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Craig and Tracy
Dear Birth Parents,
Although we have never met, we would like to thank you for taking the time to consider us potential parents for your child. Even though we cannot even begin to understand what you are feeling, we have so much respect for the courage and compassion you are showing in creating an adoption plan so you can provide the best possible future for your child. We truly admire you for loving your child so much that you are putting his/her future above all else. We have waited our whole lives to give a child the same opportunities we were fortunate enough to have while we were growing up.
While there are many things couples want to achieve in life, from day one our number one priority was to share our lives with a child. We both remember our first date and the conversation we had about family. We talked about being young parents and how important it was for us to have children and raise them to be the kind of people we both strive to be. We feel family is the most important thing in life and it cannot be taken for granted. We hope to provide our children with a sense of family and pride, which is tangible and calming.
About Us
Our relationship began the summer of 1997 while interning in the South. We met through a mutual friend. We dated the rest of the summer and spent all of our free time together. After our internships ended, Tracy went back to the Midwest to begin working on her Masters degree and Craig went back to the West to finish his Bachelors degree. We stayed in touch and visited each other a few times, but it wasn’t until Tracy completed her Masters degree that we both moved back down south for our careers. We got engaged on New Years Eve 1999, and were married one year later in December 2000.
We waited one year after our marriage to begin starting our family. Once we realized that we had to choose between IVF and adoption, we asked God for direction. After much praying, we decided to pursue our dream of starting a family through adoption.
Once we decided on an adoption agency, we waited 12 months, to receive “the phone call” that we had been selected by a Birth Family. We had the opportunity to meet the birth mother and birth father of our son before he was born. Three weeks after meeting, Luke was born. In addition to meeting Luke’s birth parents, we also had the opportunity to be in the hospital with Luke and his birthparents. We are in an open adoption with Luke’s birthparents and send letters and pictures through the agency every six months. We also talk via email on a regular basis with Luke’s birthmother.
After having such a positive experience with Luke’s adoption, we knew that we wanted to add more children to our family. We can’t imagine Luke not having a sibling to share his special story with. Luke is very excited about having a baby brother or sister and talks about it any opportunity he has. He can’t wait to be a big brother!
My Wonderful Husband
It is hard for me to put into words how special Craig is. He is my best friend and my soul mate. From the first time I met him, I knew he was an incredible person. His unconditional love, constant support, and encouragement are some of the many reasons he is such a wonderful husband and father. Craig is very active and his love of life is contagious. Whether outside running or playing football or basketball with Luke in the backyard, he enjoys being outside and having fun. Traveling appeals to his adventurous side. Seeing new places and experiencing new things has always been a favorite of his. But, Craig is also quite content cooking on the grill and playing with Luke in the backyard. Craig works in finance. He is a hard worker and I am proud of not only his career successes but also his academic successes. When Craig was in grade school he was diagnosed with a minor learning disorder. Although he often struggled in the classroom, his determination and motivation helped him to be focused and prosper. He went to college and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Business. What impresses me most is his conscious effort to put family first. In his business, there are many after work functions. Craig is able to “pick and choose” which events he attends and is always considerate of what is going on at home. But probably the best thing I love about Craig is his sense of humor. He will do almost anything for a laugh. He is constantly making me and others around him laugh and be at ease. Needless to say, we have a very happy home filled with a lot of love and cannot wait to share it with another child.
My Lovely Wife
I have been blessed with many things, but I would consider my relationship with Tracy among the greatest gifts I could have during my life. I am often humbled by the loving and caring nature she displays on a daily basis. Tracy is the type of person that does caring things for our family out of the general kindness of her heart. When I first met Tracy what attracted me to her was her easy going spirit and her ability to always put a smile on my face. I find that twelve years later, these are the same traits that I am routinely drawn back to. Tracy always has a way of finding the positive in negative situations and is always the first one to have a suggestion of fun activities or ideas to liven up a plan. I find that beyond myself, people are drawn to be near Tracy because she is such a positive influence and people can’t help to be drawn to her. I really got a taste of this the first time I visited Tracy at work. It is obvious that people see her as a listener, leader, and teacher. Tracy spent the majority of her career before Luke in education and she will be an integral part of our children’s educational life and development. Tracy’s passion for life, family, and love are displayed on a daily basis. Whether it is educating Luke by taking him to swim, art and music classes, or My Gym; volunteering at the local Pregnancy Center, or simply being a concerned wife and listening to me on a daily basis, Tracy is routinely driven to do the “right thing.” She shows strength in staying the course in tough situations and regularly finds time to say what or how she can do better in all circumstances. Tracy is someone I am proud to call my wife, best friend, and hopefully soon to be mother of two.
Our Handsome Son
Luke is our three and a half year old son that has brought so much happiness to our lives. He has a vibrant personality and has more energy than the two of us put together. He loves to be kept busy-with everything from reading books, playing with trains and trucks, and being outside. He is our big sports fan-Luke loves football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If a ball is involved, Luke is playing. Luke started preschool this past fall and is really enjoying it! Since Luke has a late birthday and was not able to start school until he was almost three, Tracy keept him involved in many activities-gym class, swim class, art class, and music class are just a few of the classes Luke enjoyed. In addition to “scheduled” activities-Luke and Tracy also attend many playgroups and are always hosting playdates at the house. We find ourselves blessed by his presence in our life and see his zest for life as contagious.
Our “Furry” Friend
Magic, our seven year old pup, is also an important part of our family. She is named after our favorite NBA team. Magic is a Schnoodle (part Schnauzer part Poodle). She is hypoallergenic. Magic and Luke love each other dearly. They play well together-especially when Luke throws the ball to her. They can play catch for hours. Luke loves taking her for walks, helping to feed her, and most recently, Luke has requested that Magic sleeps with him in his big boy bed. At first, we were hesitant, but we went along with his request, and now Magic sleeps with Luke. It’s super cute-Magic sleeps right next to Luke. Luke’s friend’s love Magic and are always asking to play with her when they come to the house. Magic behaves very well around children, especially babies. When Luke was an infant Magic loved snuggling next to Luke while he slept. She is very protective of Luke. We love Magic and feel very blessed to have such a wonderful dog.
Our Family
We feel that we are very fortunate to have loving Christian families that give us constant support and encouragement. They are very excited for us and cannot wait to meet the newest member of our family. Tracy comes from a family of four. Her mother and father are still married and she has one sister. Craig comes from a family of five. His mother and father are still married and he has two sisters. Together we have 4 nieces and 4 nephews. We are both very close to our families and most of our vacations are spent visiting with family.
We truly enjoy spending time together. We are each other’s best friends and soul mates. As a family, we enjoy spending time outside playing in our big back yard with swing set, exercising, walking our dog, Magic, swimming, and taking pleasure in everything the Mid-Atlantic area has to offer. When we are not outside, we enjoy going to museums, swimming indoors, and spending time with neighbors and friends. Whenever we get a chance, we love to travel. We take several trips each year as a family. One of our favorite places to vacation is the beach. We also enjoy going on cruises. Regardless where we go, we create memories that last a lifetime. We can’t wait to share our love of traveling with the newest member of out family.
Our Home Life
We are privileged to live in a single-family house in the city. We live in a four-bedroom brick house with a big yard, a playroom full of toys, and a bedroom waiting to be filled by the newest member of our family. Our neighborhood, nestled in the middle of the city, is an oasis. We have close proximity to fine academic institutions, leading hospitals, and five minutes from the train station. Since we are practicing Christians, we plan to raise our children in their faith by attending parochial schools. Our home is in an established neighborhood with many traditions. We get together for a yearly Halloween party, a Christmas party, and an Easter egg hunt. We also have wonderful neighbors and have a bi-monthly get together on Friday nights. We rotate houses and serve dinner and let all the kids play together. Although we schedule a bi-monthly get together-we are the only family on the block with a swing set, so when the weather is warm, we are the most popular backyard on the block.
In summary we want to thank you for considering us potential parents and blessing us with a wonderful child who will enrich our lives everyday and presents us the opportunity to be better people than we could be alone. We pray that you find peace and comfort with your decision. We are grateful for your consideration. We want you to know that we will love your child just as if he/she was our own. We have so much love to give your child. We can’t ever thank you enough for the blessing you will be giving us.
God Bless,
Craig and Tracy
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