Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Susan and Stephen
We are so happy you have taken the time to look at our profile. We are eagerly awaiting a new life to come to our family and celebrate the grand opportunity to give our love without condition, time or limits. We hope we can join you on this unique journey that we know firsthand and marvel at the depth of your love and the amazingly sacrifice you are willing to make because of that amazing and heroic love.
We have two sons 16 and 2 both who in their own unique ways made our family our own through adoption! We live in a beautiful community outside of a major metropolitan area. We have it all! All four seasons, the city, the country, the beach and the mountains and we enjoy our life through them all. We truly are ‘family people’ and enjoy when everyone is around! We celebrate life, we appreciate life and we do love those that touch our lives. Perhaps sounds too good to be true but it is us! Our sons simply can make us smile on the most challenging of days and we certainly appreciate their input into our daily lives, as well.
We have a multitude of friends that have been blessed by adoption. We treasure them as special family to us since adoption is such a beautifully unique experience. Just as gratitude can never be expressed accurately to a birth mom - I have tried … James’ birth mom has heard us say it so many times how “we cannot express our gratitude and love” … she now tells us “she knows”.
We believe the adoption journey is so unique, so special and so filled with such a very special love and acceptance that words cannot tell the feelings near any truth. So, our ‘adopted’ adoption families make our circle of family bigger and more joyous with so much to celebrate!
We are blessed, there is no doubt about it and we want to expand our family so our children have the joy of siblings and we can give all the best we have from our hearts and ourselves. So we can give an unwavering hand to hold for a lifetime and the undeniable blessings that parents’ true, unconditional love has to offer. We simply adore our children and we know that the more, the merrier!
Our Core Values
Faith
Family
Friendship
Love
Compassion
Truth
Integrity
Selflessness
Dear Birth mom
“Have I told you you’re my hero? Have I said this to you today?”
You flew in our lives like an eagle, providing a beauty only seen in gifts so rare.
You gave to us the biggest gift a parent can bestow, your baby,
to let us care for, love, nurture and help grow.
Your baby from your womb she came and her first breath you did savor.
In that same way, I wait for you and delight in meeting your favor.
“Have I told you you’re my hero? Have I said this to you today?”
In our eyes you stand amongst giants whereas love, courage and sacrifice never fail.
For one to do what is better for another, before themselves, is certainly beyond whatever others ever endure.
So, how do we say, “We thank you”? These words seem so small.
Yet, our gratitude is a bigger than any words or mountains or skies.
Our gratitude if it had wings would fly and fly and fly.
All in all, there are no words to express such gratitude.
As there are no words to express the love we feel for our new child and for you.
So years from now if we were to meet and a sure joy that would be.
I can say without delay you’d be very proud of me!
In my dreams and upon my desires I truly hope to hear,
you say to me some words that I used to express what you mean to me …
“Have I told you you’re my hero? Have I said this to you today?
You raised my baby up to be a man of stature and great praise!
He certainly is beautiful I see me in his eyes yet he reflects your love and compassion that walked always by his side.
It also is quite wonderful that he knows who I am.
The love he showed and embraced me with was filled with acceptance, love and grace!
I did not know if this day would come or if I would even want it.
Yet, now I am here to see the decision I made was perfect and
your life had their love all around it!”
By Susan for Erin (James’ birth mom)
ABOUT STEPHEN
Stephen grew up in suburban New Jersey with his parents and younger brother, Kenneth. Stephen and Kenneth both are fire officers in a nearby city, Stephen a Deputy Chief and Kenneth a Captain. Stephen is close to his brother as through work they have many things in common. Kenneth and his wife, Mary live 10 minutes away and have a son, Kenny, 7 weeks younger then our youngest, James. This by itself keeps the family close and provides for more things we can do together and have in common. Stephen also holds a part-time position as an instructor at the county fire academy. Recently he was asked to speak at a National Conference regarding fire safety. Stephen is slow to anger, quiet but a strong leader, which is also clear in his parenting style. He is very well liked and respected among the fire community (near and far) as well as at home. The style of Stephen's profession allows him to be home more often then most people with a 'more then full-time' job and much of that time is spent in play with James or 'hanging out' with our teenager, Christopher. Christopher is also allowed the privilege of going to work with Stephen. He can sleep in fire headquarters and also go on calls with him riding on the fire trucks. Stephen’s mother, Carol lives in walking distance from our house and participates in her grandchildren's lives on a daily basis. Carol attends mass with Stephen, Susan and the kids every week. Stephen's grandmother lives with his mother so the children also see Great-Grandma frequently. Stephen attends mass on a regular basis and assists his children in the same. He is an avid photographer and participates in a club that enjoys the same. Stephen's other love is the railroad and that is one that the children and he daily are involved with. Many vacations revolve around that theme.
ABOUT SUSAN
Susan grew up in suburban New Jersey in the same town as Stephen. Their parents are friends. Susan was previously married and had Christopher who was later adopted by Stephen. Susan has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a Masters in Social Work, as well. Due to the ever-changing winds of life, Susan stays home with the children: Christopher who is 16 and James, 2, who Susan and Stephen adopted and has been with them from his birth, October 2005. Her kids are her love, joy and true focus. Susan’s parents live in the Midwest and Susan's only sister who is 4 years older lives in the south. Susan is extremely blessed to have her parents who are married 46 years visit at least 4-5 times a year depending on what is happening at our house. Even-though they live in the Midwest they are here for all the important events and have yet to miss a grandchild's birthday, which is impressive as Christopher will be 17 in September. All their grandchildren know them well and have a close and unique relationship with each. They are a part of our daily conversations and phone calls. Susan's sister is married 20 years in November and has 3 children. She has 13-year-old twins and another son, our Godchild, who is 10. We see them at least once per year. Susan's grandmother lives an hour from their home, they speak with her often and they visit with her as much as possible.
If you would like to speak with us about adopting your child or have any question for us, please contact our Adoption Advisors at AdoptHelp by calling 1-800-637-7999 toll-free.
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