Tina and Todd

Dear Birthmother,

Words fall short of expressing the excitement that we feel beginning this journey of adoption. As a family, we are overjoyed and anxiously awaiting the prospect of having another child to share our lives, our dreams, our family, our friends and most importantly our unconditional love.

We have tremendous respect for the decision you have made in choosing adoption. It is without question that you have made this decision out of love and selflessness for your child. We want to impress to you that if you choose to place with us, you will be placing your child into a fun, stable, nurturing and loving family.

We sincerely thank you for taking the time to read our letter and getting to know us! We welcome the opportunity to share the story of our lives with you. Hopefully within these pages, you will see the place within our family filled with love, happiness, compassion which we have been saving for another child.

With Gratitude,

Todd, Tina, Gabe and Allie (our dog)

Our Story
"This type of certainty happens but once in a lifetime…"--Nicholas Sparks

Our story began in 1995 at the California State University, Chico where we lived in the dorms on campus. As Todd was the self-appointed "Social Coordinator" for much of the transfer students, it was only weeks after moving in that we met. During our courtship we talked about family plans (both wanting large families), dreams, goals, and other future plans. After dating for over three years, we were married immediately after graduation in 1999. Todd had begun his career working in Silicon Valley (Santa Clara, California) as a business and computer systems analyst for global telecommunications firm. During this time, Tina began her pursuit of a Single Subject Credential to fulfill her childhood dreams of becoming a high school English teacher. In 2003, after many attempts, we were blessed with our son, Gabe. Gabe is a wonderful, loving, and mature eight-year-old who cannot wait to become a big brother! He is fully committed and involved in the adoption process and welcomes the opportunity to love, mentor, and most of all play with a little brother or sister!

In 2006, we moved to Southern California to be closer to family. We purchased a larger home with expectation of filling all rooms with new little family members. Though we have spent over five years attempting to grow our family, we have been diagnosed with "unexplained recurrent miscarriages". We have contentedly closed that chapter in our lives and have decided to grow our family through adoption. Collectively, as a family, we are in agreement that being a family does not lay within the DNA we share, but rather the love we share. Without question, we have more love in our hearts to give freely to more children. We have always envisioned our family with more children, more laughter, and overwhelming feeling of warmth and love.

The highs and lows of our journey to grow our family has not only confirmed the strength of our love and commitment to each other, but has prepared for this new journey of growing our family through adoption.

Meet Todd, by Tina
For everyone that meets Todd, it takes about five minutes for them to love him. There is something about him that eases people and makes one feel like they have known him forever. His uncanny ability to connect with people has always been both mystifying and admirable to me.

One thing that I love most about Todd is that he is a genuine guy. Pretty much, what you see is what you get with Todd. He never acts like someone or something that he is not. He never feels the need to go out of his way to impress people or lowers himself to anyone else's standards or expectations. This genuineness brings with it the ability to decipher life's situations and problems that arise. Somehow, Todd has an instinctive ability to tackle life's challenges with an unfaltering and unsurpassed sense of wisdom beyond his years. For it is with Todd and this quality that I have learned so much and have found both a mentor and a role model for which I constantly strive to emulate.

My life with Todd has been blessed with laughter. Todd is a cheesy goofball who is not afraid to show it. I can say with certainty that I will never tire of his sense of humor as it is the quality that attracted me to him and that I still love most about him.

Todd is a devoted family man. Shortly after we began dating, we discussed our plans and visions for our future families. He has always maintained that he would like a large family, with several children. With Gabe, Todd has shown his untiring patience, his total devotion, and his capacity to love unconditionally. I see no boundaries to the love that Todd has to give and can say without exception that he will love the newest member of our family with the same boundless capacity to which he encompasses with all those whom know him.

Meet Tina, by Todd

My first impression was "Wow!" I've always been blessed with the gift of gab, never once have I been unable to strike up a conversation with anyone, until the day I met Tina. A million things instantaneously crossed my mind, but the only thing I was able to sheepishly mutter was "Hi". I don't know if it was her smile, her long brown hair, her eyes, or positive happy energy that surrounded her that set me back, but it was a feeling I never experienced before. This was a person I had to get to know!

Tina's life passion was to become a teacher. It takes a special person to want to undertake this type of career. She has an innate ability to always want to help everyone and make a difference in their lives. There is never a lost cause that crosses Tina's path. Even when she is not teaching she is still teaching through her actions, her words and her compassion towards others.

She is a wonderful supportive wife, partner and friend. She is my rock, the solid foundation that helps me be a better person and strive to accomplish my goals and dreams. She is an incredible shoulder to cry on as she not only makes you feel better, but makes you understand everything will be okay. Tina makes every situation fun. It could be her playful conversation or gossip, her questions of how or why, or her basic fun loving actions and mannerisms. I'm lucky to be able to experience life with her.

In addition to being the spouse of all spouses, she is an incredible homemaker. She is the most amazing cook and baker. The days she says she is going to bake, are the days that bring a tear to my eye as I know within 22 minutes at 350 degrees, tasty morsels will be melting in my mouth!

She is the most nurturing, loving, and by far most patient mother I have ever met. I sometimes want to fall and skin my knee just to be taken care of. She has done the most incredible job in raising our son. She is very protective, but still gives him space to learn on his own, fall down, get up and try again. Every moment of Tina's day is about her family. If you want to feel loved, if you want to feel safe, if you want know everything is going to be okay, just be part of her family.

She is a person of many strengths, integrity, compassion and unconditional love. I not only feel blessed, but privileged to have crossed paths with her 16 years ago. I am a better person for it. I am thankful that Tina has chosen me as her friend, her partner and her companion for life. However, what I am most thankful was just being able to mutter that one word "Hi" on the day we met!

Meet Gabe
"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero."-- Marc Brown

Gabe is an imaginative, inquisitive, highly intelligent, athletic, and outgoing eight-year- old. Gabe loves to talk make people laugh, he continually looks out for others' feelings and loves to help whenever he can. He is your typical boy, he loves playing with his friends, riding bikes/skateboards, staying active, video games and baseball. He is a good-natured boy with high morals and strives to make good decisions.

For several years now, Gabe has really wanted and has been excited to have a little brother or sister. He has even included it in his letters to Santa! He has been involved with every step of the adoption process.

Gabe is a great kid with so much to offer and share. He is excellent with younger children and takes great care when playing with them. He will be an excellent friend, mentor, role model, and most importantly, big brother.

Tina and Todd

If you have any questions for us, or would like to talk to us about adopting your child, please contact an AdoptHelp advisor by Calling 1-800-637-7999 or clicking the "Contact Us" button below.

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