Dear Birth Family,

Thank you for reading our family album! We want you to know how much we admire your courage in choosing life for your baby. We know you love your child very much – he or she is lucky to have you.

We value your place in this child’s life, and we welcome your involvement in our family to the level that you are comfortable. We pray every day for your health and well-being.

Growing Up
David was born and raised in rural Wisconsin, the third of six children (with two older sisters, two younger sisters, and a younger brother). David’s dad taught writing at the local community college and his mom was a librarian at a Catholic school (after staying home to care for the six children). Growing up, his family planted a huge garden that provided them with most of their fruits and vegetables for the year. They spent hours together as a family, picking berries and vegetables, and then canning and freezing the produce. David and his family were heavily involved in 4-H, where David enjoyed sports, theater, woodworking, and many leadership and volunteering opportunities. His family is very close and treasures spending quality time together.

Leanne and her identical twin sister, Lynne, were born and raised in Wisconsin. They are the oldest of six children (with three younger sisters and a younger brother). Her dad taught middle-school science and math, and her mom worked in educational marketing (after staying home to raise the six children). Everywhere Leanne’s family went, they captured the limelight because of their numbers and their energy. All of the children attended Catholic grade school and high school, where Leanne’s dad coached basketball. Her family enjoyed their beloved tradition of walking to the local ice cream shop on the last day of school to celebrate the start of summer. Leanne’s family is loving, generous, and kind. They make it a priority to spend many weekends together – shopping, playing with the nieces and nephews, watching movies, and cheering for their favorite sports teams.

How We Met
We began dating in 1993, our sophomore year in college, and we have been together ever since. We knew right away that we were meant for each other – we even have a picture of our first date! Leanne was drawn to David because of his outgoing personality, friendly charm, and lively spirit. David was drawn to Leanne because of her generous heart, caring attitude, and engaging personality. We are comfortable talking about everything, we hold the same religious and social values, and we make a good team. We are lifelong companions and best friends.

After dating for almost six years – including a semester when David was studying abroad in Japan and another four semesters when we were apart attending graduate schools – David proposed to Leanne on Valentine’s Day in 1998. (A hopeless romantic, David picked the day because his father proposed to his mother on Valentine’s Day in 1969.)

We were married on June 12, 1999 at the same church where Leanne’s parents and grandparents were married. It was a joyous wedding attended by 140 of our friends and relatives. We couldn’t stop smiling! We are happily married and grow closer every year.

Our Lives Together
Our time as a couple is precious to us. We enjoy laughing together and taking long walks. We have fun cooking meals, volunteering, and spending time with our extended families. We love playing board games and watching sports. At our church, we have started a young adult group, spent five years working with the church teen group, and served together on Stewardship Council. Our involvement in a vibrant parish has helped strengthen our faith and bring us closer to God. We also carve out time to devote to our independent hobbies – running and orchestra for David, reading and writing for Leanne. We enjoy a connection that is warm and powerful. We pray as a couple often and thank God every day for bringing us together.

Our Careers
David is a scholarships advisor at the local university, where he assists high-achieving students who are applying for scholarships. He likes his work because he is able to help his students advance in their careers. Leanne is a professor of communication and absolutely loves her job. She joyfully teaches classes about communication and conducts research to help people maintain healthy relationships. We enjoy the flexibility of our jobs and especially love workingwith college students. On campus, we are often mistaken for students!

Growing Our Family
We always hoped to share our lives with children, but gradually it became clear thatinfertility was part ofGod’s plan for us. We believe we are called to share our love with a child who needs us. We would be thrilled to have two or three children someday, but right now, we are focused on bringing a first child into our family. We’re so grateful for the blessings of adoption.

All of our family members are praying for us and supporting our decision to grow our family through adoption. (In our full profile, you can see pictures illustrating how excited our parents and siblings are about us becoming parents!) Leanne’s twin sister and her husband adopted a beautiful daughter two years ago, so both of our families know how much joy adoption can bring. Watching our wonderful niece grow and flourish has made us even more excited to adopt. We are lucky to have a great support network of friends and family to assist us in parenting. And, we can’t wait to introduce our children to their 14 cousins someday!

Dreams for the Future
Becoming parents has been our lifelong dream, and we are eager to share our home and our love with children. Both sets of our parents were teachers before they retired, and we work at the university, so we are eager to share the importance of education with our child. We look forward to learning, laughing, and loving with him or her. We will teach our child how to make good choices and be kind to others.

David and Leanne as Parents
David looks forward to cuddling a baby in his arms. (Time seems to stand still when he is holding a child!) He will be the kind of dad who lies on the floor and plays with his child, enjoying games of airplane, Candyland, and hide-and-seek. He is excited to cruise the neighborhoods with a baby stroller, play ball in the backyard, and teach a young adult to drive someday. David will be a high-energy dad who is active with a child.

Leanne can’t wait to read stories, sing lullabies, do art projects, set up obstacle courses, and play Memory. She will be the kind of mom who bakes cookies with her child, teaches him or her how to roller-skate, and draws flowers on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. She is excited to make trips to the library and help with lemonade stands. She will be a loving and nurturing mom who cares for her child’s needs.

We would be overjoyed to provide a caring home for your baby. This letter is just a first step, but we hope you’ve discovered a bit about us. We pray daily for you – please know that you already hold a special place in our hearts. We’re looking forward to learning about you and starting something special together!

For more information please contact Sunny Ridge Family Center.

Sincerely,

Leanne & David

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