Families Waiting to Adopt - Elizabeth and Erik

Dear Birthparent,

Thank you for reading our profile. We are grateful that you are taking the time to learn about us. We know that this must be difficult for you and we want you to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Even though we haven’t met you yet, we know you must be an amazing, selfless person who only wants the best for your child. Our hearts and prayers are with you as you make your adoption plan.

Our Story
We are Elizabeth and Erik. We met in November 1990, when Elizabeth was a senior in high school. Erik had already graduated. We were introduced by a mutual friend and our first date was a work Christmas party. Our story is ironic because we had attended the same high school and worked in the same pizza parlor without ever meeting each other.

We fell in love and dated for about six years before we married in a beautiful wedding ceremony on August 10, 1996. We currently live in Naperville, Illinois. We enjoy spending quality time together watching TV or movies, walking, sitting outside, riding in the car and going out to eat. We also both love spending time with family and friends. One of our favorite places is the Naperville Riverwalk. It is a beautiful place with walking paths, parks, picnic areas, the library, Centennial Beach, restaurants and shopping. It is usually packed with families enjoying the day together. We are looking forward to sharing this special place with our children.

We are really looking forward to having a family. We tried for a long time and sought extensive medical treatment in our efforts to have biological children, but we are unable to. After careful thought and deep discussion, we are choosing to build our family through adoption. We have so much love to give and can’t wait to experience life as a family. We are both grounded in our Christian faith and intend to share that faith with our children. We will raise them in the Lutheran Church.

About Elizabeth
I was born in June of 1973 and have lived in Naperville, Illinois my whole life. I grew up in a loving Christian family with my father, Tom, my mother, Sandy, and my younger brother, TJ. I attended Lutheran school through eighth grade and went on to public high school. As a child I enjoyed many activities such as horseback riding, dancing, ice skating, and piano playing. In high school, I was involved with the pom-pon squad and choir. After high school, I attended a local college and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education.

I began my career as an assistant in a local school district for one year before securing a teaching position working with children with Autism. I found it so rewarding that I pursued and earned an endorsement to teach Special Education. I taught students with Autism in the same school for twelve years. I have spent the last two years as a Special Education Teacher in a local elementary school. Next year I will be teaching special education in a middle school in the same district. I have learned so much about children as a teacher.

The things I cherish most about my childhood are the family time that we shared and the many vacations that we took. I am grateful to my parents for loving me and providing me with all that I needed to succeed in life.

Elizabeth’s Family
My parents, Tom and Sandy, have been married for 44 years. They lived in Naperville, Illinois until about 8 years ago when they moved to farmland where they have 53 acres and enjoy country living. They plan to return to the Naperville area soon to be closer to grandchildren.

My brother, TJ, married his sweetheart, Andrea, last summer. They also live in west suburban Chicagoland. I am close with my family and spend most Saturdays with my mom. Sometimes TJ and Andrea join us. My maternal grandparents, Leonard and Mildred – who have been married for 67 years – are currently looking for a home nearby. My family is very excited about welcoming a baby into the fold. This will be the first grandchild and great grandchild on my side. My family is eagerly awaiting the baby’s arrival. This baby will be loved by so many people.

Erik’s Thoughts about Elizabeth
I met Elizabeth while visiting my friend Patrick who worked as a cashier at a Mobil station. Elizabeth walked into the gas station with this really big blonde hair and a dark tan. I was hooked and, fortunately, my friend Patrick knew her. I made him introduce us and that was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with a person who puts everybody else before herself. I see this especially with the children that she teaches.

I started a business six months before we got married. While most people would be nervous about doing both at the same time, I had nothing but support from Elizabeth. She is going to be the best mother; I can say that because I have watched her work with children for the past fifteen years. I love Elizabeth. After being together this long we can practically read each other’s thoughts. It will be the greatest joy that I can imagine to finally be able to raise a family together.

About Erik
I was born in December of 1970 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and moved to Naperville Illinois when I was two years old. I have lived here ever since. I grew up in a loving Christian family with my father, Wes, my mother, Mary Lou, my brother, David, and my sister, Kristin. I attended the local district schools from elementary school through high school. I enjoyed karate, wrestling, weight training, computers and playing guitar in a band. Following high school, I attended a local community college.

I started working for Allstate Insurance Company which inspired me to start my own business. I received my insurance license and began an automobile insurance company in 1995. My business started in my bedroom at my parents’ house and grew over the years to include an office with several employees and partnership with a finance company. My job allows me to be my own boss, work from home and have flexible hours. It has been a dream fulfilled to have built a company and for it to continue to be successful. I am grateful to my parents for encouraging me to be independent, work hard, be creative, and follow my dreams.

Erik’s Family
My parents, Wes and Mary Lou have been married for 49 years. They also live in Chicago’s western suburbs. My sister, Kristin, is nearby with her husband, Jeff, and their three children: Cameron (13), Rebecca (10), and Rachael (7). My brother, David, lives in Wisconsin with his wife Bonnie. Their three adult children: Alan, Shane and Shannon also live in Wisconsin. Shannon has two children of her own: Arik (4) and Jacob (3). David’s family visits often, especially on holidays.

I am very close with my parents. I often stop by their house to visit several times a week. Kristin also visits my parents with her children on a regular basis during the week. My family is looking forward to the addition of another child and the kids are very excited about having a new cousin to play with.

Elizabeth’s Thoughts about Erik
Erik is truly an amazing person. He is handsome, funny, motivated, smart, caring, loving and loveable. I fell in love with him almost twenty years ago and love him more every day. He is intelligent and ambitious; I admire him for starting his own business and for succeeding. He has always been there for me and I know I can always count on him. He is my very best friend. I know Erik will be a wonderful father and I can’t wait to watch him with our children.

Our Pets
We are both animal and nature lovers. We currently have two small birds: a cockatiel named Max and a Blue Crowned Conure named Baby. Our birds are great pets. They are very spoiled and enjoy a lot of play time with us. We used to have a beautiful white dog named Aspen. We were very sad when he passed away last year. We would love to have another dog someday.

Our Dreams
Thank you for taking the time to read about us. We truly admire you and appreciate you thinking of us. We are very excited about finally becoming parents. We are looking forward to building our family through the gift of adoption. We are very much interested in openness and hope to establish a relationship with you that will grow through the years. We feel it is important for our child to know his or her birth family in some capacity and to know his or her adoption story. As soon as the baby arrives, Elizabeth will leave her job to stay home with the baby. Erik already works at home and will be active in the daily routines.

We hope to give our child all that we had growing up and more. We plan to instill Christian values in our children. We hope to encourage all of the wonderful values our parents instilled in us. We are looking forward to all of the fun, family times together. We can’t wait to start creating new memories of our growing family.

Thank you again for reading about us. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Please know we are thinking about you as you make your decision. We pray that you find peace in the decision that is best for your situation

For more information please contact Sunny Ridge Family Center.

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