Your child would not only have two people ready to love him/her, but four. Our two children, Natalie and Kyle, have both mentioned about wanting another brother or sister. They are aware of the fact that we cannot have a baby like other families. They have an understanding of adoption since they were adopted as babies. They are waiting to share their love with your child. Your child will instantly have siblings.

Alan Sarah Job Description Co-Manager of Family Farming Business High School Intervention Specialist Teacher Education High School Graduate B.A. in Elementary Education, M. Ed. in Early Childhood, Post-Masters Degree in Special Education Favorites Hobby Woodworking Hobby Sewing & Photography Childhood Memory Holidays with My Family Childhood Memory Camping with My Family Dessert Cherry Cheesecake Dessert Chocolate Sport to Watch Football Sport to Watch Baseball Dream Car Ford Mustang Dream Car My Mini Van Children Natalie-9 years old, Kyle-8 years old

When we were unable to conceive on our own, we decided to become parents through adoption. For our first adoption we chose to adopt two children from Russia. Our agency matched us with a girl and boy who were only 4 months apart in age. We so vividly remember the moment we received their photos and a brief video in the mail. We were in love and our hearts ached for the day they would come home with us. Five months later they were placed in our arms forever after a judge finalized the adoption.

During our travel to Russia, we took many pictures and bought souvenirs. They each have their own book that tells about how they came into our family. These books are looked at with our children on birthdays, on the anniversaries of their adoption day, and any other time they request it. We are open and honest about their stories. We answer questions when they have one. Our children know that their birthmothers loved them very much and want more for them than they could provide.

Your child will be treated in much the same way. A book will be put together that tells his/her adoption story. Your child will know how much you love him/her and any other information that you would want to tell him/her.

Sarah is a teacher in a neighboring school district. In addition to being home through the summer and other school holidays, she is able to be home when our children get on and off the bus. Sarah has accumulated a large sick leave bank that can be used at the time of adoption. Sarah's work hours allow her to take our children to various after school activities such as sports at the YMCA for Kyle and dance and gymnastic lessons for Natalie. During the summer months, there are countless activities that we do together, which might include coloring/painting on a rainy day to packing a lunch for a picnic during Grandma's lunch break.

Alan is self-employed. He co-owns the family farm with his brother. Alan is able to set his own hours of work. He is in the house in the morning while our children get ready for school and is home in the evening for supper. During spring planting and fall harvesting when Alan's working hours are slightly longer, you will still find him making time for our children. When he is unable to come to the house for a meal, we pack a picnic and join him wherever he may be. On Saturdays during the school year, you often find Natalie and Kyle tagging along beside him. During the summer months, Alan includes our children in as many things as possible on the farm. They thoroughly enjoy 'helping' their daddy.

Camping

Our children are the centers of our lives. Almost everything we do involves our children. We can honestly say that in the first year after Natalie and Kyle's adoption, we only hired an evening babysitter one time. We simply choose to do things as a family. During the school year on a typical Friday evening you would find us going out to eat at a restaurant and then doing the weekly shopping together. The evening usually ends with a movie or playing a board game. Saturdays and Sundays are for visiting grandparents, other relatives, and close friends.

We go on vacations that include our children. In the winter we usually spend a weekend in a city and go to a museum that is of interest to our children. This past winter we went to a children's museum with Sarah's roommate from college and her family. Through the school year, we also go to sporting events at our local high school. During the summer months, we spend many weekends camping, sometimes with family or friends and sometimes by ourselves. We go on bike rides, go fishing, and explore what nature has to offer. We also go to professional baseball games, our county fair, and various community picnics.