Choose A Family : Parent Profile

Mike and Mara

Hello,
We are Mara and Mike! Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We imagine that this must be an incredibly difficult and important decision for you and we admire and respect your courage and strength. We hope that this letter gives you some insight into our values, personalities, lifestyle and outlook on life and gives you some comfort that we will provide an incredibly loving, supporting and nurturing home for your baby.

About M&M
We met in 2001 when Mike saw Mara across the room at a social event. Mike did not approach Mara at that time, but asked a mutual friend to introduce us. After talking for several weeks on the phone, we finally agreed to meet. We became exclusive almost immediately, but broke up several months later when Mike decided to move back to New York. Mike never did move back to New York, however, and we kept feeling drawn to each other, calling each other and spending time together. Finally, we decided we wanted to be together and never looked back. We were engaged in 2004 on Christmas Eve (Mike proposed in French even though he doesn’t know French because our first date was at a French restaurant) and married in 2005. We feel our marriage grows stronger every year and our love grows deeper every day.
Although, initially, our infertility took us by surprise, we quickly adapted to the concept that there are many different ways to create a family. After some attempts at fertility treatments and some tears, we changed course and invested a lot of time into researching everything we could find on adoption. We are very comfortable with our choice to adopt and actually feel relieved and hopeful to finally take steps in a positive direction. We both are self-employed and have a lot of flexibility with our work schedules, so we feel lucky that we will be able to spend a lot of time at home with our child. We both believe that family is our priority and we are committed to putting our child ahead of our jobs and other commitments.
As a couple, we are pretty fun-loving. We aren’t embarrassed to be silly and goofy and just enjoy life. We love to make others laugh, especially at costume parties – the funnier our costumes, the better! And when we travel, Mike always makes Mara laugh with his imitation of or interaction with statues, posters or sculptures!

Despite having very different interests and activities that we enjoy, we have been very good about opening up ourselves to the other’s hobbies. Mara has now learned a ton about baseball and basketball (but she still doesn’t get football) and 80s music. Mike has now experienced a lot of foreign films, plays and musicals, travel, and even rock climbing, which is one of Mara’s passions. We think we are so lucky that we have been able to enhance our lives by experiencing each other’s diverse interests. We absolutely love to travel and have had some amazing trips both in the U.S. (Winter Park for hiking and a wedding; San Diego for beach time and seeing the Alan Parson’s Project at Humphrey’s; the Jersey Shore to meet up at the Boardwalk with Mike’s childhood friends; Malibu to spend Thanksgiving with Mike’s aunt, uncle and cousins; New York City to see Mike’s family and enjoy the sights of Manhattan) and to other countries (kayaking around Vancouver Island; celebrating Mara’s grandma’s 100th birthday in Vancouver; hiking and rock climbing in Patagonia, Argentina; enjoying pasta and gelato in Italy; snorkeling in the underground caves in Playa del Carmen; taking tapas tours in Barcelona, Spain). We absolutely plan to expose our child to the joys of travel: the experiences of other cultures, meeting fascinating locals and trying every type of food. In addition to being exciting and fun, we believe that travel helps develop cultural sensitivity, awareness, and open-mindedness, which are values that are very important to us.

All About Mara
I was born in New York and lived in five other states by the time I was 5 years old. We settled in Phoenix and I absolutely love living in Arizona. I grew up with a younger sister with whom I played and fought like many siblings. On all our family outings she was my partner in crime and also the one that would make me cry “mom, she’s not sharing her food!” I was very lucky to grow up in a very supportive and loving family. My mom stayed at home until we were in high school and she made everything from scratch. She baked, cooked, and made some of our clothes. My dad worked a 9-5 job and was home every evening and on weekends. We did everything as a family. We took tons of family camping and road trips in our station wagon to see the country. Although my parents had very little money at that time, they wanted us to experience what life had to offer. They drove us everywhere from Mount Rushmore to Corpus Christi. Every Sunday evening, my dad would make us homemade French fries in funny shapes and my mom would make homemade hamburgers. We would go to drive-in movies and my mom would bring home popped popcorn, homemade cookies, and grapes! We had no idea that it was because they couldn’t afford the concession stand at the movies. As kids, we thought we were the luckiest kids in the world to have parents that doted on us so much.

As I grew up, my parents were my best friends, role models and support system. They helped us with our homework, volunteered at almost every school event, hosted parties at our house and helped us make decisions. Although I was scared to leave the warmth and comfort of home, my parents encouraged me to spread my wings and explore universities outside of Arizona. I ended up at the University of Texas at Austin and had the time of my life! I majored in Psychology and then stayed at UT to obtain my law degree. However, I missed my parents and Phoenix and moved back home as soon as I graduated from law school.

After law school, I worked for many years in the big, national law firms. Although I enjoyed my work, I did not like corporate life. I am not a conformist and cannot suppress my personality and beliefs to make corporate superiors happy. So, right before I made partner in the law firm, I quit and spent a year living in Florence, Italy to figure out my next steps. When I returned to Arizona, I started my own business and have been working on my own and at home for the past 11 years. I also went back to school and obtained my masters degree in Counseling Psychology and I am an adjunct professor, teaching Counseling Ethics at a University. My main job is as a mediator. I use my law and psychology background to help people resolve disputes and conflicts. I like it so much more than practicing law! It’s nice to help people end up in a win-win situation. I also love the flexibility being my own boss brings to my life. I work mostly from home, so I plan on being mostly a stay-at-home mom. For the few times I need to leave the house to meet with clients, my parents plan on staying with the baby, so there will always be family in the house to provide caretaking.

My life is so full of family, friends and activities. I cannot wait to bring a child into our life and expose him or her to the variety of experiences that make up life, both the good and the not so good. I will provide love, guidance, support, and hope to foster a natural curiosity about the world and life. I believe Mike will be an excellent partner in this and would make an unbelievable father. He is so nurturing, loving, kind, and committed to family. I can’t wait to see him holding a baby in his arms!

Mara’s Faves:

• Reading – Mara’s fantasy as a child was to be locked in a library
  
• Rock climbing – despite a fear of heights, Mara loves the feeling of being completely immersed in nature
  
• Anything Celtic or Italian – there is something so romantic about the music, literature, food and culture
  
• Travel, travel, travel – Mara has lived in England, Italy, and Argentina and visited over 20 different countries
  
• Girlfriends – Mara’s gal pals plan monthly “sex and the city”-type happy hours, spa days and dinner parties
  

All About Mike
I was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, moving to Arizona 9 years ago. I have one sister who is married with 3 children, all under the age of 8. The latest greatest news about her family is they are moving to California making it so much easier to get together with them in the near future—Mara and I truly enjoy the kids!

I did not have a “typical” childhood. My mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor when I was about 11 years old, and though she fought and battled through several surgeries and rehabilitation for many years, my childhood was filled with trying to cope with all the uneasiness that surrounded me. My sister and I had several different live-in caretakers that my father brought in to help raise us while my mother was in and out of hospitals and rehab centers. Thus, dealing with sickness and a fragmented family was challenging but was normal for me because it was all I knew. My father did everything he could possibly do to make our lives as happy as possible, but it was a struggle for him to support my mother and us with so many things to deal with seemingly all at once.

Looking at the positive side of things, my mom was able to battle past her illness at times so that she could spend time with our family doing family things—road trips in the family car, family birthday parties, school concerts and plays, sports events, and more. Those were memories I try to cherish as I reflect back and ones I hope to relive with my future family!

Throughout my childhood, I usually excelled in school as I enjoyed learning and wanted to make my parents proud. I developed some great friendships as well and still to this day have several friends who I first met in elementary school (and didn’t need Facebook to track them down either!) After graduating high school, I attended Boston University for four years, then returned to New York and moved back in with my parents while starting my first career as a sales representative in the sporting goods industry. My job allowed me to travel a lot as I was doing outside sales, driving all over New York and New Jersey (sometimes Connecticut) meeting new and existing customers while trying to grow my career. I also travelled at various times across the country attending sales meetings and trade shows from Massachusetts to Nevada and many places in between. At times I loved my job, but as so many people realize in their lives, I did not want to stay a sales person forever and was looking for something new and different to change my life.
It wasn’t until 1996 when I realized that my new life’s journey would begin. It started with an injury to my back that brought me into a chiropractor’s office, where I first became exposed to a profession that I would eventually pursue as a career path. I became so intrigued by chiropractic that I decided to go back to school, first part-time to get prerequisites at community colleges (while I continued to work full-time), then to New York Chiropractic College where I relocated and attended full-time to get my Doctor of Chiropractic degree. After graduating in 2001, I immediately moved out to Arizona to start my work career as a chiropractic physician.

Why Arizona? That is a question I have been asked hundreds of times over the years. It was because one of my close friends moved from New York to Arizona several years prior, and I was fortunate to fly out and visit him several times and see a different lifestyle than the one to which I was accustomed - but one that I was very attracted to—great weather, friendly people, and a healthy attitude towards life that seemed to jive so well with me! I was sold, packed up a moving truck, and drove to Arizona, ironically just a week before September 11th, 2001.

Since arriving here, a lot in my life has changed, not just geographically. My sister became a parent for the first time (then had 2 more kids since). Of course, I met my wife, Mara, who has brought so much happiness to my life as well as so many new and wonderful experiences. I also met Mara’s parents who have I’ve grown very close to over the years, in part because I lost my father to cancer a short time ago, and, with their love and support, I could never ask for anything more.
I have always wanted a family of my own and spending the last 6 years with Mara has been the beginning of my wish. A child would complete our wishes to grow into a family that we both would feel is the ultimate dream come true for us. We hope that you can help us realize our dream.

Mike’s Faves:

• Sports, sports, sports….did we mention sports?
  
• Desserts! Especially Cheesecake
  
• Everything New York Mets – Mara even had a Mets cheesecake made for Mike at their wedding
  
• Classic Rock – Mike can name that tune in 5 notes (and trivia about every band)
  
• Exercise – lifting weights, playing basketball, hiking, chasing Layla
  
• Friends – Mike still keeps in touch with the kids from his 3rd grade carpool!
  
• Our Layla (Mike’s an Eric Clapton fan!)

We rescued Layla 1 ½ years ago from a shelter and she is the light of our lives. We adore her and spoil her beyond belief. Layla has actually made us feel even more like a family as our plans, discussions, and interests now include her. We enjoy taking her for walks, hikes, weekends in the mountains, to the doggie park, to Sunday brunch at outdoor cafes, to PetSmart, and to all types of dog events. In fact, we’ve been planning a trip up north as a family to celebrate Dogtoberfest in October. Also, Mara’s parents are extremely involved in Layla’s life. Although they cannot wait to have a grandbaby, they are trying to satisfy their grandparent urges with Layla. They “babysit” her whenever Mike or Mara need to be away from the house for more than a few hours and even when Mike and Mara are not away, as they love being around Layla. She is very sweet and loving and will be wonderful with a baby.

Layla’s Faves:

• Peanut Butter – Layla will happily lick the gooey goodness we stuff in her bone
  
• Playing catch – Layla is so proud of herself when she snatches Frisbees and balls from mid-air
  
• Pets, rubs, belly scratches – Any attention is good attention to Layla
  
• Spa Treatments – yes, you read that right – Layla loves having her paws massaged with lotion

Maravilla aka Our Home
We live in Phoenix, Arizona in a home we built and custom designed in 2008. Mara spent hundreds of hours in the design phase, bugging the builder so much that he jokingly named the house “Maravilla” on the blueprints! We included a baby’s room in the design and can’t wait to fill it with the sounds of a little one. In fact, most of the design was with the vision of our family living, playing, and creating memories here. We love our neighborhood as it is the old part of town where the yards have grass (versus desert landscaping) and the neighbors walk their dogs and play with their kids outdoors in the evenings and on the weekends.

There are a lot of “mom and pop” cafes, boutiques, and shops. This is also the neighborhood where Mara grew up and where several of our friends live. Mara’s parents live less than 2 miles away, which makes it nice because we are very close to them and spend a lot of time together. It is a very residential neighborhood with parks and even a bridle path nearby. We love riding our bikes and walking Layla in the neighborhood and have met so many of our neighbors that way.

We are very lucky because we happen to be in one of the best school districts in Phoenix. We have a big backyard with a lot of grass which Layla loves and which will be a great place for a child to run around and where a playset would be a great addition. When the weather’s nice, we usually have a BBQ on Sundays where people will just drop by. Our home is typically the gathering place for our friends and family to have dinner parties, to watch the Superbowl and the Acadaemy Awards, and to celebrate the holidays. We love that everyone enjoys coming to our place to enjoy the fun things in life!

The People We Love
We have very supportive families and our child will be the first grandchild in Mara’s family. Mara’s parents can hardly wait until they have a grandchild to spoil. Mara’s sister lives in Australia, but plans on visiting to see her first niece or nephew. And, we have Skype accounts set up so we can stay in touch with her across the ocean. Mike’s sister, aunts and uncles are so excited to welcome another niece or nephew into the family. Both of us are very close to Mara’s grandma, who is 101 years old, is still active, and lives in Vancouver.

Grandma has been bugging Mara for years to provide her with another great-grandchild and we are happy to oblige! Mara’s parents live less than 2 miles away and will be extremely active grandparents. Unfortunately, both of Mike’s parents have passed away and will not be able to share in the upbringing of a child. However, we are extremely close to Mike’s aunts, uncles and cousins and spend many of the holidays and family celebrations with them. Mike’s sister has 1 son and 2 daughters to whom we are also extremely close. They are just in the process of moving from New York to California, so we are so excited to have them just a car ride away! We are very attached to Mike’s nephew and nieces and spend as much time as we can with them. They have a lot to do with our desire to be parents.

We get so much joy out of all of their accomplishments and milestones. We have been very open with our families about our desire to adopt and have received 100% encouragement and support from everyone.

We Promise to Offer Your Child:

• Love, affection and unconditional support. We believe every child deserves nothing less.
• Parents who will put a child’s needs first, above all else.
• Diverse and exciting life experiences.
• Healthy boundaries to help a child develop and grow safely and securely.
• Doting grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
• A dog (Layla), who will provide devoted companionship, play and kisses.
• A warm house in a friendly neighborhood which will be the “cool” house where childhood friends and family gather.
• Financial stability, the opportunity for a quality education, and the chance to pursue dreams.
• Travel. Family road trips within the US, Canada and Mexico and plane trips to anywhere the heart desires.

If this feels like the life that you can envision for your child, please allow us the opportunity to provide it. We are humbled by this experience and truly believe that you will feel when this is “right” for you and for us. Thank you so much….

Sincerely ,
Mara & Mike

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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