Dear Dear Birthparents,

Thank you for taking the time to read our profile. Even though we have not met, please know that our hearts and prayers are with you. Because you are considering adoption, we realize how much selfless love you must have for your child. We are amazed by your strength and courage. We will never be able to fully grasp how difficult this decision is for you, but can imagine that there have been many tears shed, many sleepless nights, and many prayers said in making this decision. Our greatest hope is that you, in the end, will find peace in the decision that you do make.

How We Met and Our Wedding
Our names are Scott and Sarah, and we first met each other in the spring of 2003. We initially met each other on a matchmaking website when Sarah contacted Scott. Scott eagerly replied, and we began emailing each other almost daily and learning a lot about each other along the way. We then met in person about a month later for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. We quickly began dating each other. Scott figured Sarah was pretty serious about things when she suggested that we take a trip together that summer to visit her parents in Colorado. We realized that it is a lot of fun to travel together, and it has become one of our favorite things to do. We discovered that we not only have a number of common interests, but we also really enjoy each other’s company.

On Labor Day weekend of 2004, Scott took Sarah out for dinner at the restaurant where we first met a year and half earlier. Afterwards, we traveled to a nearby park with a waterfall where Scott presented Sarah with a ring and a marriage proposal. Sarah said yes amongst her happy tears, and we spent the rest of the weekend excitedly telling the rest of our family. Our wedding was in June 2005. The ceremony was held at Sarah’s church, with many family members and friends attending. Scott’s grandfather, who is a retired Presbyterian minister, performed the ceremony. Our reception was at the nearby botanical gardens, and we took many pictures at the indoor greenhouse. There was a lot of fun, food, and dancing. We left for our honeymoon a couple of days after our wedding. We started in Seattle, visited Vancouver Island, and continued on to Vancouver. Then we drove to Jasper and Banff National Parks in the Canadian Rockies, where we saw endless snow-covered mountains, numerous waterfalls, lakes, canyons, and even some glaciers. We went horseback riding, did some hiking, and took many photographs. We have nothing other than fond memories of our special day and our honeymoon.

About Scott
I grew up in the Chicago area, and have lived in the area my entire life. My mom was a stay-at-home mom for most of my younger life. My dad was a high school teacher, and got home from work relatively early every day. I have one brother who is younger than me. I was so excited when he was born, because I figured I was going to have someone to play with. I didn’t realize at the time that it would be a couple of years before that would happen! My parents were around often, and they provided a loving home for my brother and myself. I also grew up with the same cat for my entire childhood – you could say we actually grew up together! We got Bridget as a kitten when I was about two years old, and she lived to the ripe old age of eighteen.

Some of my fondest memories of growing up included our annual family vacations. With my dad being a teacher, we would always go on a trip during the summer. It was very common for us to pack up the car and take a driving trip for several weeks to places such as Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, the Colorado Rockies, or Disney World. I remember the great times I had with my family on these trips, along with the things I learned and the amazing places we saw. We also owned a campsite in a private campground in rural Illinois, where we would spend most weekends during the summer. These weekends would be filled with swimming, hiking, campfires, and just being lazy. These are the types of experiences that gave me a great fondness for the outdoors and for nature.

I also fondly remember holidays with my family. One of the traditions in my dad’s family, which continues today, is our Christmas Eve party. There are several families in my dad’s extended family who have gathered on Christmas Eve every year for the last several decades. When I was younger, my brother and I had a great time playing with all of our cousins who were our age. Now, they are all grown up and have started their own families. There are always lots of kids running around at these parties! We always have a wonderful time singing carols, eating lots of great food, and opening lots of presents (especially for the kids).

During summers while I was younger, my dad would teach summer school, which means he got home from work in the late morning. One day every summer, he would come home from work and announce that we were going to Great America for the rest of the day. My dad taught my brother and I to love riding roller coasters during these trips. I can still remember the first time I rode on an upside-down roller coaster when I was six years old. My dad said I was “white as a sheet” when I got off, but it must have been all right, because I‘ve been riding them ever since!

After 20 years of marriage, my parents divorced while I was in high school. Although this was a difficult time for me, I maintain close relationships with both my mother and father. My mother, father and brother all live in or near the Chicago area. I also have a grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousin who live in the area. We get together on a regular basis, and always have a good time. I also have additional grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who live in various parts of the country. Although I am not able to see them as often, we do try to visit each other as much as possible. Everyone in my family is very excited about us adopting a child, and they are eager to be a grandparent or uncle for the first time.

After high school, I attended college at the University of Illinois in Urbana – Champaign, where I earned both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in architecture. I remember my college years as being a wonderful experience, and I still have a number of friends from college whom I see on a regular basis. I had the privilege of spending my junior year in college in a study abroad program in France. I lived and went to school in Versailles, which is just a short train ride from Paris. I spent a lot of time visiting and studying all the incredible architecture in Paris. I also had the opportunity to visit most of the countries in Western Europe that year as well.

After graduation, I spent several years working in an architect’s office to gain the experience I needed to take my architectural licensing exam. I currently work in a large architectural and construction firm designing buildings such as schools, police stations and recreation buildings. I find the work to be very challenging and very satisfying.

Creativity is very important to me, and many of my hobbies reflect this, including photography, playing the flute and model railroading. I play flute regularly at church, and also play in a local community band. I am also currently in the process of building a model railroad layout in the basement of our house. When complete, it will include miniature re-creations of towns, mountains, rivers and tunnels. I also enjoy many outdoor activities, such as biking, hiking and rafting. In the past, I have taken outdoor “adventure vacations”, doing things such as backpacking in Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountains, and white-water rafting through the entire length of the Grand Canyon.

How Sarah describes Scott
Scott is a fun-loving, self-disciplined, respectful gentleman. He has a gentle and reserved nature. He is equally and strongly dedicated to his career, our marriage and our family. Scott is always smiling and his eyes light up when children are around. I have seen this especially when he is around his cousins during family get-togethers. Scott will be an awesome, involved father! I can’t wait to see him teach our child how to ride a bike, camp in the wilderness, run the model trains, catch a ball, build a skyscraper out of Legos, or take a photograph!

About Sarah
I am a Wyoming native and was born and raised in the largest city in the state, Casper. Casper has around 50,000 residents. After about 30 years of living in Casper, my parents now live in Western Colorado along with my maternal grandmother. My parents have now been married for an amazing 42 years. My father was an elementary school teacher for 30 years. My mother stayed home with me for my first 3 years then began a career in early childhood education. Throughout my school years, she created and directed a few daycares and preschools. Eventually she earned her Master’s degree in child and family studies while I was in high school. My parents are now retired and are beyond eager to welcome a new grandchild into the family.  I have one sister, Anne, who is three years older than me. We are opposite in many ways but are very close. She lives in Eastern Tennessee with her husband, Ken, and their two cats and works as a college librarian. Anne looks forward to finally becoming an aunt. Although my immediate family is miles away, we are very close and stay in close contact. We try to see each other at least twice yearly and I’m sure we’ll see each other even more often when a grandchild becomes part of the family. My parents are thinking of buying a place in Kentucky or Tennessee where they will spend the winters to be closer to Anne and me.

My mother is the oldest of five children, one boy and four girls. One of her sisters is only eight years older than me and does live in the Chicago area. She is more like a sister than an aunt. My mom’s brother lives in Texas and another sister lives in England. The remaining sister lived in Wisconsin but unfortunately passed away in 1994. My father has two sisters who both live in the Chicago area. I have nine cousins. As mentioned, my maternal grandmother lives in Colorado. My other grandparents have all passed away. It is difficult to see all my relatives on a regular basis since we are so spread apart, but we do keep in contact via frequent phone calls and e-mails.

My childhood was full of activities, traveling, and education. I was a top student and loved to learn, a love that continues today. I also became involved in numerous activities.  I began piano lessons at age six and began playing the flute in band in 5th grade. Five years worth of figure skating lessons started in third grade. I played on the elementary volleyball team in the 5th and 6th grades and took gymnastics classes every so often. By the 8th grade, my parents decided that I needed to cut down on the number of activities in which I participated. So, I only continued with choirs and band through high school and piano lessons through college. My parents saved up money when they could so that we could travel in the USA and eventually overseas. Memorable trips included ones to Washington DC, California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, England and Scotland. After I graduated from veterinary school, I traveled to Germany and Austria for few weeks since at that time my parents had been living in Germany for a couple years.

I attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington for my undergraduate degree in biology. It was an adjustment to move there from Wyoming and not be able to see my parents very often. In the end, it was very rewarding to attend a small liberal arts school and live in another part of the United States. I certainly did not greatly miss the snowy weather in Wyoming. From there, after three years of applying, I attended Washington State University for veterinary school and earned my doctorate degree in 2000.

My first job out of school was in Bloomington, Indiana. I spent a year there but decided the position was not the right one for me, especially because I was on-call for overnight and weekend emergencies about three days out of the week. My new position took me to Channahon, Illinois, near Joliet, where I lived for three years before marrying Scott. I now work a little less than full-time at a hospital near our home in the Western Suburbs. Being a veterinarian is challenging not only because of the extensive knowledge needed, but also because of the variety of cases I see in one day. I sometimes go from seeing an adorable puppy or kitten for a wellness visit to having to help a family through their decision to have their long time companion euthanized in the same morning or afternoon. It is an emotionally and physically rewarding but also challenging career. As a veterinarian, I have become more empathetic, compassionate and patient. My faith has definitely helped me through the more difficult aspects of my career.

Outside of work, I have many interests and am always finding new things to learn.
I continue to challenge myself to learn new piano pieces and enjoy participating in our church’s music ensembles. Since moving into our house, I have taken up gardening and am excited about having multiple areas where I can plant flowers. Someday there will also be a vegetable garden in our backyard! I also take part in women’s Bible study and volunteer where I can. I always am on the search for a new class to take, whether it is in pottery or composting!

How Scott describes Sarah
Sarah is a very intelligent and caring person, and she has a great love for learning. She has always had great compassion for those who don’t have a voice for themselves. She demonstrates this compassion in the work she does every day, caring for and treating God’s creatures. I know that this compassion will carry over to our children as well. She will be a loving, caring and involved mother, who will occupy herself with the concerns and activities of our children. I can’t wait to see her playing games or reading books with them, teaching them to play the piano (or another musical instrument) or teaching them about the world they live in.

Our Road to Adoption
Our road to adoption has been a little different than most. We have always talked about having a family, and we conceived our first child a few weeks before our first anniversary. We spent the summer and fall excitedly preparing for Nathanael’s arrival. Our entire family was also preparing for his arrival, as he was to be the first grandchild and great-grandchild on both sides of our family. Unfortunately, Sarah had a very sudden and severe complication about two weeks before Nathanael’s due date, which resulted in him being stillborn. As Sarah recovered, we placed great hope on being able to try having another child very soon. As the months passed, however, her doctors began to recommend that she not become pregnant again, out of concern that another pregnancy would pose too much of a health risk for her.

Coming to terms with this has been difficult for both of us. We first had to deal with the loss of our son, and then, a few months later, we had to deal with the very real possibility that we would not be able to have biological children. We have received a lot of support from our family, friends and our church, and we have come to the realization that God creates families in many different ways. We believe that He will take this tragedy and use it as an opportunity to do something wonderful in our lives. After reading several books, attending agency meetings, and talking to friends who have adopted children, we have become excited about the joy, the opportunities, and the challenges which adoption brings.

Our Faith
Our faith is an important part of our lives. Both Sarah and Scott grew up in families who regularly attended their local Presbyterian church. We continue as Presbyterians, and are involved in a church very close to our house. We attend church weekly and also meet with other couples in a small group about every two weeks. Sarah is involved in the choir and bell choir as well as a women’s Bible study group, and Scott is involved in the church orchestra. We also volunteer when we can for a variety of local missions and causes. Our church has a very active children’s program, and we can’t wait for our child to be involved in it. We feel it is important for our child to have a strong belief in and love for God and Jesus, and that this happens with a combination of teaching and leading by example both at home and at church. Our child would regularly attend church and Sunday school, and would be encouraged to become involved in various church activities. We would also encourage our child to be a giving and compassionate person.
 

Our lives together
We live in an older neighborhood in a Chicago suburb. Scott purchased a house in 2000 and it has since been almost completely remodeled. Scott himself did most of the work on the house, with some help from his dad, brother, and other family members. Our neighborhood is very family – friendly and safe, with parks nearby, excellent schools, and lots of younger children living around us. We live close to a commuter train station, making it easy to take weekend trips into the city. We also live close to the college in town and the downtown area, with many shops and restaurants, an excellent library, a farmer’s market every week, the Prairie Path for walks and bike rides, concerts in the park during the summer, and parades on holidays. Also in our area a large variety of educational opportunities and activities for children exist.

We enjoy going on date nights with each other, usually going to a local restaurant on the weekend. We enjoy attending musicals and concerts, going to museums, or just staying home and watching a movie or TV, or playing games. One of our favorite things to do together is traveling. We have been to many places in the past few years, including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, California, Tennessee, the Canadian Rockies, England, the Caribbean, and most recently, Disney World. (We look forward to making that trip again a few years down the road with our children!). As mentioned, both of us traveled extensively with our families when we were younger, and we look forward to continuing that tradition with our children. We can’t wait to re-experience some of the most magnificent wonders our country has to offer, such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, through the eyes of our children.

As you may have guessed, with Sarah being a veterinarian, pets are an important part of our lives. Sarah brought four cats into our marriage. Their names have a “musical” theme, and are Rhapsody, Harmony, Melody, and Symphony. Unfortunately Symphony passed away a couple of years ago after fighting a long illness. Scott brought one cat, Mindy, into our marriage. She recently passed away at the ripe old age of seventeen, so we currently have three cats. All of them are very affectionate, and we anticipate that they would gladly welcome a child into our family.

Openness in adoption/Future plans
We feel that it is important for our child to be aware of their connection to their birth parents. Our child will know they were adopted, and we will always speak with them about their birthparents with a great deal of love and respect. We want them to know that they are loved by their birthparents, and it was because of that love that their birthparents made an adoption plan for them.

We are willing to consider any level of openness you may wish to discuss with us. We also understand that the level of desired openness may change over time. We are very much open to sending letters and photographs as well as having occasional gatherings, and we will always consider what is best for the child in making these decisions.

Once a child becomes part of our lives, Sarah will reduce her work hours and work part time in order to stay home as much as possible to care for our child. She would also arrange her work hours in order to maximize the time our child would be able to stay at home with one parent or the other. During the time both Sarah and Scott are working, the child would be in a high-quality childcare program.

We feel it is very important for us as parents to be a constant and loving presence in our child’s life. We hope to instill in them a love of lifelong learning, whether it is formalized education in school, or informal education thru discovery and first-hand experiences in everyday life. We feel that one of our many responsibilities as parents is to help our child discover their own interests and talents, and to encourage them in these pursuits.  

We are both excitedly looking forward to becoming parents and we hope to someday adopt at least one more child. That way, our child can look forward to being a big brother or sister to a future sibling.

Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. Please know that we are thinking of you and praying for you. May God be with you and bless you in this challenging time, and may He give you peace in whatever decision you make.

For more information please contact Sunny Ridge Family Center.

Sarah and Scott

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