American Adoptions -- America's Adoption Agency
 We respect your courage in taking this influential step and feel your decision to bless another family with your child is the most loving, generous and remarkable act a person can do. Wherever your journey leads you, we hope you find comfort in knowing your sacrifice means more than words could ever convey. We hope this glimpse into our lives will help you know us better. May you find the perfect loving family you seek.  |
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Michele's mom was adopted. Michele has always talked fondly of adoption and felt she was also chosen as a result of her own mom's adoption. She grew up loving her grandparents and always had an amazing relationship with them. And, she was always fascinated with their decision to embrace and raise a child received through adoption. Her grandparents taught her how special adoption was, as they gained her mom through adoption and by extension her and her three sisters and brother. Michele's grandparents talked about the moment they received her mom as the happiest moment of their lives. Michele's grandparents serve as an inspiration to us and we look forward to continuing their special gift of adoptive parental love and responsibilities. Just like us, they were affected by infertility and in the end considered it a blessing as it was how they received Michele's mom.
We believe God meant for us to raise children. After an extended period of time we found ourselves unable to conceive biological children. As we've progressed through our journey, infertility has provided us with an amazing opportunity to deepen our relationship with one another. Our desire to have children never dwindled, as we came to grips with our infertility. Instead, our situation opened a giant door for us to pursue a family through adoption. We believe all children are special, are meant to be loved and cared for and we look forward to this awesome responsibility. Through adoption we will be given the opportunity to be parents - parents who are bursting with love for each other and can't wait to share this extension of our love with a child. We have a couple of friends who have chosen to be a family through adoption and we see many loving and joyous moments in their family lives.
We grew up in large extended families. Both of our families believed after God, family came next. Our families shared dinner together every evening. Michele's family enjoyed family day every Sunday and it was a time for the entire family to connect, usually by eating a big meal and playing games together. As children, our parents believed going to school was our focus. As such we took it seriously; made sure we studied and were successful. Our parents believed in being involved in activities and when old enough encouraged us to get jobs. Because of Michele's first 'official' job, she was able to earn enough money to spend a summer in France at 17 with an exchange family.
Ron grew up one block away from his grandmother and another block from cousins. His grade school and church were two blocks away and he could always be found doing an errand for someone in the neighborhood or in the middle of a neighborhood ballgame. Ron seemed to mow and shovel every home around his block as well as his home town church to save for his college education.
Although we will not parent exactly like our parents, we do believe we will parent in similar ways and look forward to doing so. Through our own experiences and observations of others, we know what is most important is not what you give a child, but, rather what you teach them; to be the best they are meant to be.
