Introduction

Dear Birthmother,

We are so grateful that you are considering us as possible parents for your expected child. Thank you for this opportunity to tell you about our family and our dream of becoming adoptive parents. We hope that knowing there are families who would feel blessed to welcome your child into their hearts and home brings you some comfort.  We sincerely wish you well as you consider your options.

We are very excited about adoption because we have had a wonderful experience with adoption in our families.  Kim’s family has also known the joy of our nephew, now two years old, who was adopted. Since we are unable to bear our own child, we are thankful that adoption might give us the opportunity to be parents.  We, and both of our families, will welcome a child through adoption with eagerness and open hearts.

About Us

We have enjoyed 11 wonderful years of marriage, and feel extremely blessed.

We first met at a trade show; our booths were set up beside one another.  After dating for about a month, we visited Joe’s parents’ home in Pennsylvania.  I, Kim, didn’t know, at the time, that Joe had never brought a woman home to meet his family.  Not only did I meet his parents, brothers and sister, but the whole clan – aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews! We knew almost immediately that we were right for each other – we were married that summer.

Joe on Kim

Joe: I remember Kim and I crossing a busy intersection on our first date.  I knew the moment that she took my arm that this was going to be very special.  She is amazingly loving and patient, and our friends and family love her dearly.  I know Kim will be a wonderful mother.  I can’t wait for us to be parents.  There is nothing Kim loves more than to be with our nieces, Caroline (6yrs) and Emma (2yrs).  Caroline loves to play spy with Auntie Kim.  They run around the house at night with goggles and flashlights on an elaborate safari through their imaginations.  It won’t be long before Emma is old enough to join the team, and will be able to teach our child how to join-in.

Kim on Joe

Kim: The day that Joe and I first met, he broke the ice by offering something to drink other than the stale coffee that we were being served.  He searched the entire conference center, and finally came back with juice.   This simple gesture is just one of many times when Joe’s kindness and generosity have warmed my heart.  He is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. On more than one occasion, he has traveled to Pennsylvania (8 hours away) just to take his mother to a doctor’s appointment, and he regularly looks-in on the elderly couple that live down the street.  Joe has a very strong faith, and is very patient to accept the things that are not within his control.  He was a tremendous source of strength for me as we faced infertility treatment, and I have learned a great deal from him.  I know that he will be a wonderful father and role model for our children, and that he will teach them valuable lessons.  Joe is also a lot of fun to be around.  He has a great sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Our Values

I, Joe, am very excited about having the opportunity to be a father.  I was raised in a very loving family with many wonderful relatives and friends and can’t wait to share the love that I have received with our son or daughter.  I look forward to nightly meetings at the kitchen table to discuss the events of the day.  The thought of playing in the yard, teaching our son/daughter how to play golf, working together on a school project or pitching a tent in the backyard for an overnight campout brings a huge smile to my face.  I love the outdoors and relish the idea of taking our son or daughter for hikes in woods, canoe trips and bike rides.  I look forward to vacations where we will explore together different parts of the country.  But mostly I dream about big hugs, lots of laughs and sharing the many lessons of life.

We were blessed with caring, involved, and supportive parents who nurtured us, taught us right from wrong, and now stand with us as we face life’s challenges.  And they can’t wait for another grandchild!  I, Joe, am the youngest of four children.  My siblings have been wonderful role models to me as I have watched them raise their families.  I love being “Uncle Joe” to my nephews and nieces.  I have a large extended family with more than seventy-five aunts, uncles and cousins; we are a very close bunch.  Almost all of us gather every two years for a family reunion in Pennsylvania highlighted by a lot of great traditional Polish food and Polka dancing.

We are very lucky that we love where we live, and enjoy the work that we do. We have both made career choices that allow us to focus on our family.  We have chosen jobs that offer flexible schedules to ensure that we will be available to participate fully in our children’s lives.  I, Kim, grew up with one younger sister, Kristen, who continues to be my closest friend.  She lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband and two daughters, both of whom are our godchildren.  We spend as much holiday and vacation time with them as possible.  Fifteen years ago, my mother remarried, and I became sister to Kim (yes, two Kim’s in the family!), Cheryl, Tom and Rob who were welcomed into the family, along with their spouses, children and pets.  Our small family has grown by leaps and bounds, and each summer brings a big family picnic at Mom’s house on Cape Cod.  It is always a bit of a circus – food, waterslides, bocce tournaments, and ice cream sundaes.  At the end of the day, we fall into an exhausted heap, and count our mosquito bites.

Traditions

A new family tradition is our annual summer gathering to a beach house in North Carolina.  Joe’s niece Molly sends us monthly reports, beginning in the fall, counting down the days until next summer’s trip.  Our brothers and sisters and all of their children and grandchildren (28 of us last year!) spend a week soaking up sun, building sandcastles, and playing board games at night.  Jam sessions often ensue when Joe and the boys pull out their guitars.  Uncle Joe always entertains the kids (and adults) with totally ridiculous definitions of words, and Aunt Kim’s skill at charades is a family legend.  We look forward to the day when we will have a child playing in the surf with his/her cousins.

Our Faith

We are very fortunate to have many close friends, good neighbors and a loving church community that is loving and supportive to us.   As we think about expanding our family and consider the responsibilities that come with raising a child, we know that all of our local “family” will join us on this journey.  For the past ten years, we have been very active in our church.  We have been involved with several church committees, taught Sunday school, helped organize the youth group and sung in the choir.  One special church service that we both look forward to is baptism.  Our church celebrates baptism by asking the entire congregation “Who will raise this child?” and the congregation responds, “WE WILL”.  We truly believe that our child will find love and grace from this loving circle of friends and family.

Our Home

While we do like to travel, we have found that we are really homebodies.  We enjoy our home, and love entertaining our family, friends and neighbors.  We have held many church meetings and social gatherings at our home, including large family reunions, and even an early morning Easter Sunrise Service, complete with full choir (that got the neighbors’ attention!)  We have fun doing home projects together, and have spent the last few years getting our house and yard ready for a family.   Joe does the heavy yard work, and each spring he wrestles with the rotor-tiller in our vegetable garden.  Last year, his enthusiasm was infectious, and he helped our 10-year old neighbor plant his first garden.   I am the rookie gardener in the family, and each summer I scratch my head as “Is it a weed or a flower?”.  The small flowerbed that sprung up 4 years ago has now grown to cover almost ¼ of our yard.

We live in a small town in Western Massachusetts.  One of the reasons that we settled here is the quality of life that this area offers.  We are both very active and enjoy spending time together outdoors.  Joe is a natural athlete and an accomplished golfer, but Kim is realizing that she might not be quite the klutz she thought she was.  Our marriage has given us the opportunity to try new things, and together we ski, ice skate, bicycle, hike, and play golf and tennis.  When we are on vacation, we take pleasure in discovering a new bike path, remote ski trail, or interesting golf course.  When the weather turns cold, we work out together at a local gym.  Joe has spent some time coaching, and we look forward to raising a child and discovering and developing his or her own interests and talents.

Our home is located in the midst of farmland, and we have lived in our home for 8 years.  While there homes close by, the views from our home are very open to the beautiful scenery which surrounds us.  We chose the area carefully, hoping that we would raise our family here.  We wake up each morning to a serene view of fields and rolling hills, interrupted only by birds and an occasional tractor.  Our street dead-ends into farmland, and is very safe for the many neighborhood children. We also have the best sledding hill on the street, and often find a collection of sleds, snowboards and kids in our yard on winter afternoons while Joe enjoys helping to construct snow forts and sled jumps.

Education

We have many great options when choosing a school for our children.  The public schools in town are very good, and there are also a number of private schools nearby.  This is very important to us.  We are both among the first members of our families to earn college degrees, and our parents were very proud to make this possible for us.  We look forward to providing this opportunity for our children, and our financial planning includes saving money for our children’s education.

There are also several colleges in the area surrounding our home, so there are many cultural activities available, as well as ethnic and social diversity that are often not found in a rural community. Being art and music-lovers, we take in a concert as often as we can, and enjoy the museums, galleries, and theater performances that are available.  We look forward to the day that we will have a child to accompany us to the many family-oriented activities that our community offers.

Our Careers

I, Kim, have worked with college computer systems for twenty years.  A couple of years ago, I moved to a job at a private high school that is just 3 miles from home.  I plan to take an extended maternity leave, and will eventually return to work on a part time basis.  The school is very supportive of families; my schedule is quite flexible, the benefits are excellent, and employees’ children are allowed full use of all facilities, which include a pool, playgrounds, a skating rink, and music rooms.  There are many young teachers, and small children can always be found running, riding, and scootering around the picturesque campus.  Joe’s job as the director of a major professional golf tournament is both challenging and rewarding.  He works for a small company, and his office is a short drive away, which will make it easy for him to get to school events, doctor’s appointments, and other activities.

We have long hoped for a child to share our home and the many blessings that we have been given.   We look forward to experiencing the joys of parenthood, and also anticipate the many challenges.  We take this responsibility seriously, and hope to teach our child good values, compassion for others, and gratitude for life’s gifts.  We would feel honored and blessed to be the adoptive parents of your child, and if chosen by you, would convey to your child our appreciation and respect for your decision.  We would also like to know if there are any traditions or experiences from your family that you would like your child to take part in.  If it is your wish, we will be happy to keep communication open between us, and providing you with updates through the years.

We welcome the opportunity to speak with you.  If you would like to contact us, please call Full Circle toll free at 1-888-452-3678.  Please know that you are in our thoughts.

With sincere appreciation,

Joe and Kim