Annie & Jon

We promise to raise your child in a loving home and to be patient, attentive, and fun parents. We have faced challenges, both individually and as a couple and have grown through these experiences. We believe the resilience we have gained along the way will help when it comes to the tough but rewarding work of parenting. We promise that when your child faces the inevitable challenges of his or her life we will be there to listen and to offer our guidance and support. We are committed to providing a nurturing, positive environment for your child to develop and discover who they are. We believe that openness about adoption and the love which motivates it are an integral part of your child growing up to feel confident and secure.

We have dreamed about doing many things with a child... o Swimming and picnics at the lake with family o Walking with our pups to the neighborhood park to play o Making family dinners together and teaching our child how to cook yummy, healthy food o Singing lullabies and reading bedtime stories together o Making costumes and trick-or-treating with our neighborhood friends o Instilling a love of the outdoors through time together in nature on hikes and campouts o Attending family reunions where our child will get to hang out with all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents o Participating in the annual Thanksgiving fun run together as a family o Sharing our values, spiritual beliefs and practices o Decorating our Christmas tree while listening to holiday music and visiting with friends and family at our annual Christmas party o Encouraging our child to recognize the importance of service by volunteering together as a family

Our home is nestled on a quiet street a few minutes from the downtown area of a major metropolitan city. The house needed some love and some updating when we bought it, and after years of reading house magazines and watching HGTV, we were excited to take on the challenge. We have learned a lot about renovating (and about working as a team) over the past 10 years as we have turned our 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, single story home into a lovely, light-filled, space with a designated nursery ready to be decorated and a large, fenced yard for a little one to enjoy. Within a few minutes walking distance is an elementary school that is in the midst of a beautiful remodel and a large city park with community center and pool. A children's museum, walking trails, and children's hospital are all within a 5 minute drive. We also have a cozy, vintage camper that we love taking places and a vacation home near Annie's family with great access to lakes, trails, and parks.

We did not ever expect to have a pack of three pups, but we feel so grateful that these canines came into our life and have brought us more joy, comfort, and laughter than we could have ever imagined. Dolly was a stray pup who found her way straight from the streets to our family and never looked back. We have had her for 9 years and from the beginning she has taken lounging and cuddling very seriously. She still loves her daily walks to the park and occasional hikes and is a big fan of all of our friend's children. Charlie was the next to join our family about 5 years ago. He was found at an elementary school which is no surprise given his deep love of little ones. Several young neighborhood friends make a point to visit with him at our fence, and he is generous with his licks. He keeps us all laughing with his silly, sweet ways. Betsy, who is around 7 years old and came to us 3 years ago, was originally Annie's older sister's dog. When they came to visit us, Betsy and Charlie got along so well no one could bear to separate them and the rest is history. She is incredibly loyal, sensing when anyone needs a little extra love or attention. People can't believe her silky fur and fox tail, and she eats up all the attention.