Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read our letter. We know that you have an extraordinary task in front of you, and we look forward to sharing as much as possible about us in the next few minutes.

Spending time together on the beach in South Carolina.

Our names are Doyle and Kathy. We are both math teachers at the same high school in the Midwest. Doyle coaches volleyball and softball and is the math department chairman, and Kathy is the tennis coach and assistant athletic director. Together we are the FCA huddle coaches for our school. We met 8 years ago when Doyle interviewed for an open position at the high school, and Kathy was on the interview committee. Talk about hiring the right guy for the job! We have now been married for 7 years.

In the 2^nd year of our marriage, we decided it was the right time to start a family. It sounded easy enough, but we didn't have much luck. A few months after a laparoscopy, we were pregnant and were very excited. Unfortunately, like riding a roller coaster, the higher you go up, the farther you fall. It is hard to put into words the disappointment we felt when we miscarried. Since that first miscarriage, we have had another miscarriage and the stillbirth of our twin boys along the way. The devastation of the loss was worse than we ever imagined. With much support from family and friends and by the grace of God, we continued to press on. When we were both ready, we attempted IVF with a fertility specialist. It didn't work. We are finished with infertility procedures. We want to be parents way more than we want to be pregnant. We are so thankful that adoption offers us that chance.

That brings us to today and our desire to have a family. We firmly believe that all children belong to God and that He chooses parents to raise them. How exactly they arrive in a family varies a bit. You are making an amazing choice to give birth to your child. We fully understand that you had other options and chose life for this precious one. We applaud you for seeking the best future for your baby and know that it truly is a gift of love. We want you to feel confident that we are ready to offer a child a loving, caring home and an extended family that is excited to embrace another life.

The two of us after a high school basketball game.

In June, both of our families met for Father's Day in our home, 26 people in all. It was "cozy" in our 3 bedroom ranch home, but the big room in the back makes for a great gathering space. It was a sight to see everyone standing in a circle holding hands as Doyle said Grace. Between the Bocce ball in the backyard, card games in the front room, and the surprise fire on the grill, it made for a lively day. It was great having everyone over, but we must admit that with each passing Mother's and Father's Day, our hearts grow heavy wondering if we will ever be able to celebrate those holidays as a Mom and a Dad ourselves.

Spending time with our families is high on our list of priorities. Doyle's parents and brother's family along with Kathy's parents, her brother's and 2 sister's families all live within 45 minutes of our home. We want our nieces and nephews to know each other since we both remember fondly playing with our cousins growing up. The invitations go out in November for what is now known as "The Bowling Party". We take the kids bowling, and then they stay at our house after a night, and we do mean all night, of hide and go seek, Skipbo, Uno, Twister, and movie watching.

In our spare time, Doyle is an avid computer "geek". He loves to play games online as well as card games with Kathy and anyone who is willing to get in on the action. Doyle also plays on a baseball team in the summer. Games are one night a week and it gives him a chance to relive the "glory days" and get some exercise. Kathy likes to read and enjoys listening to music while she takes long walks. She also still enjoys hitting the tennis courts every now and then just to keep her game up to par with her team. Together, Doyle and Kathy enjoy traveling. From Florida to California, it's always nice to get away for awhile and see our beautiful country.

I have trouble describing Kathy as words get in the way. I can only relate to you the type of person that she is by telling you of the things she does. During the school year, it is an everyday occurrence to see one or more of the tennis girls standing around her desk, just to chat. You might also see her scurrying around the gymnasium making sure that whatever event is happening that night is coming off without any snags. When she is at home, I love to listen to her play the piano or sneak in to peak on her while she is reading a book in the living room. But most of the time, she likes to be out on a walk through the park. Nothing brings a bigger smile to her face than to listen to our 2-year old nephew discuss the difference between "big and widdow". Deep down I think she hopes he never learns to say his "L's". I have never seen a person who will spend that much time coloring the same photocopy of a coloring book, just to make a 4-year old nephew's day. Whether it's the art of making S-mores or sitting for hours watching animals at the county fair, she never stops supporting the extended family in anything they do.

I love to laugh, and since I met Doyle it's what I've done most every day regardless of our circumstances. In the middle of our wedding ceremony, after we lit the unity candle, a slight breeze caused the flame to flicker a bit. At that solemn moment, Doyle leans over to me and says, "It would not be a good sign if it went out". His Mom tells the story of how one day, when Doyle was a child, he was walking around the house with a bottle spraying people. She told him to put that thing "up". He stopped and held the bottle above his head. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. His wisecracking ways make him a favorite among students, but they also know that he cares about them. He wrote many letters of recommendation this school year trying to help his students receive much needed scholarships. I guess that what I see is that people genuinely like Doyle. I love to watch one of our nieces sit and rub the top of his head (not much hair to get in the way) and just giggle as she snuggles with Uncle Doyle. He loves people and is not shy about telling them so.

On our honeymoon in 1998 spending quality time with Mickey.

As we look forward to adding to our family, it's exciting to dream of who our child will be. What talents can we foster? What interests can we cultivate? We want our child to realize his or her potential while becoming a loving, caring person with a heart of compassion for others. Through relationships with Sunday school classmates, to hanging out with cousins, there is much waiting here for our child. Also, Kathy plans to be a full-time, stay-at-home Mom, and Doyle looks forward to being a loving Dad at every possible moment, especially when school vacations roll around. Our favorite place is Disney World, and we can't wait to share that love with our child.

Trip to California to visit high school friends.

We know that reading a couple of pages about 2 people may not answer all of your questions, but hopefully it gives you a glimpse into who we are and what we're all about. If you would like more information about us, you can contact Steve and Joel at (800) 333-5736. If you call after regular business hours, their answering service will page them and they will call you back as soon as possible. We are willing to talk or meet with you at your convenience if you like. We also are happy to send updates to you in the form of photos and letters of your child if you wish. Please be assured that none of us want to pressure you into any decisions and that you are not obligated to proceed with an adoption by calling. We all want to provide you with the information you need to make a decision that you will be comfortable with.

Thanks again for reading our letter. We are thrilled about the possibility of having a child join our family.

Sincerely,

Doyle and Kathy