Justin & Greta

About Us
We were introduced by a mutual friend at a birthday celebration and hit it off instantly. The more we talked, the more we discovered things in common – values, interests, philosophies, family upbringing, and perspectives on life. From the very beginning we complemented and balanced each other’s personalities and energies in such a way that we practically finish each other’s sentences. Our marriage is built on a foundation of love, friendship and mutual respect. We truly enjoy each other’s company and laugh a lot. Our silliest moments tend to occur lying in bed at night, laughing hysterically about something silly that happened that day, before going to sleep.

We spend most evenings watching movies or TV, playing games on the Playstation or Wii (Guitar Hero World Tour is our favorite – Justin plays guitar and Greta plays drums) or just hanging out with our dogs. We also still break out old school games like Scrabble or Monopoly from time to time. We both are really just big kids at heart.

Weekends are our time to bowl, play golf, go out to dinner, spend time with friends or do some work around the house. We have completed several do-it-yourself projects around the house and make a great team.

We work hard to achieve balance in all aspects of our relationship. We share responsibilities around the house, engage in activities as a couple, as well as activities alone or with friends. If things start to become unbalanced, we talk openly and frankly to determine the best course of action needed to bring things back into balance. We work as team to come up with solutions that work for both of us.

We are both passionate individuals who have many interests and hobbies. Being active and fit is important to us both and part of our everyday life. We are lucky enough to have some really wonderful friends in our lives that treat us like family—we are truly blessed.

We have been battling infertility for the past 6 years, but sadly with no success. Infertility is a long and bumpy road and the lack of success forced us to do some much needed soul searching. We came to the conclusion that our real goal was to parent a child. We know in our hearts that we can and will love a child unconditionally, no matter how that child comes into our lives. That realization led to our decision to pursue adoption as the means to grow our family.

We are fortunate to have close relationships with both sides of our family and they are ecstatic at the prospects of a new family member. Adoption is not new to us, we have several close family members and friends that were adopted or have adopted. We have been met with an outpouring of love and support from friends and family on our decision to pursue adoption.

We have a wonderful life full of laugher, friends and family and can’t wait to share it with a child.

Our Dogs
We have 2 dogs, Sadie, a 9-year old Beagle, and Casey, a 1½ year old Labrador Retriever. We adore our dogs and cannot imagine life without them – they are such a big part of our lives.
Sadie has such a sweet disposition; her 3 favorite activities are eating, sleeping and belly rubs (in that order).
Casey is the newest member of our family and is still in that puppy stage, but very smart and sweet. Justin works every single day in the backyard with Casey on her Frisbee catching skills.

Our Home
Our home is comfortable and cheerful. It is located in a friendly and safe neighborhood with lots of other young families. We built this house 4 years ago with family in mind. The house has a kitchen that opens to the family room, a large game room and a backyard with lots of room to run. There is always lots of activity on our street – kids riding bikes and playing together, neighbors outside chatting and walking their dogs.

We love to spend time working in our yard. Justin put in a raised vegetable garden in the backyard this year and Greta tends the flowers in the front of the house.

Justin about Greta
The first time I met Greta it was obvious that she was smart, witty, well liked, and full of energy. It wasn’t long after we met that we started getting into a serious relationship and only then did I discover just how utterly perfect she was for me.

Greta is very dedicated to everything she commits to in her life; everything from our relationship, to our home, to her friends and family. She is very supportive of loved ones in good times as well as tough times. She is very well respected as a loyal, intelligent, caring, unselfish, and genuine person.

Greta likes to spend time making our house a home by taking care of all of the flower beds and pots outside and the painting and decorating inside. Greta has a real knack for design and is very crafty. In fact she makes most of our curtains and drapes, comforters, window seats, you name it; she even does tile backsplashes for the kitchen! She loves to share craft ideas with other people and teach them how it’s done.

When I see my wife with kids belonging to friends or family, it is obvious to everyone, not just me, that she is just meant to be a mom. It never ceases to amaze me the way children, even at a get-together with lots of people with kids we’ve never met, just seem to gravitate to her. One thing is for certain, any child that ends up with Greta as their mother is a fortunate one, just as fortunate as I am to have her as my wife.

Greta about Justin
The first thing that attracted me to Justin was his friendly, down-to-earth nature. It didn’t take me long to figure out that he is also loyal, trustworthy, honest and hysterically funny. He makes me laugh more than anyone else I have ever met (laughter plays a big part in our relationship). Justin also has a very strong work ethic and takes a lot of pride in the quality of his work. He can always be counted on.

Justin loves sports, especially Football. Since he was born and raised close to the Chicago area, it should come as no surprise that he is a huge Chicago Bears fan. Justin is also a great cook and really enjoys trying out new recipes. My friends are always marveling at his culinary talents.

Justin is especially thoughtful; so much so that I am often surprised at the time and effort he puts into buying me the perfect gift. For example, a few years ago, I had hinted that I wanted a sewing machine for my birthday (I truly didn’t expect that he would actually buy me one), so unbeknownst to me, he did a lot of research on the internet and spent a Saturday afternoon at a seminar to figure out which model to buy me. I was so touched that he would do something so far out of his comfort zone to find me the perfect gift. I don’t know many men that would make that kind of effort or spend the time on their spouse’s gift, especially one that is not typically considered “masculine”.

Justin has a lot of love in his heart and would do absolutely anything for friends and family. He will be a wonderful father and I feel privileged that he chose me to spend his life with.

What we can offer a Child
• Lots of love and support, hugs and kisses, time and patience
• A child who knows they are truly cherished and the most special part of our lives
• An emphasis on education and the financial support needed for a child to pursue a college education
• Genuine support and enthusiasm for their interests (we will be at every game, meeting, competition and performance)
• Fun-loving parents that enjoy playtime, but will also instill self-confidence, values, morals and a strong work ethic
• Consistency and discipline, so the child will learn the difference between right and wrong
• A community that is has excellent schools, parks, athletic fields, tennis courts, ice rinks, community theater, gymnastics —facilities to support most any interest that a child might have are available within a 10 mile radius of our home
• A warm and loving extended family
In closing, our hope is to love, care for and nurture a child that grows into a happy and balanced adult that is respectful, confident and kind.

We are open to sending pictures and letters, so that you continue to feel confident about your choice.
We are very excited about this new chapter in our life and hope we get the opportunity to know you better. Regardless of your decision, we sincerely wish you the best of luck and thank you for taking the time to consider us. If you are interested in talking with us, we would be thrilled to hear from you. You can reach us through Cindy with A Loving Alternative (anytime) at 800-556-5635.

Sincerely,

Greta & Justin