Dear Birthmother:

We are grateful for the chance to tell you about ourselves and our dreams for a family. We are Eric and Diane. We live in a small town in the Midwest, surrounded by family and friends. Eric's parents live a couple miles from us, and Diane's mom is just an hour away. Eric is a sales representative, and Diane is an elementary school teacher.

We are blessed with our love for each other, close families, great careers, and our health. But our infertility has been a stumbling block in realizing our dream of a family. We long for the chance to share our love with a child and to give a child a life filled with support and opportunity. We respect and admire your strong and loving decision to consider adoption for your child. We hope that our story and our family matches the dreams you have for finding the right parents to raise your child.

Diane: I grew up on a farm in a small town near where we now live. I am the youngest of five children, with four older brothers. You can well imagine how spoiled I was to be the baby of the family, and the only girl. My big brothers were great role models who were always looking out for me. We all had chores to do on the family farm. When we weren't helping out, we were outside, water skiing on the lake, boating, fishing, playing in the woods, and having friends over. My friends were always welcome in our home. My two closest childhood friends would often go on vacation with us, and I would stay at their house if my parents went out of town. I want our child's friends to love being at our home, and to know that they are always welcome and safe with us. It's great to be the house where all the kids hang out.

My dad, who passed away last year, was a farmer, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom until I started junior high, when she started working part time at a local restaurant. I really had a great childhood. My parents' expectations for us were clear and consistent. We were expected to do our school work before going out to play. We were praised for behaving responsibly, being honest, and working hard. Family was always a priority. And we knew that a positive attitude increased our chances for happiness and success.

My parents worked hard and made a lot of personal sacrifices so my brothers and I could go to college. My dad was very careful with the money he earned. Being a farmer makes you that way. One never knows from one season to the next what the harvest will be like.

He wanted to be sure we always had what we needed. In addition to his farm work and being an elder at our church, he drove a school bus. The kids loved him because he had a radio on the bus and let the kids listen to their favorite radio station during the ride to school. Everyone wanted to ride my dad's "cool" bus. Everyone loved my dad. Five hundred people from our small town attended his funeral.

My mom has always been at the center of my life. She and my dad attended all of our sports events, my band concerts, and my tennis matches. She was there when I got home from school, there when I got home from dates; she is always there -- even now -- for me.

Let me give you an example of how my mom is always there for me. On 9/11 (which occurred before Eric and I married), I spent the day with the 27 children in my class, talking them through the horrific events, informing them and comforting them. I was exhausted and emotionally drained -- like the rest of America -- when I got home that evening, and I immediately called my parents to talk things over with them. An hour after I hung up the telephone, my mom knocked on my door. She drove an hour on a lonely, dark night to be with me. She heard the sadness and fear in my voice, and she didn't want me to be alone. She hugged me and we cried. Like her, I want to always be present for my son or daughter, offering comfort and support, cheers and hugs, during tough times and times of joy.

Diane with our nieces, Alexandra and Annelise. They’re eager to welcome a cousin.

Church is a big part of our family life. It's where we created community, studied, celebrated, and mourned. We learned the values of respect, kindness, and taking care of others at church, and we watched our parents live those values in their everyday lives. I am committed to modeling those values for my child, too.

Every summer my extended family gets together for our annual reunion. As kids we would gather at my grandmother's home, a tiny house that could have felt very cramped with so many people in it. But I never remember feeling crowded. I just remember being surrounded by love. Our family gets together for all the holidays. We spend Christmas Eve at my mom's house, opening presents, from youngest to oldest. And we attend church together. We never miss a birthday. My fourteen nieces and nephews range in age from five to 27 years old, so we have a lot going on when we get together. Eric and I can't wait to add our child to the fun.

My family always encouraged me to be a teacher. They thought I'd be a natural because I love children so much. I have been teaching for 13 years. I've not only grown as an educator, but I've also learned a lot about how to parent. I understand the importance of consistency and positive reinforcement.

We both intend to continue working after we adopt. Fortunately, as a teacher, I will be home in the mid afternoon, have school holidays and vacations and summers off. Eric has flexibility in his job as well; he can work from home as needed. Both of our employers are extremely supportive of our decision to adopt, and are family-oriented.

With our "child", Alli.

I met Eric at a waterskiing tournament. I couldn't get over how easy he was to talk to. He's kind and caring, sincere, and dependable. He loves to have fun, and he's so genuine and confident himself, that he makes others feel comfortable immediately. We love to be on the water together, whether it's boating, fishing, or paddling a canoe. We talk for hours; Eric is a great listener. I love watching Eric with his brother's children, Katie and Briant. They are teenagers now, and they still love to spend time with him. Kids know that they're safe with Eric. He knows how to make everything they do fun.

We love to spend evenings with our friends, cooking out at home or going out together. We recently started a ballroom dancing class, certain that we could be on "Dancing with the Stars." Unfortunately, our hopes have been dashed. I hadn't counted on Eric not being able to remember the steps from one class to the next. Still, we're having a great time, and getting a lot of laughs out of this class.

Eric: I grew up with my older brother, Brian, in a rural area on a lake. We spent a great deal of our time boating. My parents have been married almost 50 years and have served as terrific role models. I wouldn't change a thing about how I was raised.

My dad was a salesman, and my mom was at home full time. We always had family projects going. I spent a lot of time with my dad, learning carpentry and how to use and care for tools. We had a large extended family, and we spent a lot of time together. Almost every Sunday, we went to my uncle and aunt's farm. We would ride horses, fish, hunt, and ride motorcycles. That's where I acquired my love for the outdoors. In high school, I wrestled, played football, and played in the band. My parents were always around to cheer me on. But, they made it clear that my school work was more important than sports or social activities.

We spent a lot of summer weekends boating. My dad would come home early on Friday afternoons to go to the lake. But, before we could take out our boat, it had to be waxed. If Brian and I didn't get it done, we didn't go. It was a good lesson in responsibility and priorities.

On our honeymoon in Grand Cayman.

Whenever we visited our grandparents, we knew we were in for a treat. My grandfather loved to fly remote-control model planes. He even built a runway for take-offs and landings. We were the crash crew as Grandpa made the plane roll, dive, and go into one acrobatic maneuver after another. When a plane crashed, we would spring into action, retrieving pieces from wherever they'd scattered - even in the neighbor's field. Within a couple weeks, when we'd return, the plane would be pieced back together, and the fun would start over again.

When my nephew, Briant, was seven years old, he wanted to go camping with me. At that time, I lived in the country, in the woods, on a small lake. At night, you could see and hear all kinds of animals: raccoons, opossums, coyotes, bullfrogs, and owls. When it came time to put up the tent and get ready for bed, Briant wasn't so sure that sleeping outside was as good of an idea as he had thought it was. He definitely didn't think that sleeping at the lake was a good idea. His first choice was pitching the tent right outside my back door, underneath the porch light. After some discussion, I convinced him that I wouldn't leave his side, the animals wouldn't bother us, and that he could leave his flashlight on all night long in the tent. We put the tent up at the lake. After a half-hour of questioning every little sound, he fell asleep. He woke in the morning with a smile on his face - ready to camp out another night. I loved it. I want to be that calming person in my child's life, offering reassurance when things are scary, security when my child takes a risk, and offering praise for his or her accomplishments.

My parents live just a few miles from us, and my brother and his family are just thirty minutes away. I see my parents a couple times a week and my brother at least once a week. We all get together for dinners, fishing, and waterskiing. I'm just as close to Diane's family. In fact, I knew her brothers before I knew her. Everyone is excited about us adopting, and we're grateful for their enthusiasm and support.

Diane is one of the most positive people I know. She is always smiling, and people know what a kind heart she has. I know she'll be a fantastic mother. She loves children and knows how to touch their hearts. I often think about her reading to our child, playing games with him or her, or baking cookies together. (I can't wait to take our child boating, fishing, or whatever activity he or she is interested in.)

We were both raised with lots of hugs, kisses, affection, and praise - and we want to raise our child the same way. It is remarkable to me that we both find it so easy to compromise when we disagree about something. It's a very positive part of our relationship and demonstrates our commitment to each other and to the importance of family. Because we share the same values of family first, leading a life of integrity and honesty, working hard, and finding the good in others, I feel confident that we can model those values for your child. I learned from watching my parents, and I want to give that gift to my child.

Our home is surrounded by pine trees with lots of room to play and explore.

I really enjoy my job. I like meeting new people, the challenge of sales, and the satisfaction of closing a deal. I am grateful that my job gives me the flexibility to be at home when needed, attend a school event, or take a child to the doctor. I think that finding the right balance between work and family is very important. I have been raised with a strong work ethic, but not to the exclusion of family. I want my child to always know that I will be there when I'm needed, that I can always be counted on. I want to give him or her the security and stability I was raised with as a child.

Diane and Eric: We live in a quaint town with one main street and no stoplights. It's nestled among rolling hills and surrounded by apple orchards. Our schools have small enrollments and class sizes and the children get lots of personal attention from their teachers.

Our house is a home. It has character and country charm. We have lots of land, with barns and pine trees, and a hammock stretched between two of those trees. We love to rock in the hammock, listening to the wind, the leaves rustling, and the birds around us. We imagine our yard filled with children's toys and the wonderful sounds of a child at play. We talk about gardening with our child, taking walks together, and just curling up for a nap together. We imagine Alli, our springer spaniel chasing around the yard, playing fetch with our child

Together in our big back yard.

Our parents taught us to appreciate what we have, but to never let go of our dreams. We know how fortunate we are to have each other, our families, and our careers. But we continue to dream of becoming parents. We want to share our love and give a child a solid foundation to realize his or her dreams. We would be happy to send you letters and photos letting you know how you child is getting along, if you wish.

We wish you and your child the very best future. If you would like to contact us, please call our attorneys, Steve or Joel Kirsh at 1-800-333-5736.

Our thoughts are with you.

Sincerely,
Eric and Diane