Our favorite vacation spot is Pat's grandparents house when he was a kid. It is located on Little Cranberry Island 3 miles off the mainland coast of Maine. The small lobstering village of only a few hundred people is surrounded by the mountains of Acadia National Park. Pat's great grandfather settled there when he was 15 year old orphan to fish. We have family on the island including an aunt and uncle plus cousins our age with young children.

We are able to spend multiple weeks there every summer. Many times our friends and their kids have come with us. No road is more than a mile long and they all lead to beautiful scenic beaches. A short path through the backyard brings you to a perfect rocky beach with sunsets over Acadia's mountains.

The house sits in the middle of the island next to the school and playground. Pat's dad grew up there and everyone knows each other and is incredibly friendly. The home is now a getaway spot shared by Pat's family. This child would be inline to inherit this unique vacation house but what we are most excited about is letting them play all day in the beauty and carefree atmosphere of the island.

We treat our cats like family members. We celebrate their birthday and give them Christmas presents. Ragnar and Floki are tabby brothers who were rescued as kittens off the streets of NYC while fighting a raccoon for food. We adopted them in early 2018. They lived with us in our NYC apartment and were both very scared and hid a lot at first. We learned to be patient with them and worked hard to build trust and make them feel comfortable through any challenge. 

They've moved home to Maine with us and now have the country farmhouse lifestyle they deserve. They enjoy comfy furniture and soft beds and blankets. The four of us are now an inseparable unit. We sleep together, we wake up together, we watch tv together, and warm up at the woodstove together. They are very vocal cats towards us, and it really helps us understand a lot of their likes, dislikes and needs. We're very intuitive with each other. We've had them for six years now and all four of us have needed to patient with one another at times. Because we truly love them, the responsibility of being pet parents has come second nature. We want to give them the best life and the most love possible. We believe this dynamic will help us as parents of a child.

To us, being parents means that we have accepted the responsibility of raising a child from birth and are committed to giving them lifelong love, guidance, and resources. By love we mean that our love is unconditional. They will be loved when they smile and when they cry. They will be loved when they make mistakes and when they make us proud. We are committed to being loving educators and composed learners with this child.

While we're excited to prepare this child for the world, we're also excited to learn what makes them unique. Pat has always had an ability to get on a kids level which involves encouraging them to pursue what makes them happy. We are excited to have adventures in the yard and on the woodland trails and down to the brook. Tasya is beyond thrilled to be able to introduce the child to culture, art, history, and music. We also expect to enjoy the community involvement that may come with raising a child. We're excited to learn more about the local schools and rec/sports programs. We're excited for play dates with other neighborhood kids. We're excited to have them grow up in this home and in this town. To summarize our excitement would be impossible!

We are blessed to have immediate family, both sets of our parents who are both still happily married and Tas' brother Josh, all living in Maine. Tas' parents and brother live in towns near by. We frequently get together as a family for lunches, dinners, on major holidays and celebrations at our house. This child would be the first grandkid on both sides of the family.

Our extended family are lifelong friends and their families, who also live close by. We have cookouts, dinners, birthday parties, Halloween parties, etc. We love hosting and also visiting friends. We go on family trips together to our ocean cottage, or other vacation spots. We like lawn games, card games, beach days, sports, and boat rides. One thing we all have in common is the great state of Maine which is a playground of endless adventure. We live in a region of lakes and close to ski mountains so there's lots of opportunity for family fun.

Thankfully Tas' parents live very close by and are excited to be a big part of this child's life and even help us with childcare. All the grandparents will factor into this child's life and they are all active and excited for the opportunity. The rest of our extended family has been on board for us to adopt for years now. We are most excited to welcome this child into this wonderful family and for them to inherit lifelong friendships.

We live in the southern Maine village of Poland Spring. Pat grew up 4 miles away from our home. Our house, which was updated in 2005, is the neighborhood's original homestead, built in the late 1700s. We have 2 acres of land that's completely private in the summer vegetation. Pat mows trails including one that goes to a brook. We have a huge farmer's porch overlooking our front yard, vegetable garden, flower pots, and bird feeders.

Our post-and-beam home has 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big living room, and a spacious kitchen opening into a dining area. Our cozy woodstove keeps us warm in the winter. We plan on building a garage in the years to come.

Our neighborhood has 80+ homes on one main drive and several small sub-roads. Pat mows paths that connect the two sides of the neighborhood that kids use to visit friends and catch the school bus. Families with kids love this neighborhood because it's safe, friendly, and we have Halloween and Christmas parades.

There are two schools ranging from K-12. Numerous recreational programs and camps for kids. There are 5 lakes in our town. The town center has an annual Christmas celebration/tree lighting. The Poland Spring Inn and resort is within walking distance and boasts a golf course, driving range, pool, restaurants, ice cream stand, museums, lake cottages, and marina. There is also a state park with one of the biggest sandy beaches in Maine.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter which is intended for you to get to know us better. In our more than 10 years of marriage we have always hoped to become adoptive parents.

We met in 1995 entering 7th grade. We quickly became close friends and remained close throughout high school and college. We've always had strong admiration, support, and respect for one another. In early 2010 we officially fell in love when Pat moved to California for Tasya. 17 years later, we married in September 2012.

We lived in Los Angeles and New York City for 15 years building our careers before returning to our home state of Maine in 2019. Tasya is co-founder and partner of a creative and communication agency. Pat is the Director of Brewing Operations for a local craft beer brewery. Both of our positions allow for a flexible schedule while raising a child. We plan to care for the child on our own with the help of Tasya’s parents for childcare.

Adoption is prevalent and such a positive aspect in our lives. The best example is Tasya's father Mike and his upbringing with his adopted parents who were Grandma and Grandpa to Tas. Later in life, Mike was able to make a strong connection with his birth family. We've met his birth mother and sisters and remain in close contact with them.

We own a beautiful home in a lake town located close to our family and lifelong friends. The child's bedroom has a stunning post-and-beam architecture with windows overlooking the yard. We have two acres of lawn and trails including one that leads to a picturesque brook. Our neighborhood is friendly and full of children enjoying the freedom to play with their friends in a safe and private environment.

6 years ago, we adopted brother cats who are a huge part of our lives. We love these cats very much and are thrilled to expand our family.

We believe a healthy adoptive family will have ties to the birth family. You will always be significant to us and the child. We are excited for the role you'll play whatever that ends up being and we’ll always be supportive of that choice. We hope we can work together to maintain a healthy relationship for the child's well-being.

We are comfortable and encouraging of an open adoption. We promise to send letters and pictures and would welcome the opportunity to converse through emails, phone calls, and future visits. We understand that this relationship is important for both the child and you; therefore, we are committed to facilitating that in any way possible.

We accept the challenge of making this the best possible experience for yourself, the child, and our family. We have a lot of gratitude and admiration for anyone considering making this choice. If you choose to join us on this journey, we'll continue to honor you with this level of gratitude and commitment.

With Love,

Patrick & Tasya