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PLACED - Bethany & Mike
Dear Birthparent,
We know you love your baby very much and we are grateful for your courage and commitment to consider an adoption plan. We are thrilled that you would consider allowing us to welcome your baby into our lives.
Having a family has been our dream for years and we too have decided adoption is best for us. In August 2007, we were fortunate to have adopted our daughter, Anna, and she has filled our lives with great joy and happiness. As we have with Anna, we can provide a loving environment, lots of hugs and fun times, and a good spiritual and moral foundation to help him or her grow to be a wonderful person. Your baby will be surrounded by loving extended family with kids of all ages. We have an unyielding desire to have another child and so much love to give; we can’t wait to share it!
Mike and Bethany: Our Life Together
We met almost 14 years ago in college. After Mike worked up the courage to ask me out, we both knew we found someone special. We married on a sunny Saturday afternoon, May 12, 2001 at a beautiful, old stone church.
Over the years we have grown from fun loving college kids to serious professionals to joyful parents. With Anna, we have enjoyed many trips to the beach and the zoo. Enjoying our family time together will always be a priority for us.
We have a family pet, Inddy, who is Anna’s best buddy! He is a friendly, ten-year-old, mixed-breed dog that enjoys running around and playing with kids.
We have a strong marriage and are each others “best friend.” We have always leaned on each other for support, especially the years we dealt with infertility. Communication is the key to our loving partnership. We believe it’s important to talk openly and honestly with each other, and share all of our feelings as we make the important decisions that guide our lives together.
Home Sweet Home
Our house is a spacious three-bedroom split-entry. It has a big, bright sunny kitchen and an enormous family room already filled with toys! The nursery has been hand-painted with teddy bears, trees, and clouds on the ceiling. We have a swimming pool where we’ll spend summers splashing around and teaching our children how to swim. Our spacious backyard is great for kids to play games, throw the ball around, and just to have a good time.
We are located in a beautiful, tree-filled neighborhood with a lot of children. There are two parks with swings, monkey bars, and a merry-go-around within a minute’s walk from our house. One park has a huge field with a baseball diamond. During the summer, you can hear the fans cheering. We look forward to the day when we’re sitting in the bleachers, cheering on our own children.
We live in a highly respected school district where Bethany grew up. Our church and schools are located only a few minutes away from our home.
Our Family & Friends
Our home is less than one mile from Bethany’s parents (“Nana and Pap”). They will love having another grandchild live so close to them. Naturally, they are very excited about being grandparents again and are ready to help out with anything we need. Trips to McDonalds, walks in the park, and Sunday dinners are special times spent with Nana and Pap.
We get together with our extended family for many different occasions. There are several aunts, uncles, cousins, and their children who live less than 20 minutes away. We never miss celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or just getting together on a beautiful summer day for a family cookout. They are all very excited about our decision to adopt again and can’t wait for another little one in the family.
We have many close friends, including committed friendships that have lasted since college and, in some cases, even since childhood. We enjoy the special times when our children play together at birthday parties and picnics.
Bethany’s Bio
I am 34 years young and I’ve always wanted a family. As a child, I played with my baby dolls constantly. I couldn’t wait to be old enough to babysit. As a teenager, I enjoyed watching many families’ children through connections with my church.
I was a nanny for two summers during my college years. The children whom I cared for ranged from six months to four years old. I enjoyed taking the kids to the park, playing ring around the rosy, and creating arts and crafts with them. Watching the babies grow and learn — and being an active part of their development — was an amazing experience. I love every second of watching Anna grow and I can’t wait to experience it again!
I am the fourth child with three older brothers. Several of my cousins lived nearby that I also played with growing up. I had a wonderful, loving childhood with many family vacations. We visited places such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, Disneyworld, and numerous beaches.
I have four nieces and one nephew between the ages of five and ten. They love playing with Anna and are all excited about having another cousin.
Education is extremely important to me and my family. I have a degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting. I work part-time as a senior manager in a large financial institution. Although I enjoy my work, my favorite time are my days home with Anna. I was anxiously awaiting motherhood for a long time and this has become my first priority in life.
Mike says that I demonstrate many of the qualities that are so important for a mother to have; compassion, patience, a strong will, and perhaps most importantly, unconditional love.
Mike’s Memoir
I’m the youngest of four with two older brothers and a sister. They all have wonderful families including five boys and two girls. Having seen my siblings’ families grow over the years has only increased my desire to have a family of my own.
I grew up in a nice community with many old stone homes and large green lawns. My siblings are much older than me and had moved out by the time I was in grade school, so I was always out and about. Growing up, I played different sports - baseball, hockey, and soccer to name a few. I believe organized sports are a great way to teach teamwork and build character at a young age.
Exercising a few times a week, playing roller hockey and golf, and attending professional and collegiate sporting events are some of the activities I enjoy. I also play, if you can call it that, the electric guitar. I took lessons when I was younger and still enjoy playing some of the songs I grew up with.
I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and have considered going back for my MBA. Education is extremely important to me. As I get older in life, I realize more and more that an education opens all doors.
I work for a national retail company as an operations director. I’ve been with the same company for over ten years, receiving several promotions along the way. These promotions have given me the opportunity to learn many different areas of the business and tackle new challenges every day. My professional goals will drive me to be a successful provider for my family. However, my commitment to maintaining a work life balance will ensure my family always comes first.
All About Anna
Anna was born in the West on August 21, 2007 and adopted through A Act of Love. We were chosen by the birthmother three months before Anna was born, and we were there for her birth. It was an amazingly, wonderful experience, but we also felt the loss that her birthmother was facing. After spending time with her birthmother, we knew it was meant to be and couldn’t stop thanking one another. Anna has brought so much joy to our lives. She enjoys playing with her cousins, our friends’ children, going to the park and the zoo, and “reading” books. Anna loves kids and would make a wonderful big sister!
Raising a Family
We believe that children should be raised through love and understanding, guidance and teaching, and plenty of patience. As they grow, we feel it is extremely important to teach them to respect others, behave appropriately, and take responsibility for their actions.
We plan to tailor our discipline approach based on the child’s age and needs as he/she grows. Negative behaviors will result in time out and temporary removal of privileges. Praise will be given for positive behaviors. In any event, there will always be communication to make sure they understand the difference between right and wrong.
Ensuring our children receive a high-quality education will be a priority. We understand the value of higher education and will make sure your child has the best opportunity to realize his or her dreams.
We wish to raise children who celebrate their spirituality, hold fast to good moral philosophies, and relish the small beauties in life. They will grow up with Christian values and beliefs. We'll support our children when they struggle, applaud them when they succeed, and guide them when they make mistakes. We will love and cherish them each and every day.
Child Activities
With Anna as a big sister and so many of our relatives and friends having children, your child will have plenty of playmates. There will be common childhood games like hide-n-seek, educational games to give your child a head start on learning, and probably some wacky made-up games just to keep it fun. We will take active roles in your child's education to make the learning process enjoyable and interesting. This will include trips to museums and the zoo to learn about and experience the world around him or her. Your child will also be included in the household chores to teach the foundation of responsibility.
In the spring, there will be a visit to the Easter Bunny for memorable pictures as well as an Easter egg hunt in the backyard. During the summers, we’ll take family beach vacations. Picking a special pumpkin from the pumpkin patch will highlight our fall season. Winter will be filled with sled-riding, building snowmen, “Dear Santa” letters, and presents under the Christmas tree.
Our Closing Thoughts
The respect, trust and love we have shown toward each other is the foundation of our relationship and our home environment. These basic values will be instilled in our children. We would feel blessed to be given the opportunity to nurture, support, educate, and love your child completely and unconditionally.
Your child's adoption will be an ongoing discussion throughout his or her life. You will always be spoken of with kind and loving words. We are open to sharing letters and pictures to whatever extent you feel comfortable.
We are committed to each other and would be committed to giving your child every opportunity in life. Thank you for taking this time to get to know us.
Much love,
Mike & Bethany
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