Shannon & Kelly

Our Letter to You!

Dear Birth Mother,
Thanks so much for reading our letter and considering us as adoptive parents!

We are Kelly & Shannon. When a friend of ours set us up on a blind date, she told Kelly to invite her to our wedding! We are in our 9th year of marriage and love doing life together.

Some of our favorite things to do include walking our dogs, Gemma and Jack (labs), going to the movies, playing games, going to SF Giants baseball games and riding bikes to the local farmers market. When vacationing, we love going to warm places with a nearby ocean to swim in, or taking a road trip to the mountains to snowboard (Kelly) and ski (Shannon). We enjoy having friends and family over, and also love just hanging out together at home, perhaps enjoying a fire. Growing in our faith together is important to us.

It has been our dream to have children and raise a family together, and up until now, that dream has not come true. These pages will help provide a glimpse into our lives.
In gratitude, Kelly & Shannon

Kelly, by Shannon:
Anyone in Kelly's life will tell you he is loyal and kind. Many of his friends reach back to elementary school. Kelly radiates an inner-strength that brings out the strengths of those around him – this is why he is such a great coach whether sports or mentoring at work. He is an amazing athlete, playing baseball throughout college and football after. He gives our niece a run for her money on Wii "Just Dance" and he's really not a dancer – just watch our wedding video. Kelly is funny and goofy. His nephew recently asked, "How do I grow up to be as funny as Uncle Kel?"

He is a safe harbor and offers warmth and a sense of protection. Kelly loves me for me. He is an amazing partner because he accepts me for who I am, yet I can count on him to gently nudge me in ways that make me a better person. His faith in God is strong both through times of celebration and times of trouble. He has an admirable work ethic and loves being with his family.

Hobbies: sports, working out, outdoors activities like snowboarding & hikes with the family.
Work: Kelly works for a large medical device company. He is in and out of various surgery centers throughout the day. Kelly consults during surgery and trains sales associates new to the field. While a demanding career, his daily schedule varies and provides flexibility to work from his home office. He can't wait to be home with the baby.

Shannon, by Kelly:
On our first date, Shannon met me on her steps with the greatest smile I have ever seen! Shannon is the most dependable person I know. There is such a comfort knowing that she will always be there for me no matter what – and she laughs at my jokes too! Traveling to Russia together to be with orphans is one of the most amazing things we have ever done. Shannon's natural love for children was so easy to see by the way the kids were drawn to her and she to them. Their faces would light up just as they do with our nieces and nephews.

One of the first words that comes to mind when I think of Shannon is genuine. She is so thoughtful, loving and caring. You feel great just being near her. The well-being of others is a priority. She works tirelessly to improve the quality of the lives of her patients as well as their family members. Shannon is also an amazing cook! She continues to surprise me with new and healthy meals. We have such great fun together and I can't wait to share our lives with a baby.

Hobbies: yoga, gardening, jogging with pups, cooking.
Work: As a speech pathologist in a hospital, Shannon helps adults who have experienced a stroke/trauma re-learn how to speak, swallow and think. It's inspiring to be there when a patient speaks for the first time. Currently, she works 4 days and is looking forward to being home raising the baby.

So, What's the Family Like?
Time with family is the best. In our home, family includes the two of us and our sweet labs. Although, we were saddened by the unexpectedness of Shannon's dad passing away, we are grateful to spend a lot of time with her mom. Kelly is an identical twin, with 6 siblings. We have 12 nieces and nephews ages 4-29. Since most of our family lives nearby, you can imagine the holidays and birthday parties are frequent and full of fun, laughter, chaos and love. Shannon also has a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins that get together for reunions. Our entire family is ecstatic to welcome a new baby to the pack!

Friends:
Just as our families have merged into one, so have our friends. We love to host get-togethers, blending the groups. Our friends are so excited that we are adopting.

Reactions to adopting news

"When Kelly and Shannon announced to the family their plans for adopting a child, I just smiled and thought to myself, of course… who better in the world than they to adopt a child, and offer the love they have given so freely to all of us over the years." Andy (Kelly's twin brother)

"I've always known that Shannon & Kelly would be incredibly loving and nurturing parents. And I'm so excited I'll get to be the Grammy who lives just a phone call away." Grammy

"I can't tell you how excited we are. I can't wait to see who Luke & Gillian & Dani's new cousin turns out to be. I'm very, very happy." Older brother Steve

"I will never stop smiling. I'm going to start knitting today. I am so tickled." Auntie Marcia

"Both Shannon & Kelly have so much love and patience with children. My girls love to go play at their home." friend Kim

"We think of Kelly & Shannon as part of our family and this is why they are the Godparents to our daughter Sophia. They are positive, upbeat and strong individuals." friend JP

We are blessed to be surrounded by a supportive network of friends and family.

Parenthood
Through our relationships with our nieces & nephews and experiences with orphans, we feel like we are parents without children. We can hardly wait to love, nurture and guide a child as he/she grows into the amazing person he/she will become. We will provide security, stability, support, education and of course LOVE. We both love to travel, so we will enjoy sharing the world with our baby. Our intent is that kindness, honesty and seeking the good in others will guide him/her in a wonderful, happy life. Our promise to you is that we will always honor and celebrate you for your amazing gift that unites us as a family. We are patient but can hardly wait to be parents!

Home
We live in California in a friendly and outdoorsy part of the bay area. We are walking distance to a great elementary school. The school system is one of the best in the state. Our neighborhood has many kids, and families of all ages –retired couples with grandkids to families with teens and babies. We have regular neighborhood get-togethers and really enjoy the sense of community. Our backyard has a 125-foot zip line, which is a big hit at BBQs and parties and makes for frequent visits by neighborhood kids during the week.

"There is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings." J. Robert Moskin

Our gratitude and admiration for you are immeasurable. Our lives are richly blessed with love, family, a home and careers. We thank you for making the dream of adopting and parenthood a reality.

With sincere gratitude,
Kelly & Shannon

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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