We recognize this process has a bitter-sweetness to it all… in the midst of your mixed feelings over such a difficult decision, lies the potential for us to be entrusted with the most wonderful gift. We can only imagine what you might be thinking and feeling; we sincerely hope that you find peace in whatever decision you make. We feel that having previously adopted that we are in a unique position to offer you reassurances about what you can expect from us. Know that above all, we respect you for choosing life for your baby. Whatever your reasons for considering adoption, we believe it reflects a heart full of love…that you love this child enough to give life and consider options for assuring a wonderful future for him or her.

Randy Nora Job Description Senior Information Technology Specialist Mental Health Manager Education Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Computer Science Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Biomedical Science; Masters degree in Clinical Psychology Favorites Disney Movie Lion King Disney Movie Cars Food Jambalaya Food My Mom’s Beef Stew Game Football Game Taboo Shopping Store Circuit City Shopping Store Old Navy/Pottery Barn Subject in School Geometry/Trigonometry Subject in School History Children Ava-3 years old

We have already had our lives enriched by adopting our daughter and now know that adopting children was God's plan for us all along. It took us awhile to realize that, though. Despite the fact that Nora has close cousins who are adopted and that we are good friends with couples who have adopted, it took time before we knew it was the absolute way for us to "grow" our family. We struggled with infertility issues and treatments for more than two years before closing that door. Admittedly, it was not easy to let go of some of the things we thought were so vital to being parents. We entered into the adoption process slowly (dipping our toes in the water, so to speak)…and then found as we went along in the process that it just felt right. Not to say that we didn't have fears and anxieties about how it would all turn out, but it did turn out. And, we know that adoption is a lifelong experience, one that we will learn about with our daughter as we go. However, having experienced the adoption of a child firsthand, we have come to believe without question that this was how it was supposed to be. God made us a family. We have faith in God that He will again bring us to the "right" adoptive situation and that He will help the birth parent(s) to know that we are the "right" family to have raise their child.

Trying to describe what makes us unique is difficult…there are so many wonderful people hoping to adopt a child and all may offer unique and wonderful traits. That's the beauty of this world… no one person is exactly like another. Lots of people can honestly say that they have a strong marriage, a loving extended family, secure jobs, nice homes, and great communities within which to raise a child. We can offer those things too. But one thing that might set us apart from many is that we can offer the assurance that we could truly love an adopted child as we would a biological one… we KNOW we can because we already DO! We can speak truthfully about how we plan to talk about adoption with a child and how we intend to honor his or her birth mother in a special way…we KNOW we will because we already ARE! The fact that we have already adopted a child and have had such a positive, wonderful experience - that our family, friends and community have embraced our family so wholeheartedly - can be a uniquely reassuring characteristic. We think that having an older sibling who shares in the adoptive experience can be a positive experience for all.

In addition to our prior experiences with adopting a child, we do believe that we have complementary personalities that offer balance and strength to our family. We have different interests and ideas that will help expose our children to diverse experiences and ways of looking at the world.

Swimming During a Float Trip

We couldn't even begin to tell you the degree to which having a child has changed our lives and our hearts. We never knew we could love anyone like this! And, we didn't really know what true "joy" was until we became parents - now we feel it every day!

Though difficult to express in words, probably what we like -- no love -- about being parents is just that…the LOVE. The love that we have for our daughter knows no bounds, but we know we have more love to give to another child. A parent's love isn't divided by the number of children they have…we believe it is multiplied! Being on the receiving end of a child's unconditional love is just amazing and so fulfilling. Day-to-day we enjoy the fact that we are helping to raise a child in this world who will be a wonderful, kind human being. We love seeing our daughter learn…the whole world is new to her and we get to re-experience it through her eyes. Another aspect of parenting that we really enjoy is that so much is unpredictable…one day they're crawling, the next they're walking…one day you can't understand them and the next they're saying "I wuv you…" We try to cherish each moment and look forward to sharing more moments as a family of four.