Cindy

Thanks for looking at me and considering allowing me to adopt your baby. I have been blessed with an incredible family, and my parents always said that their greatest joy was us kids. I want the opportunity to experience that joy. I know that everything that my parents did for us kids growing up was out of love and what they thought was best for us. You possess that same trait – the difficult decision that you are making about adoption is being made out of love and for the best interest of your baby. I promise that I will continue the example of my parents and of my child’s birth mother and everything that I do for my child will be out of love and what I think is best for him or her. So, I hope that you will take a little bit more time, learn some more about me, and consider whether I would be the right parent for your baby.

I pray that you find the peace and guidance that you need during this time.

About Me
I grew up on a dirt road in the country in southern Oklahoma with an older brother and sister. Growing up, I was active in a variety of activities. I raised and showed hogs from 2nd through 9th grade, was active in my church, and was president of the National Honor Society.

Education has always been very important in my family. I loved school and always did well. There is a California Distinguished elementary school down the street from my house, and I look forward to walking my child to school every morning.

My parents, grandparents, and other relatives taught me by example how to be a great parent. My parents told us over and over, “you can do anything that you want and don’t ever let anyone tell you differently” and I can envision myself repeating that mantra to my child as he or she grows up. My parents gave us the strength, independence, and support to be our unique selves. As a result, I respect authentic people who embrace their individuality, and I don’t always follow the “traditional” path.

I married right out of college, and we planned to have children. But we were young and had time, so we waited. After I divorced, I waited for when I got remarried. That hasn’t happened yet, but I know that single or married, I want to raise a child. I am comfortable with adoption and have been exposed to it in a variety of ways. One of my best friends growing up was adopted, so I experienced what it was like to be adopted from her perspective. I have also witnessed the incredible joy families have experienced from adopting. The family that I babysat throughout high school adopted a baby boy my sophomore year, and I had the joy of taking care of him during his first 2 years of life. Also, my best friend from kindergarten adopted a baby girl, a woman I work with has adopted 2 children, and my cousin adopted a baby girl as well! I plan to be open with my child from the beginning about the fact that she or he was adopted.

Family and Friends
Family is the most important thing to me. I'm blessed to have an incredible family. From top to bottom, they're just good, generous people who would do anything for each other and never think twice about helping someone in need.

My parents have been married for over 50 years! The 2 things that I remember my dad telling me most often when I was growing up were (1) no matter what, you have to be able to take care of yourself and (2) the car is not a toy! He taught me to be independent and self-reliant. In fact, I know how to bleed my car’s brakes and change a flat tire. I figure that I am resourceful enough to solve just about any problem that comes along. I come from a family of strong women, and my mother is no exception. I’m proudest of the fact that the two traits I learned from my mother are protecting those that I love and encouraging them.

The most important child in my life is my nephew. Being an active part of his life is important to me. So I travel to Seattle at least 4 times a year to spend time with him. On my last visit, he was up at 6:00 a.m. asking when I would be there. I spent the weekend teaching him how to play Clue, playing baseball with him, and encouraging him as he rode his bike through an obstacle course that he made for himself.

Growing up my grandparents and extended family were in Missouri. Therefore our holidays and vacations were spent visiting them, and I have great memories of time spent at my grandparents with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I’m still close to them today. Each year, my dad’s family gets together around the 4th of July, and my mom’s family has a family reunion every other summer. I return to Missouri at least twice a year and started the tradition a few years back of having a ladies lunch over Thanksgiving weekend for all of my aunts and female cousins (from both sides of the family) who can attend. We have so much fun that some of my uncles and male cousins have asked if they can join us!

Although family is the most important thing to me, I also have incredible friends that are an important part of my life. I have a group of 8 female friends that I met through a bible study about 8 years ago. We still get together regularly to have fun, celebrate special occasions, and support each other. For over ten years, a group of 6 friends have been getting together for dinner at least 4 times a year to celebrate each other’s birthdays. We’ve tried some of Los Angeles’ best restaurants and won’t let each other forget the few misses along the way. But our evenings are always filled with laughter, debating whether the Big 12 or Pac 10 is better, and discussing legalizing marijuana, same sex marriage, or whatever current event is the hot topic!

Hobbies
Every year, I try to go somewhere that I've never been before. Some years, it has been as simple as enjoying some of my Norwegian heritage in Poulsbo, Washington or wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley. Other years have been more exotic like exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia or outrunning a hurricane in the Bahamas. Although we don’t live near each other, I see my family numerous times a year, and we take family vacations together whenever we can. So far, we’ve gone to Key West, Honolulu, Glacier National Park, and Long Beach, Washington. Since I’m known as the planner in the family, I have the responsibility of planning all of the trips. This year, I planned an Alaskan cruise! I can’t wait to return to some of my favorite places with my child and also to explore new places together.

I am a big sports fan. My longest sports love has been the Dallas Cowboys. I really enjoy all college sports, especially the Big 12 and OSU and Texas within the Big 12. My brother and sister (along with a lot of high school friends) graduated from OU, so there is a lot of rivalry during Bedlam or OU/Texas. I love going to Los Angeles Dodgers games. I also love the roar of the engines and the smell of the fuel of NASCAR. I have attended races at Fontana, Texas, and Richmond. I really want to go to Talladega and Bristol.

In addition to sports, we’re also a family of avid readers. Growing up, we spent summers going to the public library and participating in reading programs. My brother has passed that love on to my nephew, and I will do the same for my child, reading together starting at birth.

Another one of my favorite activities is going to concerts and listening to live music. Last year, I saw Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert at the Ventura County Fair, the Zac Brown Band, and enjoyed Vince Gill at the Hollywood Bowl on the 4th of July. I hope to make it to the CMA Music Festival one year!

Home and Career
I moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago after I got divorced and wanted a fresh start. Currently, I live outside of Los Angeles in an area with lots of open spaces. The area has numerous parks with little league diamonds, soccer fields, and basketball courts. I enjoy walking to the parks and on the numerous hiking trails near my home. There are also grocery stores and restaurants that I like to walk to. I have a spacious 2 bedroom townhome with a cozy backyard that I have lived in for 7 years. There is a community pool and a tennis court, and I am also about 20 minutes from the beach.

I am an attorney and have been at my current job for 10 years. My job is challenging. I like that every day is different, and I never know what to expect. I gain satisfaction from being presented problems and finding ways to solve those problems. I believe that my work has helped prepare me to be a single mom since each day of parenthood will be different and I will face new challenges that I haven’t faced before.

I work about 2.5 miles from home. Therefore, I am always close by and can easily come home during the day. I also have the flexibility to work from home and to set my own starting time. My employer will give me 12 weeks of paid time off when the baby is born, and I can take additional time off.

In Closing

Thanks for spending some time learning about me. Although being a single mother may be difficult, I am at a place in my life where I am able and excited to face the challenge. I want to give a child the love, support, and stability that I was blessed to have growing up. Having waited, I’m more comfortable with myself and what my life is. I will treasure what my child is – a gift from God.

Cindy

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