Hello! I’m Michelle from Santa Barbara, California!

Dear Birthmother: Thank you so much for taking the time to read my profile! I’m so happy to connect with you and share a little bit about myself. I want to say though, that I can’t imagine how difficult a decision this must be for you, I truly have nothing but love and respect for your journey right now. As I reflect on your decision to pursue adoption I am inspired by the strength and courage required to endure in this process. I hope that after reading my profile, you will feel reassured that your child will be raised with a commitment to a safe and stable home with unconditional love.

My Journey to Adoption: I have wanted to adopt a child since I was in the 2nd grade. It all started when my best friend’s family decided to adopt a baby, I thought it was the most wonderful gift in the world and loved the idea of sharing my family. When you grow up in Hawaii, the love of family is second nature and I was fortunate enough to experience this. Everyone is automatically an aunty, an uncle, or a cousin whether you are related or not. Everyone always looks out for one another. It really is a special way of being raised and your child would have a huge and loving extended family.

10 Fun Facts About Me:

• My favorite color is rainbow.
• I taught a Sherpa the Running Man on the Himalayas in Nepal.
• I can recite the longest word in the dictionary.
• Blue skies and sunshine make me happy.
• Creating photographs makes me even happier.
• Wonder Woman, Oprah and the Dalai Lama are my heroes.
• I posed my stuffed animals under my coconut tree and took my first photo at age 5.
• I don’t like chocolate but could eat popcorn everyday.
• I always sing in the shower. But never the right lyrics or the right key.
• I’m a hugger. I give some of the best hugs in the world.

A Closer Look at Michelle

A Little About Me: I’m originally from Hawaii and now call Santa Barbara, California my home. I am a happy, outgoing and friendly person who loves life! One of my greatest accomplishments was when I ventured around the world with a pack on my back and a camera on my hip. I am now a professional pet photographer and owner of a successful photography and event studio. I have an amazing staff who runs the show without me having to be there, and I’ve worked hard to create a schedule with the flexibility to work from home and be with a newborn baby. While I hadn’t anticipated being a single parent at this stage in my life, I know that I have the love of ten people, let alone two, to give to a child. I was also raised by the best single mother role model I could ever ask for! My mother taught me that anything is possible and to not be limited by the status quo.

My Interests:

• Ocean & Nature. I grew up surfing in beautiful Hawaii so I feel at home in the ocean. I often go hiking and immerse myself in nature as often as possible. I even have my own green house at home so I can enjoy daily gardening and digging my fingers in the earth – I have an amazing greenthumb!
• Soccer. I love soccer! I grew up playing soccer as a kid and eventually coaching. I discovered how wonderful and impacting it is to develop communication skills, self-esteem and strong, supportive relationships with a team. To this day I play in a co-ed adult soccer team.
• Creating Sense of Home & Family. I create “family” wherever I go and people say they feel loved and “at home” in my presence. I think this is because of my Hawaii upbringing. If I get the chance to raise your child in my home, they’ll get the chance to enjoy a welcoming and comfortable environment where they can explore, laugh, feel safe, and create memorable moments.
• Photography. Photography is my passion, I love it because I can tell people’s stories through a single moment in time. I love being able to share what people want to say, whatever their heart desires, especially the love of their pets!
• Cooking & Eating Great Food! I’m a great cook! Mostly because I love to eat. Your child will grow up eating a variety of healthy delicious foods while being raised with the skills to cook for themselves! I’m really looking forward to laughing, teaching and enjoying quality time creating family memories in my kitchen.
• Travel. Travel will always be an important part of my life. I think it’s the best education out there! I’ve taught English in Mexico, Guatemala and Thailand, met a chief in Samoa, ran a race in Taipei, did amazing charity work in Rwanda, played soccer in Costa Rica, heard a hungry lion outside my tent in Kenya, and now that I’m in California I’ve been enjoying road trips all over the west coast!

My Home

My Home and Community: I own a beautiful home in Santa Barbara, and living near the beach and get to see dolphins playing in the water all the time! There’s also an awesome kid’s park with a jungle gym, rope bridge and swings in one direction and another kid’s park with a merry-go-round and giant whales to climb all over in the other direction. A brand new children’s museum just opened around the corner and I live near some of the best ranked elementary schools in the district.

Meet Maia: This amazing pup is not only my side kick and one of my best friends, but she is the kindest, sweetest, loving dog you could ever imagine hanging out with and everyone love her! We go hiking, rollerblading, and she makes me laugh on a daily basis. All the neighborhood kids love to play with her, she’s invited to all the birthday parties and she’s looking forward to expanding our family as much as I am!

Holiday Traditions:

• Baking Christmas cookies with my nieces and putting out reindeer food EVERY year!
• My mom started the tradition of a new Christmas ornament each year. So now I have an ornament on the Christmas tree for every year of my life. I can’t wait to start this for my child.
• Halloween!! I love making costumes and taking my nieces trick-or-treating.
• Every year I make my nieces a handmade advent calendar so they get to open a small present everyday in December. It’s fun and it helps the countdown till Christmas!
• Friendsgiving. A lot of people are far away from family during Thanksgiving, so I hold a BIG Friendsgiving every year with family, friends and a LOT of food!

Our Family & Friends

I love family: I am surrounded by an amazing group of friends and family. My family and friends are 100% behind me adopting a baby and I couldn’t ask for better support. One of the greatest heroes in my life was my mother. She inspired me to be loving, strong, independent, and thoughtful of others. She is no longer here, but she’d be happy to know that I have Santa Barbara parents that have “adopted me” and welcomed me into their home. The qualities my mom instilled in me helped me develop a school in Rwanda for elementary school children and work with the Dream Foundation to make dreams come true for people with terminal illnesses. My mom taught me to be independent and think for myself and above all else, love deeply. I will be an amazing mom because of her strength and unconditional love.

A note From my Santa Barbara little sister, Tai: “Michelle is one of the most kind-hearted, inspiring, strong, amazing people I know. She is incredibly intelligent and driven. She is a go-getter that fully throws her heart & soul into everything she sets her mind to… When she told me she wants to be a mom, I was absolutely ecstatic. I know she’ll be one of the absolute best there is & will raise a child with the most love, support & aloha on the planet.”

A note From my cousin, Trenton: “I couldn’t ask for a better cousin or Aunty for my own girls. Michelle makes it a priority to be a large part of my daughter’s lives and they love their “Aunty Mish”. Even after she moved away from Hawaii, she makes sure to keep in touch all the time and has never missed a birthday or Christmas. There needs to be more people like Michelle in this world & I am so excited for her to be a mother. She is someone you want to be around all the time & the type of person that you look up to. She creates family & community wherever she goes, & has more love & positive energy to share than anyone I know.”

A note from my best friend, Jessie: “I’ve known Michelle for over 8 years and she is easily the most important person in my life. She is my best friend and I can’t imagine my life without her friendship, support, and love. It doesn’t matter if you’re family, a friend, or a co-worker, she shares an incredibly positive and happy outlook on life with a contagious smile. The minute you step into her home, she is feeding you and making sure you are comfortable. Her home is full of fun, laughter and all the things that would support the growth of a healthy, stable child. There is no better mother-to-be than my dear friend Michelle.”

A note from my Hawaii bestie, Annabel: “Michelle has been my best friend for 17 years. She is the most loyal, “true-blue” person that I have ever known. My daughter has known from the time she was very small that she could always count on, “Auntie Mish,” for support, comfort, fun, nurturing and love. I am incredibly grateful to have Michelle in my life and in my daughter’s life especially. Throughout the years I have made sure to make opportunities for my daughter to spend lots of one on one time with Michelle so that she can have, not only adventures with her, but so that she can learn from her during their long talks about life. Michelle is an amazing, nurturing, loving person who will make an incredible Mom to any child. She is the worlds greatest Auntie, and she will be the world’s greatest Mom.”

Closing Thoughts

Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. There has been no better time in my life for me to enter into this journey and I am ready to take on the responsibility with the most open and loving heart. Please know that I support any decision you make and if I am fortunate enough to adopt your baby, they will be showered with unconditional love, wonderful stories about their birth mother, and daily hugs and kisses!