Chad and Amber

 

 

Our experience with adoption

Coming from close-knit families that are often loud and chaotic, but always joyful and true, it means so much to us for our son to have a sibling. Our extended family has been built through quite a bit of adoption - from our own son to many of our cousins, Chad’s sister, our nieces and close friends. We are very familiar with the journey of adoption and have seen what beautiful and meaningful relationships can develop for everyone involved. We know there are challenges unique to adoption, but we are ready for them. In our family your child would grow up with lots of support, reinforcement, and most importantly - unconditional love. It is very important to us that our children are proud of their heritage and the special traits they get from their first parents. We feel a deep love and gratitude for Marco’s birth mom, and while we are as nervous as you probably are, I can assure you we will always treat you with the respect you deserve. We admire you very much for the selflessness and love you are showing to your child.

 

 

About us

Chad works in the furniture industry and has a passion for antiques, while Amber has a career in retail and creative design. We met 15 years ago. It was a pretty cosmic meeting in that we are both from Kansas, but met each other while living in Seattle. He was a cute punk-rocker who followed some friends in a band out there, and I moved there to further my career in Visual Merchandising. It was so fun to be young and in love in that city! I don’t think either of us intended to end up with someone from our hometown, but maybe it was the Midwesterner in each of us that made it so right. We are a bit of a yin & yang relationship (Chad loves loud music while I like peaceful meditation, Chad is more laid back while I’m more on-the-go), but that’s why it works. We learn from each other and make each other better. What I know for sure is that we are very committed & very loving. And our relationship only strengthened when we decided to adopt and became parents.

   

 

 

Our Life

We thought it might be helpful to just paint a picture of what our life is like.

• We have a happy house. We live in a nice neighborhood with great neighbors who bring us vegetables from their garden. We moved here because we can walk to the elementary school with is not only academically accomplished, but truly integrated and diverse.
• We eat dinner together as a family, and read books at bedtime every night.
• We get together with friends and family a lot. Summer BBQ’s, sports events, dinners and kids dance parties…to us life is better with our close friends and family to share it with.
• We moved back to Kansas City because the life we wanted for our children was one where they see their grandparents all the time and grow up with their cousins. We have a big extended family here in KC and don’t ever plan on leaving.
• With all of our family support and our flexible work schedules the baby will not need outside daycare for the first year of their life, and after that even it would only be part-time.
• Our immediate and extended family is multi-racial and representation is very important to us. We consciously try to build a life where our children have family, friends, teachers, doctors, coaches and role models of all different races and backgrounds.
• We have two sweet dogs that are a great source of happiness for us. They love to play with Marco and are very tolerant of his rolling around with them and picking them up.
• We try to get outside as much as possible. Camping, hiking trails, or just walks around the block we love to be close to nature to get away from the busy day-to-day.
• We love holidays. From epic Easter egg hunts to handmade Halloween costumes to Griswold-style Christmas lights, we are all in!

   

About Chad (by Amber):

Chad makes me laugh! He is very witty and always lightens the mood. Chad loves all kinds of music and is the master of making playlists. He is fun-loving and often hosts game nights and sports watch-parties with friends. Give this guy any excuse to eat appetizers and he is there! I love how he brings groups of people together even though he is actually a pretty quiet introvert, but close friends mean a lot to him so he always makes an effort.  Chad has an incredibly big heart. He is thoughtful and kind. He is modest and giving. He is empathetic and tries to see things from others point of view. Don’t let the tattoos fool you…he is a big softie who loves Christmas music, dotes on his nieces, adores animals and calls his Grandparents. I once saw him pull over on the highway to rescue a turtle from the middle of the road!  His greatest strength is honestly being a dad. He was just built for it. He is very hands-on and stepped up to work part-time so one of us could stay home with Marco a few days per week. He is loving, supportive and very good at setting rules and following thru. His relationship with Marco is one to admire.  

 

   

About Amber (by Chad):

When I first met Amber I was at a rock show and she was wearing yellow in a sea of black. I would say that is what she is to me, always a beacon in my life. To be honest I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a father until I met Amber. Once I met her I saw life in a different way and started wanting things I didn’t know I would. She made me want to be a better man and I am so incredibly grateful. Being a father is the most important part of my life and I needed her to get me there. Now my life is so intertwined with her and I can’t imagine otherwise.  She is an amazing mother. There is no one more comforting and understanding than she is. She is level headed and is the rock of our family. Amber is a spiritual person and takes our son to church. Amber puts family first and is never self-centered. She always looks for the best in people. I’ve never met a more creative, smart, hardworking person in my life. Our children will be so lucky to have her as a mother.

 

   

About Marco

What can we say about Marco! He is just the light of our lives. He is shy and takes a minute to assess situations and people, but once he does he is Mr. Personality. He is charismatic, athletic and full of energy and laughs. Most importantly to us though, he is very thoughtful, sweet-natured and kind. He is truly so excited to be a big brother…we often get comments from his teachers and family how great he is with little kids. We can’t wait for him to have a sibling to love and support each other for the rest of their lives.  

 

 

 

 

Much love,

Thank you for taking the time to consider us. Chad and I very empathetic and understand that the decision you are facing is so incredibly difficult. Regardless of the family you choose we want to say that we admire your bravery and selflessness, and wish you the very best. Adoption is a unique path to building a family, but we can say from experience that it can be such a beautiful, spiritual and truly awe-inspiring connection.