Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Ann and Chris
Dear Birthmother,
We want to thank you for taking the time to get to know our family. We know that adoption is an emotional and difficult decision for you. We have been through the adoption process already and know what a courageous and selfless decision you are making. We are grateful everyday to our son's birthparents for the wonderful gift that we were given 6 years ago.
We are Chris and Ann......
We met in high school and dated all four years, then married after our freshman year in college. We lived within walking distance of each other and spent as much time as we could together. We enjoyed spending time with friends, going to ballgames and movies and walking to school together. Chris played football and I was always there in the stands cheering him to victory. Because we dated at a young age, we had the opportunity to become good friends first. This has carried over throughout our marriage. We enjoy spending time together just as we did when we were dating. We are supportive of each other’s passions, whether it be Chris’s running and teaching or Ann’s scrapbooking and love of UT football and now Wes’s many activities. After college, we both became teachers, and Chris continues to teach high school history and foreign language. We have a very strong marriage based on love, respect, and our faith in God. We are so excited about adding to our family through adoption. We hope you will look into our lives through this letter and know that your child will be raised in a home filled with love.
About Chris by Ann
I began dating Chris while in high school. We walked to a high school basketball game on our first date and we have been together ever since that first date. Chris has always been involved in athletics and I have always been there cheering him on, first while he was playing and now as he coaches. Chris teaches history and Russian language to high school honor students. He is also the head coach of his high school’s cross country and track teams. He has a great relationship with his teams and it is not unusual for them to keep in touch after they have entered college just to check in with their former coach. Chris is an avid runner and has completed 11 marathons in 11 different states! That leaves only 39 states to go! Chris comes from a large family. He is the fifth of six children, three boys and three girls, which includes 12 nieces and nephews and number thirteen on the way. Christmas time is a crazy, chaotic and fun time every year at his parent's home. Chris is a great father. Wes is always excited when his dad walks in the door in the evenings. Every evening after supper, it is time for games, playing with the dog or playing baseball in the yard. Any time there is a job to be done around the house, Wes and Chris tackle it together. They make a great team and Chris is excited for the opportunity to add another child to our family.
About Ann by Chris
Ann and I have known each other so long it seems we can complete each other’s thoughts. She has been so supportive of my personal and professional ambitions over the years, yet she still manages to maintain her own identity and her own interests. Ann is a wonderful, loving mother who will go to any length to ensure that Wes has every opportunity for a happy, and well-balanced childhood. No matter how busy the day has been, she always makes time for our family. When Wes came into our lives, Ann and I agreed that it was important for her to be able to stay at home during his formative years. So, she resigned her position as a special education teacher and dedicated all of her energies to raising Wes. Later she was able to return to work part-time as director of her church’s twice-weekly pre-school program, where she has been able to influence the spiritual and academic development not only of our own son, but dozens of other children in the community. With her pre-school position, Ann would be able to continue being a full-time mom, because our new son or daughter would be in the program with her during those two days each week. Like me, Ann comes from a very close-knit family. She has one sister that has one son, who resides in Kentucky, and they get together as often as possible. In addition, she shares my passion for sports, and as a family we spend a great deal of time either participating in or watching sporting events. Ours is a very full and active life and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, we want to share that life with another child.
About Wes by Mom and Dad...
When it became clear that we would not be able to have a biological child, we decided to pursue adoption. We were blessed with a beautiful son in August of 2002. We are grateful every day to his birthparents for blessing our lives with him. He is, without a doubt, the light of our lives. We love being parents and are ready to expand our family. Wes is such a wonderful blessing every day of our lives and we can't wait for him to have a brother or sister. He is an energetic boy who is involved in karate, baseball and basketball. So far, baseball is his favorite. Wes also loves playing ball with our dog, Cali, an energetic German Shepherd that loves to play. Wes picked her out of a litter of 8 puppies and after tossing around lots of names, we chose Cali because Wes was born in California and he loves telling people about her name. We have several children that live on our street that Wes enjoys playing with each day. They ride bikes, build forts, and play games. We also have a pool that is enjoyed by Wes and his friends every summer. Wes is very ready for a sibling. When he first learned that he would be having a brother or sister, he was very excited and announced that his small table in the playroom already has two chairs! He has even decided that his new brother or sister should sleep in his room so he can help in the night. The one job that he thinks should stay with mom and dad is changing diapers!
Our Family......
We value the importance of family and enjoy spending time together. We make a point of eating supper together every evening. This is a great time to talk about our day, Wes's Kindergarten day and what we have planned the next day. Ann’s dad eats with us every evening and Wes loves it when Poppy stays after supper to play a game with him. We love to ride our bikes together, take trips to the park or play outside with our dog, Cali. We also enjoy traveling together in the summer. We have made trips to Virginia Beach, Maine, Cape Cod and Hilton Head Island since Wes was born. We travel with many friends and family. With so many families, there is always something exciting happening. Our extended families are very involved in our lives also. Ann's mom comes to visit about once a month and stays just long enough to spoil Wes! They enjoy cooking together and having a cup of coffee in the morning on the back porch. Chris's family lives about 3 hours away and we visit several times a year. Wes always loves to visit because he gets to play with his cousins. Chris's youngest sister and her family live on a horse farm and Wes especially loves playing there and hiding out in the barns! We have many friends in our church and neighborhood and we spend lots of time with them in the mountains, at each other's homes or meeting at the park for an afternoon of fun.
Our home.........
We live in the foothills of the beautiful Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. The mountains offer many things to do every season of the year from hiking, picnicking, playing in the river, enjoying the wildlife, to sledding in the winter months. We live on a dead-end street that includes many families with children. We have a street picnic every fall that everyone attends and brings their favorite dishes to share. The kids play ball in the open fields or ride their bikes while the parents enjoy time talking with one another. We have a pool in our backyard that gets lots of use in the summer time. Wes celebrated his 6th birthday this year with a pool party for his friends. We enjoy having friends over for cookouts and spending time on the back porch or time in the pool on a hot summer’s night. The school system in our area is excellent and we are excited about the education that Wes will receive there. Our weeks are filled with activities at church, school and our neighborhood. We have lived in this area for many years and it is a wonderful place to raise a family. We are so excited to add another child to our family.
We thank you for taking the time to look into our lives. We never take for granted the opportunity to be parents and we look forward to sharing in another miracle of a child’s life. Because we have already experienced the path of adoption, we know this is an emotional time for you. Whatever your decision, we wish the best for you and your child.
If you would like to speak to us about adopting your child, please contact one of our adoption advisors at AdoptHelp toll free at 1-800-637-7999.
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