Dear Birthmother,

Hi!  We are Strib and Jean and we are very excited about the possibility of having a family through adoption.  We think you are very brave and it is because of people like you that people like us have a chance for a family.  Thank you for considering us as potential parents for your child.

We met in the Hoboken Ski Club while on a ski trip.  Jean was living in Manhattan at the time and moved to Hoboken within 4 months of our first meeting.  We were married 2 years later and moved to Maryland where we’ve been ever since.  This year we are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.  We attempted to have our own children naturally and through fertility treatments.  We were very fortunate to become pregnant with twin boys using donor eggs but lost them at 22 weeks due to a rare complication.  We are now looking at adoption as the way to realize our dream of having a family.

About Strib:
I grew up in South Carolina as the oldest of 3 children.  I played football and ran track in high school.  Growing up, we went camping most weekends at the beach and had a boat where we learned how to water ski which I still love to do.  My dad and I rode horses regularly.  I joined the Air Force after completing my college years at the Virginia Military Institute where I was part of the B-52 squadron stationed in Arkansas.  While stationed in Arkansas, I bought my first waterskiing boat and spent most free weekends waterskiing and camping on the beautiful lakes of Arkansas and Tennessee.  I left the military in 1991 and have been in sales ever since.  I’ve always had a love of children. Jean has nicknamed me the “Pied Piper” of children because children seem to be drawn to me.  Maybe it’s because I’m still a big kid myself!  I really enjoy playing golf and try to play whenever I can.

About Jean:
I am the oldest of 3 children and grew up in New York State.  My childhood was filled with many activities like skiing, swimming, apple picking, Girl Scouts and 4-H and summer vacations on Cape Cod.  My parents both loved to cook so we were always baking or cooking something.  I share my parent’s passion for cooking and love trying out new recipes, especially of the dessert variety!  Our house was also filled with a lot of music while I was growing up.  My father was able to play many instruments and we had a large music room where my parents regularly hosted dinner parties followed by “jam sessions” with their friends.  I love music and love to sing.  A cousin recently told me that I am the one in the family who always seems to know the song and artist on the radio.  I guess that comes from my Dad!  Unfortunately, both my parents died by the time I was 17.  As a result, many of my cousins are like brothers and sisters to me and I learned at a young age how important family truly is.  I graduated from Towson State University and worked for many years in the Benefits Department of several Financial Institutions.  I really enjoy traveling and have had the great opportunity to travel to Australia, Europe and Canada and attended a grand ball in England – what a lucky girl I have been!  My grandfather came from Scotland so my dream would be to explore the region he was from sometime in the future. 

About Us:  We own our own home and live in a community with many children and activities for kids.  We love to travel with Italy being our favorite destination so far.  We also love to go to concerts, plays and to the beach.  We try to spend as much time as possible with our nieces and nephews who affectionately call Strib “Uncle Bear”.  We take an annual trip to Charleston, SC with Strib’s family and spend each New Year’s with our best friends Jim, Sonya and their twins.  Thanksgiving is at our house each year where we bring as much family together as possible.  We are fortunate that several of Jean’s cousins living nearby so we usually have a big crowd.  Strib is famous for his smoked turkey and everyone looks forward to whatever dessert Jean is making each year.

We started our own business 4 years ago and work together each day.  Many people have told us that they could never work with their spouse – it seems to work really well for us.  Having our own business also gives us lots of flexibility with our time.  Jean will be staying home with our child for the first 3 months and then will return to work only part time.

As you consider where you are going to place your child, please know that this child will be cherished and we will give him/her all that we have to offer.  Their life will be filled with laughter, fun, travel and unconditional love.  We will provide the best education possible and will teach them about the value and strength of family.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about us.  We wish you strength, courage and peace as you are making the decision about what is best for you and your unborn child.

If you would like to speak with us about adopting your child or have any questions for us, please contact one of our Adoption Advisors toll free at AdoptHelp 1-800-637-7999.

Jean and Strib