Tom & Cathy

Love is the greatest gift of all. Unlike material things, it can be given time and time again. We want to share our love again. It seems that life has its own plans for each of us. We certainly did not expect that we could not bear children and we bet you never thought you would be facing such a difficult decision on whether to parent or place your baby for adoption. We must tell you, however, that we are forever grateful that we could not bear children because our precious daughter was so meant to be ours. We could not imagine life without her and we love her so much. We cannot wait to be blessed with another child. If you so happen to choose us to parent your baby, please know that he/she will be loved without end, given endless possibilities in life and will be a member of a loving, caring family. Preferred Gender: Either

Tom Cathy Job Description Real Estate Sales Administrative Assistant at a Community College, Art Department Education Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Associate of Arts Degree in Legal Secretarial Favorites Cartoon Family Guy Cartoon Flintstones Dessert Cheesecake Dessert Brownie Sundae Leisure Activity Watching College Basketball Leisure Activity Playing with My Daughter Magazine ESPN Magazine Redbook Subject in School Economics Subject in School Creative Arts Children Jenna-3 years old

After being told we could not bear children ourselves, we turned to adoption. The love and respect surrounding everyone involved is incredible. We met our birth mother one month before our daughter was born and saw her every week until the birth. We became friends with her, the birth father and their two children. It is mind boggling to know that without adoption, we would never be able to marvel at the laughter, cries, surprises, milestones, joys and most importantly, the unconditional love of a child. We have gained amazing insight on what it takes to make a family for those unable to conceive. It takes respect, courage, trust and most of all, love, for everyone involved. We have learned that it is a gift to be a parent and have learned to live each day to the fullest and not take anything for granted.

Our most memorable moment is when we watched our daughter being born. It was such a miracle to be able to be present at her birth and to be able to be there as support for her birth mother. Words cannot describe the feelings that we felt when we first laid eyes on her and then watched her first breath. Our lives were forever changed for the better and we find that our love grows more every day. We were in awe of the whole experience and still remember every single detail of that day. It will be a moment in our lives that will be forever etched in our memory.

Our lives are also surrounded by family and friends who have adopted. Tom's nephew was adopted by his brother when he was one year old. Tom's cousin placed a baby for adoption when she was eighteen years old, knowing that she could not provide the needs of a child then. She has since married and has two children. She has no regrets in her decision to place her first child for adoption. Cathy also has a cousin who placed a child for adoption for the same reasons as Tom's cousin, though he was adopted by family members. Also, our brother-in-law's sister adopted two children from Russia.

As you can see, we are not alone in our circle of family affected by adoption. Our children will grow up with a positive feeling about adoption and will have family and friends to love and support them with their common bond.

Visiting Santa with Our Dog, Savannah

We both grew up with dogs and we feel that pets instill a sense of respect to animals. Our dog, Savannah, was a rescue dog. She was brought home when she was three months old and she thinks she's human! Quite frankly, we sometimes do forget that she's a dog because she has the facial expressions of people. She was there to comfort us when we found out we were infertile, coming up to us to snuggle under our necks. She is such a part of our lives that during our first adoption, we found a hotel that allowed dogs while we had to wait to return home so she and our daughter could get to know each other. Savannah protected and stayed by our daughter's side from the minute they were introduced. They are best friends, seeking each other in the morning and kissing each other good night at the end of the day.

Tom’s Family at Disney World

Tom is the youngest of four children. Tom's mother is the oldest of eight siblings and his father was the oldest of six siblings. His oldest brother, Jim, is married with three children and lives in Virginia. Jim adopted his oldest son from his wife's first marriage. Tom's older sister, Laura, lives in Augusta, Georgia, with her two children and husband. His other brother, Mike, lives with his mom and his daughter since his wife passed away. Tom's father passed away and his mother has not yet remarried. Tom's mom, brother and niece live only 15 minutes away. In fact, they live in the same neighborhood as Cathy's mom and in the same town as Cathy's sister! This makes for easy family gatherings. The family, even though they are separated by miles, likes to plan vacations together. Disney World was one of their favorite vacations and everyone cannot wait to introduce Disney World to the newest member of the family.

With Cathy’s Family in Tennessee

Cathy is a middle child of three girls. Her older sister is married with one child, a boy, who is engaged to be married in May. His fiancée is an adoptee and they are so grateful to have her join their family. Her sister and brother in law live 15 minutes away and Cathy's nephew and soon-to-be niece just bought their first house right down the road from her. There are numerous gatherings and laughter is always the biggest part of these. Her younger sister, newly married again, has two boys and they live in Florida on the Gulf coast. Even so, that doesn't stop them from seeing each other frequently. Someone is always on a plane making a visit. We all recently met in Tennessee to celebrate Christmas together. Cathy's mother is remarried (her father passed away) and she and her mom work at the same company. Her mom is usually over on Saturdays. Birthday celebrations and holidays are a big deal with this family. In fact, Cathy's daughter and her youngest nephew share the same birthday! Cathy's family is so excited that there will be another baby in the family to love and cannot wait to hold another precious gift in their arms.