Dear Birth Mother,

Celebrating our Anniversary in Hawaii

   We realize your decision is a difficult one, for this reason we will try to give you a glimpse into our lives and convey how excited we are at the prospect of becoming parents. As you search for the right couple to adopt your child, we appreciate the agonizing emotion of your decision. We want to assure you that your child will always know they were loved by you and what a tremendous gift you gave when you placed him/her for adoption.

     Our names are Mark and Julie. We made the decision to adopt because of our deep love for children and our own inability to conceive. We have a strong, loving marriage and a warm, stable home in which to raise children. We believe in teaching strong values of family and community, tempered with discipline and faith. We belong to a growing church and believe that faith is the foundation of strong relationships.

     We met in college and dated three years before we married. More than a decade after that first date, our relationship is stronger and more intimate than ever. From the beginning we were best friends, yet remained strong, independent individuals. We are both in our early 30s and enjoy many activities.
Since the very beginning we have loved going to movies, taking long walks, biking, traveling and playing tennis together. We also have a passion for home improvement from painting to landscaping. We love to tackle new projects; our friends often tease us because we always have a list of things to do, despite the fact that our house is just two years old.

     We have many friends both near and far away. We remain close to our parents, siblings and extended families. A weekend rarely goes by, that we don’t get together with friends or family. Below, each of us writes about the other to give you a glimpse into our backgrounds and lives.

All About Mark

Mark and his nephew Jack on Halloween

      Mark was born in a small town in Kansas where his entire extended family lives within 1 hour of the home where he grew up. Having such a close-knit family gave Mark a lot of support as he grew older.
From an early age, his parents encouraged him to become involved in school, church and the community. Mark learned the value of a good education and hard work. These values are the foundation of who he is today.

     Mark is kind, caring and gentle. He often volunteers at church and at work for the “behind the scenes” jobs. He is the one who will do anything for you and act like it is no big deal. I admire Mark’s quiet strength and loyalty. I also delight in watching him with children. Kids are naturally drawn to Mark, maybe because he gets down on their level or because they can feel the love in his laugh. Mark is usually a serious guy, but you have to know that there are times when he can be very silly. Mark loves Halloween. Every year we decorate the house and buy tons of candy to give away. Then, we get all dressed up and we sit out in front of our house to welcome the kids. All the people in our neighborhood love to come by and see what we’ve come up with from year to year. We’ve even won the “most spirited house” in the neighborhood a time or two.

     Mark has one sister, Stacy. Today, she and her husband, Tim, live just a few miles away. We spend time with each other often and talk almost every day. We love going to football or baseball games together and meet at least monthly for an evening out. One of our favorite things to do together is go to the area water park. From the lazy river to the gigantic water slides, we always have a good time.

     Mark has many close friends that he sees on a regular basis, several of which he has been friends with since college. He loves to go mountain biking, golfing and fishing with the guys. Every year Mark and his buddies take a trip to Florida to go deep sea fishing. When they come home, we get all the families together and have a huge cookout and enjoy the different fish they catch. Mark can’t wait to introduce our child to these fun activities.

     Mark works for a computer software company as a project manager. He works hard but has a well balanced life. Work is important, but family and home are his first priorities. In his time off, Mark enjoys watching and playing sports, attending concerts, musicals and plays, reading, playing computer games, and watching movies.

A candid shot at our church

All About Julie
      Julie grew up in a small Kansas town with her parents, Jim and Jane and her younger brother, Jeff. Both sides of her extended family lived close, which allowed them to get together frequently. They spent all holidays and many weekends at her grandparents’ homes celebrating with aunts, uncles and cousins. Besides family, Julie remembers her home as the social gathering spot of the community, with someone always dropping by to visit. Our home is very much like that. When we built our home, Julie wanted an open floor plan and a large deck and patio for entertaining. She loves to cook and enjoys hosting all kinds of events. I know these traits will make her a wonderful mother. She wants our home to be a fun place where all the neighborhood kids hang out.

     Julie graduated from college with a degree in Marketing. She is a product manager at a large company. While her career is important to her, it has always been Julie’s intention to devote her time and energy to being a stay at home mom. She treasures the fact that her mom devoted her time and energy to Julie and her brother. To this day, she and Jeff remain very close. Jeff and his wife, Stacey, live in our neighborhood so we get to spend a good deal of time together.

     You never know what to expect from Julie. She is always making up silly songs and talking in crazy voices. She makes me laugh and is very popular with children. When our nephew Jack sees Julie, he starts talking to her in one of her crazy voices and we all begin to laugh together. Julie is often the life of the party. She has always been popular and is social by nature. Julie is quick witted and easily makes people laugh. I am excited to see how some of these traits are passed on in our family.

Julie loved modeling for me in Hawaii

     Julie keeps busy with lots of activities. She loves decorating our home and working outside in the yard. She also enjoys baking, scrapbooking, reading, watching movies, and selling Mary Kay cosmetics. Her favorite outdoor activities are swimming and playing tennis. She has a beautiful voice and loves to sing in our church’s choir and around the house. She has been singing for many years and wants to pass on her love of music to our children. Julie also devotes a great deal of time to her friends. Whether it is babysitting for them, lending an ear to listen, shopping or just hanging out, Julie always has time for her friends.

     Although we have successful, happy lives, one very important thing is missing: children. We have always wanted children and can’t imagine life without them. Mark and I know that adoption will be the answer to our prayers of having a family of our own. We want you to know how much we respect your decision to place your baby for adoption, and how important we believe it is for your baby to know that you made this decision out of love for him/her. We promise to offer a childhood full of love, opportunity, and guidance. We will be hands-on, devoted parents, just as our parents were. We believe in the value of a college education and are already planning financially to allow our children the opportunity to go to their college of choice. We will encourage individuality and stress the importance of teamwork. With the full support of our extended families and friends, we can assure you that your child will have a wonderful life with us. Our home is filled with love and laughter. Thank you for considering us to raise your child.

     We are open to having communication and sharing pictures and letters of the baby’s growth if you desire. If you would like to learn more about us or speak to us directly, please call Cindy Simonson at A Act Of Caring at 1-800-556-5635.