We both grew up in families where family came first, second and third. Our parents have both been married for more than thirty years. Our parents spent much time with us showing and explaining the world to us.
Art Opening with Sandra's Family
Dirk’s father and his mom are very active and in excellent health. They live a few hours away from us, but love to travel. They like nothing more than having the whole family at their house like last Easter. There were Dirk's younger brother Sven, a high-school teacher, and his wife Dorit, a journalist who grew up in Spain with their lovely daughter Mara Elene, who is three years old and their son Yannis, 7 months old. Dirk's second brother Thorsten recently graduated from the University of Portland, Oregon. He often comes with his girlfriend Asuka from Japan. Maike, Dirk's only sister still studies languages and lives in Argentina for two years. Dirk's aunt and godmother Maria, who lived for 20 years in Houston, Texas, was there as well. We spent the days eating mother's excellent home cooked food, playing games, going for a walk, telling stories, reading books to Mara, playing with Daniel and Yannis and riding go-carts.
Sandra’s family lives less than an hour away and we often have spontaneous gatherings. We meet for lunch or dinner, take part in cultural events, like theatre, opera, concerts or art exhibitions, or we just have a picnic at the edge of a lake. Sandra's mom and dad are very energetic. Her dad still works as a professor at a university. When he has to travel abroad, Sandra's mother accompanies him. Tim is Sandra's younger brother. He is a medical doctor and married to Julia, an art historian. Their first child Johan is a few weeks older than Daniel.
Our families supported and support our adoption plans. They love and treat Daniel like their other grandchildren and can't wait for the day the whole family meets at our home to welcome a little girl or boy as a new and cherished member of the family.
It is not only a House, it is a Home
Our Home - Garden View
If you look behind the walls of this half timbered, two story brick house you can see us dancing in the country-style kitchen, or on a weekend morning you may find us in bed having fresh orange juice and two lattes. Take a closer look into the future child's room, which is very bright, because its window faces east and lets the morning sun shine in. Maybe you can see Sandra sitting on the orange couch reading a book, playing with our son Daniel or dreaming her dream of a brother or sister for Daniel. On weekends the big living room will be filled with family and friends and lots of children of different ages playing games or building something with LEGO while their parents have an extended breakfast. When our godchildren (3 and 4 years) are with us, you can discover Dirk and a little girl riding on a broomstick (ordinary feather duster) through the rooms, or you will see Sandra sitting on the floor inspecting the contents of a kitchen drawer with a small boy and making noisy toys by filling Tupperware boxes with pasta and rice, while Daniel watches interestedly with what is going on.
Dirk and Daniel at the Playground
Our home is situated in Germany. Germany is a small but beautiful, varied and traditional country. It is well situated in the middle of Europe. Since you can easily reach places like Venice, Rome, London and Paris, we like to undertake weekend trips to these places to enjoy the culture and vividness in these historic cities.
We live in one of the bigger cities of Germany, right between the city center and the countryside, in a green and quiet family neighborhood. Different kindergartens (several of them are bilingual) and all kinds of schools like e.g. elementary school and college are just a few steps away. A small lake, a public outdoor pool, a museum about traditional village life with traditional houses and animals as well as different playgrounds for children of different ages are reachable within a 3 minute walk. And a big famous zoo is not far away. Sandra can't wait for the day she buys an annual ticket for the children and her.
A big yard surrounds the house and soon one of the old trees will have a swing. A sandbox and a slide will follow. On hot summer days we love to sit at a big table on the covered terrace which can be reached through the kitchen or on the lawn terrace in the shadow of one of the old trees. We have barbecues with our families or friends and play with the kids.
American Adoptions, a private adoption agency founded on the belief that lives of children can be bettered through adoption, provides safe adoption services to children, birth parents and adoptive families by educating, supporting and coordinating necessary services for adoptions throughout the United States. For more information on American Adoptions please call 1-800-ADOPTION (236-7846).
