To potential expectant parents who are considering adoption:
Dear Expectant Parent,
It is a pleasure to “meet” you in this way. If you are reading this, it is likely that you are considering adoption. We want to acknowledge that this journey may not be easy for you, but that God can make beautiful things out of tough situations.
The first thing we would like you to know is that we are praying for you and your unborn child as you navigate the complexities of pregnancy and discern the best next steps. Our prayer is that you feel the clear peace, comfort, love, and presence of God in this season of your life and beyond.
Both of us always knew we wanted to adopt, even before we met each other. When we discussed it as an engaged couple, we were both struck by the beauty of God bringing together two people with a heart for the same hard but beautiful way of building a family. After 5 years of marriage, we feel God’s calling us to step into a season of growing our family.
It would be an incredible privilege and honor for us to meet you, hear your story, and discuss your adoption journey. We hope and pray that God makes your next steps clear and that you experience his love on this journey.
Sincerely, Nick and Carley
Who we are as a family:
We have been married for 5 years and have enjoyed growing together as a married couple through many travel adventures, new homes, and jobs. We currently live in a quirky 100-year-old house in southern Minnesota with our two funny cats. We enjoy living close to family members including our niece and nephew. Nick currently works managing maintenance for several apartment buildings and Carely works for a local church, leading adult ministries.
We enjoy camping, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, amusement parks, traveling, board and card games. Carley enjoys spending time reading, writing, knitting, and cooking. Nick enjoys playing video games individually and cooperatively with friends online, playing more strategic board games, and collecting coins.
Our views on openness in adoption:
We would love to have an open adoption. It is our desire to have a relationship with you and your family. It is our belief that an open relationship is in the ultimate best interest of our child and can also be a beautiful blessing to all those involved. We want to love our child well and, in our minds, doing so means that we are committed to also loving his or her birth family well.
We are aware that this may not always be easy, but we are committed to developing a relationship that is built on trust, respect, open (and sometimes even vulnerable) communication and that is ultimately centered on love for our child. We understand that openness can look a variety of ways based on the unique individuals involved in the relationship, as well as specific needs and expectations. We would love to discuss those needs and expectations with you further should you choose to meet with us.