About Us
We met in beautiful, sunny Southern California, where we still reside today. When we met, all our friends and family told us we would get married to each other. They were right.

On our wedding day, we wrote our own vows to each other. In our own words, we both said that we would be together until the very end…. holding hands, sneaking kisses, still in love. We intend to fulfill this promise to one another.

Most couples who have gone through the pain of not being able to have a baby may have pulled away from one another... not us; we feel our marriage is stronger because of all we have been through.

We are the “opposites attract” couple. Separately, we have very different personalities, but together, we complement each other. He’s a “little bit country” and I’m a “little bit rock and roll”. He is more serious, and I am the sillier one. He can fix anything and then I decorate it. Being different is what makes us a great fit together as husband and wife. We are both strong individuals, but together we are an amazing team. We balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses and are stronger as one.

We are fortunate to both have stable careers that we love and that provide financial stability. Zen is in Real Estate and Michele is a registered nurse.

We live near the beach and enjoy walking along the shores, visiting the harbor, swimming, watching the dolphins, whales and sail boats and taking in the beautiful sunsets at the end of the day.

We love spending time with our friends and family, and we often plan weekend getaways with them. You can find us camping, water skiing, at a cabin in the mountains or a pool in Palm Springs.

We love sports…we hike, swim, ride bikes and are crazy about football games. We also love to watch professional football and gear up in our jerseys on game day.

We are passionate about music and going to concerts is one of our hobbies. We love playing games, whether it’s Boggle or Wii, bowling, or flinging horseshoes. It is our dream that we will be able to share all this with our children.

Our dog Clover, who we adopted from a pet rescue over three years ago, is a very important part of our family. She is our Little Miss Sunshine. We love our walks together and take her to the beach and the park to chase waves and balls. She has the sweetest personality and is wonderful with kids.

About Michele... kindness, caring heart & loving spirit

Michele’s kindness, caring heart, & loving spirit have always set her apart from the rest. People are naturally drawn to Michele - especially children. Michele’s goodness and fun spirit can cheer up anyone and make them feel better. She always looks for the positive in a situation.

Michele is very outgoing and loves doing things outdoors. She is an avid camper and especially loves going on long walks down on the beach with me and our dog Clover. When it comes to sports, Michele has a competitive side to her. Michele was a competitive swimmer, beginning her swimming career at 3 years old. She made it all the way to the Junior Olympics and the National Finals.

Michele has a very giving heart, especially when it comes to children. This is most evident by the career she chose. She spent ten years as an oncology nurse nurturing and caring for very sick children.

In 2008, Michele went on a two week mission trip to El Salvador with a group of nurses to give free medical care to poor children and their families. She also raised approximately $2000 in donations for medical supplies in addition to taking the time off with no pay.

I am so thankful and blessed to have her as my wife and as the future mother of our child. Michele is truly an amazing and inspirational person to everyone she meets and touches in her life.

About Zen... intelligence, balance & inner strength

Zen has every quality that I want for a husband and the father of our children. I was attracted to his beautiful green eyes and his perfect smile, but it was his kindness, compassion and quiet confidence that really drew me to him.

Zen is a Christian who loves the Lord, family, and friends. He’s achieved so much in his life because of hard work and determination. Zen’s had his real estate license for the past 20 years. His work ethic is solid and he is, without a doubt, the hardest working person I know. Zen will definitely be a good provider and example to our children. Zen also has a playful side. He makes me laugh when I least expect it. I’ll come around the corner and he’ll have on a crazy hat or be dancing with our dog. He has a great sense of humor and he cracks up at his own jokes.

Zen is quite handy and helpful around the house. I call him Inspector Gadget - he can fix anything and has every tool imaginable.

Growing up, he played baseball and basketball. He’s cycled for years and used to be a fitness instructor. His physical health has been a positive influence for me to stay in shape.

Most importantly, Zen loves children. He’s Uncle Zen, not only to our nieces & nephews, but our friends’ children as well, attending sporting events and birthday parties. He coached kids from 8 to 15 years in baseball and basketball. Zen’s wish is to someday be able to coach our own children in their favorite sports.

Zen is very intelligent, balanced, natural and has an amazing inner strength. He is a leader and a teacher and that will make him a great father.

Our Family
Family is such a huge part of our lives. We are both so lucky to be raised by loving and supportive parents that taught us love and commitment and strong family values. Our parents have sacrificed so much for us and we want to be able to give our children all the love and support and opportunity that we both had growing up. Our child will be surrounded by family. He or she will have five wonderful aunts and uncles, two grandmas, a grandpa, a great grandmother, two great aunties, as well as eight cousins, so far. Our family vacations and holidays are some of the best times and memories that we’ve ever had. Both of our families are so excited and extremely supportive of our adoption plan. They can’t wait for the day when we welcome our new addition to the family and will give our child lots of love and attention. A child we bring into this family will know how much they are loved because we are all so close and we all are supportive of each other.

Final Thoughts
We are very humbled to be a part of the adoption process. Our journey to have a child has not been easy, short or traditional. But these struggles have only made our faith stronger, our appreciation for life even greater, and the ability to see that all of this is part of God’s plan.

We admire your courage to be able to give the greatest gift to someone else. Your kindness and selfless, loving act will be an answer to someone’s prayer. If you feel that we are the parents you have chosen, please know that your child will be loved, respected and given every opportunity we can give.

We can offer your child a lifetime of unconditional love, a Christian upbringing, financial security, and a sense of being part of a wonderful family. We will help your child to feel safe, nurtured and encouraged to be the person whom they want to be. We value education, creativity and letting a child be in control of their own imagination. We will make sure they feel genuine joy and happiness.

As adoptive parents, we will value your part in the child’s life and we are open to creating a relationship that is comfortable for you. We will send letters and pictures if you wish. Most importantly, we will one day sit our child down and be honest and open about adoption. We want our child to know that their birthmother loved them so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness so that her child could be given the best life possible. Your child will understand that you gave our child the most amazing gift ever.

If you would like additional information about us, you can contact Cindy Simonson at A Loving Alternative, 1-800-556-5635.

May God bless you always.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you.

With Love,
Zen and Michele