To Someone Special

Thank you for reading my letter. I know you love your baby very much, and I am very grateful for your courage and commitment as you consider adoption. I hope that, with your help, I can give your baby a wonderful home.

My name is Johanna. I am single, Chinese and a partner at a law firm in downtown Los Angeles. Along with my parents, two brothers and two sisters, I immigrated to America when I was 12 years old. I am the fourth of five children in my family. My childhood in the Philippines was happy and comfortable. While dad was an insurance salesman, mom was a stay-at-home wife and mother. Until we moved to America, I attended a private Catholic school in Manila. Weekends in the Philippines were spent playing "Charlie's Angels" with my sisters, and making paella and trying other recipes with my mom.

We immigrated to the U.S. primarily because my mom wanted a better life for her kids, and she succeeded in giving us that life at the expense of her own lifestyle. Both of my parents worked minimum wage jobs to support our family -- Mom worked as a babysitter, a seamstress and a waitress, while Dad stocked boxes at a warehouse. They eventually both worked at, and have now retired from, Wal-Mart.

Fortunately, I was able to put myself through college (at UCLA), and law school (at Stanford), and am now a partner at a successful 400 lawyer firm in Los Angeles. I have been at the same firm for more than 10 years. As a partner, I manage complex cutting-edge financial cases that are litigated nationwide. The work is exciting and financially rewarding, but I am naturally curious and have many other interests.
Travel is one of my passions. I have hiked the mountains in Peru and danced with villagers in Kenya. I rode a camel near the Giza pyramids in Egypt, climbed Sydney Bridge in Australia, and have seen Michelangelo’s "David" in Florence. Travel enriches my mind and fosters tolerance, and I hope to share this passion with my child. Aside from travel, I also love the arts. I go to art museums in every corner of the world I visit. My favorite is impressionist art, but I'm trying to learn more about modern art. I also see plays or musicals regularly, and am an avid reader of nonfiction. The last book I read was a biography of Abraham Lincoln. Wherever I am, I make sure to stop by a local bookstore or museum shop to pick up some books for my niece and nephews.

For as long as I can remember, I have always hoped to have a child, and since my early 20's, I assumed that I would have my child through adoption rather than childbirth. Wherever I am in the world, I'm drawn to children of all ages. Treasured travel photos usually include a local child playing or smiling. Christopher, my five year old nephew, has further strengthened my desire to be a parent. His mother (my big sister Jess) is my best friend. It has been a great pleasure to see Christopher grow from a cute infant to an energetic boy with tons of personality, mischief and great kindness.

Whenever I get a chance, I fly to Sacramento to see Christopher and my sister. I was able to take him trick-or-treating last Halloween (he was "Iron Man"). I was also the unofficial photographer at his "Star Wars" themed birthday party last month, where I learned that theme parties are an ingenuous way to get what you want without the hassle of a registry. He got over 20 "Star Wars" toys including a two-foot long Millennium starship from his favorite aunt! I adore my big sister, and have followed her around from UCLA to law school and hope to follow in her footsteps as a great mother who has raised a beautiful, rambunctious kid who shares all of his toys, and says "please" and "thank you." I cannot wait for Christopher to be a "big brother" to his baby cousin.

Although I have been in a couple of serious relationships, I have found that I am happier when I am not in one. Even though there will not be an adoptive father in my child's life, he or she will not lack for a male role model or love and affection from me or my family and friends. Living only 10 minutes away are my mom and dad with whom I remain very close. They will be a great help for me and any child I adopt. I talk to my mom several times a week, and see them at least once a week for a play, a movie, a Laker game, a trip to a museum, a garden walk, or dinner. Their love for my child will be boundless, and they will be a terrific Grandma and Grandpa team. Grandma is eager to hand down all her recipes, and Grandpa would love a new audience for his well-practiced jokes.

There will be lots of aunts, uncles, cousins and second cousins who will love and adore my child. Jess' husband (my brother-in-law) is a wonderful father and has already volunteered to come set up my baby's crib. One of my cousins has a two year old and another one on the way so my child will not lack for playmates at family get-togethers.

Along with my family, I also have several friends who live closer by and who have already volunteered to babysit. One of my closest friends, an interior decorator (Doris), fancies herself my second mother, and she already has great decorating ideas for the nursery. Doris has two beautiful daughters of her own, who are in their teens and love all types of sports (and are my designated go-to-people when my child needs coaching on basketball or soccer). Her husband works at my firm and has been a wonderful big brother. I know he will be a terrific "uncle" for my child. My network of family and friends is incredible, and they can't wait to help out however they can.

Your child will (hopefully) be my first child, and I plan to be an extremely hands-on mom who will be there every night to put my baby to bed and read him or her a bedtime story, who will stay home when s/he gets sick, and who will go to every game and every parent-teacher conference, and I can't wait. Fortunately, my work is very flexible, and I have control over what work I take on. After taking a three month maternity leave when the baby is born, I will be able to work at home for parts of the week during the first few years. But I do not have any illusions about the demands of being a single parent, and I will hire a nanny to help.

Lots of encouragement, plenty of love, kisses and laughter and a positive outlook towards life will surround my son or daughter. I will trust my child, give him or her space to be responsible and make right decisions, and show them that even when things don't go as planned, the result is just as good and usually better. I had an excellent education, and my child will too. But aside from books, I hope he or she will also learn the importance of kindness and respect and have an appreciation for diversity, a love of the arts and literature, and a healthy case of travel- and adventure-lust. As for religion, both Catholicism and Buddhism were embraced in my home. Although I consider myself a Catholic, I do not fully subscribe to every teaching of the Church, and I value any faith that gives people hope and teaches them to do good deeds, a belief which I hope to instill in my child.

I live in a great quiet neighborhood, with spectacular views of the mountains. There are several large beautiful parks near my home, but my baby won't have to go far to see giant oaks, towering bamboos or climbing bougainvilleas which fill my backyard. Home is a 1950s bungalow which I've owned since 2001. My home has lots of character, floor to ceiling windows in virtually every room, and a pool. I renovated my home recently, and can't wait to get started on the baby's room.

Thank you, again, for reading my letter. Families created by adoption are special, and my child will always know his or her adoption story and the wonderful way we became a family. I know this is a difficult time in your life but I hope it can be a positive one as well. My wish is that we can be of help to one another.

Please contact me through my adoption agency. Heartsent Adoptions, Inc. at (866) 339 -8802. If you would like to meet in person, we could arrange that at your convenience.

Hopefully, I will hear from you so we can go on this journey together, but whatever path you choose I wish you and your baby only the best.

Dear Birth Mother,

Cristina and Jim
Our names are Cristina and Jim. We appreciate your decision to choose adoption. We hope to give you a picture of our lives. Thank you for considering us to become the adoptive parents of your child. We hope that our values and lifestyle will be a good match for what you are seeking for your child’s future.

We have been happily married for eight years. We met in the year 2000 and it was love at first sight. We dated for a year before we got married. We love each other and enjoy spending time as a family. In 2006 we were blessed with the birth of our son Michael (we call him Mike). Raising him so far has been the best experience of our lives. We love being parents. Mike is a sweet little boy and we know he will become a really nice brother. Even though we are happy, deep inside our hearts we know our family is not complete yet. After we had Mike we tried for several years to have another child but we were not successful. We have been longing for another child to join our family. We promise you that we will love your child, protect and guide the baby to grow into a successful person.

About Cristina and Jim

Jim and Cristina both have their Masters Degrees in Business Administration. Education is very important to us. We will make sure to save enough money to put our children through college and guide them to choose wise careers. We both have stable jobs. Jim has been working for a U.S. manufacturing company as Sales Representative for over 12 years. His job gives him a flexible schedule. He works out of his home office and he is able to spend a lot of time with our son.  Jim’s sales territory is in the Bay Area and he only needs to travel for training or trade shows for a few days a year.

Cristina works part time, four days a week for a college as a High School Admissions Advisor. She’s been working there for three and a half years. She was a Regional Manager before she got pregnant, but she decided to take a part-time position so that she wouldn’t have to travel as much and she would have more free time for family. She really enjoys her job now and she has excelled in her position. She won three awards for being the best in her department and is about to win a prize trip. She has Fridays off to spend the day having fun with Mike.  She usually takes him to a park or the Zoo or to a play date with friends or at church on her day off.

Jim likes to go jogging and hiking in the hills near our house.  He also plays softball on Sunday afternoons. Mike and Cristina like to come to the games to watch and play with the other kids at the park. On weekends we like to have picnics and go to parks, lakes, rivers, to the pool, etc. We are in very good health and like to exercise and eat right. We normally eat breakfast and dinner at home and we don’t smoke and only drink alcohol occasionally. We go out together as a couple to dinner or to parties once in a while, but most of our friends have children too, so normally our activities are with other families.

Family is very important to us. On Sunday nights we have dinner with Jim’s parents and his sister’s family. Cristina is a good cook and she has lots of favorite recipes that she prepares. Jim helps prepare the salads, veggies, setting the table, etc. We usually fly to Brazil every year to visit Cristina’s parents and relatives. Jim’s parents usually babysit Mike one day each week. Cristina’s Mom and Dad usually come and visit us every year for a few weeks. They have already told us that they will come and help us for a few months when our new baby arrives. 

Values

We believe in trying to live up to our potential and make an honest living.  It’s important to help and care for our families and friends.  We believe in marriage and honest communication.  We feel that children want and need boundaries.  We try to talk to Mike and explain our reasons for doing things with him. Cristina describes Jim as a very attentive husband and father. We usually read stories to Mike every night before bedtime and we limit the amount of TV that we watch so that we can spend more time talking and playing together. We plan to enroll our children in a pre-school when they are three or four years old.

When they start school, we will tutor them with their studies and try to make learning fun for them. We will teach them to speak both English and Portuguese or Spanish. We won’t put too much pressure on our kids to succeed, but we will encourage them and help them every way we can. We have been reading a lot about adoption and taking some classes to help us learn more about it. One thing is certain; we will welcome and love your baby as our own.
About Our Home

We have a safe, comfortable, and clean house. We live in a newer home that is in a well-established neighborhood with good schools. There are lots of families with young kids on our street and in the court behind us. Our house has four bedrooms, and a well kept little yard with a backyard patio and some fruit trees. We live close to parks, a hiking and biking trail, and one block from a community pool. We are located in the East Bay near San Francisco.

We hope that this gives you a good idea about our family, our home life, and our values. We look forward to meeting you and talking with you.  It is our dream to bring another child into our family and we want to make sure that we satisfy your wishes and expectations for a loving and supportive home for your baby. 

Please contact us through Heartsent Adoptions at toll free (888) 339-8802 or e mail us at heartsent.org.

Dear Expectant Mom,

Thank you for taking the time to read about us. I know this decision cannot be easy for any birthparent. My wish is that you are guided to the right family for your baby. While you are making one of the biggest decisions of your life, I hope that I can make it less difficult by providing you with this small glimpse into our lives.

To start, I am currently single, but welcome a good husband and father for my family should that happen. A strong group of family and friends aid me in providing a loving and supportive environment for Jacob, complete with many wonderful role models. They are all highly supportive of my decision to adopt again and continue to support me and Jacob with unconditional love.

Our Family

Becoming a parent has been my greatest blessing. I adopted my son, Jacob, through international adoption in 2007. As a teen (wow, that seems so long ago!), I could not get enough of babysitting the neighborhood babies/children. I knew then, that I wanted to be a mom. I grew up in a stable home that taught me how important acceptance and love is for children. Our happy family also includes two little Chihuahuas, Ty and Max, who love and protect Jacob. They constantly offer him cuddles and kisses and have been good with him since day one. I know they will love any child that joins our family. Me and Jacob Ty (brown and white) & Max (white and black)

Parenting

Being a parent is an amazing experience. Our home is a place filled with compassion, respect, love, and most of all, laughter. We live by the golden rule: “love your neighbor as thyself”. I know that children need creative time to play and to let their imaginations grow. Fun recreation classes, hanging out with family, trips to the aquarium and the zoo, story time at the library, and meeting friends at a local playground keep us busy. I hope that our home is a place where my children can gain the skills needed to explore the world, and learn to make decisions, ultimately fulfilling their destinies. My goal as a mom is to guide them on this journey, giving them the unconditional love and support of family along the way.

Where We Live

La Crescenta, California is nestled in the Foothills of the Los Angeles area. I enjoy the area for its temperate weather and its close proximity to the city’s theaters and sports arenas. There are many rural and picturesque parks nearby; and there are many Southern California beaches that are a quick drive away. There are nearby family attractions which provide lots of entertainment for children. It is home to many award-winning schools. La Crescenta is a small town (we can’t go anywhere without running into someone we know), but it is close to all of the opportunities that a city has to offer. We live in a beautiful three bedroom home and we can’t wait to introduce a new baby to our quaint corner of the world! Grandma, Nancy and Jacob: Vietnam 2007 At Jacob’s First Birthday, 2008 Jacob on “his” slide at the park

A Little More About Me

My friends and family describe me as honest, loyal, giving, caring, and a pretty humorous person. My family and friends take comfort in my reliability and sense of humor. I have maturity, patience, time, stability and great enthusiasm in taking on this wonderful responsibility. Getting together with my family and friends is one of my favorite activities. From holiday parties to summer barbecues, there is always an event on the horizon. At Christmas time we decorate our home with great pride. We enjoy joining other families in the local tradition of trick or treating in the nearby Montrose shopping district. Easter egg hunts, watching fireworks, and a big Thanksgiving dinner with family are a few of the other holiday traditions we keep every year. Sharing these traditions with Jacob has made them even more special and I can’t wait to include my next child in these festivities. Spending time exploring museum exhibits, rooting for the Dodgers, relaxing with a good book, heading out to the theater or the movies, cooking, baking and shopping are a few of my favorite activities. I have worked in Marketing/Finance for over 15 years. I am lucky to have the option to work from home which allows me quality time at home with my son (children).

About Jacob

Jacob is a happy, healthy, handsome and intelligent 2 year old boy. He is fun-loving, easy-going, inquisitive and full of life. He loves to learn new things! Raising him so far has been the best experience of my life. I love being a parent. Jacob is a sweet little boy and I know he will be a really great big brother. He is fantastic with his cousins!!! As a parent, I think it is important to provide a sibling for my son and I can’t wait to experience the joys of parenting again with a new child. Jacob is so much fun and he brightens each and every day. His smile lights up the whole room and his giggle makes my heart melt. Jacob loves the opportunity to show off his new accomplishments to anyone who will stop to listen to his singing or watch his “tricks” with his toys. He is very independent and loving. Jacob adores his cousins, Ethan and Liam, with whom he spends his days while I work.

Family

My parents were high school sweethearts and have been married for over 40 years. I am one of three children. I have an older sister and a younger brother with whom I am very close to. Both my sister and brother are currently married. I have two nephews from my sister, Ethan is 18 months old and Liam is 4 months old. Jacob and Ethan are close in age so they are best buddies. I see that Jacob will be a phenomenal big brother because he is very protective of Liam and will give Liam kisses and sing to him when he cries.

My parents are your typical grandparents; they love to spoil their grandchildren! You could not ask for better grandparents. Jacob and I are very lucky to have them. My family all live relatively close to me. I see my sister, my brother-in-law and my nephews at least 2 to 3 times a week and see my parents and my brother and sister-in-law at least 1 to 2 times a week. We are a very close knit, loving and supportive family. We know how lucky we are to enjoy each other’s company. My family is very excited about my decision to adopt a brother or sister for Jacob. They are very supportive of my decision and encouraged me to follow my heart. I hope this letter gives you a little insight into our cozy life. I would enjoy talking to you and answering any questions you might have. I look forward to meeting you and learning about your hopes and dreams for your baby. To say “thank you” would be a great understatement if you selected our home for your child. I know it takes courage to do what you are preparing to do and my thoughts and support are with you as you prepare yourself for this journey.

Warmly,
Nancy and Jacob

Please contact me through my adoption agency, Heartsent adoptions, Inc at (866) 339-8802

Dear Birth Parent,

Thank you for your consideration. My name is Monica and my husband’s name is Christopher.  We have been joyfully married for four years and consider our marriage our greatest blessing.  We are a happy couple who enjoy family, friends and most of all each other.  During the last two years we have shared our home with the biggest personality on the block, our puppy, Lucca. While our lives are content it is our most important desire to become parents.

Life has offered Chris and me immense happiness in all areas except for fertility.  Chris and I have spent the last three years enduring stressful tests and painful fertility treatments which resulted in a tragically short lived pregnancy. Faced with this hardship, many couples experience quite a strain on their relationship.  Thankfully, it has had the opposite effect on us.

Through the pain and disappointments of fertility treatments, Chris and I have grown closer and our love stronger.  We have supported and loved each other without waiver.  We are even more committed to our marriage and more importantly, realize that we are absolutely meant to be parents and firmly believe that our path will take us to our beautiful baby.

We have no idea what experiences you have endured and are enduring but we do believe that it takes great strength, reflection,  and a  powerful love to make the decision you are either making or have made. Our hearts are heavy with anticipation as we wait for our child and our greatest feelings of compassion and love are with you as you go through this personal journey.

Chris and I want you to know that a baby that is blessed into our lives will be met with an abundance of love, acceptance and ultimate joy. My husband and I love children and have a lot of experience interacting with them.  I have spent my entire adult life working with children and young adults.  After I turned 18, I worked as the camp coordinator for the kindergarten division for the Santa Monica YMCA and then studied to be a therapist for children and their families.   I ultimately found my passion and became a teacher. Teaching for the past 15 years has brought an incredible amount of satisfaction and happiness to my life.  I began my career teaching children who had been abused and were severely emotionally disturbed.  I then taught high school seniors and went on to work as an elementary school teacher.  I can honestly say that I love my profession and take great pride in the loving relationships I have established with my past students and their families.  I have taken the last two years off from work while undergoing treatments and I am fortunate enough to be able to continue staying home once a baby arrives. 

My husband, Chris, is the ultimate kid at heart.  He has a sparkle in his eyes and always brings warmth and laughter to every social gathering. He is a tender and loving man, not to mention the favorite uncle among my nieces and nephews. What an amazing father he will be! During the past 13 years, Chris has worked at The Disney studios as a software engineer who writes programs for Disney’s animated movies.  His latest movie was Bolt and he is currently working on Rapunzel.  And yes we love Disneyland and often spend many afternoons there with family and friends.

Chris and I value family and have taken very active roles in the lives of our nieces and nephews. We have two older teenage nephews, Nicolas and Andreas and a very young niece and nephew, Caroline and William. Chris is also proud of being a God parent to many of his closest friends’ children. Both sets of niece and nephews live at the beach and we love visiting their beach homes and enjoying warm summer days. Chris and I love throwing big parties in our house in Pasadena and because tradition is so important to us, we often host large family Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter celebrations. Chris and I have a loving and supportive family that includes wonderful aunts, uncles and grandparents and even a great Italian grandmother who are all very active in our lives. I am very close to my sister and consider her my best friend. We are so truly blessed and grateful.  Everyone, especially my youngest niece and nephew, are anxiously awaiting their new cousin and family member.     

Living in Pasadena has been a wonderful experience for Chris, our dog Lucca and me. We live in a lovely 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house in a historical area. Our neighborhood is full of young children and families who have become our close friends.  We have enjoyed renovating our house and have a very sweet room set aside for our future baby.   We are in walking distance to two wonderful parks that host many holiday and family themed celebrations throughout the year.

A sense of adventure and wonder are two qualities that Chris and I share. We enjoy many hobbies which include hiking, cooking, entertaining and traveling. During our marriage, we have spent a lot of time traveling throughout the United States and Europe. Experiencing different cultures, visiting museums and of course sampling delicious food make our travels memorable and exciting but our greatest adventure has yet to happen.  Of course this adventure will be traveling with our complete family. Our baby will see the world!

We look forward to our future together and believe in the power of goodness.  Chris and I believe in God and have faith that our baby will find his or her way to us.  Our hearts are open to life’s infinite possibilities and all the experiences the world has to offer. 

Thank you for allowing us to share our lives with you.  Bless you and your journey in this wonderful life.

Please feel free to call us anytime through our agency, Heartsent Adoptions, Inc., at 1-888-339-8802 or email us Heartsent@earthlink.net.

Hello,

Thank you so much for reading my letter.  Let me introduce myself and my family.  My name is Karri and my daughter, Ami was born July of 2004.  She was adopted from China and is so excited to become a big sister.   We have a lot of love between us and can’t wait to share it with a new addition to our family. 

I’m interested in either an open, semi-open, or closed adoption (as open as you are comfortable with).  My children will come to learn about the special way that they both became part of our family.   Both children will have unique stories and will be taught the amazing way we became a family.

From the time I was young, I can remember always wanting to become a mom.  I know that God gave me the desire to parent for a reason, so that children that were unable to be with their birthparents would have a safe, loving, nurturing, educational place to live.

I love watching my daughter learn new things.  I want to be able to watch her and her brother or sister grow and learn together like I did with my sister.   I feel it would be great for her to have a sibling to share the things we enjoy doing like; playing outside, riding our bikes to the nearby park, working in the yard, going to the zoo, playing in the snow, going to the beach, going to Disneyland, and taking adventures to new places.

If you were to pick me to parent your child, know that your child will be very well taken care of, well loved, well educated, always protected, and will have lots of fun along the way. 

We live in a lovely three bedroom house.  The neighborhood is very quiet and the neighbors are more than just neighbors, they are also friends.  We live within walking distance of two parks, a library, and shopping.  We attend a small church and have many friends there.

My sister, Kim, and I are very close.  She is married to a great guy and between them they have 7 children.   They recently adopted a baby. My oldest nephew is married and they have two children.  We get to see each other often. My father and step-mother love being grandparents and are anxiously awaiting the new arrival to our family.  

For me, my friends are also my family.  I have many friends that I’ve known for over 20 years.  I have a wonderful church family, co-workers, and neighbors.  They really care about me and my daughter.  When it comes to friends, I am truly blessed. 

I believe there is so much more to parenting than just providing food, shelter, and love for a child.  I believe that parents are to raise their children to have a spiritual connection, for me that means raising my children to understand my belief in Jesus Christ.   I also believe that you must teach a child about how special they are and to respect themselves as well as others around them.  I believe that it is my job as a parent to guide my children to be the best people they can be.

As my children get older they will have opportunities to be involved in sports, dancing, music, art, or other activities that they might enjoy.  Of course, I believe that school and responsibilities come first and extra-curricular activities come next.  I want to raise well-rounded children.

I’ve been teaching for 15 years at the same school.  It thrills me to see my students learning.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree and also a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology.  I’ve enjoyed learning how to teach using technology.  Now that I’m a mom, I am able to leave my work at work and come home to enjoy spending time with my daughter.  I only have to work 185 days of the year so the other 180 days I am able to spend with my family.

I love the holidays and traditions are very important to me.   Each year we ride the train to Chinatown to celebrate Chinese New Year.  We love to hunt for Easter eggs, dress up at Halloween, decorate for Christmas, and visit Santa. 

Some of my interests include computers, crocheting, painting, sewing, cooking, traveling, Disneyland, volunteering, and learning new things.  I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family.  During summer vacation or holidays we enjoy going on “adventures.”   We visit places like Colorado, the beach, the mountains, Disneyland, zoos, and museums. When my children are older I hope to take them to some of the places I went before having children, like Hawaii, Washington D.C., Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, the  Caribbean, and China.

In closing, let me say how much I admire the decision you are making.  People are always telling me how much they admire me for adopting, but in reality it is the birthparents that are making the amazing choice of love that I admire. 

I absolutely believe that our lives are already planned before we are even born and that God knows each major life event that will happen.  I have often questioned why we have to go through certain things or why certain things happen to one person and not another?  These are questions that will never be answered on Earth, but one day it will all make sense. 

Adoption is not God’s Plan B, He doesn’t think, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming, now what should I do?”  He knew far before I was born that I would be a parent to adopted children, just as He knows the plans He has for your life, and just as He knows the plans He has for your child.  I believe that adoption is God’s Plan A. 

I pray that each person that reads my letter will feel God’s peace in their decision.   I can only say that I respect and admire any parent that is able to make an adoption plan for their unborn child.

I would love to talk to you if you have any questions for me.   Please feel free to call me through my agency, Heartsent Adoptions, Inc. at 1-888-339-8802.. I appreciate you taking the time to read my letter and I hope to hear from you soon.

Top 10 Reasons Ami wants to be a big sister

10.  I can feed and hold the baby.
9.  I will teach the baby to paint.
8.  I will teach her how to count and say my name.
7.  I’ll teach him how to color.
6.  I’ll teach her be nice to me.
5.  I will share my mommy with the baby.
4.  I’ll share my toys, Play-doh, and my doll house that Santa gave me.
3.  I’ll teach him to play hide-and- seek and I’ll say “Ready or     not here I come!”
2. I want to take care of the baby.

And the number 1 reason:
1.  God will make us a family!

Hello,
     Thank you for giving us the opportunity to tell you a bit about ourselves. We are Elizabeth and Trung, and we live in Southern California. We’re not parents yet wish very much to share our home, love, and lives with a child.  Four years after meeting in 2001, we were married. Though these years have flown by, they’ve been both full and fulfilling. We’ve seen the world and life inside and out. Currently we work in IT management for different local companies. Though both of us have a tendency to work too hard on occasion, nothing is more important to us than family and we’re careful to prioritize our lives around that principle. We flexibly manage our own schedules and actively make ample time to spend with each other and our families. 

Fortunate to have the resources to do so, we’ve traveled widely, particularly during our years together. This is especially important to us since – though much of Trung’s extended family lives nearby and we get to see them a lot – most of both of our families are scattered throughout the US and the world.

     Elizabeth: I was born in West Virginia, but grew up in Missouri to where my family relocated for my father’s job when I was 6. My mother stayed home with the three of us – me, my sister Laura, 2 years younger, and my brother Jeff, 6 years younger. My parents were loving and generally strict – especially with me as the oldest. Since she was home, my mother made most of the rules. I am grateful to her for the love, structure, and for the family-oriented priorities and traditions she instilled in my life, though particularly at that time I longed for greater freedom. My father worked for a newspaper – and worked a lot. Though he wasn’t around as much when I was growing up, I vividly remember the times he would take my sister and me to the park or just play with us in the backyard. He always made us laugh. I became really close to him later when I worked for him at the newspaper, before he passed away 12 years ago.

     Some of my strongest childhood memories are of family trips and vacation time at home. We would frequently make trips to Kansas City or St. Louis, always taking in a baseball game. Every summer we would drive to a small town in West Virginia to visit my grandparents. My sister and I – very close then as now – would walk to town every day, toss a baseball around in the big backyard, and help my grandmother with the garden. Often, my family would tack on a road trip through the southern states, stopping for a baseball game or 2 before making our way to Disney World - I grew up with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in my life, and I’ve long ago lost count of the number of times I’ve been to the Disney parks.

     When I was in high school, we moved to Connecticut where my mother, sister, and brother still live. Trung and I visit a few times a year - often the time there feels too short especially now that my sister has a 2 year old son and another on the way. I treasure the little time I get to spend with my nephew and love watching him grow up. We are proud to have been his first babysitter.

     I moved to Boston to go to college where I majored in English and stayed there to pursue a graduate degree in Philosophy. After that, I moved New Jersey, where I met Trung and eventually I ended up here in California.

     Trung: I was born in Vietnam, in a village near Saigon. When I was 4 years old, my parents decided to leave Vietnam for a better life in the United States. After enduring a treacherous boat trip and living a few months in a refugee camp, my parents, brother Tuan (1 year older) and I, landed in a small central Minnesota town through the help of the local Lutheran church where we lived for a few months. After getting settled into our new American life, my family moved to a nearby town in northern Wisconsin where we lived a typical American life. I went to school there until going to college in Madison, Wisconsin.

     I majored in Biochemistry, meeting some of my very best friends to this day, at college. We have kept in touch very frequently throughout the years even after we moved apart and started our individual lives. I would do anything for my friends and in return I know they would do anything for me. After college, I moved to Chicago and a couple of years later I met Elizabeth.

     Growing up, I have always been close to my mom. She has been the foundation for my morals and has been supportive of everything I do. My father and I are also close. He has raised me to be a good person and to do what's right. My brother and I are best of friends and though we may differ on a lot of views, he has always been there for me. In addition, my extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins are also very close and especially my 4 teenage cousins who live near by.

     Predictably, we met at work – though there was nothing usual about our early lives together from that point. I was living in Chicago and traveling for work to New Jersey, where Elizabeth lived and worked. With our jobs, we both traveled a lot – Elizabeth to England, South Africa, and Australia, I to Ireland, Belgium, and Puerto Rico – before our lives together started in Singapore. That was an exciting time both in seeing the world - we took advantage of the opportunity to visit Southeast Asia on weekends - and getting to know one another. Sometimes we were together constantly, and other times we would go months without seeing each other. This experience showed us we could weather together anything and solidified our commitment to each other. When our time in Singapore was finished, we worked together again in California and loved it. When we decided we would spend the rest of our lives together, we both relocated here. Since then we’ve embraced the west – though we still have a lot of ground to cover.

     After we married, we decided to slow down on the travel – at least for work – and took jobs that would permit that. Though we still travel frequently, it’s on our personal time to visit family and friends as well as see new places together. For many reasons our honeymoon was our most special trip; we traveled Southeast Asia via Singapore - where our lives together really began – and visited Vietnam and the village in which Trung’s life began.

     Together we’ve settled into some meaningful traditions at home. We almost always have dinner together, sharing the cooking and discussing the day’s happenings. Weekends at home, are typically spent outside hiking, reading, or bike-riding. Sundays, we attend a very friendly Episcopal church, after which we often take Trung’s teenage cousins out to lunch. We think it’s important to carve our quality shared time in a day just to be together, and to make time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, as well as its adventures and can’t wait to share it with a child.

     Our house looks from the outside pretty much like the other houses on the block – just another newly-built 3-bedroom stucco at the end of a cul-de-sac. On the inside though, we’ve made it home with art and souvenirs from our travels, and we enjoy particularly its outdoor space – our balcony with a mountainous view, backyard with a barbeque, and the basketball games and bicycles we pass on the way home. Though we’re waiting to set up the baby’s room, we already have the plan in place to furnish and decorate the front-facing bedroom when the time comes.

      What makes our marriage seem to work is how we share life’s burdens and joys. We really are a team, sharing household chores, completing the ones each other dislike the most, and picking up the slack when one of us is busier at work – as well as focusing on making the most out of life – enjoying and sharing whenever we get the chance.

     Elizabeth: What I appreciate most about Trung is his charity. He is always thoughtful and does little things to make me happy. I suppose every woman wonders what kind of mother she might be, but since we’re such a good team, when I see how kind and thoughtful Trung is with my nephew and his cousins it makes me confident we’ll make great parents.

     Trung: What I appreciate most about Elizabeth is her caring nature.  She always considers other before herself. This is seen in her loving relationship with her family and how she is in constant touch with them. She is a wonderful aunt to her nephew, always showering him with love and support. Elizabeth will make a great mother. She will take this caring nature and ensure our kids will be loved and cared for with all her heart.

     Though our life together is full and rewarding, we know it will be truly fulfilled if we have a child with whom to share it. Adoption is not a “second choice” for us; rather we have chosen to adopt - God willing - out of a sense of calling, and with the knowledge that we can provide a child with all of the love and lifetime opportunities we’ve been so fortunate to enjoy thus far.

     Again, thank you so much for taking the time to get to know us. We know you have a difficult choice to make, and are grateful for your willingness to consider an adoption plan. If you would like to talk to us or meet us in person.You can contact our adoption agency toll free at 1-(888) 339-8802 or via email at laheartsent@sbcglobal.net. Hoping to hear from you soon if that is your desire, we wish only the best for you and your baby.