Dear Birth Parents,

      It brings us great joy that you are taking the time to read our letter and look through our profile book.  We’re Matt and Shelby, and we are eager to become parents one day soon.  We are amazed by your courage in this tough time of your life that you are choosing adoption for your precious child.  We are honored that you are considering us to be your child’s adoptive parents.

      For 10 years we have been blessed to be married to each other, and it has been a great adventure.  From our honeymoon in the mountains to today in Colorado, we have always enjoyed exploring the outdoors.  We love to hike with our dogs, fish, swim, and canoe.  We also like to lie on our couch and watch movies, play games, play on our pool table, and have outdoor cookouts.  We long to bring a child into our family that can enjoy life with us.  We plan to be involved parents who play games & sports with our child, teach them to ride bikes, and read & pray with them before bedtime.  We have a room already picked out for our baby, and our goal is to finish the basement to be a playroom.  We live in a great neighborhood a couple of miles from the mountains filled with kids playing in the local park.  They love to ride their bikes on the trails and play with their neighbors – we know our child will have fun here!

      We have had lots of contact with kids of all ages over the past 10 years as Matt has been a youth pastor and Shelby has been a Children’s Director at our local churches.  Shelby then found her love in elementary and middle school education.  With Matt becoming an Army Chaplain in January 2011, it will allow Shelby to be a stay at home mom.  We also desire to adopt more children, so your child will be able to be a big brother or sister!  Both Matt & Shelby’s families are bubbling with excitement about having another grandchild to spoil (we already have 2 nieces & 1 nephew). 

      Together we see eye to eye on things that develop a well rounded child.  From the moment we hold our child in our arms we will shower the child with hugs & kisses throughout their life and help them develop a strong character.  We will instill within them strong Christian values, caring not just for who they become, but also for others.  We desire for our child to have many opportunities for education; therefore, we will set aside a college fund so our child can pursue the education of their choice.   

      We hope that as you look through our book, you get a picture of who we are and a glimpse of our heart to love your child.  We are excited about pursing the open adoption process with you if you are willing.  We are praying for you as you make your decision and hope that God gives you peace.

                                                                                   God bless you,  Matt & Shelby

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider our family.   

We are excited to share a little bit about our family with you.  We met six years ago at the airport and were initially shocked to learn how much we had in common.  Most importantly, we were excited to find out we were both Catholic.  Our shared faith was an important foundation for our life together.  Some of our favorite memories include our shared worship times, including our wedding four years ago.  Our parents nurtured our faith from the time we were born and are looking forward to sharing our faith with our child.           

Family is very important to us.  Joe is an only child who was raised in Southern California.  After we were married, Joe’s parents moved to Denver in order to be closer to us.  Joe is very close with his cousins, a couple of whom are also considered Rachel’s good friends.  Rachel is the oldest of three girls.  Her family lives in Colorado Springs and family outings occur regularly.  Our parents became friends after Joe’s parents moved here and family get-togethers and holidays often include both families, as well as, other extended family.

We would like to extend our family to include you.  We would like an open relationship where you have some involvement in our family.  We feel this is important for, not only our child, but you and us as well.

Our family also includes our dog, Jack.  Jack is a Lhasa Apso and the joy of our lives.  Right now he is “top dog,” but is willing to change places with a little brother or sister.  We have been talking with him for several years about a little brother or sister, now when he hears the words, his ears perk up and he begins barking.  Jack is very spoiled and we guarantee he has more toys than the average child.  With Jack, our house became full of toys, puppy kisses and more happiness than we would ever had imagined.  Peanuts creator, Charles Shultz believed “happiness is a warm puppy.”  Jack, certainly, proves this everyday. 

Joe grew up playing football, baseball, and surfing.  He is still friends with many of the kids he went to elementary and high school with.  He enjoys golfing with his dad and playing tennis.  Joe has been a lawyer for 12 years.  He currently heads up the Workers Compensation Department in Colorado for an insurance company.  Joe is a huge hockey fan and we have season tickets to Denver University hockey.  He makes a yearly trip to Minnesota for the college division championship game with several of his friends.

Rachel is the oldest of three girls and grew up in a military family.  She had the opportunity to live in 12 cities by the time she was 10 years old.  As a result, one of her favorite hobbies is traveling.  Her favorite destination is New York City where she, her sisters and mom often visit to go shopping and catch a show.  Her father owns a Christ-centered child care center where she worked during high school and college.  She enjoys knitting with friends and having tea parties with her friend’s daughters.  While she worked in telecommunications as an Account Executive, she is thrilled with the idea of being a stay-at-home mom.

We cannot wait to become parents!  We are excited about the idea of getting to be a part of a new life and helping this little person reach their full potential.  We are looking forward to soccer games, dance recitals and school programs.  We can’t wait to help with homework and teaching driving lessons.  Most importantly, we are excited to pass our faith onto our child. 

With love and respect,

Joe, Rachel and Jack

We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for reading our letter and considering us as adoptive parents for your child! We pray every night that God will bless us with a baby to love and cherish forever through adoption. We realize that this is a very difficult time and decision for you but know that God will provide you with the love and support to help you make it through.

Our names are Chuck and Charlene. We live in a quiet suburb south of Denver. We have been married for over 10 years, but have been together for more than 20. We have a wonderful daughter, Ashley, who is eight years old who cannot wait to have a little baby brother or sister.

We experienced difficulties during the pregnancy for our daughter, so it is not advisable for us to try again. That is why we want to open our home and our hearts to your baby. Being a parent has been the most beautiful and rewarding experience of our lives.

Charlene is originally from Texas and grew up in a small rural town in Louisiana with her two brothers and younger sister. Living in the country, she developed an appreciation for nature by fishing, boating and hiking. She vacationed in Colorado when she was twenty-one and fell in love with the mountains. Two months later she made the big move, bringing her entire family with her. Charlene is a stay-at-home mom who previously worked in the publishing industry. She currently does consulting for a media company at home. She also volunteers at Ashley’s school and at the church nursery.

Chuck was born and raised in Denver. He has lots of family in the Denver metro area. Chuck has traveled extensively but always returns to his roots in Denver. He is Chief Technical Officer for a local media company. Chuck enjoys camping, boating, skiing, traveling and doing crafts or playing games with our daughter every night after dinner. 

We met while both working at a local Denver business newspaper. We have worked together in the publishing industry on and off for the last 20 years. The publications have covered such diverse topics as NASCAR racing, bicycle and triathlon racing, technology and general business.

We have a comfortable home in a great area with award winning schools, parks, recreation centers and the church that we attend. We are very close to the mountains, so we have great access to all the great recreational opportunities Colorado has to offer.

Our weekends are usually spent visiting family and friends who are all very interested and supportive about our adoption plans. Ashley loves doing crafts and other activities. We also enjoy traveling, camping, hiking, skiing, swimming and bike riding. We recently returned from a great week at Walt Disney World. Ashley loved all of the princesses. I think Cinderella is her very favorite. She always goes up to her and gives her a very big hug! She is very anxious to be a big sister to her baby brother or sister on the next trip.

Our family currently consists of Charlene, Chuck, our daughter Ashley and our two dogs, Maggie, a 14 year old Australian Shepherd and Pookie, a 3 year old Papillion. Ashley is in Third Grade and can’t wait to teach her new little baby brother or sister the alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes. She has already asked us if she can bring her baby brother or sister to “show-and-tell” at school. Even though we live in a five bedroom house with a finished basement Ashley wants to share her room with her baby brother or sister. She has taken her new role as “big sister” very seriously and with much heart. She wants to be involved in every aspect of her brother or sister’s life including the feedings and bedtime. She is looking forward to singing to him or her at night and teaching him or her how to walk. This is her proudest moment ever. The day we told her about adopting a baby Ashley told us that was the “best news ever”.

We have longed to have another baby and your decision will make that dream come true for us. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into our family through adoption. Our family would like for you to know that we will be forever grateful to you for your act of generosity and compassion. We will provide your baby with all of the love, support and attention our family can give.

You will forever be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

With Love and Admiration, Charlene, Chuck and Ashley

Hello, we are Colleen and Andy.  We are honored that you are taking the time to consider us as adoptive parents for your child.  We know this is a challenging choice and are in awe of your courage.

We have been married for 3 years.  We met through mutual friends in Baton Rouge, LA 5-1/2 years ago and began dating a few months later.  Andy began work with a new company during our courtship which relocated us to Denver, CO 2-1/2 years ago.  We have two small dogs, Heidi and Harry, and one cat, Ashes.  Our desire to start a family started from the beginning of our marriage.  However, we have not been able to conceive on our own or through medical assistance.  Even before we learned of our fertility challenges, we discussed and felt that adoption would be a joyful avenue to build our family.  We feel that children are God’s blessings and desire to experience that love first hand.

Andy was born in Houston, TX as the elder brother with a younger sister.  His parents brought him up in a loving Christian home.  Andy’s father’s career led them to several moves between Texas, Oklahoma, and California.  His mother was blessed with the ability to be a stay at home mom until he and his sister were older.  Andy has sold steel pipe and products to the energy industry for the past 4 years.  Prior to the pipe business he worked in the food industry for 6 years.  Andy is very much a kid at heart and will make a great father.

Colleen was born in Spokane, WA as the elder sister with a younger brother.  Her parents also brought her up in a loving Christian home.  Shortly after Colleen was born, her parents returned to Monroe, LA.  Her parents later divorced and her father eventually moved to Jackson, MS where Colleen lived during her last 2 years of high school.  Both of her parents have remarried and now Colleen has 3 more sisters and another brother to love.  Colleen has had a successful career in the insurance industry for the past 10 years.  She is very nurturing and will provide an extra abundance of love to our child.

We both enjoy skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, golfing, cooking, or almost anything outdoors.  Colleen also likes to read and Andy enjoys working on projects around the house.  We both also enjoy attending several sporting events and concerts each year.  We attend church regularly and also are involved in some extra projects at our church.  Education is also very important to us and we plan to nurture our child to succeed in school.  We usually take a few short trips each year and like to head to the beach for a week each summer.  Family is extremely important to both of us.  We often travel to Texas and Louisiana to visit our families.  All of our family members are excited for us and are ready to shower love upon our child. 

One of Colleen’s cousins adopted their son 3 years ago and has shared all of the joy they experienced through adoption.  We have learned through them the special relationship they have with their birthmother through an open adoption and desire to have a level of openness that is comfortable for you and us. 

Thank you for considering us as parents.  Our blessings are with you!

With love,

Andy & Colleen

            We want to welcome you to take a small glimpse into our family!  We greatly respect the fact that you are considering adoption for your child.  We are praying that God will lead you to the decision that will be best for you and your baby.  Our faith in Jesus Christ is the most important thing in our lives.  He has lovingly adopted us into his family, and we hope to show our children the same kind of love to the best of our ability!

            Jesse was born in a small country town and has lived in Colorado all of his life.  Rhonda was born in Washington, D.C. and has also lived in Maryland and England!  The city girl and the small town boy met somewhere in the middle and our lives have meshed wonderfully.  Jesse loves to play the guitar, basketball, and spend time with  family.  Rhonda enjoys cooking, hanging out with friends, and is always ready for a new adventure.  Our career is working full time with college students and helping them grow in their faith in Christ.  This is an exciting job and we love to see God at work in the lives of the students.  Rhonda is a stay at home mom and that is our plan as long as we have children.  However, she is still able to fit in working with several young women on the college campus and leads a small group Bible study.

            Adoption has been on our hearts since before we were married.  We met in college at a Christian club and became best friends.  We talked about having children and adopting children.  We were married in 2003 and began a wonderful journey together.  A few years into our marriage, we learned that we would not be able to conceive children.  This was a difficult time, but we felt as though God was simply guiding us towards adoption to grow our family. 

            In 2007, Shelby Grace came into our lives through the miracle of adoption!  From the moment we met her, she has been an amazing blessing in our lives.  She is full of spirit, always on the go, always learning, and ready to give hugs and kisses.  People always told us, “Having kids will change your life.”  We always believed that to be true, but now that we’ve experienced it we are completely blown away by it!   We have an open relationship with her birth family, which has been a great blessing to us!  In many ways, they have also adopted us into their family. 

            The three of us have so much fun together!  Shelby loves to play outside, cook in her toy kitchen, read books, sing and dance.  Rhonda and I love to hike, go on excursions, and often read a good book together.  We believe that God has created families for a purpose and that they are vital for every single person.  Every child is a gift from God and we are so excited to meet the next member of our family.  We have an empty room in our house, and a place in our hearts for another child.   Thank you so much for considering us as adoptive parents for your child!

Sincerely,

Jesse and Rhonda

We are Matt and Monica and are honored that you are looking at our pictures and letter.  We can’t imagine what you are going through, but we want you to know that we are praying for you and your child.  While you are considering this gracious decision, here is a little of our story:

We have been married for nearly six years.  We enjoy traveling, staying in our pajamas till noon on Saturday, going to church on Sunday, date night, and being with friends and family.  While there has been much joy, we have also experienced some heartache.   Three years into our marriage, we learned that Monica was pregnant with a baby girl.  Twenty weeks into the pregnancy, we lost our daughter.  We tried for three more years to have a baby, without success.  After a lot of prayer and discussion, we have decided to build our family through adoption.  Your child will always know their adoption story and how much you love them.   We would love to meet you and stay in touch with you throughout the years if you decide we are the family that is the best for you and your child. 

Matt works as a firefighter for the city of Denver.  He has been with the department for ten years and he loves his job.  He is very energetic and loves to play any and all sports (especially basketball and hockey).  Children seem to flock to him and his boundless energy.   Matt is the youngest of three brothers and has lived in Denver all of his life.  His parents live nearby and we are able to see them often.  Matt’s brothers, Ryan and Jared, live out of state but visit regularly with their families.  All of Matt’s family is supportive and excited to welcome a new baby to our family.

Monica was born here in Denver, but grew up in a small town in Iowa.  Her parents still live in Iowa but visit often.  Monica enjoys going on long walks with our dog Eddie.   Eddie is a black lab, german shepherd mix who is wonderful with children.  Monica has worked as a counselor for 6 years and loves her job.  We are both blessed to have flexible jobs that will allow for one of us to be home with a child at all times.  Monica has a younger brother named Caleb who lives here in Denver.  He works at a local college coaching football.  We enjoy attending his team’s games during the season.  Monica’s dad is a pastor and her mom owns her own dance studio.  They are incredibly excited to be grandparents!

The decision before you is a difficult one and we hope that you will feel encouraged to know we are praying for you.  We admire your strength and courage.   This decision is truly a remarkable and selfless one. 

Blessings,

Matt and Monica

Dear Birth Family,

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We know this is an immensely difficult choice for you to make. Whatever your situation may be please know that we have prayed for you and your child. We are very grateful that you would consider choosing us to raise your child.

Let us tell you a little about ourselves. We have been married for five years and live in Colorado Springs. Our home is a ranch style house with a basement and a big backyard. We have 1 small dog, named Annie. We met at church and started dating four months later. Very quickly we discovered how much we had in common and found ourselves falling in love. A little more than a year later we were married. We have always known we wanted our family to include children. After our first two years of building our marriage we decided to try to have children. We were not able to conceive on our own or with help. Going through this together has made us a stronger couple and has only increased our desire to grow our family through adoption.

Derrick grew up in Monterey, CA. He is the middle child of three boys, they share a great friendship. Raised in a Christian home by his very loving Mom and Dad, he became a Christian as a child. His parents have owned a candy store for 30 years which has allowed them the freedom to enjoy the boys and their childhoods. Derrick was in J.R.O.T.C. in High school and made Lt. Commander. He enjoyed being a part of Drill team with Arms. In Monterey Derrick worked in the hospitality industry for 6 years, including 4 years at the candy store. Derrick moved to Colorado Springs in March 2002, after visiting family friends who already lived here. After moving to the Springs he began working in the Heating and Air Conditioning Industry and has stayed in that field for the past 8 years. He is a Sales Consultant and enjoys his job as well as the flexible schedule it comes with. Derrick enjoys travel, photography, and the great outdoors. He is very good with kids and is going to make a great father.

Shannon grew up in the extreme heat of Phoenix, Arizona. Coming from a Texas raised family, the southern hospitality played a big part in her upbringing. Shannon was raised in a Christian home as well becoming a Christian at the age of 5. Like Derrick, Shannon was raised being part of the family small business, a Beauty Salon. She spent 6 years in dance, including ballet, tap, and jazz. In high school, Dance became a less important part of her life, but being in the spotlight didn’t change. She moved on to loving Drama and the arts in High School. Shannon spent a lot of time in her Grandma’s salon hanging out with the ladies including her Mom. Shannon still enjoys the arts, but more on the quiet side, she enjoys scrap-booking with her close friends, traveling, and camping. Shannon has had a desire for children since she was herself a child. She spends as much time as she can with her nephew, who was born when Shannon was 16. After high school she worked at a Montessori school for 2 years before starting her career as an X-Ray Tech. Shannon spent 8 years as an X-ray Tech before changing gears to become a Homemaker. She aspires to be a Stay-at-home Mom.

We enjoy spending most of our free time at home or with extended family. Both of us are close to our parents. Derrick’s parents are still in Monterey but plan to retire in Colorado Springs. His older brother lives in Oakland and his younger brother lives in the Springs. Shannon’s parents live in Colorado Springs and her brother lives in Blackhawk, CO. We attend church with Shannon’s parents. Travel is high on our priority list. We take short trips whenever possible and one week long trip every year usually on a cruise. We love discovering the history in the places we travel and can’t wait to have a child to share that experience with.

We hope to have the opportunity to meet you soon. We are completely willing to share photos and letters. We look forward to meeting you and discussing openness with you. We plan to be open with our child about their family history, origins, and adoption.

Respectfully Yours,

Derrick and Shannon

Kelli is an Adoptive Family Caseworker for Hope’s Promise.  She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology through the University of Colorado at Denver.  Kelli completed her Masters Degree in Social Work through Newman University. Kelli also has experience as a Social Worker.  

She has a brother who was adopted from Calcutta, India, and hopes to adopt her own children someday.  Kelli and her husband, Kyle, are both Colorado natives.  They enjoy traveling, riding dirt bikes and motorcycles, scuba diving and spending time with their two dogs.