Waiting Families
Doug and Leigh
Dear Birth Parent:
As we sit down to write this letter and attempt to express our desire to bring another child into our lives, we can only imagine the thoughts and emotions that guide your decision. We hope and pray that you make the decision to place your child with a family that you feel will provide a loving and supportive home so that you can feel at peace with your decision. Should you decide to choose us, we will be forever grateful for your gift of love and we will embrace the responsibility. We believe that after reading this letter and viewing a few photos, you will have a better understanding of who we are and how we can provide a loving home and good life for your child. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to reach out to you through these words.
After a four-year courtship, we were married in September 1996. Prior to marriage we had talked at length about our dreams for starting a family. We both were from large families and cherished our childhood memories. We shared funny stories about our experiences growing up with brothers and sisters and how nice it is to have them as friends today. They have been with us as we celebrated our successes and supported us through more difficult times. We knew we wanted the same for our children.
So, we settled into our home and got to work attempting to make our dreams a reality. After three years of trying to conceive a child with no success, we began seeing a fertility specialist. For the next two years, we endured countless surgical and fertility procedures to try to have a baby but we were ultimately unsuccessful. This was a very difficult time for us, as our brothers, sisters and friends were rapidly adding little ones to their families. After a time of feeling sorry for ourselves, we were reminded that life is full of ups and downs and what really mattered to us was sharing our lives with children and successfully raising them to be responsible, happy adults. Because we do believe that hope springs eternal, adoption was the right choice for us. We adopted our first child over five years ago – what a joy. But before we get to that wonderful story, please allow us to give you a little more insight into our lives.
Doug
I am the fourth of five children. Growing up in a big family, I now understand how hard my parents worked to provide a good life for us. I had the opportunity to learn from both older and younger siblings. At an early age, my parents encouraged participation in Sunday school and worship, instilling in us the importance of making God the center of our lives. Leigh and I have embraced these same values in raising our daughters Layne and Ella.
There was always plenty of excitement around the house. My parents loved to keep busy and they made sure we stayed busy too, so that we avoided trouble as much as possible. My mother taught school for 36 years and is now enjoying her retirement. My father worked in textiles, lumber sales and eventually started a retail plant center. My parents have lived in the same house for over forty years. Growing up, playing sports and outdoor games were around the clock events in a neighborhood that was bustling with children. Many of the friends that I grew up with are still close friends of mine today.
After graduating from college, I obtained my contractors license and began a landscape company that I own and operate. We design, build and maintain landscapes that feature fish ponds, decorative patios, lush lawns and extensive gardens. I am the lead sales person supported by a wonderful designer, office staff, and field crews. As we grow our business by working as a team, I am mindful to keep the needs and interests of their families and mine first. I still enjoy working out at the gym and playing sports, but being with my family is where I spend most of my time. The joy of being together is priceless. Loving our daughters as they navigate through their world reminds me of how precious our time is together and why I can assure you that if you select us, your child will receive the special love and attention a child deserves.
I feel so lucky to be married to Leigh. She is my warm, caring, loyal best friend. She is always there for me when I need love and support. Leigh is gifted at seeing the big picture and often widens the horizons of my thinking as I wrestle with challenges and opportunities in life. For this I am very thankful because she has helped me grow and become a better person. We share a strong faith in God and enjoy being active members of our church. She makes me and others feel good about who we are and often lends an ear to others as they look for guidance in troubled times. She is a wonderful mother and I look forward to watching her love another child.
As I look back, I realize that I was fortunate to grow up in a safe neighborhood with parents that loved and supported me and who were always there to guide me to do things to make the world a better place. That is precisely the kind of parent I will be to my children. I believe that children need to be given the security that their parents will encourage them to explore, create and have fun as they grow. As my parents did for me, my children will know that I will always do everything I can to give them a loving, safe and happy life.
Leigh
I am the second of five children and being the oldest girl, I was the self-appointed leader in most of our activities. I was proud of my family and enjoyed playing and spending time with them growing up. We lived at the end of a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood of young families and because there were a good number of us, our house tended to be the neighborhood hang-out. My parents always welcomed the neighbors’ kids over to play and for sleepovers – oh what fun we had!! We would hold talent shows for our parents and they encouraged us to express our creativity through music, dance and art.
My father is a recently retired pediatric physician. He participated in many of our activities, including church choir and our sporting events. My mother was a stay-at-home mom and now enjoys seeing her eleven grandchildren while still managing to sneak in rounds of golf and tennis with friends. I was fortunate to have grown up next door to my grandparents. My grandfather has since passed away but I remember his humor, candor and compassion for his family. My grandmother still lives next to my parents and is active in the local art community. I admire her independent spirit and share her love for art. I enjoy her work and have several of her paintings hanging in our home.
My parents provided me an opportunity to enjoy many activities in my youth including dance, choir, basketball, swimming and art. We were encouraged to explore our interests and skills and I will provide the same opportunities for my children should they show an interest. My parents emphasized the importance of education, hard work and taking initiative. But most of all, they taught us to love one another, not to judge others and to lend help to those in need – for we all need a helping hand from time to time. Doug and I strongly believe that it’s a parent’s responsibility to teach children the importance of setting personal goals in life, believing in themselves and developing meaningful relationships with those they encounter along the way.
I took to heart my childhood lessons and obtained a degree in Business and a graduate degree in Gerontology, which is the study of human aging. I have since made a career of taking care of disabled and elderly people. Although many do not understand my desire to do this, I love my work as it gives me great satisfaction to know that what I do really helps others in need.
Fun time is family time these days and I am introducing some of my interests to Layne and Ella as they begin to explore their abilities. Layne has already shown a unique talent in art and dancing and Ella can really sing!!
Doug is such a special person. He is a friend to everyone and a leader among his peers. He attracts the attention of adults and children alike with his easy going nature and his silly personality. He is affectionate, honest and responsible. I sometimes think children must have the ability to see straight into his soul because they adore Doug right from the start. He has a unique ability to make life fun for those around him – his glass is always half full. The girls and I are lucky to have him in our lives. We adore him too.
Layne
We had the great fortune to adopt a wonderful baby girl five years ago. We had entered into the adoption process when our niece became pregnant. She and her parents approached us about adopting her baby whom she felt she could not raise at such a young age. As she explained the reasons for her decision to place her child for adoption, It became clear to us that we should adopt her child. We love our niece and have a good and open relationship with her today.
Ella
Our sweet, precious Ella came into our lives a little over two years ago and our lives have been tremendously enriched ever since. We look forward to sharing with her the rich heritage of her birth - her birth mother is of Costa Rica descent and her birth father is from Barbados. From the first time we had the opportunity to hold Ella in our arms we fell in love, including her big sister Layne.
It is amazing to see the two of them together – they are smart, well-adjusted and spirited girls, and we look forward to sharing the stories of their adoptions with them while making them feel good about the decision their birth parents have made. We share pictures and stories with their birth parents and would be more than happy to share the same with you if you so desire.
Our home and community
We live in a modest but lovely house located in a small neighborhood of about 50 homes. We live at the end of the cul-de-sac and our yard attracts the neighborhood kids with it’s playground, basketball court and fish pond. We enjoy spending time outdoors when its warm and we are able to take walks through our neighborhood with the security of slow moving traffic and other families moving about.
We live close to fantastic schools, and are within a few miles of nice shopping centers, movie theatres, libraries, recreational centers and parks. But what is most important about where we live, is that our support system, our family and friends, live within a few miles of us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We enjoy nothing more than spending time with our daughters and strongly desire to share our love and laughter with another child. If you choose us to parent your child, you can rest assured that we will provide tremendous amounts of love, support, comfort and guidance. We understand your decision to allow us to be adoptive parents is a great act of love. As he/she grows, they too will understand the wonderful story of their adoption. Through love, hope and understanding we will provide a good life for your child. Best wishes and thank you for considering us.
Doug and Leigh