Introduction

Dear Birthmother,

We wish to convey our sincere gratitude to you for taking the time to read our letter, and for considering giving us the chance to experience the joy of parenthood.   We admire your courage as you consider this decision.  We are truly humbled by the opportunity to give your child a loving home and know that you want a family who will give your child encouragement and support at all times. From our hearts, we can tell you that your child will be considered the most special gift in our lives.  The decisions that you are making are intensely personal.  Our warmest thoughts and prayers are with you.

We have always felt that it would be wonderful to have children in our lives. Since doctors have told us that we will not be able to conceive, we have been hoping to build our family through adoption. To have a child running around the house will be a dream come true!  We have told both of our families that we are hoping to adopt and they are also thrilled they too are looking forward to welcoming a new member into the family.

How We Met

We first met through Neil’s sister, whom I was sharing an apartment with at the time.  Neil says he remembers that night because he was immediately attracted by my quick sense of humor. Sometime later, I invited Neil to celebrate his sister’s birthday with us in Boston and we both had a great time.  Soon after, Neil took me back to Boston dinner over-looking the waterfront.  We had not been dating long before we fell in love. We have learned many important things from each other. Neil exposed me to the great wonders of the outdoors with hiking and kayaking.  I was an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels during the holidays and Neil really enjoyed helping these families with me.  Our commitment to each other continues to grow stronger every day.

Considering our great love for each other and for children, we are confident that we can offer a child a wonderful, loving home.  We will share the greatest gift that we have, our unconditional love.  Every time I (Anne) spend time with my nieces, nephews or our friends’ children, they all seem to end up in my lap, on my shoulders or hanging off my back (sometimes all at the same time) – and I love it!  Our child’s teachers will know me as an involved and caring parent who is active in the educational process.  I love playing games for hours and learning “ new rules” to a familiar game when someone wants to change them.  I cherish the thought of being a Mom who can lovingly set reasonable limits and help a child feel respected as well as able to confide his or her thoughts and feelings.

I (Neil) dream of the time that we will be able to spend our first camping trip in the backyard, watching shooting stars and telling made-up ghost stories and being the beaming Dad who gives a standing ovation at our child’s first recital. I fondly remember the bedtime stories that were read to me by my parents and I have my childhood storybook ready to share. I love to cook and will teach our child how to make a great meal and how to have fun as well!  I am eager to be the Dad who stands by them, supports and encourages them in everything they do.

About Us & Our Families

Together we have 10 nieces and nephews and the time we spend with them continues to be rich and fulfilling.  When they visit us for weekends, we enjoy visiting museums, going on hikes, playing games, going to the beach and getting ice cream cones at the end of the day.  Our niece, Kristianne, was adopted into my sister’s family when she was seven.  Kristianne holds a warm place in our hearts; it is always a special time when we are together.  My family (Anne) lives all over the country and we have enjoyed traveling to visit them.   I have three brothers and a sister.  Whether it is Christmas, Thanksgiving, someone’s birthday, or no special day in particular, we always find a reason to get together.

Often during each summer, we meet as a family at Neil’s parents’ home in the mountains and have a blast with all the kids.  Neil’s parents live on a beautiful lake and we enjoy swimming and hiking in the woods with our family.  Nearby there are also great places to ski in the winter.  Neil’s brother and sister live a few towns away and we see them often as well.  Usually, once a week his sister comes over for dinner and we take a long walk in the woods.  We see his brother and family once or twice a month, sometimes for dinner or to take our two nieces for an overnight – they love our homemade pizza!

Also, many of our close friends have young children and we have so much fun taking them to the playground, out for pancake breakfasts, the movies and just playing games at home.  From time to time, our friends and families have left their children in our care and we have many great memories of the special times shared.  They open a completely new world!  My best friend from kindergarten just delivered twins; a boy and a girl!  We look forward to sharing these experiences with a child and friends.

We have a very special golden retriever whom we rescued 6 months ago.  His name is Mickey Finn.  He makes us laugh because he is a goofy, fun loving dog. Each morning, on his walk, he has to visit the bus stop to say hello to the neighborhood children. He is very friendly and gentle.  Our time together is spent walking in the woods, throwing a ball in the backyard, and taking him swimming at the lake, which is close by.  We look forward to taking Mickey on hikes on our next trip to Maine. Much of our spare time is spent with friends in the outdoors.  There are always bikes, kayaks, and skis packed in the car (along with Mickey) when we visit with friends, and go on family vacations.  We look forward to quieter vacations when we become parents and to sharing our love of the outdoors when they are older.

Our Home

Our neighborhood is filled with many young families.  When we take Mickey for walks we always run into someone who is out walking their child in a stroller and a dog on a leash.  There are six golden retrievers on our block alone!  Down the street is a farm where we can go and pick blueberries for pancakes and muffins.  You can even walk to the center of town.  Many people that we have met have told us that they moved here because our town has one of the best school systems for children.

Our Careers

Neil works as a human resources manager for a technology company.  I (Anne) work as a marketing consultant for a software company.  My work is very flexible to enable me to be an active and involved parent.  We are very fortunate to have a home in such a warm family neighborhood.  Our home has a big fenced in yard, a den with a fireplace, and four bedrooms with one that has many stuffed teddy bears for children to play with!  One of our favorite rooms in the house is the sun porch where you can sit and watch the birds come to the feeder and enjoy the summer weather.

Our Values

We attend a local parish that has many families with children and supports our personal values. We will provide the same foundation for our child to learn what unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness, respect, honesty, trust, commitment and compassion mean, both in a family and in the greater community.   We are both college educated and have been lifelong learners.  We have already begun saving for our child’s college education and are committed to providing a child with the opportunities to learn and grow intellectually.  We cannot wait to share in the wonder of learning together!

A few words on paper cannot begin to express our appreciation that you have taken the time to read our letter.  From our hearts, we want you to know that we will provide the very best environment that we possibly can for your child to grow and develop emotionally and intellectually.  We will help your child understand that your decision was made out of a deep love and commitment to their well-being.  We will help your child appreciate you and the choice that you made.  We want you to know how your child is doing and are happy to regularly share pictures and letters about your child as he or she grows up. You can be sure that your child will know the power of unconditional love throughout his or her life.

Thank you for taking the time to read our letter.  Our warmest thoughts and prayers are with you during this time.  We hope that you find peace in your heart as you make this decision and consider sharing the incredible gift of your child with us.  If you would like to talk with us directly and learn more about us, please call Full Circle, toll free, at 1-888-452-3678.

With love, respect and appreciation,

Neil and Anne