Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. Although we would never presume to say we “know” how you feel, we do realize that you find yourself faced with a monumental decision. We have never been in your shoes, and can’t imagine all the things that you are feeling. Your journey and our journey are very different. Now that we find our paths crossing, here with this letter, we hope to give you an honest, heartfelt look into our life.

A little background
We are Tim and Kelly. We have been married for 14 Years We met when I was in high school, and we dated 5 years before we tied the knot. It was important to us and to our families that we both graduated from college before we got married. We both wanted lots of kids (although our definition of “lots” varied. He said 5. I said 3.) Through the miracle of adoption , we have been blessed with the wonderful gift of our daughter, Elizabeth, born in 2001.
And now we are hoping to add another little person to our family.

Real people, real life
So, here’s where you may be expecting us to tell you how “picture perfect” we, and our life, are. I hope you won’t be too disappointed when you find out we aren’t. As I sit here trying to figure out how in the world to put into words the facts and feelings of our life, I hear this phrase in my mind; Real people, real life, real love. Somehow, those few words say so much about us.

We live in a medium sized city in Arkansas. Our home is in a family friendly neighborhood with sidewalks, and wide streets, and a really nice private park and playground. An elementary school is within walking distance. We share our home with our dog, Max. Someday we hope to realize our dream of a big piece of land, a rambling farmhouse, and lots of pet farm animals. (Notice I say pets.)

Family is very important to us. We are very lucky to live very close to the majority of our extended families. Tim is from a family of all boys, and I am from a family of all girls. We have lots of nieces and nephews, which means lots of cousins for little ones. My mom and I are very close, and she is absolutely ga-ga over all of her grandkids.

Tim has a very stable job that, thankfully, allows me to be a stay at home mommy. We enjoy working in the yard, and doing home improvements. We grow vegetables, and flowers in the summer. Elizabeth enjoys her swing set and sandbox in our fenced backyard. Saturday night is movie night at our house. Tim and Elizabeth pick the videos, and I pop the popcorn. We like to travel, and see new places and things. Our favorite destination is the beach. We have visited all kinds of places, from botanical gardens to battle ships. We can’t wait to share new experiences with our children. We love the holidays, and especially because of all the time we get to spend with family and friends. At Christmas, I decorate like crazy inside, and Tim goes wild with the lights on the outside. His goal is to have the best lit house in the neighborhood.

About Kelly, from Tim
Kelly is the person people call when they need to talk, or need a shoulder to cry on. She is very understanding, and accepts people the way they are. I trust her completely and know that she will always be there for me. She is very loving and affectionate. A hug, or a kiss on the cheek mean more to her than any amount of money. She really is a wonderful mother. Our daughter’s happiness and well being are her top priorities. I couldn’t ask for a more loving wife, or a better mother for my children.

About Tim, from Kelly
I can think of lots of words to describe Tim; loving, honest, loyal, strong, intelligent, active, moral, quiet, thoughtful. He doesn’t have much to say sometimes, but that is balanced with a sharp wit, a sense of humor, and playfulness. He is Uncle Tim to every child he meets. And to top it all off, he is an incredible father. That’s not just my opinion. Everyone says that about him. I remember vividly the first time he held our daughter, and kissed her tiny head. It was an incredible moment.

About Elizabeth
Elizabeth is an active almost four year old. She loves to sing, dance, and entertain. She is crazy about babies, and likes to play “mommy". Her favorite things are Daddy, Mommy, being outside , going to Grandma’s house, and preschool. She also likes blowing bubbles, bath time, and books. Her biggest dislikes are bugs and creepy crawlies, (that may be my fault,) green beans, and bed time. I am thrilled to be able to say that she is a giggly, silly, joyful child. Oh, and lest I forget to mention it, she will be an awesome big sister.

Real love
I’m sure you are most concerned with what kind of parents we are, and will be. Our children will be loved unconditionally and boundlessly, and we will let them know that in every way we can, in actions and in words. We hope to instill in them the ability to make good decisions, and good choices. When the time comes that they make a not so good decision or choice, we will deal with whatever comes head on, with love, devotion, and united strength. We will set boundaries, and be as fair and consistent as possible. We will protect them, but also let them experience life. We will provide them with opportunities to explore their interests, and talents. We are committed to teaching them about Christ, and his great love for us, and we hope that our children will choose to follow Him.

We are so looking forward to continuing the journey of parenting. Should you choose us to parent your child, we can assure you of these things; your child will be loved, held, hugged and kissed. We will run through puddles and make mud pies. We’ll build snowmen and sand castles. There will be sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and spit up. I’m sure there will be tugs of war over toys, and spats about who gets to sit in the front seat. And through it all, will be laughter, and joy, and love.

Thank you so much for reading our letter. Whatever your decision, we wish you the very best on your journey.
Truly Yours,
Tim and Kelly