is travel. In only the last few years we have been to China, Europe and Canada twice, South America and Austrlia. These trips always include the entire family, and I know that these continued experiences will be a marvelous learning opportunity and memories for our future child.
Three years ago Summer and I adopted our daughter, Paloma. Paloma is a true gift from God. She is a beautiful little girl who loves reading books, dancing and playing dress up. But most importantly she is anxious to have a little brother or sister. Paloma is blessed with a caring and soft heart. She is a nurturing soul, and will make an excellent older sister.
For myself, I am caring, thoughtful, calm and the parent more apt to give in to the whims of my children. I have been a practicing attorney for twelve years. Currently I am Vice President and Corporate Counsel for Xerox. I enjoy my job and my company is very family friendly. I try to attend all doctor's appointments and have yet to miss a school or extra-curricular function. While my job is important to me, my family will always come first. As for outside activities, I enjoy football, hockey, reading history and I am also active in the Texas legal community and sit on the board of directors for a non-proift retirement center.
Despite my work, I promise to be very active in my children's daily lives. I am in charge of bedtime duties, when my schedule allows. I will be in charge of the baby's dinner, bath and bedtime including reading stories and saying prayers. This time is very precious to me as a father and I look forward to it more than any other part of my day.
I am an only child, so I look forward very much to raising two children in our house. While siblings sometimes fight, I feel like I missed out on a lot in childhood by not having that other child with which to share the experience. My family is wonderful, but Summer and I agree we are missing one thing, another person to share our love, our experiences and our lives.
I know that you will see that Summer and myself will make wonderful parents for your child. God Bless, Wes.
Kim and Rose
We are Kim and Rose, a married couple in Dallas, Texas. Rose is an artist who happens to love her computer job and Kim is an engineer who loves her teaching job. We got married two years ago in Canada with our closest friends and family around us, really making the most of the cool summer weather and gorgeous Pacific Ocean views. We came home and had a big Texas BBQ to celebrate with all our cousins and aunts and uncles and friends from far and wide. And that's who we are: a couple that appreciates the beautiful things out in the world, but loves the simple things that make home so sweet.
We love our life together and eagerly look forward to adding new simple things to our routine. We've chosen adoption because, while we're both healthy, we both carry genetic conditions that we don't want to pass on to our children; however, bedtime stories, learning to make pancakes, to ride bikes, and summer swim time are all favorites from our childhood that we can't wait to pass along to our kiddo.
Rose few up in a small family with one sister and her parents. When she was small she lived in Spring Valley, New York and really enjoyed climbing trees and snowball fighting with the neighbors. Her family moved to Dallas when she was 9, and she came to enjoy climbing trees and swimming with the neighbors just as much. Her folks owned a bakery, so she learned how to bake when she was just tall enough to reach the counter tops if she stood on a bucket. She went to college in New York for a year and then finished her degree in Art in London, England where she lived with her aunt and uncle. She has always had a flair for making art with the computer, and turned that into a full-time job at the computer help desk. That blossomed into a career managing projects for computer companies, which she's been doing for the past 7 years.
Kim is the oldest of three sisters and has a large extended family. She was born in deep East Texas and grew up in small towns in South Texas, like Kingsville. Her dad was in the oil field and that kept her family on the move. Kim learned to make friends easily, like a military brat, and enjoyed the traveling. She started college in Colorado Springs, Colorado and finished at Texas A&M where she got a degree in engineering. All that moving as a kid gave her itchy feet, so she worked at jobs in Florida and California, studied in Italy and France, and finally settled for a few years in Austin where she earned a Master's in Environmental Engineering. Kim loves playing sports and has a worldwide network of friends from playing rugby through college and beyond. Most of her uncles are engineers and most of her aunts are teachers, so she makes the best of both sets of skills by teaching engineers to use design software. She plans to stop work after our baby comes home and teach anything and everything she or he wants to learn.
We met through mutual friends. We both love computers and seeing funny movies; we travel for fun and go by motorcycle whenever practical, but we both recently traded in our pickup trucks for an SUV we call the Mom-mobile. Recently, both of us have started riding bicycles for fitness and for fun and are very excited about putting a trailer behind our bikes to bring kids along. Our best times together come when we are surrounded by the company of our friends and family, usually eating something, and always, always laughing.
We live in a townhouse in Dallas, Our neighborhood isn't fancy, but there are lots of kids around from all different backgrounds, and we like that. We also have a little neighborhood swimming pool and a couple of parks in short walking distance where we like to take our dogs. We live just a few minutes from Rose's sister and parents, and also close to Kim's niddle sister and her three daughters. We really look forward to introducing some new cousins to our nieces and taking our kids to all the fun places that we go with them. Penguins at the aquarium, bubble-making at the museum, and flamingos at the zoo are big with our nieces, and we hope our kids will find them just as much fun.
Kim's big Texas-based family makes it a point to gather everyone together at all the holidays, and with all the cousins starting families of their own, it's a loud and loving group with rich traditions and open arms. Two of Kim's cousins are adopted so her family is knowledgeable and very supportive and really look forward to seeing the circle expand in this way. Rose's extended family is more spread out, but they are supportive, too. They keep in close touch with each other through phone calls, e-mails and the occasional video chat and by visiting when they can.
We hope most for an open adoption. Kim has seen first-hand how important that is to her cousins and we would like our children to have the benefit of knowing all their parents and knowing that they're all okay. Likewise, we want you to know how deeply loved, how fully supported, and how treasured our child is. We would prefer, at the very least, an annual letter exchange so that we can stay in touch. We tackle challenges together by splitting up the work so everybody gets to do something they're good at. Rose likes to chop veggies so Kim can make her grandpa's famous gumbo, and Kim writes clever captions for Rose's stunning photographs. We hope to be the same as parents, helping each other and helping our kids to find the things they like and the things they do well, and then encouraging them in pursuing those things. We want our kids to know about the beauty of the world and enjoy the adventure that's out there, but to have strong roots in the bonds of family and to know how sweet the simple pleasures of home are.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We can't know how hard your decision is, but we appreciate your courage for considering adoption. We hope that, wherever you go and whatever you do, you find good fortune and feel comfortable with your choice. If you have any questions, we can answer, please don't hesitate to ask. Best regards - Kim and Rose
Barry and Jennifer
Dallas Adoption Agency, Hope Cottage, is pleased to present Barry and Jennifer - a Waiting to Adopt Family. Read a letter from Barry and Jennifer and learn more about them.
Dear Birth Parents,
We want to start off by thanking you so much for taking the time to read this. We can only imagine the sacrifices you have had to make and want you to know you are in our prayers as you make this very difficult decision.
First, allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Barry and Jennifer and have been married almost three years. Our marriage is built on faith, love and mutual respect. We are truly best friends. Our love for each other and faith in God grows with each passing year. We love having fun together, whether we are just spending time alone or with friends and family. No matter what we are doing, we find a way to make it a fun adventure.
About Barry:
Barry is funny and quick witted and will always add humor to the situation. He is hardworking, and dedicated to his job as a sales manager in the labor industry. His work schedule allows him flexibility at work, which will be great when a little one arrives. He enjoys anything that allows him to be outdoors. His hobbies include fishing, gardening, football officiating, golf and a general love for sports. Barry's love for God is seen in how he treats others, how he volunteers his time, his respect for others, and how selfless he is.
Jennifer describes Barry:
Where do I begin describing Barry? He is the perfect fit for me. Barry is one of the most real and genuine people I have ever known. Everyone who knows Barry loves him. His sense of humor is one of the first things that attracted me to him. His ability to laugh at himself always seems to lighten the mood. Barry is very easy to get along with. He genuinely tries to treat others like he would want to be treated. He is kind, thoughtful, loving, forgiving and above all my best friend.
When Barry is not working, he enjoys being outside. he plants an amazing organic vegetable garden in our backyard each spring. We are able to eat his veggies all summer. Fishing is something Barry also enjoys. I think he enjoys the time with his friends even more than the actual fishing. Barry officiates high school football games during the fall. It is something he is really good at and has moved up the ranks quite quickly. Barry is extremely athletic and enjoys playing most sports. If our child chooses to play sports, I know Barry will make a great coach!
Watching Barry with our niece and nephews or friends' children gives me a little glimpse into the type of father he will be and it makes me happy. He is so patient and sweet with children. He listens to their stories and shares part of himself with them; whether it is his passion for sports, his love of gardening , having races in our pool, playing Barbies or just holding the babies and rocking them. Our nephews and niece love to climb on Uncle Barry and wrestle with him each time we see them. I cannot wait to see Barry with our own child. He is going to be an amazing dad.
Barry shares this about himself: I grew up in an amazing family in a small town. My parents worked hard to raise me with those small town values that I am so thankful for. They wanted my brother and I to become men who would do our best in whatever we tried, love our families and love God.
Most of my hobbies center around the outdoors. Jennifer and I usually go camping several times a year and have some great friends who also enjoy camping, so it's usually quite an adventure. Every once in a while you will find me on the lake early on a Saturday morning when the sun is coming up. It's the best time to catch fish and also a great time to just listen to the quiet or talk with friends.
Some would describe me as a big kid at heart. I guess that would be an accurate description of my fun loving nature. I do not shirk my responsibilities, but when it is time to have fun, I am the first one in line. I like to think of everyday as a new adventure waiting to happen. I cannot wait to get up each morning and see what the day has to bring.
There are many things I am looking forward to about being a dad. I cannot wait to hear my child call me daddy for the first time. I know when he/she takes his/her first steps; I will be there with the video camera to capture that special moment. I am hoping to spend time in the backyard teaching him/her to catch a football. I think it is just as important for a girl to know how to play football as it is a boy. There will be big moments in my child's life and little moments. I cannot wait to be there for all of them!
Fun Facts about Barry:
When Barry was growing up the neighbors liked him so much they named their dog after him.
Barry has a fantastic football and baseball card collection he gets out each time our niece and nephews are over. They spend time looking through the cards and talking about their favorite players.
Barry got a set of drums as a gift for Christmas when he was a child. He and his brother started a little band. They called themselves "The Pits" because they were so bad.
Barry made an amazing video after the birth of our nephew. He interviewed the family and made funny comments throughout the entire video. It was a big hit!
About Jennifer:
Jennifer is outgoing, funny, and is rarely seen without a smile. Her passion for children led her to teaching. She teaches kindergarten at a school near her home. In her free time, she loves to cook, read, swim, dabble in photography, work outdoors and spend time with family and friends. She loves sharing our home with friends and family. Jennifer's faith in God has grown tremendously over the past few years. He has taught her patience, courage, and trust in Him. She knows He will always take care of her family.
Barry describes Jennifer:
Being married to Jennifer has made me the happiest man alive. I fall more in love with her every day. Jennifer is a kind hearted person who is always thinking of others. She goes out of her way to do things for other people. If she is not sending notes to encourage others, you can find her taking a meal to someone who is recovering from an illness or surgery. Jennifer is rarely seen without a smile. Her eyes light up when she smiles and it puts people right at ease Everyone who knows Jennifer will tell you she is a joy to be around.
There are times when you'll find Jennifer replacing the hardware on a door and the next minute she will be in the kitchen making a delicious meal. She can cook for two or for twenty, and there are times when she does cook for twenty. Our house is often a hot spot for get-togethers with our family and friends. It might have something to do with our pool, but I think it has more to do with Jennifer's welcoming attitude and ability to host great get-togethers. She makes everyone feel right at home.
Children are naturally drawn to Jennifer. She is always right in the mix of all the kids. She is an amazing teacher and her students all love her as do all the other kids in our lives. Jennifer enjoys coming up with fun games or crafts to do with our niece and nephews. There is no doubt in my mind that Jennifer will be an amazing mother. She is fair, loving, patient and nurturing with children. She is looking forward to being a mom more than anything else. She already has a stack of her favorite children's books that she cannot wai to read to our child.
Jennifer shares this about herself:
My life has been very blessed. I have an amazing husband, a wonderful family and the best friends. I am fortunate to go to a job I love every day. Teaching kindergarten is always an adventure. I get to instill a love of learning in children during their first year of school. I am very passionate about my responsibility to these children. I know I will be even more so with our children.
My family and friends are extremely important to me. Many of my friends are just like family. I was raised in a loving home with extremely supportive parents and one sister. My parents raised us to love and respect other people. They wanted us to be aware of injustices in the world and do what we could to correct those or at the very least make others aware of them. I want to raise our children with those same values.
I enjoy a wide variety of hobbies. You will always see me with my camera. I have it at every family function or get together with friends. From those pictures, I like to create scrapbooks. We love to look back through those scrapbooks and remember all of the fun times we had together. I also love to entertain and try out a new recipe or one of Barry's favorite recipes. I feel most at home with a houseful of friends or family. I am outgoing and love to be surrounded by those I love most. That's not to say I don't look forward to a quiet evening at home with Barry. I treasure those times. You will always find at least a couple of books on my nightstand. I especially like psychological thrillers and mystery novels. I will generally have a spiritual book of some sort that I am in the progress of reading too. It is important to me that I am always seeking to deepen my relationship with God and grow closer to Him.
The life I envision for my child includes one filled with lots of love and laughter. I want our home to be filled with both. I want my child to know that our home is a safe haven where they can come with any type of problem and we will suport and love him/her. I long for the day when I finally am able to sit in our rocking chair and rock my baby to sleep. I look forward to making homemade chocolate chip cookies on Saturdays and singing funny songs that we make up together. I know that being a mom will be the highlight of my life.
Fun Facts about Jennifer:
Jennifer went cliff jumping during her junior year in college.
Jennifer could eat popcorn every single day of the week. It is her very favorite snack food.
Jennifer has seen the movie "Out of Africa" so many times she can recite most of the lines.
Jennifer spent her summers at her family lake cottage where she learned to water ski.
Jennifer and Barry's Families
Both of us have loving and supportive families with which we have a very close relationship. Our parents are excited for us to become parents and look forward to being grandparents again. We look to our parents as role models and plan to use the values we were taught to raise our children. Our family has been blessed with one beautiful niece and three handsome nephews. They all are ready to play with their new cousin and show him/her the ins and outs of the family. We spend as much time with our families as possible, so your child will have a very close relationship with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Overall, we are an extremely happy and fun family!!! We get together for birthdays and holidays to celebrate and spend the day (sometimes days) together! All of them look forward to having a new member of our family.
Barry bought and began remodeling a four bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood five years ago. When we were married we finished the big remodeling projects although we can always find something little to work on. Together, we enjoy many things. We enjoy camping, going to movies and spending quiet evenings at home. We are very active in our young professionals Sunday school class and small group at church. We are blessed with a wonderful group of friends from church who also enjoy many of the same things we enjoy, which makes getting together so much fun.
We also love to spend the day at the lake with our black lab, Sam. He is full of life and keeps us entertained. Sam is a kind and gentle dog who is great with children. He loves to play with our niece and nephews as well as our friends' children. We also have two cats, Molly and CB that do what cats do best, sleep. They are easy going cats that just go with the flow.
You can rest assured that your child will be loved unconditionally. We are committed to providing a loving and stable home for your child. A home where your child knows he/she can become anything he/she dreams of. We will encourage those dreams that we hope will someday include college and a career he/she loves. Your child will be raised in a home where he/she is taught to be kind, love God and others by our examples. Establishing family traditions and routines is something we long to do. Jennifer looks forwad to sharing her favorite children's books at bedtime and any other time of day. She wants to foster a love of reading just like she has. Barry can't wait to teach your child all about gardening or spend a day flying kites.
We are so very excited and anxious to welcome a baby into our hearts and our home and start the family we have been dreaming of for so long. We truly feel in our hearts God has led us on the path to adopt. We believe it is His plan for us to parent a child we did not create biologically, but was instead created in our hearts. We know that by choosing us to raise your baby, you are giving us the most amazing responsibility, and we will not take that lightly.
We desire to know you and for your child to know you if that is also what you wish. We will make sure your child knows you created a plan that was best for you and him/her because of your love for him/her. We want to ensure that you wil always have a place of honor in your child's heart. We will do that by speaking of you with love and respect. You will always be important to us and your baby.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read our story and consider us as potential parents of your child! We are patiently waiting for the day when God answers our prayers and we pray God will bless you and your child, whatever your decision might be. We have already begun to pray for you and will continue to do so. Sincerely, Barry and Jennifer
Aimee and Brandon - MATCHED AND PLACED
Texas Adoption Agency, Hope Cottage, is proud to present another Waiting to Adopt Family - Aimee and Brandon. Learn a little bit more about them and read their message to those special birthparents who are looking for them!
Hello! We are Aimee and Brandon, and we are so grateful that you're taking the time to learn more about us. We are also grateful that you love your unborn child so much that you are willing to consider an adoption plan for him or her.
We have been happily married for 11 years and have known each other for 13. Our lives have been eventful and fulfilling ever since to say the least. We have known both happiness and sadness. These experiences have helped us to grow as individuals and have formed an unbelievably close bond between us, as well as between us and our family. We are fortunate that we are stable and have a warm and welcoming home to live in.
Our extended family lives just a short drive away. We vacation with our families, spend holidays together and we include them in our daily lives. Family is very important to us. Our faith in God and our family form the foundation on which we base our life together.
What makes our marriage special is how we complement each other. Aimee is very creative and curious and Brandon is the organized one. Aimee prefers to make decisions quickly whereas Brandon prefers to takehis time planning things out in his head first. We have fun together and we ejjoy making each other laugh all of the time.
When we got married we knew that we definitely wanted children. We wanted to get things settled to where we had good careers and a home suitable to raise a child. We never imagined just how much heartache would occur when we did start trying to have a child. We tried to get pregnant for about 6 years and the failed attempts exhausted us emotionally, mentally and financially. Through our faith in God and desire to be parents, we made the decision to adopt. We do believe that the heartaches we have endured will not only strengthen us as parents but will make the child that much more special to us and our family.
There are no words that we could possibly say that would make your decision any easier, but with every fiber of our beings we can promise that the child would always be loved and have a supportive family, a home where they would be welcome and cherished and have every opportunity possible to have a happy and fulfilling life. We know we are meants to be parents. We have so much love to share with a child. All children are gifts, and you would be giving us the greatest gift imaginable.
To learn more about Aimee and Brandon and other Waiting to Adopt Families, visit the Hope Cottage webpage or call 214.526.8721.
If you are a woman facing a crises pregnancy and would like to talk to someone about adoption, please call Hope Cottage at 1.800.944.4464 or 214.404.4546.
Hope Cottage is the oldest adoption non-profit, non-sectarian adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building strong families through education, counseling and adoption. To contact Hope Cottage, call 214.526.8721 or e-mail adoption@hopecottage.org.
Damon and Kathy - MATCHED AND PLACED
From Kathy -
My name is Kathy and I was born and raised in Dallas. I grew up in a loving, secure home and learned the value of family early on. I met my husband in college. We both went to the same school as well as the same church and after dating for about 2 years, just a few weeks after I graduated, I married him. We just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary this past June. He is a great husband - supportive, caring, funny, and a wonderful father to our son. We have a five year old son named Timothy. I love to read, scrapbook and shop. I also love pretty much anything chocolate or Christmas-related.
I was never the type of girl who dreamed about her wedding - I always dreamed about how I would decorate my child's nursery. Every job I've ever had has involved taking care of children - babysitting, church nursery, Vacation Bible School, etc. I was a preschool teacher for a few years and loved it! Having a child of my own changed my life. I can't believe he's almost 5 years old already. It seems like just last week when we were bringing him home from the hospital. He is the light of my life. He loves animals, especially bugs, and he's so curious about everything. If there's a way to take something apart, he'll find it. Some of our favorite things to do together include going on nature walks, swimming, reading and playing make-believe. He has an incredible imagination and love of life.
I want to adopt for a few different reasons. All I've ever wanted to be was a mom. I got pregnant with Timothy very easily but my body did not handle pregnancy well. Timothy was born 6 weeks premature because my body was rejecting the pregnancy. There would be medical risks involved if I became pregnant again. However, we would love to have more children. I believe every child is a gift of God and we would love to be parents again and we would love for Timothy to have a sibling to share life with.
My faith and my relationship with God are very important to me and my ultimate goal for my children is for them to grow to love and serve God and for each of them to develop a personal relationship with Him. We are members of a local Bible church and I attend a Community Bible Study program twice a week. On one of those days I teach a children's class. We have great programs at both of these places for both children and adults.
We plan to homeschool our children so I can teach to each of their learning styles and strengths and allow them to work at whatever level they need to work at. I want my children to love learning, exploring and discovering. We want to be able to provide each of our children with the resources they need to pursue their strengths and their dreams.
I don't know if I've told you enough about me to answer any questions you may have. Perhaps we will be able to talk someday in person, and I can learn all about you as well. We plan to be very honest and open with our child about their adoption and their background. I believe it is important for them to know where they came from and to understand their history. I believe they will be a more complete and fulfilled person because of it. God has blessed us with one beautiful child and we are praying He will allow us the privilege of that blessing again. Whatever you decide to do, I know God will guide your decision and be with you every step of the way.
From Damon-
First of all, you should know that the very difficult decision you are making takes courage and strength that should be admired. Your unselfishness in wanting to provide the best life you can for your child is not something that will be forgotten or taken lightly. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your consideration of making an adoption plan. I hope what I have written will give you a glimpse into who I, Damon, am as a person, a husband and a father.
My brother, my sister and I were all born and raised in the Dallas area. My father is a professional musician and my mother has always had a love of music. As a result, I have a deep appreciation for a great variety of music styles. I enjoy trying new foods, the weirder, the better. This I also learned from my mother and father. I enjoy classic science fiction, both books and TV/movies.
Kathy and I have been married for 12 years. Marriage, like parenting, is sometimes hard work but we are both committed to each other and our family. Kathy simply could not be a better mother. It's all she has ever wanted to be. She has an active imagination , is extremely crafty and resourceful, and is a great teacher as well. She is completely dedicated to our son's well-being and looks forward to only one thing - being just as dedicated to our next child.
As far as why I want to adopt, I have always had a caring heart, and adoption has been on my mind for about as long as Kathy and I have been married. Because of this, once we learned it would be medically risky for Kathy to be pregnant again, adoption seemed like an obvious option to look into. Furthermore, I love being a father , and look forward to raising another child.
Kathy and I love our church. There is such a variety of people there and we are friends with several families who have also adopted. We have a wonderful support system in our Sunday School class and feel like we could call on just about anyone in there if we needed anything. Taking our children to church and teaching them about God and His Word is very important to us, and we're very fortunate to have a strong, Bible-based church to help us in this endeavor.
My job suits me well, and I am very well respected in my current position. I could see myself working there for a very long time. The job is not terribly exciting (sitting in my office crunching numbers, for the most part), but I do it well and it allows me to provide well for my family and to spend time with them.
In closing, I want to thank you again for taking the time to read this letter. I hope I was able to give you some insight into who I am. If you decide to consider making an adoption plan with us, then I look forward to meeting you and talking with you in person. Whatever your final decisions are, I know they will be made with the best interests of your child's future in mind.
Hope Cottage is the oldest, non-profit, non-sectarian based adoption agency in Dallas. Since 1918 Hope Cottage has been building and nurturing strong families through education, counseling and adoption. To learn more about Hope Cottage and adoption, please call 214.526.8721 or e-mail adoption@hopecottage.org.