Dear Birth Mother:
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to introduce ourselves to you. We can only begin to understand how difficult your decision to begin this adoption process must have been for you, and we deeply admire and respect you for your selfless act of love.
It is sometimes difficult for us to understand why things happen the way that they do, but we know that God has promised to enter into even our most trying hours to fulfill His purpose for us. We are unable to have biological children of our own, but we believe that God has provided this adoption process as a way for us to build the family of which we have always dreamed. We hope these few brief pages provide you with a glimpse of who we are and the loving home we hope to provide for our child.
Our Story
Believe it or not, we met through an internet dating site! We had both recently relocated to Chicago, and took the advice of friends to give this method of dating a shot. We were both somewhat skeptical to begin with, but what began as almost an afterthought became one of the most important decisions of our lives. Based on our profiles, it was clear that we shared so many important things such as our faith and our commitment to family. We began e-mailing each other frequently and were soon talking for hours on the phone. After only a few dates, we both cancelled our subscription to the dating site! We knew that we finally had found what we had been waiting for our whole lives. We were pretty much inseparable after that, doing everything together in the city. We got engaged after only five months of dating, but not a single friend or family member told us it was too soon. It was obvious to everyone that we were meant for each other, and we were too excited to get started with our lives together to wait any longer. We were married four months later!
From the very beginning of our relationship we each expressed our desire to have a family of our own. We were eager to fill our home with children but learned quickly in-vitro fertilization would be our only option. We agreed to try the IVF, but we also discussed adoption as the way to build our family. We both felt strongly that we were meant to be adoptive parents, regardless of the success of the IVF cycles. We went through three unsuccessful IVF cycles before deciding to focus solely on the adoption process. We knew at this point God meant for us to build our family through adoption. This was a difficult time for us, but we were comforted by our faith and by each other. We are truly blessed to have one another, and we enjoy a loving marriage that is as strong today as when we first fell in love. We’re still inseparable.
Work and Education
We both are blessed to have fulfilling careers that we love, but our careers do not overlap into our personal lives. We work hard during the day but are able to leave at five o’clock and never travel for our jobs. In the evening and on the weekends we enjoy spending time together exploring Chicago, laughing with family and friends, cooking together at home, and just relaxing on the couch. We have plenty of free time that we look forward to spending with our children!
Kara received her master’s degree in Nursing and works at one of the large hospitals in Chicago. Kevin has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He is a vice president in a financial services firm in Chicago.
We are fortunate our jobs share the commitment to family we so value and the flexibility of hours. Kara plans to work only two days a week when we are blessed with a child. During the two days she works, our child will attend a highly reputable daycare located at the hospital where she works. She can visit 10 times a day if she wants!
Children have been an enjoyable and important part of our lives from early on. In addition to Kara’s experience working with children as a nurse practitioner, she worked throughout high school and college as a babysitter and also taught children in Sunday School. During college, Kevin volunteered as an after-school counselor at a center for underprivileged children. We also both enjoy taking our niece and two nephews to the park, museums, or simply reading to them for hours.
Our Family
Kara:
I grew up in a small farming town in northwest Illinois with my younger sister. I was blessed to grow up on a farm with a large yard and lots of animals. Kevin and I enjoy returning to the farm my parents live on today for weekends away in the country. My dad raised beef cattle, grew corn and beans and taught us a good work ethic from early on. My mom always worked from home and my sister and I loved helping her plant flowers and a big vegetable garden. They were very involved in our lives, attending every basketball, softball, and volleyball game, every play, or church event. They were wonderful role models and can’t wait to love more grandchildren.
My sister and I have a special relationship and refer to each other as “best friend.” We talk on the phone almost every day and are able to visit often since we live only two hours apart. Some of our fondest memories of childhood involve taking care of multiple pets on the farm, riding our bikes in the yard, making crafts, playing dress up, and reading for hours. I still love being outdoors, riding my bike, taking long walks, as well as reading, sewing, and playing the piano.
Kevin:
I grew up on the Gulf Coast with my mother and father and my older brother. My brother and I were blessed to be raised in a loving Christian home, and he and I are very close to this day. I would describe my brother as my best friend (other than Kara, of course!) My father is a Baptist minister, so we attended church frequently as children (i.e. every time the church doors opened!) My mother never worked outside of the home, instead devoting all of her energy and enthusiasm towards raising two sons.
We have a big extended family, so many of our weekends were spent at our grandparents’ homes playing with cousins. Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house was (and still is!) a big deal with delicious home-cooked Southern meals filling the kitchen table. As a child, I enjoyed many of the same activities that I enjoy now such as reading, playing the piano and guitar, and playing sports. I look forward to sharing these things with our children, just as my father shared them with me.
Activities
We are active members in a non-denominational church in Chicago, and we begin most every day by studying our Bible. We also enjoy going to the gym and running together. When the weather allows, we love running outside along Lake Michigan. On the cold winter Chicago days, we enjoy reading at home or exploring one of the museums in town. We also enjoy playing music together. Kevin takes guitar lessons and Kara is learning to play the fiddle!
Living in Chicago affords us so many opportunities to take advantage of its unique culture. During the summer, we can often be found exploring Chicago’s various neighborhoods and enjoying the many street festivals. Of course we support the local sports teams, and we cheer on the Cubs at Wrigley Field whenever we can. We also enjoy visiting the library and taking advantage of all the educational opportunities this city has to offer. We can’t wait to share these experiences with our child.
Our Wish
Thank you again for taking the time to learn a little bit about us. Regardless of whether or not you choose to contact us, we pray that God will bless you throughout your pregnancy and for the rest of your life. Your brave decision is going to result in the giving of one of the most precious gifts someone could ever receive.
We realize the awesome responsibility of raising a child and feel so blessed to have this opportunity to build our family through adoption. Should you choose to contact us, we promise to do everything in our power and with God’s prayers to raise your child to become a loving and caring person.
If you do decide to contact us, we want you to know that our child will always know his or her adoption story. We will begin early to teach our child about the family that you chose to give to him or her. We promise to send letters and pictures every three months throughout the first year of the child’s life and every year on his or her birthday thereafter. We are happy to do this, and we would be open to additional communication if that is your desire. Good luck and God bless you!
You may contact us at -888-366-0306 or email: adopt621@hotmail.com
Sincerely,
Kara and Kevin
