Matthew and Shannon
Nickname(s): Matt and Shannon

Dear Birthmother,

Three years ago, we had the best day of our lives - it started with a telephone call late on a Friday evening informing us that we had been selected by a birthmother and ended with us being able to leave the hospital with our son Devon in our arms less than 24 hours later. While we certainly can’t expect such instantaneous results again, we are so excited to have the opportunity to adopt again. We can think of no greater blessing than having another child to love and a baby sister for Devon to go through life with. We hope that this letter will give you a sense of the people we are and the family life we hope to share.

Matt and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have been married since May of 1998. We have known each other since high school. Although we did not date during that time, we were in the same circle of close-knit friends. After high school, we went separate ways - Matt moved to San Diego to attend college, while I attended the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. After college, Matt moved back to the Bay Area, and he and I reconnected at a friend’s wedding. It was a very short time before we knew that we were meant to be together forever.

One of our immediate attractions was that we shared similar interests, hobbies and beliefs. We are both artistic and creative people. Matt is a graphic designer and started his own graphic design company about 7 years ago. Matt loves music and is a great guitar player. He was even in a rock band during college. Matt is also a big football fan and a sports memorabilia collector. My passion is my photography. I take pictures for myself as well as professionally, specializing in photographs of children. I also love interior decorating and have helped friends and family on numerous interior design projects.

Matt and I both enjoy an active lifestyle, and we have had great fun incorporating our son Devon into our activities. Our home is located in a country setting with surrounding hills where we walk our yellow Labrador Retriever, Bailey, and hike. We are also close to the coastline and are frequent visitors to the nearby beaches. There is a beautiful bicycle path near our home where Devon is just learning how to ride on his own. Our home has a pool where we swim at least nine months out of the year. We spend many weekends/vacations at our family’s cabin in Lake Tahoe. During the winter, we ski and snowshoe; during the summer, we swim, hike and enjoy the great outdoors. We also have an annual family Easter trip to Palm Springs where we golf, swim and have a big Easter egg hunt.

We both have a strong sense of family and community. After we were married, we settled in the area where we grew up - partly because it is an incredibly beautiful place to live and partly due to the proximity to our parents, siblings and extended family. Matt has one sister, and I have a sister and brother. Between them, we have four nieces and three nephews under the age of five. Each of us also comes with a large family network of aunts, uncles, and cousins (and their offspring). Family is a part of our everyday life. We have also been blessed with a great group of friends who live in our community, many of whom we have grown up with. 

As we look back on our childhood, we truly appreciate the way our parents raised us. No matter what path we took, our parents helped guide us with a lot of love (and a little patience!). They instilled in us a strong sense of morals and self worth. Although our parents were able to provide us with a nice lifestyle economically, they taught us that love, family and a lot of laughter is what life is really about. Matt and I treasure these life lessons and are doing our best to impart the same sense of fun and values in our own family. 

The last three years have been the best or our lives, and we can think of no greater joy than expanding our family and sharing our life with another child. We would like to thank you for considering us as potential adoptive parents. We know that you have an enormous decision to make in seeking a home for your child. Whatever path you choose, we hope and pray that you will find peace and comfort in your decision.

Matt and Shannon