Dear Birth Parent(s),

Our names are Mark and Patty. We are very excited about bringing your child into our world. We are certain that this is one of the most difficult times that you may experience. This letter is to let you know that your child will be our 1st and foremost priority. Your child will experience a life of many opportunities, love, laughter, travel, education and family. We are hoping that this letter, the pictures, the additional information about our environment and experiences, along with the ongoing communication during your child's experience with us will help you visualize that our home is going to be a wonderful place to raise your child.

We would like to tell you a little about ourselves. We met in high school during a basketball tournament over 24 years ago, different towns and different schools. The odd thing was that when we met, our paths had never crossed before. We always thought it was a sign that we were meant to experience life's opportunities, challenges, events, people, and places together. We went through college as a couple and decided to make sure that we received our degrees before getting married. We have been married over 19 years.

Why is adoption important to us? Well, like our meeting, every sign has led us down this path. We always talked about having a family, but our careers took us to Minneapolis, Minnesota, Portland, Oregon, Phoenix, Arizona and then back around to Missouri. After trying for 12 years to have a child of our own we decided that we were meant to share our lives with a child. We have a very strong support system in our families. We have had many conversations with our families regarding adoption and impacts. My sister-in-law is adopted, as well as a good friend of ours. We continue to meet people that were either adopted or are adopting. The common theme to all of these people is that they are all fantastic. We are looking forward to joining this elite group of people and providing your child with the very best of opportunities. We will be happy to share letters and pictures of your child, if you choose to, and if you don't we will completely understand. We will ensure that your child understands that you gave us a gift of life and that your love for him or her was unconditional and an act of kindness.

We have many spots that we love for vacation. We especially love the beach and practically anywhere we can put our feet in the sand and relax by watching the dolphins, the sea lions and/or other marine life while watching the sun go down. We particularly have very fond memories of San Diego, Mexico, Bahamas, Jamaica, Jekyll Island, Los Angeles, Oregon, Hawaii and Florida. It is very hard to just describe one favorite because they all are our favorites. We try to travel at least once or twice a year to these or other destinations. Why the beach? Well, we both like water, the smell of the sea and the beauty of the area. We love trying new foods, new cultures, new scenery and explore the area for its history and possibilities. I guess if we would choose just one it would be renting a house in Rocky Point Mexico and walking the beaches with our friends and their children.

Please be assured that your child will enjoy many activities. Although we live in a city, our roots always take us back to our farm. The family farm has many great adventures. We enjoy the outdoors, the change of seasons, the wildlife and the activities that surround farm life. We mostly grow crops and don't have any farm animals. We would like to eventually own a couple of horses and build a cabin to have a nice get-away away from the city. But, currently we stay with Mark's family and enjoy time with our family, friends, and our dogs (two Labrador Retrievers). We like to play games like Skipbo, Uno, Yahtzee, Dominos, Scrabble and Apples to Apples. Mark's father always gets up early in the morning and makes a wonderful breakfast. His mother enjoys cooking for the family and makes homemade pies and cookies. They really know how to spoil all of us. We love the holidays with our families and are looking forward to sharing our traditions with your child.

We have done a lot of research on adoption and want you to know that we do not take this decision lightly. We once heard someone say that the birthmothers are like "guardian angels", and that is exactly how we feel about you and will be sure to let your child know that although we may not be his or her biological parents we love him or her as if they were our own. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering us to care for your precious gift of life.

Mark & Patty