Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Mark and Johanna
Hello!
Thank you so much for reading our profile! How does one even begin to express the gratitude, amazement, love and understanding of the choice you are making for your child? Simply stated, we have no words other than to express to you what a beautiful soul you are to choose adoption for your child. It is the ultimate gift of love and selflessness. We are honored and touched that you are considering us as the parents for
your child.
Whatever you decide, may you find peace in making the right decision
for you and your child.
With love,
Johanna and Mark
Our life together…
Our outlook on life is simple. We both feel life is a beautiful precious gift and we love to share every bit of it with family and friends. Our passion is traveling and learning about different countries, cultures and people. We both love to be in the outdoors and have traveled throughout the United States, Australia, Greece, Peru, Costa Rica, Caribbean and many countries in Europe.
Our faith…
We are Christians with a strong belief in God. Johanna attends a women’s bible study and is one of the teachers in the nursery school program for children two and under and Mark attended Catholic schools for most of his academic years. We believe in a personal relationship with God and try to live our lives to be good to others and appreciate all that we have and do. Our goal is to raise your child to always feel loved, nurtured, respected and appreciated. For him or her to know God, through their eyes and their heart and to know that they are always loved.
As Parents…
Both of us are excited about being parents and realize that it will be challenging but also the most amazing and rewarding gift in life. We both want to be very involved in raising our child, we understand and know the importance of loving and nurturing a child. As children, we were both blessed to be part of a loving home where family came first and were fortunate to be raised in such homes. One thing we both recognize is the importance of having a “stay at home” parent as our parents both made us feel loved, valued and respected. They nurtured us, challenged us to grow, encouraged learning and education and taught us values and morals. Through their love and guidance they allowed us to grow into the people we are today and showed us what matters most in life. We want to give these gifts to your child and be there for him or her to help him or her grow, blossom, learn and experience all that life has to offer.
Our Love Story…
We met in 2006 at a fundraiser in Laguna Beach, California. We hit it off immediately and spent several hours after the function getting to know one another. We started dating and our relationship continued to grow and blossom as we discovered our common interests, which included our zest for life, our passion for travel and the value we each placed on friends and family. In 2007 while on Mark’s surprise birthday trip to New Orleans we got engaged. We were married later that year at a beautiful ceremony in Italy. It was a dream come true as we had a ceremony in Italian, which was followed by a beautiful service in a small 14th century church in the heart of Tuscany surrounded by dear friends and family. We both absolutely adore Italy; it is a country where we both traveled to before we knew each other and a place where Johanna spent time with her precious Mom before she passed away. We actually got married in the very first place that Johanna took her Mom to in Italy and to top it off, Mark’s father walked Johanna down the isle! It was so meaningful and special to both of us.
About Mark by Johanna…
Mark is adorable, cute, smart, and funny and has a huge heart! He loves to laugh, smile and have fun, he is the total jokester! He has a passion for travel & adventure and values the important things in life…family, friends, relationships and love.
I cannot wait to see Mark as a Dad, he will be excellent! He is patient, kind and loving. He makes learning and challenges fun and interesting. He brings laughter and fun to everything he does and everyone he touches. I love to watch him with our Godchildren, friend’s kids and nephews, he interacts on their level and has a blast with them showing them things, teaching them, playing with them and just being with them. I know in my heart of hearts he will be a fun, loving, caring and absolutely wonderful father!
About Johanna by Mark…
Johanna in one word is love. Every person who she touches in life experiences her true devotion. I have seen her care for people at a level far exceeding expectations. Her heart is wonderfully warm and she has so much love to offer. She will be a remarkable and loving mother, completely devoted to your child.
Johanna is also full of energy-she has loads of it! Her zest for adventure and enjoyment can only be satisfied when others are having just as much fun. She can light up a room with her spark. Her laugh is intoxicating and her smile is contagious. She is truly an amazing woman.
Her personality has many facets. She is warm and loving; she is a serious person and can also crack me up. She is devoted and inspiring. She is true to herself and to her heart. She exudes kindness and compassion wherever she goes and with whomever she meets. I know how truly blessed I am to have her as my wife and to have such a wonderful woman to be my partner in our quest for a family. I know she will be the most amazing mother.
A few facts about us…
- We have been married for three years, have known each other for five years and we do not have any children.
- We love to be in the outdoors, ski, scuba dive, bike ride, hike,
camp, and explore. - We are active and outgoing and have a huge passion for travel, fun
and adventure. - We are excited about being parents and sharing all there is to see and do in this world with a child!
- We love to smile, laugh and enjoy our time together.
- We love to spend time with our family and friends.
- We value family, friendships, love and life.
- We enjoy both the simple and finer things in life.
- We both have always wanted a family.
- We live in a wonderful beach community with excellent schools,
beautiful beaches and parks and we are close to tons of fun things for a child to do, learn, grow and explore.
About Johanna…
I am outgoing and have a ton of energy; my nickname is “Ms Energy”. I tend to always look on the positive side of things vs. the negative side of things. I believe that life is a beautiful gift and my goal is to enjoy every moment of it!
I was born and raised in Southern California and love to be outdoors. My parents were a huge part of me becoming the person I am today and I am very thankful for them and all they taught me about relationships, life and what matters most. As a child they were always there for us, made growing up fun and encouraged us. My brother and I always felt loved, cherished and respected.
Growing up, I did well in school and I am now in Real Estate and a broker and part owner of my company. I enjoy what I do, have a flexible schedule and love helping others. I also volunteer where I can to make a difference; currently I teach the nursery school class for my women’s bible study, which has been a blast this year!
As for being a Mom, I can’t wait!!!! I feel that there are so many beautiful things in this world to teach and share with a child and both my husband and I have always wanted children. After we were married, we became pregnant but lost our little one at 7.5 weeks and have been unable to conceive again. Thus our hearts have led us to adoption. We have a huge amount of love to give a child and I have always been Auntie Jo-Jo to all my friends’ kids and our nephews; children hold a very special place in my heart and soul.
About Mark….
I was born in Southern California and have lived in the area my entire life. I grew up with three brothers and we really enjoyed our time together as kids. As adults, we like to reminisce about the great times we had growing up, playing football, riding our bikes and skateboarding.
After High School I went to the University of Southern California (USC). At USC I was able to meet people from all walks of life and countries from around the world. My circle of friends was diverse and interesting. I learned a great many things about life, success, values, family and the importance of discipline. I also joined a top fraternity and attended every football game I could. I still have a passion for USC football today.
While in college I pursued a degree in film and eventually ended up with a Bachelor of Science degree Real Estate Development. Today my career is in finance and I enjoy my job as a mortgage banker, I’ve been in the same business since I graduated from college.
Growing up my life revolved around my family and friends. As a family we would take long summer vacations and travel around the USA. We would go camping in the mountains and water ski in the rivers and lakes. I was a very reluctant water skier as a young child and I am glad my father encouraged me to face my fears, as it’s one of my favorite water sports, next to scuba diving. Friends have always been a part of the fun as well. We went on winter trips to the mountains to go skiing and as we got older, adventures in Europe. These memories have expanded my passion for traveling. The world has so many interesting people and places that I would love to share with your child.
Family and Friends…
Family and friends are hugely important to us and a large part of our life; we consider our friends like family! We love spending time together, being there for each other and having fun. Some of the things we enjoy doing together are camping, traveling, hanging out at the beach, barbecuing, playing games, going to the zoo, Disneyland, Seaworld and the Wild Animal park…to us, it is all about enjoying life and sharing it with others!
We are fortunate that our extended family live close by and we get together often. Mark has three brothers, one older and two younger and Johanna has one older brother. We really enjoy spending time with them and our nephews Jason,
Matt and Kevin.
We are also lucky to have two beautiful Godchildren who are near and dear to us, sweet precious Kelly who just turned two and smart little Brian who just turned three.
At our home, we love hosting large get togethers for friends and family, Mark enjoys being the chef (he is an amazing cook) and Johanna loves being the su-chef and party planner. We also enjoy trips, events and outings with everyone.
Our Home…
We live within walking distance to beautiful beaches and parks in a small community near Laguna Beach. We really enjoy being in a location that allows us to walk to everything, including nearby restaurants and cafes. Young families, parks, bike trails and excellent schools surround our community.
We also have a vacation home in Palm Springs where we enjoy time with friends and family, golfing, hiking and hanging out at the pool.
Our Pets…
We have an overly friendly and cute dog named “Cappucci”, a rescue pup about 6 years old who loves to play Frisbee and hike. We also have a loving ragdoll cat named “Snowy” who pretty much runs the house and rules the dog! They are both gentle and good with kids.
Our Promise…
We will raise a child much like we were raised. We want him or her to be in a neighborhood with tons of other kids and be around people who cherish life and all God’s gifts. Your child will be raised in an environment surrounded by love and laughter. He or she will be loved, smothered with attention, and grow up in home based on faith and love.
We want to give a child all that we were given as children and raise them to always feel safe, protected, loved and cherished. We value education and will seek the best education for them. We value friendships, love and kindness and will teach them to appreciate things and be kind and gentle to others. We value nature and will help them grow in their respect for nature and we love to travel and we cannot wait to share new adventures with your child. We look forward to showing him or her all there is to see in the world so he or she can grow, learn and blossom. We will always be there to listen and cheer on their every endeavor!
Thanks again for learning more about us. If you choose us to be your baby’s parents, please know that he or she will be dearly loved and cherished!
Mark and Johanna
A few words about us from those who know us best….
This is a letter is to give you the utmost confidence that Johanna and Mark will be PHENOMENAL parents. They were made to be parents. Both of them are from loving and nurturing families. They are also both Godparents to our daughter. The way they interact with children is amazing. They'll play with them on any level and get silly without any inhibitions. They have strong Christian values and are in tune to children's needs.
Johanna is SUPER AUNT to so many. She brings the fun factor to her godchildren and makes them feel so special by her snuggles, thoughtfulness and love. I've always said Johanna and Mark are meant to be parents as they have so much love to give. How they become parents is irrelevant. If you give them the gift of raising your child, I can guarantee that it was meant to be. Your child will be provided for in an emotionally healthy, loving, financially sound environment.
Johanna and Mark love nature and adventure and your child will have respect for the world and the opportunity to experience it on so many different levels. I know that Johanna & Mark would raise your child with the intention of making this world a better place.
They would teach your child so much. In my opinion, you could not ask for a better couple to raise your child. Good luck to you on this big decision.
Kindest regards,
Jenny Singhal
I am writing this letter to recommend Mark and Johanna as adoptive parents. We have known Johanna for over 12 years, and Mark for 5 years. We met Johanna on a trip, and became fast friends. She shared in the joy of the birth of our 3 children and she was a true friend through some personal moments that were very challenging for us. Through all of the issues we've dealt with, both positive and negative over the last 12 years, the one constant was Johanna's support, judgment and love.
We have also seen her manage some difficult times of her own life including the death of a parent. What we discovered is that Johanna approaches the challenges in her life like she approaches the joys, with a smile on her face, an infectious positive attitude and love in her heart. She can handle anything that life throws at her because she chooses to love, and to look for the best, most fair solution to everything.
Mark is a loving, kind, hard working man who I would hold out as a model of how I would like my sons to turn out. He's emotionally available for his wife, and in touch with his feelings enough to share. He's achieved excellence professionally and he has a number of outside interests that he does well, but it's clear his passion is for his wife.
As parents, my wife and I understand the pressure that children bring, as well as the joy. We believe that parenting is a sacred duty. We feel so strongly about Mark and Johanna that we named them godparents of our daughter, and if something happened to our immediate family, and us we would want them to raise our child.
Shelly Singhal
Hello,
I am writing this letter to you to shed light on why I know Mark and Johanna will be incredible parents to your child. We have a three-year-old son, and my husband and I have many friends and family who would be honored to be the guardian of our son if anything ever happened to us. However, of all the friends and family that we are blessed with, we chose Mark and Johanna to be our son’s Godparents and to assume the role of guardian / parent if that were ever needed. Let me explain the reasoning behind our decision, which will help you understand why I know this couple will be the right choice to love and raise your child. When we were going through our selection process, we wrote a list of the criteria that are important to us and that we would want in our son’s life. We wanted a couple with a strong spiritual connection and who practiced good morals. We needed to trust that whomever we chose would make attending church a priority. It was important to us to have a couple that lived in balance between working hard, and having a lot of fun. We wanted people who do not take the importance of relationships for granted and who regularly have the wellbeing of others in mind. We wanted a couple that value education and are wise with finances. We wanted a couple that is worldly, love and appreciate nature, and who appreciate the simple pleasures in life. We wanted our son showered with verbal and physical expressions of love, to be raised by a couple who were committed to each other, and who would be exposed to both the simple and finer things in life. At the end of considering our priorities, Mark and Johanna were the only couple who matched all of our wishes for our son.
This is what Mark and Johanna will give your child! Together, they are the most generous, considerate, fun, loving, spiritual, and dedicated couple we know. I am certain that Mark and Johanna will give your precious child an incredible life. They are emotionally, physically, spiritually and financially able to provide for your child what they would their own.
Sincerely,
Stephanie and Duane Shaffer
If you have an 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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