Paul and Ellen

We would like to start by saying thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Our names are Paul and Ellen. We know that you will not be able to know everything about us from this, but we hope it will give you some insight.

We cannot imagine the difficulty you must be facing in trying to plan for your child. For you to consider adoption shows an over- whelming amount of love for your child. If you should decide to allow us to be parents to your child, we would always make sure that he or she knows what a very special person you are and of your courage and unconditional love for your child. Also, we would tell him or her anything that you would want them to know about you.

We feel that the biggest blessing that we could receive would be that of a child. Our desire to have children has been expressed through several years of attempting to conceive children on our own. In the past, we have sought the assistance of reproductive specialist. Even though this process created many personal hardships, we continued in our desire and determination to have a child. We have had almost daily contact with children throughout our lives through family and personal friends. We both come from fairly large families with lots of nieces and nephews. We wanted more than anything to be parents and are thankful that adoption gave us that opportunity.

Meeting Phillip for the first time

Through a lot of prayers and working with Steve & Joel Kirsh, our dream came true. We adopted our son, Phillip, who we cherish every moment of every day. He has been a blessing to us as we have watched him grow. We think of Phillips birth mother, Jessica, and how difficult the decision was for her to make an adoption plan. We know that she made this decision out of love for her child. Phillip will always know that she cares about him and will always be a special person in our hearts. We provided Jessica with updates and pictures and will do the same for you if you would like.

Phillip would love to have a brother or sister to grow up and play with each day. We can envision our children making castles in the sandbox and playing on the swing set in the backyard. The decision you make as a birth mother is one of love you make for your child.

We know you are thinking of the best for your child and if you were to choose us, we would give him or her all the love that you would want given.

I (Ellen) come from a family of 5 girls. When I was growing up, we used to go to my grandmother's vacation home in the mountains. These trips were always an adventure to my sisters and I. We would go exploring in the surrounding woods to find different "treasures". These would usually be pretty leaves, birds' nests and pinecones (between the 5 of us, I think my parents had the largest pinecone collection around). One of my favorite memories of this time was when we would pack up a cooler for a picnic at the lagoon. Here, we would swim or lay on a huge wooden float. Sometimes, my sisters and I, would all lie on our backs, side by side, looking up at the clouds. We would point out to each other, the different pictures, such as dogs and cats. This would usually be an all day event ending with a trip into town for some homemade ice cream at the local diner. My parents always made sure that these were fun trips and that there was always something to do. These are the kind of memories that we hope to make with our children.

Paul is a wonderful father. He is a very caring and thoughtful person, always willing to help and go that extra mile. He is a loving, affectionate, and attentive father to Phillip and has a wonderful relationship with all of our nieces and nephews. He can't wait to coach little league games with our children or be a scout leader. I would have to say that Paul is definitely a kid at heart. Whenever there are family get-togethers, you can usually find him in the middle of all the kids (I haven't figured out who is having a better time - the kids or Paul). They love it when he gives piggy back rides, or when they need an extra person for the football game (I think they enjoy the football game the most because they all end up tackling him regardless of which team they're on).

Not long after we were married a co-worker was asking me about Paul, my response was that I could not imagine my feelings for him would be any less in 50 years than they were the day we were married. Now, 7 years later, I feel more love and respect for him, and as each year passes I know that these feelings will only increase.

As a husband, I feel there is no one more important in my life, who I love and admire, than my wife. When I first met Ellen, through mutual friends, I found her to be funny, outgoing and independent. Over the years I have observed how caring she is of her family, friends and others. She seems to always know everyone's birthdays, anniversaries and other important events in people's lives. I knew that someone such as her would make a wonderful wife and mother someday. That is why I married her. My feelings have not changed. I see the way Ellen lovingly and tenderly cares for Phillip and interacts with our nieces, nephews and children of friends. She always takes the time to listen to them, and they always seem to want to be around her. When we go over to relatives and neighbors' houses, the children always run up to her and want to show and tell her things that they have done. Ellen doesn't hesitate to join in and give her undivided attention. You should see the mother and son bond. Phillip will lie in her arms and look up at her eyes as Ellen whispers sweet nothings to him. He likes to rub his small hands on her cheeks or twirls her hair in his fingers - this seems to soothe him. She cannot wait to do the same with the new baby we adopt. We both have plenty of love in our hearts for another child, and Phillip will make a terrific big brother and protector of our new baby. Growing up as an only child can be a lonely existence. We want the baby we adopt and Phillip to have the companionship of a sibling - a built-in playmate and confidant.

In previous years, Ellen worked for a non-profit national organization, where she worked with the public on a daily basis. At this point, all of our focus is committed to seeing our family grow through adoption. Ellen is involved with neighborhood activities and community events.

Our home

We live in a new development in which we can hear a rooster crowing and a cow mooing in the mornings from the nearby farm. At night we can hear an owl hooting from a distance. The neighbors are great, with lot of kids. The neighborhood kids love it when we take our Labrador Retriever, Maximus, down to the pond where the kids takes turns throwing a stick in for him to fetch. The township has built a new elementary school up the street. There is a great interest for the welfare of the children by the community through school and recreational activities.

In the evenings, we walk with Phillip & Maximus through the neighborhood. Our neighbors always come out and chat with us and play with Phillip & Maximus. Our dog is very playful and loves people, especially children.

Last summer, Paul's sister and her family came to visit us. Their oldest child has a handicap, and Maximus sensed this and was very gentle with her. The youngest (who is 5) played all day with Maximus, and they had a wonderful time.

While they were here, we went to the museum and saw "Sue the dinosaur". The children were able to dig for dinosaur bones and other fossils. Paul was having such a good time watching them, that he got a shovel and started digging right along with them (much to their delight). After we left the dinosaur museum, we went to the Children's Museum, where we spent the remainder of the afternoon playing with different toys and inventions.

We enjoy taking Sunday drives to sightsee and explore our surrounding community. We like going to the State Park, which is close to our home. There are many activities there for the entire family. We sometimes take a picnic lunch and sit by the pond, where we enjoy watching the other families, and envision our children, playing together in the sandbox, on the swings and riding the ponies.

Our vacation get-away

We love to take vacations at the beach, which we've been doing together for the last 10 years. Our "summer cottage" is actually a 40' trailer, which is kept at a large family Campground, about 1-mile from the ocean. Our trailer is located on a canal where we have a boat. One of our favorite things is to just cruise around on the boat and look at all the different beach houses. We also like to fish and catch crabs. We will usually get together with the neighbors and sit around a campfire at night, where we roast marshmallows and teach the kids how to make s'mores (graham crackers, marshmallow and chocolate).

Our families all try to vacation together at the beach. We have such fun building sandcastles and jumping the waves. We can't wait to take Phillip and his brother/sister along with our nieces and nephews, to play miniature golf, walk along the boardwalk, eating cotton candy and playing games. We talk and dream about the day when our children will be enjoying these vacations with us.

Getting ready for a boat ride

Before we got married, we talked about starting a family. From the day we got married, we have tried to have a child. However, we were not able to conceive, but our desire to have a child has made our bond together stronger with each other and with God. We have been blessed to have Phillip come into our lives through adoption and with your help, or someone like you, our dreams of having a brother or sister for him will come true. Ellen is a "stay-at-home" mother. We both believe that having a mother at home provides values and morals, which we hope to instill, in our children - not to mention to always have someone available for that extra hug and to kiss a scraped knee.

We have consistently had professional careers with stable incomes. We would also ensure that our children received a high quality education. We are a Christian family and would bring our children up with the same beliefs.

There is no doubt we would be able to provide our children with a safe, loving, caring and financially stable home.

We want to thank you again for taking the time to read our letter. If you would like to learn more about us and wish to speak with us, contact our lawyers, Steve or Joel Kirsh. Their telephone number is (317) 575-5555 in Indianapolis, or toll free outside the Indianapolis area 1-800-333-5736. If you call after regular business hours, their answering service will page them and one of them will call you back as soon as they can. There is nothing we would like more than to talk to you, but in no way will the Kirsh's or we try to pressure or influence your decision. Also, by calling any of us, you should not feel obligated to proceed with an adoption. The Kirsh's and both of us want to provide you with as much information as you desire.

Sincerely,

Paul & Ellen