Dear Birth Parent(s),

Thank you so much for reading our letter and looking at our family profile. We are very excited about adopting a child and want you to know how much we appreciate your decision to consider placing your baby with a loving and stable family. We understand that it takes a tremendous amount of courage and unselfishness to make the decision to place your child for adoption, and for that, we will always honor and respect you. We will always be open and honest with your child about how they became a part of our family. And they will always know how thankful we are that you made such a loving choice for your child.

Our names are Ryan and Athena, and we have been married for almost 7 years, but have been together for almost 11 years. We have dreamt about becoming parents and felt that adoption was the path we should follow. We followed that path in 2002 and now, we have our beautiful son Ethan, and he sure keeps us busy. We have also been legal guardians for 2 beautiful little girls (sisters) for the last 3 years. We wanted to show them the importance of having a stable family and give them the sense of strong family values. We have always thought about adding another child to our family. Being a "blended" family (African American and Caucasian), we want to adopt a child that is at least of African American decent.

Since we met, we have been inseparable. We enjoy spending a lot of time together. When we are home, we like to watch movies, work on crafts, play with our kids, or just spend time talking with each other. We also like to go camping, go to the beach, or visit with friends and family. In the winter months, there are many hills for us to take the kids sledding. We are very close to our families and extended families, and they play a very important role in our lives. They are looking forward to when we will be able to bring a child home. Your child will always have many aunts, uncles and cousins, all of them within 2 hours away.

Your child will be brought up in a loving, positive and supportive environment. We believe it is very important from the start, to teach a child right from wrong, polite manners, and respect for others. We will provide opportunities for your child to learn the ability to make good choices. We want to be able to laugh and cry with your child and give them the opportunity to excel in whatever sport or activity they choose. We have the wonderful opportunity to provide your child with a stay at home mom. Athena works from home full time. She is able to set her own schedule and her company is very supportive of families. We have structured our personal, professional and financial lives so that we can care for your child. We are very unique parents. We are the parents that will get down on the floor and wrestle with our kids and shout praises at their achievements.

We want you to know that we will be very open and honest to your child about his/her adoption and will always portray you in the best light. We will show him/her that your decision was incredibly painful, yet heartfelt and unselfish. We will do everything in our power to show your child that you wanted only what was best for him/her. We also will send you pictures and letters, if you so desire, so you can be constantly reassured of your decision.

Be assured that your child will know how they came to be in our family. We will present your life in a positive and grateful way. Let us know of any special wishes you may have for your child. He or she will know that it was your generous love and unselfishness that allowed us the opportunity to have them be a part of our lives. We thank you for reading our letter and profile, and we thank you for your gracious act of kindness.

Again, we want more than anything, to be parents again. We have so much love to give, and want to give it to your child. You will have answered our prayers, if you choose us.

From the bottom of our souls, we thank you.

Ryan & Athena