Dear Birth Mom,
We are Brian and Jeannie, Patrick, Brendan and Tommy. We are grateful to have the opportunity to write this letter to you today, share pictures of our family, and tell you about our lives and our hopes and dreams for a child. We hope that through these words and pictures you will get to know us, as well as see the type of home and family we are able to provide.
Before telling you about ourselves, we would first like to let you know how amazed we are by your strength and courage. We honor the beautiful decision you have made to give your child the opportunity to experience life in this world. We also truly appreciate your considering our family as the right family for your child. We can provide your child with a loving family and a life filled with happiness and opportunities for a bright future.
We are both in our 30's and have been happily married for 12 years. Brian is a lawyer, and Jeannie is a stay at home mom and former 3rd grade school teacher. We live in a beautiful, spacious, two-story house in a quaint, mid-western town. Our neighborhood is full of young families and lots of children. On a nice day, you can hear sounds of many children playing in their yards and riding bikes with their siblings and friends. We live just a few blocks from the lake and close to several large, neighborhood parks. We are blessed to have both sets of our parents, and many of our siblings and their young children all living within 10 minutes of our home. Many of our weekend days include fun times together with family and neighborhood friends.
As you can see, we have three young boys, ages 5, 7 and 9 (By the way, we would love to adopt a boy or girl. Either or both would be fantastic.). We are a family filled with love and laughter and would very much like to add another child to our family. We have always dreamed of having a larger family. However, after several years of trying, we were heart-broken when we learned that we were no longer able to give birth to another child. For us, the decision to adopt a child is easy, and one we are looking forward to with great excitement. How a child comes to us, whether biological or through adoption, is not important. Rather, what is important is that we have a chance to love another child and welcome him or her into our family. Many of our closest friends whom we see regularly have beautiful, blended families through the miracle of adoption. We have seen first-hand that regardless of how these children have joined their families, they are all welcomed equally with unconditional love. We are excited to expand our family in this way and want you to know that your child would not be receiving one-fourth of our attention because we have other children, but 100% of the attention of our entire family. Also, with the boys in school, Jeannie will be able to spend the whole day with your child until we greet the boys as they get off the school bus.
Recently, after much pleading from our boys, we decided to entertain the idea of getting a new puppy. We had the boys compose an essay regarding what it takes to care for and train a new dog. The essay was very entertaining but not nearly as much as Rooster the wonder dog. We named him Rooster because of the little tuft of hair that sticks up from his head. He is a cockapoo (half cocker spaniel half poodle) which are non-shedding breeds so most people won't be allergic to him. They are wonderful dogs around children, and we have already seen the gentle way he takes to the boys.
We both grew up as one of five children, and we're still great friends with all of our siblings today. The love and laughter of our childhood years is still very much a part of our lives, as we continue to share many special times with our parents and siblings. Some of our favorite memories are the many fun-filled summer days we spend at the same lake house Jeannie and her family has been going to for the past 30 years. There, our children and their cousins spend countless hours swimming in the lake, building sandcastles at the beach, chasing fireflies, roasting smores and hiking in the woods, much the same way Jeannie and her brothers and sisters did when they were growing up.
Our experience as parents, and having many siblings ourselves, has allowed us to see the joy that siblings bring to one another on a daily basis. We not only have our love to offer, but also the love, friendship and guidance of three older brothers. Through our own childhood experiences and those of our children, we know how important it is to have siblings to read a story with at night, play catch with in the yard, whisper secrets into each others' ears, laugh with on the swing set, and hug and kiss before turning out the lights. It so sweet to see Patrick help his younger brother, Tommy, tie his shoes, and the high-fives they give one another when someone scores a goal in soccer. We watched with great joy this past fall as Brendan and Patrick held Thomas' hand walking into the first day of kindergarten. Siblings have such a unique understanding of one another and a wonderful bond. They know when to laugh at each other's silly jokes, when to give a tender hug, and when to give a helping hand. It is our hope and dream to be fortunate enough to share with your child these gifts that siblings offer. We have talked at length with our children about adoption. Not a week goes by without one of them excitedly asking us when they will be able to meet their new brother or sister.
About Jeannie
Jeannie was born in the town in which we live, which is right next to the town where I grew up. She is the second oldest of 5 children, as was I. There were three girls and two boys in her family, and her parents have been happily married for forty-one years. Although Jeannie no longer wears the pigtails seen in many of her childhood pictures, she still is the same beautiful girl I fell in love with when we first met near the end of high school. I was first attracted by how sweet and kind she was to people, even to the shy boy I was standing in the corner. She is a faithful friend to all, and I admire the way she is able to find hope even in the most difficult of situations.
Jeannie is an unbelievably sweet and caring wife and mother, in part because her parents were wonderful role models when she was growing up. Her parents taught her to always be kind to people and to help others everyday. They also taught her never to take anything for granted and to be thankful for what you have.
Jeannie loves staying home to take care of the family. She is quite a cook and enjoys making big family dinners. She also loves to read, do arts and crafts, jog and take family walks and bike rides to the beach.
Jeannie has always had a great love of children and learning. Because of this, she decided to become a grade school teacher when she graduated from college. We often run into many of her admiring former students and their parents around town, a number of whom have gone out of their way to remind Jeannie many years later of the lasting impact she has had on their children's' lives. When I would visit her classroom over the years, I used to watch with joy at the way she smiled at her students and was proud of the way they looked up to her. It was at these moments that I knew she would be a very special mom.
Now that Jeannie is a stay at home mom, she treasures teaching our children. She lovingly taught them to read and write at an early age. I enjoy watching Jeannie curl up in bed at night to read stories to our children. Because of her enthusiasm for learning, they have all developed a great love for reading and school.
About Brian
Brian grew up with three brothers and one sister. His parents have been happily married for over forty years and live close by. Brian's dad is a doctor, and his mom is a former nurse who stayed at home raising the kids. Many of the values he learned growing up are reflected in his life today. He learned to work hard, enjoy life, be good to his brothers and sister, and respectful of people. He had dinner every night as a family and afterwards they were all expected to chip in with the chores. Brian excelled at school and sports growing up. He has also always been a very compassionate and kind person. In fact, before going to law school after graduating from college, Brian worked for two years with an after school program for underprivileged children. Through his experiences with this program, Brian developed a great love of children and learned to recognize the differences and strengths that exist in every child.
Brian and I became instant friends when we met near the end of high school. As our friendship grew, I came to know the many qualities that make him the truly great person that he is. He is completely devoted to his family, a great listener, and likes nothing more than being playful with kids. He makes me laugh when I see him dancing silly, and he makes me smile when I hear him reading stories and singing songs to the kids at bedtime. He loves being active outdoors as much as possible-jogging, swimming, biking and throwing the ball in the yard, to name a few. He looks forward to raking the leaves, shoveling the driveway and hanging the Christmas lights.
All my siblings and parents loved Brian when we first started dating. My mom used to tell me that he was going to be a great father someday. I knew he was special, and I am continually amazed by his love and positive outlook on life. His great love of life and family is obvious by the time he spends coaching our children's teams, organizing large extended family gatherings, playing games and activities, as well as sharing new experiences with our kids. 
I will always remember the smile on Brendan's face and the proud look on Brian's as he ran alongside Brendan with training wheels off on his bike for the first time. Brian wanted Brendan to feel independent and take a risk, while giving him safety and comfort in knowing that his dad was just an arms length away- just in case he needed him. The qualities I see in Brian carry over into his friendships, work relationships, and most importantly into our marriage and parenting.
About Patrick, Brendan, and Tommy
We would like to tell you a little bit about our kids so that you can know what sort of brothers your baby would grow up with. They are truly looking forward to having a new sibling to love and share life's experiences with. They know that babies find their families in different ways and how a brother or sister arrives doesn't matter.
Our 9-year old, Patrick, loves to have fun-he enjoys all types of sports, he loves to read, swim, listen to music, run in the yard and play with his brothers, friends from school and the neighborhood. His favorite food is pizza and favorite movie is Star Wars. Our 7-year old, Brendan, is very, very sweet-he loves playing with his little cousins, riding his bike, playing on the swing set, doing science experiments and building sandcastles at the beach. His favorite food is mom's spaghetti and meatballs and his favorite cartoon is Scoobie-Doo. Our 5-year old, Tommy, has a beautiful smile, loves to giggle and play, paint and color, ride his scooter and build with blocks for hours on end. His favorite food is macaroni and cheese, and he loves to watch Bob the Builder.
We also want to tell you that we do many things together as a family. We treasure the simple things we do together - having dinner together, riding bikes, playing on our backyard swing set, collecting rocks at the beach, sledding at a neighborhood hill, playing games by the fireplace, singing silly songs and reading bedtime stories. The kids love to play basketball on the driveway, run through the sprinkler, and color the sidewalk with chalk. Our boys love to be kids, and we give them a safe, loving environment in which they can enjoy doing the things that kids do.
We are both very loving and compassionate people. We accept each of our kids for who they are. While we help them to be the very best people they can be, we also understand that each of them is different, with their own strengths and needs. We will always accept your baby for who he or she is. We will give your baby every opportunity in the world we possibly can. We will never judge him or her or place unrealistic expectations on your baby. Your baby's happiness will be our primary concern.
We know that this is a difficult time in your life, and we want you to know that no matter what you choose to do in the future, you'll be making the right decision for you and your baby. As much as we hope you're able to gain some insight into our lives and visualize what we have to offer, we know that no single letter can convey everything. However, we hope that you find comfort and assurance through our words and pictures, as well as knowing that our marriage and family values are based on love, truth, and respect. We believe that one of the reasons these values are so important to us is because of our Faith in God. It is important that you remember during this time in your life to listen with your heart while considering the many options that you have- it will always lead you in the right direction. It has led us to the beautiful world of adoption!
Please know that our promise to you is that your child will have every opportunity to have a happy life full of love from two adoring parents and three very sweet brothers. You will be able to rest assured that your child will grow up respecting you and the tremendous sacrifice you have made in giving him or her the chance to experience life in this world. We will always have enormous respect for you and the amazing gift of life you have given to us.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please let Steve and Joel Kirsh know and they will contact us right away. You can reach them anytime at 800-333-5736. We are eager to share more details about our family so that you are able to make the best decision for you and your baby. Likewise, if you choose us as parents, we would be happy to send you regular updates through photos and letters letting you know how your child is getting along, if you wish.
God bless you.
Brian and Jeannie
