Adoption changed our lives forever when we adopted Elliott, who is now 6 years old. We worked with American Adoptions for that adoption as well. We were fortunate to be chosen by Elliott's amazing birth mother. We hit it off immediately with our first phone call and 10 days later we were in Florida meeting her and her family and driving her to her induction at the hospital later that night. Meghan was in the room with our birth mother through her labor and delivery while Bryce and her family stayed nearby. Those initial days in the hospital were emotional and amazing and intense and we emerged with a bond with our birth mother that we can never put into words and could have never anticipated. We fell in love with not only a baby, but also a young woman and her family. This relationship has continued and now looks like lots of pictures exchanged over facebook and through the mail, and phone calls every few months. We recently visited over Christmas. So to say that adoption has affected us is the understatement of the century. It didn't affect us as a family, it made us a family. It didn't add one person to our lives to love, it added many. Our lives would be less rich, less fun, less fulfilled, just LESS without the gift of adoption. We are so very fortunate to have one adoption in our lives and will be over the moon for another.

Meghan About Bryce: Bryce is a kind, funny, sensitive, and laid back guy. He is that cool, calm, collected person that you know you can always count on to be there for you. He is truly one of the kindest people that I know and an absolutely incredible dad. With his mother's stroke during his teenage years, he learned early the importance of being that supportive and loving rock in someone's life. To watch how patient and doting he is with Elliott is amazing. He also has a very mischievous and playful side and loves to have snowball, water balloon, and nerf gun wars. He has a habit of locking his friends and family out of the car in a public parking lot and making them dance before he lets them in! He's an amazing partner and I couldn't imagine life without him by my side!

Bryce About Meghan: Meghan is a loving, nurturing, and compassionate woman. She is funny, witty, and fun to be around! She is a very affectionate and loving mother. She will go out of her way to help anyone, and has unconditional love for family and close friends. People know they can count on her, and often do. Friends and family especially know how much she cares, and don't hesitate to call her in the middle of the night for medical advice and reassurance when their children are sick. Everyone knows it is important to her to be able to help whenever and however she can.

When we began discussing building our family through adoption many years ago, we started talking about our feelings about adopting a child of a different race or culture. In our initial discussions we both felt strongly that within every adoption parents must work hard to ensure that the child grows up with a strong sense of identity, culture, and heritage. In the case of an adoption of a child of a differing race, parents must put even more focus and careful consideration into doing this well.

In preparation for our first adoption, we did much research into how to help adopted children, particularly those in a transracial adoption, grow up with a strong sense of cultural heritage. We know that living in a multicultural neighborhood, interacting with others of the child's race, and having same race mentors and role models are incredibly important. We strive every day to do that for Elliott, and will continue to do so for this child.

It is important to us to enlighten and enrich our family's own culture by traveling and seeing how others live. We hope that it will reveal how different, yet how similar we all are, and how family is what ties us all together. Our goal is to build a sound and sturdy foundation onto which a child can begin to build their own sense of self and identity.

We live in Michigan in a beautiful little town near of one of its major cities, so have easy access to great museums, shopping, theater, and other big city amenities. Our small town is made for families with cute shops, restaurants, and a top rated school district. We are also near the beach, you-pick orchards, playgrounds galore, and miles of trails and forests to explore.

Our home is a true retreat. It is a large four-bedroom home that sits on 3.5 acres. Pulling into the driveway makes you feel like you are driving straight into the forest before it opens up and you can see the house. Stress melts away merely driving in! We have a big lawn that is perfect for running and playing with large maple trees that support a hammock and a tree swing. There is a fire pit, garden, and an epic two-story pirate ship tree house! The acres of forest have trails that are perfect for exploring and adventuring. Our chickens have a coop where we spend time gathering eggs and caring for them. Our house is spacious, but comfortable. The second story is a kid-only space with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a giant playroom, superhero cave, reading nook, and art area. We also have a large basement for cuddling up to watch a movie, having light saber or Nerf gun battles, playing air hockey or shuffleboard! Our home is as perfect for large gatherings as it is for a quiet family day of relaxation.

We had the good fortune of growing up in supportive families who raised us to believe in certain values, such as being compassionate and kind, standing up for others and for what you believe in, and always remembering that family comes first.

Meghan has one brother who has a 6-year-old son. Most of Meghan's family lives in North Dakota. Her parents live on the beautiful farm that has been in the family for four generations. They recently renovated the farmhouse, taking it back to the original log home it was over a hundred years ago.

Bryce has a sister and brother. His family also lives in the Midwest. His sister has four children who we adore! Bryce has a Christmas tradition of picking one of them and making them work for their gift, usually by having to unwrap boxes hidden within boxes or wrapped in miles of duct tape. They can't wait every year to find out whose turn it is!

Although there are many miles between us and our families, it doesn't keep us apart for long! We visit frequently, and never miss an important event in each other's lives. Family functions are always boisterous, filled with laughter, and usually include huge family feasts!

Both of our families are over-the-moon excited about our adoption plan and cannot wait to welcome a new member of the family to love!

Hello, we are Bryce and Meghan, and we're deeply appreciative and humbled that you are choosing to read this letter. We have such admiration for your courage as you consider adoption for your child. We have much that we would love to tell you about us, but the most important thing is that we do not, nor will we ever, presume to know what you are going through, or how difficult this decision must be for you. To say that choosing adoption for your child is a selfless act is an incredible understatement. We believe that there are no words to describe how loving and generous of a decision it is. For us to think that we may be chosen to raise your child overwhelms us with gratitude. It is important that you know that this is where we are coming from, and how we feel about this adoption, and you. We will ensure that your child will always know that their life began with this amazing decision, and how very special that makes them. We will honor their birth and adoption story, and always talk about their birth family with love and respect. As he or she grows, we hope to have as much contact with you as you are comfortable with. We would particularly love to share pictures and stories, and would be honored to have visits, if that is something you desire.

We knew for many years that adoption was going to be the method with which we would build our family. We met in high school, so have been a couple over half our lives and consider our relationship a true partnership in every sense of the word. We have always known we wanted a family and went through years of infertility treatments before realizing with certainty that our desire was not to become pregnant, but to become parents. Our experience with infertility was difficult, but reaffirmed to us what miracles all children are, and also strengthened our commitment and love for each other.

Six years ago we chose American Adoptions to adopt our first child. This process led us to our son, Elliott, and his phenomenal birth family. We cannot express the gratitude and humility we experience daily to know that his mother chose us to raise her child. Elliott knows his birth story by heart and recently visited his birth mother over Christmas! We look forward to repeating this with another child. We treasure that this child will have an older brother with this shared experience of being adopted, while understanding that each child's story is uniquely beautiful.

Meghan is a Developmental Pediatrician. This means that she primarily works with children with special needs. She works in a clinic with very regular weekday hours with no overnight shifts or emergency calls requiring her to leave home. She is looking forward to the wonder of watching her own child explore their world and develop! Bryce is an avid outdoorsman and loves to go camping and hunting. He has been a stay at home dad from the first day we brought Elliott home and plans to continue to do so. It is the most rewarding job he has ever had and knows that he was meant to do it. He volunteers at Elliott's school, takes him to karate and theater classes, and is his Den Leader for Cub Scouts. He looks forward to sharing these types of experiences with a second child!

We hope this gives you a glimpse into who we are as a family. There is, of course, so much more we would love to share with you, and hope that in turn you will share as much about yourself and your story as you feel comfortable. We are unwaveringly dedicated to this adoption, and are anxious to bestow every ounce of love, adoration, and support that we have onto another child. We will make every effort to always ensure that this child feels safe, loved, and supported every minute of every day as they grow and mature. We can assure you that they will always know that their life, and consequently our family, began with the most beautiful and amazing act of love.

Bryce & Meghan