As an adopted child myself, I know that my birthparents loved me so much that they chose adoption for me. Scott and I know that this is the greatest gift that anyone can give and we can’t imagine how difficult this process is for you. Thank you for taking the time to look at our profile and consider us. We both realize the important role that birthparents play in an adopted child’s life and we will be proud to explain to our son or daughter the great love that allowed them to come to our family. Scott’s family is also linked to adoption. Scott’s Dad was adopted as a young boy.

Again, we thank you for taking the time to read our profile and we hope that this will give you a glimpse into our lives.

We married one year later in July 2001, on the same night as the L.A.T.E. ride. After our reception ended at midnight, we changed clothes and headed for Buckingham Fountain in Chicago where we led off the bike ride. We continue to make it an annual date.

We have been happily married almost seven years. We’ve had the opportunity to experience many different adventures and grow together in our marriage. We enjoy traveling to exotic places, golfing, skiing, gardening and cooking together.  We enjoy doing things together and we believe that marriage is a partnership. We plan to approach parenthood the same way.

We are both excited about becoming parents. We can’t wait to share our love and happiness with children. We can’t wait to experience the first laugh, first steps, first words, the first bike ride, the first day of school, dance classes, little league games, prom, college graduation and everything in between.

Scott from Julie’s perspective…
To be honest, I can’t say enough good things about Scott! He has so many wonderful qualities that make him a great husband, friend and man.  Scott is a very caring, nurturing, loving, loyal and dedicated, person. He is also very happy, easy-going, intelligent and athletic. He can’t wait to be a dad. He is a kid at heart who enjoys playing with all of our nieces and nephews and our friends’ children. When told we were going to adopt a baby, our friend’s seven year old daughter said, “That kid is going to be so lucky….Scott is going to play with him all the time!” I believe that’s a pretty accurate statement!

Scott has such an easy way with children. Scott’s sister, Kim, has a six-year old son, Luke, who is autistic. Despite Luke’s challenges, Scott has a special bond with Luke. It really is amazing to see Scott play and interact with Luke in ways that most people can’t. He has so much love in his heart for Luke and all of our nieces and nephews. Scott will be a great dad in all aspects of our child’s/children’s lives. He is very calm and easy-going, taking things in stride and taking things as they come. I know that he will be very supportive and active in our child’s life.  He will make an incredible father, just as he is an incredible husband.

Julie from Scott’s perspective…
Julie is the love of my life. We met in 1999 and I knew right away that she was the one. Julie is a very loving and affectionate person. She is a very smart woman and has used her intelligence to earn her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree. She has chosen to use her education and skills to work for a not-for-profit organization that educates at-risk youth. She loves her interaction with all the children at work and I know she can’t wait to raise our own children. I also see how nurturing she is whenever we are around our nieces, nephews and friends’ children. Julie has a special bond with all of the little ones. She glows whenever she gets the chance to cuddle or take care of the babies and she enjoys playing with the older kids or simply spending time with them to find out how things are going. Julie is going to make a great mother! Since Julie is adopted, she will bring a special kind of love and understanding to our child. I’m glad that she will have that special bond with our son or daughter.

Our Infertility
When we got married, we both knew that we wanted a family as soon as possible. Shortly after we got married in 2001, we decided to start trying. After a few years of trying with no luck, we consulted a fertility specialist. Over the next few years, we attempted several fertility treatment cycles. Two of the cycles resulted in pregnancies, but they were not meant to be. While the loss of the three little peanuts was devastating to us, we are both very excited about adopting. Our infertility has given us a chance to add to our family through adoption the same way that my Mom and Dad added me to their family and Scott’s Grandpa and Grandma added to their family by adopting Scott’s Dad. We know that God has a plan for each of us and we believe that He wants us to grow our family through adoption.

Julie’s Background and Family
I am an adopted child and I have one brother. My Mom, Dad and brother, David, brought me home when I was 11 days old. After David was born, my Mom was unable to have any more children, so they decided to adopt. My whole family was very supportive of and excited about my parents’ decision to adopt and my parents were very open with me from a young age that I was adopted.

My Mom and Dad encouraged us to always focus on our academics, but they also encouraged us to participate in many activities. They especially wanted me to learn a musical instrument. So, while I was growing up, I was on the swim team, a member of the gymnastics team and pom pon squad. I also took piano lessons, played the clarinet and was involved with many different dance classes. My Mom & Dad attended as many performances, meets and competitions that they could and they were always ready to cheer me on.

My Mom and Dad were married for 39 years when my Dad passed away suddenly in 2001. My Mom lives only 10 miles from us and now that we are preparing to adopt, she has been extremely supportive and encouraging. She is so excited and has been anxiously awaiting more grandchildren. She is already knitting blankets and sweaters for her new grandchild!

My brother, David, his wife Laura and their two boys Nathan (6) and Ben (4) live outside of Indianapolis. David and Laura both lead very active lives with the boys.  The boys are involved in every sport imaginable and both David and Laura have had the pleasure of coaching the some of the boys’ teams. Since my brother’s family lives only a few hours away, we get to visit them often. We’ve also had the honor of babysitting Nathan and Ben and having weekend visits with the boys. Nathan and Ben can’t wait until they have a new cousin to play with.

Growing up, I enjoyed playing football, baseball, basketball and college rugby. My Mom and Dad encouraged all of us kids to participate in as many sports and activities as possible. My Mom was often the coach for my two sister’s softball and volleyball teams. They also encouraged academics, music and social clubs, so I played the violin for quite a few years growing up and held positions in my college fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. These activities helped me to cultivate many friendships and leadership skills.

My grandparents adopted my Dad when he was a baby. Unfortunately, his birth mother passed away shortly after he was born. When he was in his 30’s he started to seek out information about his birth family. I have seen how much joy it has brought him to find a half-brother and some cousins from his birth family.  My Dad was very involved in our lives and was always available to support us with school and our activities. My Mom has always been very active in all of our lives and is now very involved with her nine grandchildren. Although my parents separated in 1999 after over 30 years of marriage, they both continue to be supportive of all of us kids and enjoy time with each of their grandkids. My Dad recently re-married and lives in Connecticut with his wife Karen. My Mom lives in St. Louis and is so excited about our decision to adopt. She’s excited to have another grandchild to love and spoil.

Despite the fact that my brothers and sisters now live all over the country, we make an effort to get together every Thanksgiving to celebrate and spend time together.  We also get together other times during the year as often as possible. We currently have three nieces and six nephews that range in age from four months to thirteen years. Our nieces and nephews can’t wait to add more cousins to the group!As sister Tammy says, ”The more the merrier…there’s always plenty of love to go around!”

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our families and us. We realize that this is just a glimpse into who we are. We would love to answer any questions you may have to provide you with more information.

For more information please contact Sunny Ridge Family Center.

Julie & Scott

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