Another Couple looking to adopt for the first time. Please share.

Todd and Kirsten (Ohio)

Profile ID: 28965172

Dear Friends,

Our names are Todd and Kirsten and we are grateful for your taking the time to get to know us! We can only imagine the tough decisions that are ahead of you and admire your strength and obvious love for your baby that brings you to consider adoption. Know that we share the fears, hopes, and dreams you have for your child. If you choose us to be your baby’s adoptive family, he or she will be our first child – so special! We believe that we can provide the types of things that you might dream of for your baby: a stable and loving home, financial security, education, and other opportunities.

We truly are excited to become parents, and know that adoption is the path that our Heavenly Father wants for us. It wasn’t an easy road to get to the point where we are writing you this letter (years of failed fertility treatments), but we have been blessed all along our journey. We have so many friends whose lives have been blessed by open adoptions of all kinds, and we look forward to sharing this experience. In our small congregation at church there are several adoptive families and we feel as if we have a built-in support system! Admittedly, we are not quite sure what our open adoption will be like, but we are looking forward to experiencing it together with your child's birth family. We want your child to grow up knowing who you are, and how much you love them!

Here is a little about us:

We have been married since 2005, and lived in Florida before moving to Ohio. Todd has his Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning and spent several years working in Florida. Kirsten has a degree in Wildlife Biology, and moved to Florida from Canada for work (yep, she’s Canadian!). Would you believe we met at a City zoning meeting of all places? The story of how we first met has actually been published in a book about the project we worked on – we’ll tell you all about it if you want to know more! Todd grew up and attended college in Ohio, so it was an easy choice to move here when we decided we wanted to live closer to our families. Todd works for the county planning agency where he helps the cities and towns in our county grow in responsible ways, and he is very involved in the community. Kirsten works for the county park district and spends her time managing nature preserves and parks. Kirsten plans on staying home with a new baby, possibly transitioning into part time employment when the time is right for both the baby and her.

What kinds of things do we like?

We share many interests and love spending time together, laughing, having fun, and doing things like travelling, hiking, visiting zoos and parks, and of course going to Cedar Point! We also just like hanging out at home or with friends. Todd’s interests include sports (mainly football – he is basically a Fantasy Football pro – but he also enjoys running, golf, softball, and snow skiing), as well as cooking, grilling, and gardening. Kirsten enjoys nature and wildlife, particularly birds, and has created a “certified wildlife habitat” in our backyard. She also likes being crafty (Pinterest is very inspiring!), creating art, and of course shopping! We can’t wait to include a child in our activities!

We also share a love of animals and have 2 cats: Brutus (named after the Ohio State University mascot), and Nibbler (named after a favorite cartoon character). They are both very playful and gentle cats who love people. Kirsten enjoys dressing them up in various fun kitty costumes, which they tolerate just long enough for a cute photo to be taken.

And a bit about our families:

Our families are excited about our adoption journey! Everyone is looking forward to a new grandchild, niece/nephew, and cousin! Todd is the oldest of 3 (with a younger brother and sister), and Kirsten is the youngest of 2 (with an older sister). Although many in our families are located throughout the U.S. and Canada, we see them as often as we can. Thankfully we love to travel and always look forward to our trips visiting family and friends. Much of Todd's family lives here in Ohio so we get to see them often.

Once again, thank you for considering adoption and for taking the time to read our letter. Whatever your decision, we hope that you will feel a sense of peace knowing that you made this decision in your child’s best interest.

Much love to you and your families,

Todd & Kirsten

Please visit our blog at www.ToddAndKirsten.blogspot.com