Dear Birth Mother,
We are honored that you are considering us as potential
adoptive parents. We have prayed for this opportunity after many years of
failed fertility attempts. Please allow us to share a little about ourselves
and our lives and show you how grateful we are for this chance to share a
child's life.
We are Michael and Loren. We have been happily married for three
years. We have known each other for over
20 years. We share our home with two Labrador Retrievers, Zora and Vega, who
enjoy reading books to children through the Ohio Reads School Program and
hanging out with people. We were both raised in stable homes with parents that
loved us unconditionally. Our parents have been great role models and have been
married well over 40 years and we hope to do the same.
Loren has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a
Master's Degree in Education Administration.
When she is not working with students she is tinkering in the kitchen
and baking amazing cakes for friends and family. Michael holds a Bachelor's
Degree in Electrical Engineering Technologies and is an engineer for a
mid-sized company, where he is a lead software validation engineer. When we are
not working, we spend a lot of time outdoors. We enjoy kayaking, hiking, and camping
in our 1978 Argosy Airstream which was passed down three generations in her
family. We also compete with our dogs in a sporting event known as Dock Dogs,
which is a dog long jump.
We are very family oriented. Loren's parents live across the
street and Michael's parents live only minutes away. He is the youngest of
three boys and she is an only child. We treasure the time we get to spend with
our young nieces who are 5, 8, and 11 years old since they live out of
state. Since Loren is an only child, we
have surrounded ourselves with close friends who like to camp, and we call them
our “silver family”, since they have Airstream travel trailers.
We are excited to bring a child into our family so we can
share our love and values with them. Some of the values are a good education,
being a successful productive community member, and treating others with
courtesy and respect. We will provide a warm, nurturing and stable environment
for our child. Please be reassured, our child will grow up in a loving home
with not only doting parents, but loving and supportive family and
friends. We believe that all children
are treasured gifts.
We understand you are facing a difficult decision, and you
only want what is best for your child. We admire your strength and courage, and
respect your desire to find the right family we will be praying for you.
Thank you,
Michael and Loren
About Us:
We met in school in our small village. He
was a sophomore who wrestled, ran track, and played trombone in the marching
band. She was finishing up the eighth grade at the adjoining middle school,
where she spent her time participating in a variety of school organizations,
singing in the choir, and playing the flute and piccolo in the school band. Our
paths crossed at a band event, since we were both musically inclined, we
already had something major in common. We tended to run in similar circles
throughout school and even dated a brother and sister in another family. After
football games, she would bum rides from him to join the rest of the band at
Pizza Hut for after game celebrations, even if the football team lost... which
was a lot! We even went to prom together with different dates, sat at the same
table, and were in pictures together. We joke about it now and never realized
that destiny would collide to give a second chance to be together, and it was
all thanks to Facebook and a pumpkin roll. She likes to bake as a hobby. She
had made pumpkin rolls and posted a picture on Facebook. He requested a slice
and was sent to her house. We’ve been Inseparable, ever since.
Our Family:
We both come from close knit families. Michael is the
youngest of three boys. His middle
brother is married, has three daughters, and lives a fairly great distance
away. We enjoy the time we get to spend
with our family when they come visit but the visits are always short. His oldest
brother is single but lives locally. Loren
is an only child and has always begged her
for a sibling but never got one. Both sets of potential grandparents
live nearby . Loren's parents are across the street and Michael's parents are
just a few miles away. At least once a week we all make it a priority to get together for dinner,
an outing, or just to sit, chat, or play board games. Our parents are really
looking forward to having a grandchild to dote on and living close enough to spoil. Since our
biological family is relatively small, we have gathered a close network of friends. We camp with them and
have known them for many years. We call them our "silver family." These
are friends that we met when we started camping and traveling in our Airstream.
An Airstream is typically a silver tube aluminum travel trailer; however, ours happens to be painted. We camp with our friends and meet for dinner and
game night throughout the winter months, when camping is not feasible. We know
if there is a need for any help, they will step up and be there for us. We have no children of our own and look
forward to sharing our lives with a child. For the time being, our pets get our affection. We have a fur family of two Labrador Retrievers,
three cats, a few fish and a frog. Zora, our 11year old lab, is a certified therapy dog. Zora and Vega
frequently visit nursing homes to bring some cheer to those who cannot have
their own pets. Zora also participates in a bite prevention program in local
schools to teach kids how to approach dogs and what to do if there is a strange
dog near them. Zora participates in a school program where students get
assistance from the dogs, to help with reading skills. When a student sits down
to read a book to the dog, the dog will give them a little bark if the student
stumbles on a word. In reality, the handler cues the dog to “assist” by making
a little woof. The student has a non-judgmental “listener” to help them take
the time to sound the words out. When we are not spending time with our pets,
family, and friends, we are at work. Loren is an online teacher with a Master's
Degree in Education and Michael is a quality control engineer with a Bachelor's
Degree in Electrical Engineering Technologies.
About Loren from
Michael:
Loren is a very loving wife and daughter. She consistently
puts others before herself. Loren likes to have a good time and has taught me
how to relax and enjoy life's little moments.
We do many activities together and she makes sure to include both sides
of our family and our many friends. Loren has a way with children that awes me.
She is calm and soothing and can quiet any upset kiddo. With her education
background she notices what a child is up to and can stop their activity with
just a “teacher look." When I watch her interaction with children, I am
amazed at how fast she can command the room. I am more of a homebody and she
has become my social director. When she doesn't have me out and about, she makes
tasty goodies in the kitchen. She truly complements me and together we make an
excellent team. Loren is looking forward to being a stay at home mom. I know she will make an amazing mom!
About Michael from
Loren:
Michael is an amazing, wonderful, caring
man. He will be such a great dad. He is very responsible. He is a hard worker, has a quick wit, great
sense of humor, and can cut loose and have a good time too. Michael is always
thinking of our needs as a family- emotionally, financially, and spiritually.
No matter how our day has gone, we find our silver lining and laugh. He is very
devoted and when it comes to family, he wears his heart on his sleeve. In our
marriage vows, he included his love of video gaming. He is just a big kid at
heart, will love playing and teaching our children some tricks of playing those
games. We have a wonderful time together no matter where we go. We are a team
and work well as one! I see the relationship he has with his nieces and know he
will be an outstanding father! He is truly my best friend. I count my blessings
each night that he chose me to journey with him through life.
Our Home:
We live in a small tight knit community with an excellent
rated school district which just built a new high school and middle school. The
school system is currently working on completion of a new elementary school. The
village is blessed with two community parks within walking distance that have
not only playgrounds but soccer fields, baseball fields, tennis courts, and
walking trails! The village even has its own public library. Our village is
unique because it has a square shaped down town but has a circle in the middle
for the traffic pattern and they have no stoplights anywhere in town. There are
quite a few statues, monuments, and buildings that date back earlier than the
1800's. The village also includes quite a few family owned and operated local
businesses. We have a deep-seated
history with the town. Some of Loren's relatives were first settlers in this
area. Loren's great great grandparents were founding fathers of the town. Then Loren's
great grandparents built a family home in 1912 on the main street through town.
They successfully ran a family insurance company out of their home for many
years. A lot of the older generation
that is still around will give directions referencing that house which is still
standing. Loren has lived in the village
her whole life and carries on the tradition of being involved there.
We have known some of our
neighbors for a long time. And there are
many children who live in our neighborhood.
We are often asked to watch the children while parents run to the
grocery store or pick up other kids. We are sometimes babysitters for a set of
special needs twins who are in their “terrible two” stage, while the parents
care for older children and run errands. We have a one story ranch with a fully
finished basement. We live on a quiet
street with minimal traffic. It is ideal
for children to play outside. We have a
large side yard with a vegetable garden and ample space for a child to run and
play.
Some of Our Favorite Things:
Favorite Food: Michael-Pizza,
Loren- Green Beans
Favorite Movie: Michael-Super
Troopers, Loren- None
Favorite TV Show:
Michael- MythBusters, Loren- Castle, Grey's Anatomy, & DWTS
Favorite color: Michael- Clear,
Loren- Purple
Favorite Vacation Destination:
Michael- Florida, Loren-Florida
Favorite Children's Book: Michael-
Dr. Seuss, Loren- All books
Favorite Childhood Memory:
Traveling with Family, Loren- Road trips to Florida with Family
