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Dear Birthmother:

We are honored that you are taking the time to read our letter and learn more about our family. The fact that you are considering adoption speaks volumes about you. Certainly, compassion, consideration, and caring are among your traits. We realize that any decision you make is going to be a difficult one, and we are touched beyond words at the selfless and courageous act you are pondering. We wish you strength during this time and support you in the choices you are making.

We are Cindy and Jeff, both 36 years old and have been happily married for six years. We met eight years ago through Jeff's younger sister. There was an instant connection; we hit it off right away. Less than two years later, we were married. Faith, humor, and open communication are at the core of our relationship. This combination has given us the basis for a strong and healthy marriage. We are also best friends, and that makes life a lot of fun.

We feel so fortunate to have each other in our lives. We knew we wanted to have children in our lives, as well. Our first addition to the family came in 2004 with the birth of our precious son, Max. Max is the light of our lives, and the second we had him we knew we were meant to be parents. After a difficult loss two years later and a year of struggling with fertility, we have happily embraced adoption as the way to expand our family. We are so excited to be on this journey, and we are eagerly looking forward to making Max a big brother. We feel that the relationship between siblings is one of the most important relationships in a person's life.

About Jeff and Cindy

Jeff is the second child in a family of four children, all very close in age. Jeff was born and raised in a northern Chicago suburb. Two of Jeff's siblings (and three of Max's cousins) live close enough (one sibling just down the street) that we see them on a regular basis. His remaining sibling (with four children) lives in Indiana, and we see them frequently. Jeff's parents live nearby, so we see them often, too. We live in the same town that Jeff grew up in. It is nice to have such strong ties to this community and the people who live here. Those roots will be very nice for our growing family.

Cindy grew up a bit differently as a "Navy Brat" who moved from place to place throughout her life until settling here in Illinois for college. Living in places such as California, Louisiana, Germany, and the Philippines allowed for lots of cultural awareness and access to wonderful places to travel and explore. Cindy is the oldest of three children in her family. Her younger sister currently lives in California, but we do see her several times a year, and Max loves talking with her on the phone and helping Mommy send all those emails. Cindy also has a younger brother (13 years younger) who just graduated from college and is currently stationed in Florida as an officer in the United States Navy. (California and Florida make fun places to visit!) Cindy's parents are more local, and we see them every Sunday evening for an old-fashioned family dinner. We feel very fortunate to have such a wonderfully, close-knit family. Our children will have two sets of adoring grandparents, doting aunts and uncles, and lots of fun cousins to play with.

Jeff has two degrees: one in economics and the other in finance. He, along with two partners, owns his own financial planning firm, and he just loves it. He has developed wonderful relationships with his clients, and being his own boss allows him a great deal of flexibility in spending time with his family. In fact, he is home most Fridays. This is great fun for Max and a great help to Cindy. Cindy has a degree in English education and taught 8th grade English for almost 10 years before "retiring" to be a stay-at-home-mom to Max. It is by far, her best career choice, and she plans on staying at home to raise future children.

Cindy Talks About Jeff

When we were married in July of 2001, our priest said, "Cindy has said that she waited her whole life to meet and marry Jeff." Those words are so true! Jeff has been my rock since I met him. I appreciate so much that he just "gets me" and can provide me with what I need when I need it, whether it be a shoulder to cry on, an ear for listening, a head off which to bounce ideas, or an extra pair of hands to help out with tasks that seem overwhelming. And, when all else fails, he knows how to make me laugh just to lighten my spirits. He has used those same skills in raising our son. Max idolizes his daddy and looks forward, every day, to when he walks through the door after work. Max and Jeff like to play hard, but Max also likes to cuddle up with Daddy for a fun movie or a nice book to read. I am so excited to see the love that will be between Jeff and our next child, too.

Jeff Talks About Cindy

I always knew the qualities I wanted in a wife, and Cindy possess all of those qualities. She is a caring, compassionate person who loves being a mom! Her commitment to her faith and family are very important to me. We share the same sense of humor, and we love children. Our family has a great time together whether we are eating meals or watching cartoons or playing outside. Cindy is a natural at being a mom, and has always shown myself and our son, Max, unconditional love. Cindy will give that same unconditional love to the new addition to our family.

Our Family Life

Our families have raised us with wonderful values that we appreciate so much. We were each raised in the Catholic fait,h and we live our lives accordingly, attending church regularly. We are raising Max with the same belief system, and it has been a joy watching him grow in his faith. Education and hard work were also strong values that were part of our upbringing. Working towards goals can have excellent rewards, and we hope our children will use that opportunity to open doors for themselves. We will provide our children with the best education possible to help them fulfill those goals.

Our favorite thing to do is to spend time together. And, no matter what we're doing, we are really happy as long as we are together. We enjoy spending time outside riding bikes (with Max in the back in his bike trailer), especially to the local ice cream shop. Playing at the park and feeding the ducks are favorite summer activities. Jeff enjoys playing golf, reading, and trying his hand at magic tricks. Cindy enjoys meeting friends for lunch, reading, and working on her scrapbooks. Max loves toys and games and playing with his friends and his cousins. In the winter, we have fun playing in the basement and getting bundled up to play in the snow.

Our Home

Our home is full of laughter and fun. Often, it is the hub for many family gatherings. We live in a four bedroom two-story home in a lovely town in a northern Chicago suburb. We live near a large high school and are minutes from several local elementary schools. There is a park and duck pond within walking distance and an open field right in our own back yard. It is perfect for flying kites, playing tag, or any other sport or activity imaginable. There are also lots of wonderful activities within driving distance from our home: pre-schools, a water park, two libraries, gymnastics, and sporting activities. We are very fortunate to have so much available from which to choose.

Our Promise to Our Children

We have spent a lot of time thinking about what we would like for our children. Above all, we want to give our children a fun, loving, and wonderfully secure family life. We dedicate ourselves to making that a daily reality. We want our children to be happy and kind, and we try to lead by example and explanation. It is our job to raise them to be successful adults who can pass those traits on and become living examples of that to those they meet. Knowing how much they are loved by their extended family, their birthparents, and us should give our children the confidence they need to move forward in this world.

If you choose to give us the greatest gift of all—the chance to parent your child—you will be the answer to our prayers. We will make sure your child will always know about the special way our family was formed—through the gift of adoption. We realize you may want to keep in touch during the years. If so, we look forward to discussing this very important piece of your adoption plan with you.

If you'd like to speak with us, please call us at 1-888-225-3961 or e-mail us at jeffandcindyadopt@gmail.com. You may also contact our adoption counselor, Maggie Benz, at 1-800-869-1005.

Adopting a child would be a dream come true for us. We are honored that you are considering us as adoptive parents for your child.

With warmest wishes,

Cindy and Jeff

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