Dear Birthparents,

Childbirth is a miracle--one that we will be able to experience through your generosity and love.  To allow us to be a blessing to you and your child would be a beautiful and unselfish act for which we would be continually grateful.  We know that this is not an easy decision, but pray that your choice includes us.

Let us tell you about our life together so that you can catch a glimpse of who we are and how your child would be welcomed and loved for life.

Tony working on the go-kart at the National Championships

Paula singing the National Anthem at a T-Bones Game

About Us

Tony is 42 and a Senior Electrical Designer with a large engineering firm.  He was raised the youngest of four children in a small Missouri town.  Tony comes from a close family that gets together every chance they can.  He enjoys being part of a small go-kart team and is an avid sports fan—especially at our niece’s softball games.  Tony has quite the sense of humor and always finds a way to make people laugh.  He is also very thoughtful, smart, and well-spoken.

Paula, 34, is the Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries at a local church.  She is an only child and was raised on a farm in rural Iowa before moving to Missouri with her mother at age thirteen.  Paula enjoys singing with the Symphony Chorus, loves to cook and is always experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes.  She’s very creative and enjoys cross-stitching and other art projects, as well as working out and exercising.  Paula is her nephew’s biggest fan at his musical performances (besides his parents, of course…).

You may wonder how two people with such diverse interests got together!  We met at church.  The way Paula worked with kids and sang special music at church stole Tony’s heart.  Tony’s jokes and kind spirit won Paula over.  Our families actually knew we were dating before we knew we were dating!  We dated for about 11⁄2 years and were married in 2006.  Ever since, Paula hasn’t stopped laughing at Tony’s crazy sense of humor, and Tony continues to enjoy listening to Paula sing in various places around the city.  Our faith continues to grow and is a sense of stability for us as we begin to build our family together through adoption.

Our Family

We both come from families who are supportive of our choice to adopt.  Paula’s grandparents were foster-parents (after having 9 biological children) through her childhood and adopted her uncle who was severely handicapped.  Through their love and support, her uncle now lives on his own and holds a solid job.  Through this experience, we understand that adoption is a blessing.  Our families are very excited about the opportunity to welcome a child into their lives.

We both enjoy spending time together—whether it’s watching “Flip that House” or “American Idol”, doing home improvement, playing tennis or board games--we continue to grow closer day by day.  We also enjoy spending time with our niece and nephew who live in the same town.  With family nearby, we know that support is not far away.  Our niece and nephew are looking forward to helping take care of and play with a new cousin.

Our Home

Our home is a 3 bedroom/2 bath in the suburbs.  We have a spacious backyard with plenty of room to play.  Our neighborhood has kids of all ages and a wonderful sense of community.  Our school district is top-notch, and our community is filled with activities for families that we are excited about being a part of.

In Closing

Before getting married, we discussed the possibility of being infertile.  Our love for one another was bigger than the possibility, and we knew, that when it was time, we would begin our family through the adoption process.  It hasn’t been easy, but God has provided, and we are blessed.  We know that we are not perfect, and we don’t pretend to be.  But we look to God for guidance in all we do.  We look forward to providing a child with a good education, Christian values, and opportunities for a life filled with many experiences.  Those experiences might include attending music/dance recitals and/or sporting events, as well as taking family trips to the zoo or art museums, baking cookies together, and going to camp.  God and family life are important to us, and hopefully, we can share our family’s blessings and experiences with you through pictures and letters.  We look forward to meeting you during your pregnancy and discussing our future contact with you.  Communication is key for our success together.

We cannot express enough how blessed we are.  We know that we have a wonderful life, and that our next step is to have children who will be an integral part of our life.  By your unselfish act, you will make our dreams come true, and for that, we are truly thankful.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”  You are a part of God’s plan for us—you are our hope . . . you are a blessing.

Peace to you,
Tony and Paula

Tony and Paula with niece and nephews on wedding day