DEAR EXPECTANT PARENT,

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us as you make this difficult decision. We want to give you a glimpse of the love we have for each other, our family –- and the life your child could have with us. First, we want you to know that we respect and feel for you. We can’t understand the depth of what you are going through. We know that you are an incredibly brave person and that your heart is full of love. Our hearts are with you as you continue this journey.  We love the life we’ve built in our small town, and we’re excited to welcome your child into our hearts.

About us

We are two people who love spending time together. From the time of our first date, we’ve been spending our days sharing stories with each other, eating good food together, and usually discussing the last good book we both read. We were set up by a mutual friend that knew we’d be a great match for each other, and they were right!  For nine wonderful years, we’ve been relying on each other for strength during the hard times, laughter during the good times, and a long walk at the end of each day. We both value spending quality time together. You can usually find us making food together in the kitchen, walking our dog on the nature trail, or sitting on our front porch relaxing!

We are looking forward to the adventure of parenting. Your child will be our first child, and we’re excited to begin a new chapter of our lives. Our goal is not to be “perfect” parents but to exemplify our values in all we say and do:  Honesty—truthfulness and openness communication, Compassion—acting from our hearts with love, Acceptance—love for self and love for others, unconditionally, Curiosity—following a child’s natural interests and education, Growth—willingness to grow and change into the best versions of ourselves for our child.  

ABOUT ELIZABETH

(By Dan) A proud aunt since she the age of 18, Elizabeth has always known that she wanted to be a mother. She’s always known that one day, she would love and care for a child. Elizabeth is a child mental health therapist and loves all things “childhood,”, including playing, imagining, and creating. She values the magical nature children possess, and believes that adults should support children in being whoever they want to be. Elizabeth is also a musician and looks forward to sharing her love of music with a child. Elizabeth can’t wait to sing her favorite songs to a baby and teach a child to play the piano. In her spare time, Elizabeth is usually knitting on the couch with the pets and hoping that a cat won’t run off with her ball of yarn! 

ABOUT Dan

(By elizabeth)Dan is naturally curious about things around him, and he takes time to learn about the things that interest him. Dan has a close group of friends that enjoy riding bikes, playing games, and making food together. As a child, Dan read books with his parents, which fostered his love of literature and sharing special time with the people he cares about.  He’s looking forward to creating a home library for a child and reading many stories together. 

Dan also loves drinking and making coffee at home. Dan loves sampling the specialty drinks from local coffee shops, but the real fun starts when comes home and attempts to replicate them for Elizabeth.  His hobby is fun and energizing!  

Our home

We’ve lived in our small town for about 10 years and we’ve still discovering all of the wonderful things it has to offer. We both work in town, and we love to take walks down Main Street, passing both of our offices. We are both community-oriented people, believing that small communities can provide support for children through close connections and consistent relationships. Dan serves on several community boards through his work as a librarian, and Elizabeth has a close connection with the school system through her work as a therapist.

MEET OUR FAMILY

Our extended families are very important to us both. We both grew up with close relationships to our parents, and we want to build the same relationships with your child that our parents provided for us. Elizabeth is the youngest of three siblings, and Dan is an only child. Our families live in the Midwest, so we don’t have to travel far to be together. Every two years, we spend an entire week with Elizabeth’s family at the beach. There is a yearly picture with all of the family grandchildren with their grandparents; we can’t wait to have a child included in that photo. Your child will always be surrounded by an extended family that loves them and wants to be part of their life. 

What we love to do for fun

Baking:  Elizabeth can be frequently be found roaming the stacks of used cookbooks at libraries and shops.  Every weekend, she tries something new, whether it’s coffee cake from a church cookbook or a pie recipe from a magazine.  Dan does not participate in the baking, but he does participate in eating!

Gardening:  Peace is often found in nature, and we spend time outside whenever possible.  Our garden has become a labor of love, and we’ve found joy in watching the plants grow.  Gardening has taught us to be patient and trust the growth process. 

We are animal lovers: As children, we both grew up with pets, and we believe that pets are family. We have three cats and one dog. Our animals are our trusted companions through life’s ups and downs. We couldn’t live without them!

Contact Elizabeth and Dan