Friday Night Pizza with John’s Family

We both grew up in loving families that spent many fun and enjoyable times with extended family members as well. They taught us to value faith, honesty, education, and a strong work ethic that we will in turn pass onto your child. Our families are also very supportive of our decision to adopt a child. They can't wait to bless a newly-adopted member of the family in extraordinary ways!

John is the middle child of three boys. His family lived in a small rural town where everyone knew each other. John's two brothers and sister-in-law still live close to his Mom. There were many cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who were in close contact and were always there to lend a helping hand. Though John's Dad passed away several years ago, both he and John's Mom couldn't wait to have grandchildren. We hope to give his Mom a special gift of a child to spoil!

Hiking with Marianne’s Family in the Hills of Lake Michigan

Marianne is a middle child also. She has three brothers, two of whom have children, so your child will have cousins to grow up with and to share their experiences. We all love to get together! Marianne's parents, who live near us during the winter and up North in the summer, host many family vacations. Together we enjoy games, tennis, golf, tubing, skiing, sledding, swimming, beach walks and shelling; we also love to go to theme parks where we ride roller coasters, learn about animals, and experience new and amazing things. We cherish the time we spend with our nieces and nephews and look forward to bringing another cousin into their midst.

Finally, we would like to introduce our dog, Tara. She is part Miniature Poodle, part Bichon Frise, and is the most loving dog in the world. She loves to cuddle with us and to play all day long. With our nieces and nephews she is gentle and fun and will be a great companion for a new child in our home.

Our Home

We built our new home with the vision of starting a family there. We have a little over an acre of land in a warm climate filled with palm trees, pine trees, and lovely tropical plants. John has been landscaping the front yard and backyard to prepare for child-centered play areas, and eventually a pool. We also have been gardening together a flower and herb garden - the herbs make delicious additions to our dinner recipes! It will be wonderful to teach your child about plants and trees as well as the butterflies and birds in our area. The wonderful part about where we live is that plants and flowers grow year-round. It always seems like summer here!

Relaxing in Our Back Yard Retreat

Our community offers many places geared for children to have fun, learn, and just be a kid! The local YMCA offers a variety of sports and family activities; the library is beautiful and offers reading programs for children of all ages. For daytime outings there are museums and places to play miniature golf. There's also a small zoo where a child can learn first hand about animals, and during hot summer days, there's a newly-built water park and sprawling beaches nearby. All of this is just a few minutes from our home.

Our church is also close to where we live; it is a large church that organizes numerous activities that are fun and exciting for children and families. In addition, our church runs a private school where we plan to send your child so that he or she may receive an excellent and meaningful education.