First and foremost, we will tell the child that they are loved. They are loved by you. They are loved by us. The decision to put a child up for adoption is not an easy one. It isn't made lightly. It is however often done for a positive reason. It is vital that the child understand that the birth mother loved them. We will instill that in them from the beginning.

We are also open when it comes to contact and visits. We want the child to know that contact is still possible. We want the child to know that they are blessed because they can call two families their own. They will be unique in that way.

Lastly, we want the child to know that they were meant for us. We were meant to be their parents and they were meant to be our child. A lot of things could have gone differently and we might not have received that child. However, we did not get paired with a different birth mother, we did not go the foster route, we did not attempt to go through a natural pregnancy. Instead, we wanted them. They will be loved and they need to know that it comes from us and the birth mother.

We are deeply religious people, but do not judge others. Our lives are based around our dedication to God and the work done by Jesus Christ on the cross. We try our best to live out the words of Christ on a daily basis. We do not always succeed, but we attempt to show grace, humility, and understanding.

We want to establish these values in our adopted child. We want them to show grace toward others. We all make mistakes. When mistakes are made, we must show that person grace. We would like to have grace bestowed upon us when we make mistakes.

Additionally, we would like the child to learn humility. We are not always going to be the smartest, tallest, or wisest person in the room. It is important to be humble so that we do not become embarrassed when it becomes clear that we are not the best in the room. These values come from our faith life and we want those values to be instilled in our child.

We attend church on a weekly basis. We will take our child to church. As the child grows, they will have the option to attend church. At the end of the day, it is up to them to have a relationship with God. We cannot force that on them. We are just the guides. It is the values we see in Jesus that give us our life's purpose and will guide us as parents.

Education is important to us. We are both teachers and we will provide the best possible education for our child. Megan has a bachelor's degree, and Steve has a master's degree. We have both taught in schools for over twenty years between us, and will have education as a core value for our children.

Megan has a strong background in child development and as an elementary school teacher. She will be able to guide the child through the early development stages so that they are ready to begin educationally when they reach the age of formal schooling. We plan on having the child attend the school in which Megan is teaching for elementary schooling. Steve has extensive experience teaching junior high and high school students. We would like to see the child attend a charter, private, or high performing district public school in the area for their junior high and high school careers. As teachers, we will be supportive in our child's education and act as a guide so that they will be successful and capable of making healthy and wise choices in the future. Upon graduation from high school, we will encourage the child to pursue college, and advise educational and career opportunities that they are interested so that they can develop a life-long appreciation for learning.

Our immediate family is close, working at the same school together. Megan is a second grade teacher. Steve teaches 7th and 8th grade social studies and English. During the week, we like to take ballroom dancing classes, see friends, and play with our two tuxedo cats.

On the weekends we enjoy hiking. We like to hike in the Estrella and South Mountains around Phoenix. We will also attend church and Bible study. We spend a great deal of time together and enjoy doing activities together like shopping, or walking around the ponds in our neighborhood, or going to the movies.

Megan's father lives in Tucson, which is about two hours away from us. We will go down there from time to time to visit him. Megan's mother spends most of her time in Michigan, although she travels with her job. In the summers we travel to Michigan to see Megan's family and friends.

Steve's parents live in New Mexico. They are about a six hour drive away from our house. We see them during the holidays. Steve's sister also lives in New Mexico. Megan's sister lives in Holland. She will come to the United States on occasion to visit. Our extended families are supportive of adoption. Also, as teachers we're both dedicated to helping children. We look forward to welcoming a child into our family.

Arizona - We live just outside of Phoenix, Arizona where our neighborhood is built around a series of ponds, with plenty of geese and ducks. We love to take walks around the ponds in the evenings. There are also several small parks in the neighborhood where children can play.

Our house is two stories with a large dining room/library. We also have a kitchen with an island that is perfect to gather around for breakfast or lunch. Our cats enjoy lounging around our living room during the day when we are at work. There is also a guest suite downstairs. This allows any guest in the house to have some privacy.

Upstairs, there are two bedrooms. We plan on filling those rooms with adopted children. There is also a bathroom just down from the two children's rooms. Lastly, there is the master bedroom, with a balcony that looks out above a pond.

There is the backyard that we're planning on landscaping and gardening ourselves with local plants and vegetables.

First, thank you for being open to giving us this opportunity, your courage, and love in potentially making this decision. We thank you for taking the time to read our letter. Megan has wanted a child since she was 22. Her goals for her life were to love others, become a wife, and become a parent, with becoming a mother means everything to her. We feel that we would be outstanding parents because of our dedication to children, ability to provide a good home, and desire to keep open communication with you.

We are both teachers. We have taught for over 15 years combined. We love children. We love seeing them grow. We love seeing them become the best versions of themselves. Over the years we have seen many students pass through our classrooms. We have made positive impacts on them. But we have never had a child to call our own. We would love to have the opportunity to nurture a child outside of the classroom by being parents. We feel that we have so much love to offer children in the classroom, that we want to offer more love to a child through adoption.

Love is the cornerstone of a good home. We love one another. We show love to our extended family. We show love to our students at school. We know that you love the child as well. We want to let the child and experience all of this in our household. We are responsible and dedicated people who want what is best for others. When we have a child to call our own, we will make sure that they are loved and have a good home. That dedication to love also include you.

You love the child. You would not be making this decision if you did not love them. We will let the child know that you love them. We will also show the child that you love them by keeping open communication. We are willing to exchange emails and make phone calls through your pregnancy. We are open to sending letters and pictures to you throughout the child's early life. We are even open to visits. We want to let the child know that you love them even though they are not with you currently.

We have job we love, a strong faith life, good friends, and an extensive extended family that is supportive. We want to give the child all that life has to offer. This includes educational and recreational opportunities. As teachers, we will help the child in their educational needs at home and in the classroom. But we also want to enjoy life. We look forward to being able to walk around the ponds in the neighborhood with the child or going to the park to play. We want to be able to go on family vacations to experience what this country has to offer. We want to be able to attend sporting events and artistic shows to give the child opportunities so that they can live life to the fullest. We want what is best for the child, just as you do.

Thank you again for taking the time to read our letter. We believe that we can provide your child with the best home possible because of our experience as teachers, household full of love, willingness to keep in contact with you, and desire to have a supportive household for the child.

Cordially,

Steve & Megan