Matthew and Susan

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From Us to You

A child can change the life of many people. We know that you are going through a tough time in your life. It cannot be easy to be feeling the feelings you are right now. However, we would like to offer our help in making sure that your child has a happy, loving home and is given as many opportunities in life as we can possibly give them. Your child will be loved, respected, and well cared for throughout their life with us. That is our promise to you.

In our home, your child will be the center of our lives. We will work our hardest to provide the loving environment that they deserve. Your child will have many opportunities as far as their interests and in life experiences, whether it is going on cool vacations, joining a club or sports, or even just having time to do things they like to do. They will have the opportunity to learn and grow with us (and our dog!) for as long as they need to. We are very open and caring people, and we will love and provide for your child unconditionally.

As teachers, we know the value of education and will encourage your child to do their absolute best in school. We live in an area with great public schools, so your child will be able to graduate and have many opportunities after their life in high school. Our mission will be to support them in any way we can to ensure that they take advantage of these opportunities and to live a life that they are happy with. In addition to academic learning, we will be sure to teach your child how to be a productive member of society. They will know how to pay their bills, interview for a job, and how to buy a car, among other adult responsibilities. With our guidance, we hope to instill empathy, respect, and the importance of hard work to your child.

As for us, we have been trying to have a baby of our own for over five years now. We have tried two IVF cycles, both of which raised our hopes and then dashed them. We feel as though another IVF cycle will only cause us more emotional damage, so adoption has renewed our hope of being able to grow our family and share our home with a child that deserves to have an opportunity for a great life.

You will always be welcome to be a part of your child’s life. We are flexible in terms of that, and with upgrades in technology, you will always be a video call away! You would also be welcome to come visit us if and when you are able to do so. The relationship you have with your child will be of your own choosing, and we will support it in any way that we can.

Our hope is that you trust us. We will do everything we can to provide an excellent life for your child. They will live a healthy, happy life with us.

Sincerely,
Susie and Matt

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Why We're Choosing to Adopt

We have always dreamed about having a child of our own to nurture, love, and care for. We made the decision about five years ago that we were financially secure enough for that to happen. Since then, after trying for many years, it seems like adoption is our best choice to grow our family. We have had two cycles of IVF, both of which failed and wreaked havoc on Susie’s body. We do not want to go through those negative physical and financial impacts of IVF again, so we know that our best chance to give a child a loving, happy family is through adoption.

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About Matt

Matt has been the jelly to my peanut butter for so long, sometimes I forget what life was like without him. He is my constant in an ever-changing world. He is funny, thoughtful, and kind. Matt cares deeply about the people in his life, and will do anything for his loved ones. Matt is the guy who will help you move, feed your cat, or just listen when you need to be heard. He is an amazing middle school teacher; his students treat him like a rock star when they see him in public. I don’t know how many times we’ve been out and I’ve heard his name joyfully yelled out from somewhere, followed by a teenager running over to say hello. Matt is incredibly empathetic, and truly believes in equality and human rights. Matt has kept me going through some of the most difficult times in my life. He never fails to make me laugh when I need it. He is 100% my partner in our marriage–he leans on me, and I lean on him. I know whatever problems we have, he will be right next to me trying to solve them. Matt’s joys in life are simple: cheese, baseball, Nintendo, and our dog. Our conversations range from anything from serious discussions about politics and our beliefs (which we share), to which character from Super Smash Brothers is most like each of our friends (Matt won the New Year’s Eve PowerPoint party with his slide show on this exact topic). Some of my favorite times with him are just sitting on our couch, laughing our heads off together. Matt is an amazing guy, and will be an amazing father.

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About Susie

I could not imagine my life without Susie. She is my rock. I met Susie in college and was lucky enough to marry her. She is intelligent, caring, and beautiful. She has aspects to her personality which make our marriage work; she’s a hard worker and always is sure to accomplish tasks, even if those tasks are unpleasant (such as doing chores around the house). She is not afraid to make sure that I help out too, and I admittedly need that spur every once in a while! The happiest I see Susie is when she is cuddling with our dog, Patrick. Susie loves being able to give Patrick (a rescue) a good home and ensuring that he has a happy life. Susie is nurturing; she is a second grade teacher and always tries her best for her kids in class. They do not realize it yet, but when they are older, I am sure they will think back on her as one of their favorite and most positively impactful teachers in their lifetime. She loves some of the simple things in life, such as naps, reading on the beach, and cake, all of which add to her charm. She loves baking, so tasty treats are a constant in our house. Susie and I have been married for over 11 years now, but have been together as a couple for over 16 years total. I am lucky to have had her in my life for so long, and look forward to being with her forever!

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Our Sweet Pup

We currently have one pet, a rescue dog named Patrick. Patrick is about 6 years old (we don’t know his exact age), and is a mix of American Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Doberman, Akita, and Chow Chow (we did a DNA test!). He was adopted from a dog rescue in 2020, and prior to being rescued was found as a stray in Philadelphia. Patrick loves cuddling in our bed, playing tug, and eating crunchy human food. Ice cubes are his favorite! One of our favorite things about weekends is spending some time in the morning having “family cuddles” with Pat before getting out of bed. Patrick is an incredibly sweet, loving dog to us both. He is nervous around strangers, though, which makes us suspect he was abused at some time in his life before we adopted him. With gentle introductions, though, he has come to love our friends and family. Patrick would be a great, protective big brother to a little one in our family. He loves hard, and we’re sure a baby would be no exception. Prior to Patrick, we had a dog named Molly, who was also a rescue.

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Our Lifestyle

Our lifestyle could be described as laid back and usually relaxed. Sure, we like to have some adventures every once in a while (like biking through three European countries in one week), but for the most part, we are pretty calm. We go to the occasional baseball game, hang out with friends, or just sit at home playing games or watching shows. Transitioning to relaxed play time at home, or summer afternoons at the community pool would be easy for us. Sometimes our jobs are stressful, but we are good at leaving those stresses at the door and enjoying our family time together. We understand the importance of unwinding after a busy day at school. For us, unwinding can include taking a walk, reading, or just hanging out in the kitchen. In the summer, we can usually be found on the back deck listening to Phillies games and grilling dinner. Our happy place is on the beach with a good book.

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Our Home

We live in a lovely townhome in Pennsylvania. It has three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms, as well as a spacious attic that we currently use for storage. We have a new deck out back, as well as a small, well shaded yard. Our neighborhood has common areas if we want to use a bigger piece of lawn, perhaps for a Wiffle ball game or a round of tag. Our neighborhood consists of about 140 townhomes and we have many friendly neighbors who have kids. The neighborhood itself has no through outlet, which means anyone who is in there is either lost, or there for a reason. That really cuts down on the amount of traffic we have going into and out of our development.

The neighborhood lends itself well to quiet, safe walks on nice days–which we do daily with our dog. We are in a great location with shopping, parks, grocery stores, and many different activities such as bowling alleys, movie theaters, and ice skating rinks all within a short drive. We can easily drive to lots of kid-friendly places; and within an hour we can get to the Crayola Factory, Sesame Place, Dorney Park, the Franklin Institute, the Please Touch Museum, and many more! There are lots of options for experiences children love. The Community School District is one to which we would be proud to send our child. As teachers, the school district where we live is a big deal to us!This is a great area for a child’s upbringing.

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Our Families

Our immediate family currently consists of us, (Matt and Susie) and Patrick, our rescue dog. However, we are in close contact with our extended families as well. Susie’s older brother, Will, lives about a ten minute car ride away, along with his wife, Kellie, and their twin boys, John and Jacob, who are 5. John and Jacob will be amazing older cousins! Susie’s mom, Bobby, lives about 30 minutes away. We are also close with her aunt and uncle who live in New Mexico, Jary and Julie. As for Matt’s family, his mom, Kathy, also lives about a 30 minute drive away from us. Matt’s brothers Michael, a lawyer, and Andrew, a librarian, live in San Diego and New Orleans, respectively. Andrew is married to Jocelyn, a PhD student. Even though they are far away, they will love being active in your child’s life. Matt’s extended family lives pretty nearby so we see them often on holidays. As for friends, we have been together as a couple for so long that we essentially share the same friend group consisting of some of Matt’s friends from high school, mutual college friends, and all of their plus ones. We also like to hang out with our coworkers from time to time. Our friends are kind, reliable, and intelligent, and bring a lot of joy and fun to our lives. They are some of our biggest cheerleaders in our journey toward becoming parents, and would love spending time with your child.

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Racial and Cultural Diversity

Matt’s school district has been emphasizing Cultural Proficiency and Equity, which is a program that emphasizes respecting the differences between cultures in his school and making sure all students’ voices are heard. In addition, part of Matt’s Master’s Degree program is a class called “Diverse Student Populations,” which emphasizes not only cultures, but also students with different needs. Susie studied working with diverse populations and learners in her graduate school work, and has been through diversity training for her job as well.

As a couple, we both strongly believe that diversity is what makes our world beautiful. We are aware that, as white people who were raised in middle-class households, we don’t know firsthand what it is like to experience discrimination, but we will educate ourselves further on how to sensitively raise a child who may be from a different racial or cultural background from our own. We will celebrate those differences and make your child feel special.

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Family Traditions

Even though we are not religious people, we still celebrate some religious holidays with our families. Easter and Christmas are celebrated every year, as well as non-religious holidays such as Thanksgiving, Halloween, and New Years (though lately, we have been going to bed before midnight). We celebrate Mother’s Day with our moms and we used to celebrate Fathers’ Day with our dads, until they passed away. A tradition we’d like to carry on from Susie’s family is having a home-made birthday cake every year–Suzie’s mom, Bobby, still makes her birthday cakes! We try to go to the beach for at least a few days each summer. A family tradition that we have is our Sunday breakfast. Every Sunday morning, Matt makes breakfast sandwiches and breakfast potatoes for brunch. We enjoy home cooking meals and relaxing and reading before bed.

These are all traditions that we wish to continue when we have your child with us, and we look forward to having family reading time when we are able to do so. We are looking forward to sharing all of these traditions with your child.

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Our Vacations

We got engaged on the beach in New Jersey, during fireworks. Matt has gone to that beach every year of his life, except for 2020, and we want to continue that tradition of going down to the shore. We love hanging out on the beach, going to the boardwalk, and getting tasty food like pizza and fries on our vacation. In addition to getting down to the beach each year, we try to take at least one other trip. We have been to New Orleans, San Diego, and New Mexico to visit family. We have been to Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Austria on bike tours. We were even fortunate enough to go to Hawaii, Seattle, and Alaska in our time together. We love traveling and we hope to impart that love of traveling on our children. We look forward to creating memories in different places with our expanded family.

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The Kind of Parents We will be and Our Relationship with our parents

Both of us have strong relationships with our mothers, Bobby and Kathy. We see “The Moms,” as we call them, quite often. We will meet at restaurants for lunch, at each other’s houses to visit, or we will take day trips together. Susie’s mom texts every morning, and Matt talks to his mom on the phone weekly. Both of The Moms live within a half hour drive from our house, so it is easy to keep in touch with them. In fact, The Moms have developed a friendship with each other, and they often meet for lunch in various places around the area. Bobby is already a grandmother to John and Jacob (our nephews), and sees them at least once a week for “Mutti time”–Mutti is her “grandmother name,” a version of the German word for Mom. Kathy has been ready to be a grandmother for a few years now, and will be thrilled when she finally gets to be one. Unfortunately, both of our fathers have passed away, but we certainly remember the life lessons that they taught us while they were still with us. We had a close relationship with both of them, and their loss still pains us to this day. We do our best to take joy in the memories we created together.

We will be loving parents first and foremost. We will make decisions for and about your child based on their needs, not our egos. We will be firm and fair with your child. We will be the kind of parents who have plenty of fun as well. We are so much looking forward to taking vacations, going to the park, visiting family, and spending lots of quality time together during the summer. We hope to instill in your child a good sense of humor, and to remember that there is almost always room for a little fun in anything you do. We will accept them for who they are as they grow and change, no matter what. We will have their back through anything. We will advocate for your child when needed, but also take a step back and let them learn from their mistakes when it’s needed, too. We hope we will be the parents that teachers look forward to meeting with on conference night!

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Our Hobbies

We enjoy many hobbies together. We love spending a rainy day playing video games together, though sometimes “playing together” means that Matt works the controller while Susie yells directions. We cook together when we can. We love watching Food Network shows, and give each other cooking challenges from the shows. We’ll play Chopped and give each other weird ingredients to turn into a meal, or play Guy’s Grocery Games and make a meal out of ingredients that all start with the same letter. We would love to involve our child in the fun–maybe let them choose some mystery ingredients! Susie has always enjoyed baking, and got a little obsessed with The Great British Bake-Off during 2020’s quarantine. She likes making and decorating cakes, and baking cookies, breads, and other treats. She is already looking forward to making fun birthday cakes for your child. We also enjoy taking Patrick to local parks for long walks, or sometimes going for a walk with just the two of us (if we don’t want to stop every 20 feet for sniffing). When we can, we like getting together with friends to play board games. We have also hosted several “murder mystery” parties that are always a hilarious evening with friends.

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How We Met

We met in our university marching band. As members of the low brass section (Matt plays tuba, and Susie plays baritone), we spent a lot of time together practicing our music and marching skills. We actually started talking because of an NHL rivalry; Susie likes the Philadelphia Flyers and Matt likes the Pittsburgh Penguins. Some good old fashioned trash talking is all that was needed to set this relationship in motion. The first time we hung out was in Susie’s apartment. Matt was lured there with the promise of waffles (a big deal for a college kid), and we hit it off by beating Susie’s roommates in a game of Taboo, where we both learned that we are pretty intelligent people. Shortly after that, we had a movie night where it took Matt three movies to work up the courage to kiss Susie, and the rest is history. Love between two people was created through music, waffles, and a hatred between two passionate hockey fanbases.

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Our Careers and Education

We are both teachers; this is both a career and a calling. We both feel that educating children is one of the most important things we can do with our lives, besides becoming parents. Matt teaches middle school science and social studies to 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, and Susie teaches 2nd grade. Spending our days around children has taught us so much about child development (for example, we are very aware of the academic, behavioral, and social benchmarks children should meet at certain ages), we have also learned compassion and patience. While Susie’s expertise is with younger children, Matt has experience working with older children. We feel this can only benefit any child that we adopt!

Education plays an important role in our lives. We are both teachers, so school has always had a huge impact on us. Matt currently works in one of the middle schools in the same district he attended and teaches social studies and science. Susie currently works at an elementary school. We met each other at University where we received our Bachelor’s degrees: Susie’s was in elementary education and Matt’s was in secondary social studies. For graduate school, Susie got her Master’s Degree in Reading. Matt is finishing his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, which is necessary to become a principal, a career path that he is interested in pursuing.

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Our Promise to You

Our promise to you is to commit our lives to giving your child the best upbringing we possibly can. We will teach them not only academics (along with what they learn in school), but also empathy, compassion, and how to be a productive member of society. We will give them as many opportunities as we can, from sports to scouts to anything they are interested in, so we can see them grow up happy and healthy. We will be kind, loving parents to your child for the rest of our lives and will raise them as best as we possibly can. We will include you in his or her life as you would like to be included and we will give them ample love and care in not only our immediate family, but also our extended families. Your child will be loved, protected, and given opportunities to excel in life.