Introduction
Dear Expectant Parent(s),
Hello, we are Sueanne and Thomas (Tom)! We appreciate you taking the time to read our story and learn more about us as prospective parents.
Our Story
In 2016, we met on an online dating site. We were drawn to each other as we noticed we had the same interests. We agreed to meet at a local restaurant, and it was pretty much love at first sight. The date lasted five hours! After a year of dating, we got engaged while on vacation with Thomas’s family at our favorite beach resort. The proposal occurred on a bright sunny morning in front of a special rock near the ocean.
In 2019, we were married in a beautiful wedding ceremony at a restaurant at the same beach resort overlooking the ocean. We were surrounded by family and friends to celebrate the special day.
Prior to getting married, we each owned a home in different towns. Our focus was to look for a home to start a family. In 2021, we found our forever home on a nice, quiet, dead-end street. We share our home with a 13 lb. miniature dachshund named Rosie, who is twelve years old.
We knew early in the relationship that we could not have biological children. Sueanne had complications that prevented conception. We are overjoyed with the opportunity to adopt and grow our family. We are ready to dedicate our lives to the future of a child and start the family we have always wanted.
Hi, I’m Sueanne!
I grew up in a small town with my mother, father, and sister. My parents got a divorce when I was eight years old, but they worked together to make sure we were provided and cared for. We spent summers at a camp on the lake, where I have many fond memories.
I did very well in high school, and I became inspired by my French teacher. She had a sister with intellectual disabilities, and I would stay with her when errands had to be done on the weekends. This inspired my career. I received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Special Education. I currently work as a special education consultant with a team of teachers. We work to ensure that children with Autism and other intellectual disabilities have the best quality of life.
In my spare time, I enjoy taking walks. Having the summers off allows me to visit many beaches. I love to sit on the beach with a great book in my hand, enjoy walks down the beach at sunrise and sunset, and look for shells and sea glass. Cooking big meals on the weekend, meal prepping for the week, gardening in the summer, and arranging flowerpots for the front of the house and the deck are some of my favorite relaxing activities.
I look forward to sharing many new adventures with a child. My hope is to lead the way to a life full of educational experiences.
Hi, I’m Thomas!
I grew up in a small town with my parents and my younger brother. My childhood was filled with many family gatherings, celebrations, and traditions. We would spend time with both my father’s and mother’s families on Thanksgiving and Christmas. My parents encouraged me at a young age to try many new things. I played several sports growing up, which included soccer, baseball, hockey, and skiing. Through these experiences, I met many new friends and learned how to put in hard work and dedication.
My parents were supportive and stressed that education is very important. I attended college for four years receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. I was also the starting second baseman for the college baseball team.
My job as a mortgage underwriter is challenging and allows me to work with a diverse group of people. What I love most about my job is that I can work from home 100% of the time which allows for flexibility and balance for family life.
In my spare time, I enjoy being active and having a healthy lifestyle. I focus on eating healthy and going to the gym five days a week. I love watching sports from home and attending sporting events. In the summer, I go to the beach and play softball on a local team. In the winter, I play on a bowling league with my father and brother. I like to go skiing on different ski mountains.
I cannot wait to welcome a child into our family and devote my time and energy to giving the child a fulfilled life.
Our Home
We purchased our home in 2021 in rural Maine. This house is in the same town where Thomas grew up and where his family resides. The home is located on a quiet dead-end street with a large backyard. Our home is spacious, and we host Thanksgiving every year. Our house has four bedrooms, allowing for a family room and a home office.
In the summer, we enjoy sitting on the back deck, around the outdoor fireplace—roasted marshmallows with chocolate are our favorite—watching the squirrels in the backyard as they wander. We love our summer meals on the grill and taking Rosie for walks on the nearby trail. There are children riding their bikes on our street, and we take part in the weekly summer lemonade stands led by the neighborhood children.
Our location is near the local schools with playgrounds. Our home is near state parks, oceans, and lakes. We explore our favorite beach area and love to spend the day on the deck of a restaurant eating lobster. We are located near local grocery stores and restaurants—one of our favorite spots to eat is a mile away. Over the past two years, we have gotten to know the community in which we live and feel supported in a small town.
Our Families
We are both very lucky to have our extended family close by. Tom’s parents and brother live ten minutes from us, and Sueanne’s parents live an hour away. We each have aunts, uncles, and cousins within driving distance.
Tom’s parents have been married for 46 years and are very helpful in lending a hand when needed. They are very excited to be involved in the child’s life. Sueanne’s mother loves to cook and is always doing something meaningful for the family.
Holidays are very special times with the family, gathering together for meals and celebrations and attending church together on Christmas and Easter. As a family, we take turns cooking the special dinner.
In the Summer, the week of July 4th, we spend a week at a camp with Thomas’s family. The family has been renting the camp since Thomas was an infant. It is a very special time for us. While on vacation, we take strolls on the beach with our dog, eat lobster and clams, play cards, and enjoy the beach on warm sunny days. We are surrounded by many friends and family that come to visit that week.
We are grateful to have a kind, loving, and supportive family encouraging us since we made the decision to adopt. They are excited to welcome a child into the family.
Traditions, Hobbies, and Interests
Holidays are important to us. At Christmas, we enjoy going to a tree farm to cut down that year’s special tree. We have an ornament for every year we have been together, and we can’t wait for the year we can include a child in this tradition. We decorate the tree, listen to Christmas music, and watch Christmas movies.
In the winter, we take a trip to New Hampshire to explore the White Mountains. We spend time shopping and eating at restaurants, and Thomas enjoys a day of skiing.
In the spring, Sueanne enjoys spring cleaning and getting the flowers ready for the garden. Tom enjoys spring skiing on the Maine mountains.
In the summer, we enjoy taking day trips to oceans and lakes. We love packing picnic lunches and grilling on the back deck. We spend time with family at a lake in Maine. We like to take boat rides, fish, and relax in the hammock.
In the fall, we decorate our home with pumpkins and mums. We pick apples at a local orchard where we enjoy fresh donuts and drink apple cider.
We keep active throughout the year—Tom enjoys going to the gym and riding his exercise bike at home, and Sueanne likes evening walks on a nearby trail. We also enjoy playing card games and spending time in our family room in the basement.
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to get to know us better. We are very excited about this next phase in our lives. We truly understand the depths of the decision you are making. Please know we are here to support you through this process.
As parents, we promise to love your child with all our hearts. We will instill in them the values of family and a healthy lifestyle. We will provide a safe home and a supportive family. We value knowledge and learning and look forward to helping a child have a successful life. We will handle tough times with humor and patience. Most importantly, we will always ensure that your child knows that your choice was made with love.
We wish you the best in whatever choice you make, and we cannot thank you enough for considering us to be the adoptive parents of your child. It is our dream to become parents, and nothing would give us more joy than bringing a child into our loving home.
With Love,