Our story began in June of 1994. Well, actually, it began three years prior, but the good stuff, the hard work and joy of building a life together started when we were married. We were only married a year before we moved out of state for Ben to go to law school. We worked very hard during those first years of marriage. We had very little money and we had no family living close. We relied heavy on each other. We were both working long hours and it was a struggle, but we had a lot of fun and became very close.
Ben has a great love for the outdoors. He recently was accepted into our local Search and Rescue volunteer squad. It is important to both Ben and I that our children have plenty of time to explore. Ben regularly takes Thomas out into the wilderness to experience nature. It is our hope that our children will lead lives full of adventure, exercise and wonder.
As a father, Ben is a big tease. He loves to get on the floor and wrestle with Thom. He always gets involved in whatever Thomas is currently interested in doing. Because his schedule is flexible, Ben is able to attend many school and community events with us. I am so thankful to be married to my best friend who is such a great role model for our child.
Ben graduated from law school in 1998. We were so glad to be able to move back closer to family. We settled in California. We had started trying to for a baby two years after we were married. Nothing happened. A year went by. Then two, then three. We went to many doctors. We tried and tried and tried. Then we decided enough is enough. We asked ourselves, "Do you want to be pregnant, or do you want a child?" We put our papers in to adopt.
We waited for almost two years. Nothing was working. And then, out of the clear blue, I was pregnant. We were dumbfounded. Happy, but dumbfounded. After 10 years of marriage we were finally going to have a family. Thomas was born on Labor day. Not a day goes by that we don't thank the Lord for allowing us to be parents. In our world, the sun rises and sets with our child.
When Thom was two, we decided to try adoption again. Adoption has become a part of who we are as a family. After much research, we chose to adopt from China. The wait was only eighteen months and the need for homes for Chinese babies is great. We worked through a mountain of paper work and sent our dossier off. We were accepted as an adoptive family and our wait began. For many complex reasons, the Chinese adoption agency has slowed way down. We are now faced with a five or six year wait to be matched with a child. Although this has been very discouraging to us, we are excited that we can pursue another adoption while still waiting for China. We are so eager to have a child in our home. We are waiting with open arms for all the children destined to join our family.
April
(As described by Ben)
April is an incredible mom, with just the right mix of creativity, laughter and love. She takes advantage of every situation to teach Thom -- music, reading, cooking, art, languages and science. She may have hectic days, but she never puts mundane tasks before making sure that Thom's life is rich with experience.
April is a talented jewelry maker and artist. Her creativity has rubbed off on Thomas who loves to draw. Family traditions are also very important to April. Each holiday has a set of well-established activities that create lasting memories for Thomas.
April is the glue that holds our family and household together. I am very grateful for everything she does to strengthen our family.
Ben
(As described by April)
Ben is the foundation of our family. He works hard to make sure we have all that we need. He is committed to his law practice and he has proven himself a talented attorney and entrepreneur.
Ben has a great love for the outdoors. He recently was accepted into our local Search and Rescue volunteer squad. It is important to both Ben and I that our children have plenty of time to explore. Ben regularly takes Thomas out into the wilderness to experience nature. It is our hope that our children will lead lives full of adventure, exercise and wonder. As a father, Ben is a big tease. He loves to get on the floor and wrestle with Thom. He always gets involved in whatever Thomas is currently interested in doing. Because his schedule is flexible, Ben is able to attend many school and community events with us. I am so thankful to be married to my best friend who is such a great role model for our child. Thom
Thomas has a personality that is three times the size of his body. He is very outgoing and self assured. He is full of energy and laughter. He is just now getting into sports and plays on a pee wee soccer team.
He is constantly asking to spend time with friends. He is a very social kid and he has a really fun sense of humor. Our best friends have three adopted children. Thomas has essentially grown up with these kids and considers them his siblings. Thomas asks almost daily when he will get his own brother or sister. We know that having a sibling will enrich his life and help him become well rounded.
Our family activities include going to the beach, playing with our crazy dog Finnigan, trips to Grandparents, bar-be-ques, hiking, rock climbing, movies, art and travel.
Dear Birth Parents:
We are grateful that you are taking this time to learn about us and are excited to share a little about our family with you. Our hearts go out to you as you are faced with one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make. We think about you and who you might be. We wonder if you are safe and healthy. We hope that you have support from those closest to you. May you find peace and comfort as you seek guidance in deciding what is best for you and your child.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please contact us at
