Adoption was something Megan always felt that she wanted to do growing up and as a young adult. We talked about it when dating when discussing if we wanted to have a family, how many kids, etc. Megan’s grandmother was adopted and we both hoped that one day we would be fortunate enough to be in a situation where we could provide a loving home to a child through adoption.

After having our first child we experienced fertility issues that may not make it possible to have any more biological children. After the initial shock and acceptance that this was the case, we both naturally came back to the conversation we had when dating years back, what about adoption.

There was never a moment of “I do not think it is right for us”. When Megan first asked what Erik thought about adoption there was no hesitation as we both said, “I think that is the path for us and our family.'' We just knew that was the way we were meant to expand our family. It is hard to explain the feeling you have when you just know something is right, but that is the feeling we have when it comes to adoption.

We have a daughter who is 2.5 years old. She means the absolute world to us and every day it is amazing watching her learn and grow. She is very energetic and loves to play in her pretend kitchen, dress up and put her dolls to sleep, do puzzles and so much more. She always wants to help us in whatever we are doing. If we are cooking in the kitchen she wants to help and we find her something that is appropriate for her age to help us with. If we are outside doing some yard work she is right there helping to dig the holes to put the flower in, or picking up the sticks in the yard or seeing if there are any vegetables to be picked in the garden.

During the week she goes to daycare that is 2 miles from our house. It is the same daycare that Erik went to as a child and many of the directors are still there and remember Erik well. The daycare is located on 2.5 acres with a ton of outdoor space and the kids go out multiple times a day to play, even in the snow!! Our daughter loves it there and talks about the friends she played with that day.

Our favorite vacation spot is in New Hampshire. Erik’s family has a small townhouse near Lake Winnipesaukee and it quickly became a favorite place of ours to visit. It is just over a 2 hour drive from our house so it is far enough that it feels like a vacation, but not so far that you waste an entire day traveling. Sometimes we will spend a week there, or sometimes we may just go up for a weekend.

The main reason we love it is simply because there are so many different things you can do there. There is a small mountain right behind the complex that has a 2.5 mile hiking trail to the top that overlooks the Lake.

There are 2 beaches that we frequent that are both under a 5 minute drive. The water is very shallow leading in to the lake, so you can walk a hundred or so yards out and still only be up to just below your shoulders. Each beach has a small playground so we can mix up playing in the water, playing in the sand, and then going over to the playground.

There is also a great ski mountain resort that is about a 10 minute drive. They offer all kinds of activities from day/night skiing and snow tubing in the winter to a giant ropes course, zip lines from the top of the mountain down, mountain coaster, segway tours, hiking trails and so much more in the summer.

We live on a small, quiet cul-de-sac with 7 houses. Our neighbors are very friendly and we always invite each other to our life celebrations such as birthday parties, graduations and cook outs. Our house is a 4 bedroom colonial. All bedrooms are upstairs while downstairs we have a kitchen, dining room, family room and a playroom right off our family room. We also have a large three season porch where we spend a lot of time even in the winter as Avery loves to ride her bike around. We have a really big, flat back yard that has a little play house and swing set. We spend a lot of time in the yard blowing bubbles, playing catch, running around and playing in the snow. Last year we built a garden which was fun to grow and eat our own vegetables.

Our town has a lot of community events that we love to attend, such as touch-a-truck, downtown Halloween trick or treating, summer family night where they close Main Street and have games, food and fun for the whole family. Our town also has a a variety of different activities for children of all ages, from events at town library to the large town sports program. We have many different playgrounds around that we love to visit. Our favorite playground has the longest slide we have ever seen, and even a small zoo! There is so much to do there it is hard to leave sometimes.

Erik's parents live on the other side of town which is really helpful as they can babysit on short notice or just stop by for a quick visit. Erik's sister and her kids live about 15 minutes away and we see them on all holidays and many times when we go to watch the kids sporting events.

Megan's father and step-mom live about 45 minutes away and we see them often. Megan's brother and kids also live about 45 minutes away. Our daughter has a lot of fun playing with them as they are only a couple of years older than her. Megan's mom splits her time between Florida in the winter an hour west of us in the summer. She will routinely visit and stay any where from a day to a week, especially when one of us has to travel for work which is really helpful.

We have a lot of friends that live close by and might as well be family. Many of our friends have young children and we enjoy getting together on weeekends to go to the park, or just spend time together. It is amazing to have so many close friends and family around. When we told them we wanted to adopt they all very supportive and excited for our family to grow.

We are grateful for you taking this opportunity to get to know more about us. It is hard to convey in words how much expanding our family means to us and how much love we have to give. We are grateful that you love your child so much you are willing to consider an adoption plan and we cannot imagine how hard this decision is for you. As parents we understand the love you have for your child and the feeling that you would do anything for them. We can promise you that your child will be raised in a safe home with unconditional love.

We met 12 years ago and have been married for almost 6 years. Our journey to get here has been a long one with both joy and heartache along the way. Before we were married we discussed how important having a family with multiple children was to us. When we first started sharing our thoughts of having a family, adoption was always something we discussed. After the birth of our daughter, Avery, and subsequent fertility issues we knew that the path we were meant to take to expand our family was through adoption.

We truly feel that our family is not complete as we have so much more love to give. As parents, we both feel that how a child comes in to our lives does not matter. We are here to give unconditional love and support and provide a loving and safe environment throughout a child's lives. We look forward to your child and our daughter not only learning through us and the experiences we provide them, but also learning from each other. Avery is a very active, fun loving toddler that we know will be an amazing big sister. We believe our greatest responsibility as parents is to ensure our children are raised knowing they can accomplish anything and be whoever they want to be. Our goal is to foster their development, support and love them with all our hearts as they grow.

As parents we work hard to ensure we can give the best for our child. We believe strongly in providing experiences, such as going to the zoo or on nature walks, to help children explore the world around them and grow through these experiences. Yet we also love our days at home playing, painting, cooking and just relaxing reading books or watching a movie. We truly value our family time. As parents we have a loving, safe environment to offer your child, one that supports their growth and values the fun of play. Megan was a toddler teacher, now dietitian, and Erik a hockey instructor who works with children every day we value the role of a child and the experiences that they have to go through to learn. We feel it is our role, as parents, to be alongside them supporting and encouraging them to try new things and foster their interests, whatever they may be.

The life we want for your child is to feel loved. We want your child to explore new things, play and not feel the pressures of the world around them. We want your child to be a kid, but the biggest thing we want is for he/she to feel safe and know they are loved not only by us and our families but you and your family as well. One of the biggest ways, we feel, to ensure your child feels this way is to know where he/she comes from. We will always be open with your child and tell them about you and your courage. We will share photos, letters and emails with you and are open to any relationship you are comfortable with and that is best for your child.

We thank you for taking the time to get to know us and you will be in our thoughts and prayers as you make this brave and selfless decision for your child.

Sincerely,

Erik & Megan