Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Mark and Susannah
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our letter and thank you for considering us as adoptive parents!
This is by far the most important thing we've ever written, and we will try in this short space to convey something of ourselves, our lives and our deep desire to raise a child. So let us start by introducing ourselves- we are Susannah and Mark, and we thank you for taking a few moments to get to know us.
Our story...We met over five years ago and just celebrated our third wedding anniversary. We met through mutual friends. Susannah's best friend from childhood is married to Mark's best friend from childhood! We immediately hit it off, and have been having a great time together ever since. Before we got married, we began talking about our strong desire to have children and raise a family together. We are so happy with our decision of adoption and cannot wait to realize our dream of becoming parents together!
Five things I love about Mark:
- He always cracks me up- it's not fair that someone so cute could also be so funny!
- I tend to get hungry often, so he hides little snacks in my pocketbook for me to find at work.
- Although he might claim it's some action flick, his favorite movie is Forrest Gump and he watched it whenever it is on TV!
- I never have to call a plumber, electrician, carpenter- or anyone!
- He LOVES children and is so adorable with them- whether it's with his son or friends or family's kids, he is in heaven playing with them or just hanging out, and they are always immediately crazy about him too.
Five things I love about Susannah:
- She is super calm under pressure which will come in handy for late night feedings and mounds of diapers.
- She knows the words to pretty much every song on the radio, and she sings them all- even though she can't carry a tune in a bucket!
- She approaches everything with a positive attitude- she's definitely a glass-half-full kind of girl.
- Though I will never understand her shoe obsession, she has great style and always makes our home and everything around her beautiful.
- She will be the best mother- fair and kind, loving and open, and she'll be the biggest cheerleader any child could hope for!
Our work and play...
About Susannah:
After studying French and art history at Wake Forest University, I obtained my Masters degree in historic preservation and I love the field I work in. I am a Senior Preservation Planner and get to advise people on design issues and promote historic architecture and sustainability. I also work on projects like writing guidelines that will help property owners make choices that will preserve their building's heritage and will be environmentally conscious. In my free time I like cooking, especially with fresh veggies from our garden. Though I haven't formally studied dance in years, I still love dancing around the living room or playing my new favorite- Dance Central.
I have traveled quite a bit in Europe (being a French major did pay off there!), and hope we can all travel there as a family one day to explore and to visit some of my friends there. One of my favorite places is my family's beach cottage which we visit a few times each year. It is on a beautiful, quiet island in North Carolina and was designed by my great-grandfather. Some of my best memories as a child were being there in the summer with my family and friends, playing all day and eating my mother's tomato sandwiches for lunch. I caught my first fish there when I was about 6. My grandfather scaled and cooked it for me, but I wouldn't eat it! Mark and I got married in that area, and it is really special to us. We truly can't wait to make new memories with our own family there.
About Mark:
After a successful career as a contractor working on restorations of historic buildings, I am returning to my roots in the medical field (I was the youngest EMT in Virginia!). I am almost finished with my RN/ nursing degree. I originally studied environmental science at the University of Colorado Boulder, where I also did lots of hiking and rick climbing. Now I am really excited to help people and to continue to learn more about medicine as a nurse. I have an adorable son, Aiden, who is 8. He lives a few states away, and we always have the best time when he comes to visit! It's amazing to watch him grow into such a cool little person!
I love that our interest in restoring old buildings is one of the things we bonded over when Susannah and I first met. On our third date, we had the best time driving around looking at distressed old houses and I was really excited that she shared my passion! Since we have been married, we have restored six houses together, and we keep three as rental properties. One of our greatest accomplishments is to find the beauty and potential in properties that have been neglected and then transform them into homes. I love to build things, and plan to construct the best playhouse on the block!
Our Family and Friends...
We love and are so close to our families! They all live close to us and we visit often. We feel it is extremely important for a child to have extended family in his or her life.
Susannah's Family and Friends:
I grew up as an only child, and am the oldest of my four cousins, so a baby will be the first grandchild on my side of the family. There are so many people ready to meet and love this little one! Formerly a suit-wearing banker by day, my father has also played jazz guitar all his life. My mother was a homemaker and now stays busy with yoga and dance lessons. I love that my mother was at home when I was growing up and I plan to become a stay-at-home mom when we become parents. My folks cannot wait to be grandparents and spend lots of time with their grandchild. My aunts, uncles and cousins also can't wait to add the newest addition to the family. I am blessed to have two of my grandparents still alive. I really hope that they have the chance to meet their great-grandchild. All of these generations cannot wait to welcome a baby into our family!
We have lots of friends who are so excited for us to be parents. In my close group of girlfriends, most have started having children over the past few years. Three of my best friends actually had babies this past summer, so we'll have amazing play groups! They are all so wonderful and I will have the best support and advice from them.
Mark's Family and Friends:
I am the youngest of three to parents who were working together to build a family business at the time. My sister has four children and my brother has a daughter and another on the way, so there are lots of cousins on my side of the family to play with!
Once my folks even flew across the country to take care of my brother's one-year old daughter for a week while he and his wife went to Hawaii! At a family reunion at their house this summer, they got soccer goal nets and everyone had a great time playing in the yard.
We love visiting family at Smith Mountain Lake, in the beautiful Virginia Mountains. I spent lots of time there as a child, and hope for our child to enjoy that same family time. This summer I was visiting and had a great time riding around on the boat with my father, just like we did when I was growing up- although now I get to be the Captain!
Our home...
We live on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in Virginia with our adorable cat, Wally- a stray who 'found' Susannah over twelve years ago. We live in an historic (of course!) house which has an open but cozy feel and great views. We are very close to our neighbors and are like a little community. There are lots children around and we often enjoy doing things together on weekends- like riding bikes or just going to the grocery store together! Recently, we all enjoyed fresh crab cakes that we made from crabs out of our pots in the bay! We are so close to tons of child-friendly activities like the Virginia Zoo, Virginia Aquarium, Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, and lots of museums and parks.
Final thoughts...
We agree on giving a child unconditional love and supporting any interests or talents a child has or wants to explore. We can't wait to help him or her grow and become an interesting, individual, independent person. And we can't wait to help with homework, play games, take family vacations, read bedtime stories, and have lots of snuggles. We share a natural curiosity and enjoyment of life, and have so much love to give to a child!
As we put all of these words on paper, there really are no words to express the deep respect we have for the decision you are considering, and for the infinite gratitude we would feel at being chosen to be your child's adoptive parents. So we'll close with two words used so often, but that are truly from our hearts and meant in the most sincere and reverent way... Thank you.
Sincerely,
Susannah and Mark
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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