Matthew and Heather

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From Us to You

You are looking for a wonderful home and future for your child and we’re looking to share our love and lives with a child in our family. Perhaps we are looking for each other?

Thank you for taking the time to get to know our family. We admire your strength and courage as you make this loving decision. We are not even sure how to start this letter. Normally when you first meet someone, small talk covers the weather and maybe weekend plans. Instead, we are jumping in with both feet. We can’t imagine what it is like to be you during this chapter of your life as you make this difficult decision. We pray that whatever your decision may be, that it fills your heart with peace. Please know we do want the best for you and for your child, whatever that may be.

What we can do is tell you a little about us. We met seven years ago and quickly bonded over our love for the outdoors and our hopes for creating a family. We have spent a lot of time hiking, gardening, and doing numerous projects around our home. Almost as much time as we have spent talking and dreaming about what we would like to pass along to our children, adoption has always been a part of our family plan. After experiencing miscarriages, we understood why we have always felt drawn to adopt.

Family means the world to us. Our family currently includes one snuggle-loving dog, three curious, playful cats, and five funny chickens. We don’t know your little one yet but, we do know we already love them unconditionally. We look forward to introducing them to their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

We are lifelong learners and are looking forward to helping your child explore whatever sparks their imagination. We want to show them how all good things in life begin with a choice: The choice to be kind in the face of unkindness; the choice to take a chance to find common ground leading to friendship and love; the choice to look for the good in the world; and so many more choices. We want to go camping with s’mores over the fire, teach them to ride a bike, tuck them in at night after reading a story or two, and so much more. We will always be in their corner as they learn to trust themselves and as they realize that everyone has a different story or path in life. Every story is worthwhile and adds so much to our world. It is our different experiences that make us who we are and our sharing of them that binds us together.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We hope in time we will hear your story.

With love,
Matthew and Heather

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About Matthew

Matthew is my best friend. From the first time we talked, his quiet, warm, supportive nature has made me feel truly cherished. He has a generous, loving heart. He is smart, hardworking, and funny. His patience and kindness are on display every day. I love to hear his laugh as he plays with our furry family members, his joy and advice as he helps our nephew figure out the newest level of his game or his patient manner as he listens to our niece’s newest adventure. Our friends’ children seek him out whenever we visit. He loves music, gardening and figuring out how things work. The look he gets on his face when he figures it out, can light up a room. I’m so proud to be his wife. My heart swells whenever I think of him. He is truly one of the good ones and if given the chance will make an amazing father.

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About Heather

I am blessed to have Heather as my partner for this journey through life, and she is truly a partner in every sense of the word. It took a while to find her, but now I cannot imagine my life without her. When we first met, she saw past my introverted and quiet nature and made the effort to know me and love me on a deeper level for who I really am. Heather is patient with me and supportive of my endeavors. She is incredibly smart, fun, and genuine. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and family. I love the passion she has to be a mom, and her strength and determination through all of the obstacles trying to get there. I know she will be a great mom, not only because of who she is, but also by how she interacts with our nieces and nephews and friends’ children, and I could not ask for a better partner for that next chapter of our lives when it comes.

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Our Lifestyle

We are focused on creating a life we truly love. Our home is a fun, loving, comfortable, and stable environment. We are just as likely to spend our free time relaxing snuggling on the couch as we are to be hiking in the woods. Our cats are fond of the snuggling while our puppy is all about exploring outside. We both have careers based in logic so we like to be creative in our time away from work. This could include our latest do-it-yourself project, gardening, woodworking or another type of craft. We enjoy dancing, going out to see one of our favorite bands or watching a new movie in the theaters. If we are lucky enough to welcome a child into our home, we know things will change. We want to introduce a child to all of the activities we enjoy while nurturing their own curiosity. We can’t wait to help them discover the world!

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Why We Are Choosing to Adopt

When we were dating our conversations about our future family always included adoption. When we married our families joined together with our mothers quickly joining forces to make sure our wedding was everything, we could hope for it to be. Matthew’s side of our family is more traditional with a large extended family. Heather’s side has been blessed with the addition of family members through marriages that gave her bonus parents, step-siblings, and friends that quickly became family. Our experiences have taught us that there is no one way to form a family. Family is about writing your story and living life with those you love. After experiencing miscarriages, we understood why we have always felt drawn to adopt. We have so much love to share and room in our hearts for family. We are drawn to adoption for the simple reason that it builds families that have their own unique makeup of members and histories. We are excited and hopeful for the opportunity to raise and cherish a child.

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Our Pets

Our family includes Carlie, Wiley, Gary, and Murdock. They all have loving personalities, quirky characteristics, and fur. Carlie, Wiley, and Gary are cats and Murdock is a dog. Carlie loves to cuddle as well as paw at anything that rolls. Any spare cardboard box or empty lap is a magnet for Wiley. The only thing better for Wiley is the thrill of watching a squirrel play in the yard. Gary came to our family after he took shelter in our garage during a snow storm. He is always on time for all meals and is either curled up on the couch or following Murdock’s every move. Murdock loves to be involved in everything we do. He especially likes to toss his toys in the air and catch them. He expects applause for each successful catch. We also have five funny chickens. In addition to supplying eggs, they help maintain our vegetable gardens by removing weeds and eating bugs.

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Our Home and Neighborhood

Our home is a 2,100-square-foot, split-level on 2.3 acres of land, which is partially wooded with oaks, poplars, and pine. It has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Outside, there is also a greenhouse, two large vegetable gardens, a firewood shed, and a large chicken coop with our three lively chickens giving us fresh eggs daily. Inside, there is a large, newly remodeled kitchen and two recently remodeled bathrooms. The interior has a warm and cozy cottage feel with natural elements of wood and stone. The living room surrounds a wood-burning fireplace for those cold winter evenings. Your little one’s room will be upstairs next to our master bedroom and overlooks the large backyard and future swing set.

Our community is growing. We live on the outskirts of town, with houses more spread out, but new houses and new developments continue to be built. New malls, shops, and restaurants continue to pop up. In addition, not far away is horse country, where the landscape is filled with grazing fields for many beautiful horses. Our area is home to many public and private schools and we are close to multiple public libraries. We have access to playgrounds, and the zoo, aquarium, and science center are just a short drive.

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Our Family

Matthew was born and raised in Minnesota in a traditional, nuclear family setting and has one brother who is married and has two kids, ages 3 (girl) and 1 (boy). Heather was born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland in a setting where new family members were introduced and accepted with loving hearts after her parents’ divorce. Heather has one sister who is married and has two kids, ages 17 (girl) and 12 (boy). Heather also has two step-sisters and one step-brother. Your child’s aunts and uncles live close enough for frequent visits with them and their new cousins. We travel to Minnesota frequently to visit Matthew’s parents and his large extended family (9 aunts and uncles and 9 first cousins). While there, we also spend some time hiking in Minnesota’s north woods. Matthew’s parents visit during Christmas and send many care packages during the year to make everyone feel loved and special. Heather’s mother lives close by for many visits and assist on many do-it-yourself projects around the house. Heather’s stepmother also calls and visits often, and is very supportive of us.

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What Your Child's Life Would Be Like

We are planning on Heather being the stay-at-home parent. Each day will hopefully go something like the following: Wake up and have some quiet time until little one wakes up. Read a couple pages of a book, do a mini exercise session, or write in the journal. Little one awakens and morning snuggles with Matt. Breakfast! Clean up from breakfast, shower, and send Matt off to work. Next, Heather has some quiet activities time with little one. Read a book, or maybe even watch a little TV. Snack time! Time to interact through play such as going over shapes, color, letters, or numbers with little ones. As they get older add some arts and crafts. Prepare and eat lunch. Naptime with a wind-down routine for little one. Laundry, dinner prep, and other simple chores for Heather. Snack and weather permitting outdoor playtime. Dinner time! Heather finishes prepping dinner while Matt spends time with little one. Sit down at the table and enjoy this time together to talk about the day. Dinner clean up. Wind-down time with a nightly routine in place that includes bath time, brushing teeth, pajamas, and some reading time. Sleep and repeat. While having a schedule is nice, kids will be kids. Flexibility is a key factor and if things go off course, we will just adjust and keep moving forward.

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Our Traditions

We want to share traditions that we had growing up as well as create new ones. Come holiday time, we all pile into the family room for hot cocoa, popcorn, and “The Muppets Christmas Carol.” After that, it is always a tug of war to watch either “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Charlie Brown’s Christmas.”

As for daily traditions, most of them involve music. Heather has many fond memories of dancing with her dad. First, it was standing on his toes while they moved around the room, then trying the newest dance craze which led to laughing fits, and finally, it was swinging around the room before heading to prom. The dancing continues around the house whenever there is music.

Each night at dinner time, we always say one good thing and one not so good thing from our day. After dinner, dishes are done, PJs are on, and teeth are brushed, and it is time to pick a story. We have collected books and stories from our childhood that are just waiting to be shared with the next generation. Matt is a favorite storyteller of our nieces and nephews because he does all the character voices and can often get as lost in the story as they do. We hope to nurture a lifetime of reading, just as our parents did for us.

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What We Do On a 3 Day Weekend

When we find ourselves with an extended weekend or vacation it can lead us down multiple roads. Sometimes we take a road trip to concerts, historical sites, hiking areas, or cabins. Other times we visit family or work on a do-it-yourself project for ourselves, family or friends. If the weather is not the best for traveling, we will have a family snuggle vacation with movies, books or board games.

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Our Promise to You

We promise that your child will always be safe with us. Every decision we make will be in their best interest. They will always know they are loved by more than just us. They will know what you want them to know about your choice. We want to share the life lessons we have learned and to support them learning their own way.

If you choose our family for your baby, we will be overcome with gratitude that our dreams of being parents have come true. We promise to only have overwhelming love and respect for you and their birth father for entrusting your little one into our care.