No words could describe the respect that we feel for you and every other person faced with this difficult decision. The selflessness that you each display by placing the needs of your unborn child above all else is an example of your strength and bravery. If chosen, we promise that we will continue to honor your child with this same kind of unconditional love and devotion. We are committed parents who dream of being given the opportunity to raise your child with everything he/she needs for a happy, healthy, and successful life.

Eric Emily Job Description Real Estate Attorney Currently a Stay-at-Home Mom, Teacher for 10 Years Education Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management, Law Degree Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Elementary Education, Masters in Education Favorites Childhood Memory Jersey Shore Vacations with Entire Family Childhood Memory Club Med Vacations with Entire Family Hobby Fantasy Football Hobby Being Outdoors Musical Group Pearl Jam Musical Group Jack Johnson Tradition Annual Superbowl Party Tradition July 4th at the Lake Vacation Spot Quebec Vacation Spot Quebec Children Andrew-2 years old

Our 2 ½ year old son is adopted. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Andrew when he was six months old. We spent ten days with him in a hotel in Guatemala City experiencing life as parents for the first time. While it sounds cliché, it was love at first sight the moment we held him in our arms for the first time. Unfortunately, the first four days of our stay had us caring for a sick child. He had a fever and wasn't sleeping well. We were so happy to be together as a family that we actually embraced the nights we spent pacing up and down the hotel halls comforting our crying child. We were natural parents.

The ten days flew by and it was time to say goodbye. We cried hysterically when we boarded the plane back to the U.S. alone. After three long months with little information on how our son was doing, we decided to go back to Guatemala to see him again. It was during this visit that we decided we couldn't bring ourselves to put him back in foster care, so Emily would stay with him until the adoption process was complete. Once again, we had to say goodbye only this time it was to each other. We knew we made the right decision, but it was difficult for everyone. Two months passed before we got the big news. The adoption was finalized and we were allowed to bring Andrew home.

In every sense of the word, education takes priority in our lives! A good education is something that begins in the home. Raising a child with good moral values needs to be modeled by parents and instilled in a child from the very beginning. We believe a child that is raised in a nurturing environment and taught compassion for all living things despite differences in race, religion, or physical/mental disabilities has a better chance of being accepting of others. Further, while being honest and trustworthy are advanced skills for a young child, we stress their importance on a daily basis, too. Finally, we believe in raising our children to be environmentally aware. We often talk to Andrew about preserving our natural resources. He loves to remind us not to leave the water running and enjoys our weekly trips to the recycling center.

We greatly value a traditional education, too. We will provide our children with the same opportunities for a good education that we had while growing up. Giving our children the necessary tools to make educated decisions is important to us. There are too many people in this world who make poor choices due to ignorance. We believe making the choice to become parents comes with a responsibility to raise educated well mannered kids!

Taj, Andrew and Marley

Seven years ago, we adopted a female Golden Retriever. She was our pride and joy. Marley came everywhere with us and filled our lives with the purest kind of love and loyalty imaginable. When Marley was one, we decided to adopt a male Golden named Taj. Our lives felt complete (for the time being anyway).

This dynamic duo is an integral part of our family. They accompany us on all of our outdoor adventures such as summer swims at the local reservoir and year round hikes. Daily walks around the pond help keep everyone in shape, and at the end of a long day, there is nothing like a good family snuggle with our precious pooches.

Andrew loves his two furry family members, and Marley and Taj look after him as though he is their baby. He enjoys being in charge of letting them outside first thing in the morning and helps to feed them all their meals. Having dogs in the house has taught Andrew to be gentle and has given him a sense of responsibility and compassion that is remarkable. One day, while using the blender, we witnessed Andrew go over to where the dogs were sitting, and with his arms around both he whispered, "It's okay. It's only the blender making noise!" Scenes like this are not unusual in our house and for this we have Marley and Taj to thank.