Adrien and Angelina

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From Us to You

Dear Expectant Mother,

We write you this letter to first tell you how much we admire your courage and love. You are incredibly brave to do this. We recognize it’s not an easy decision. We hope this letter guides you to a place of safety and warmth. A place of knowing that you are making the right decision for your beautiful baby. We are here for you and your child, with loving arms, praying for the day to come for us to meet and venture on this journey together.

We will try and paint a picture of the kind of life your child would have in store with us. We are two big kids at heart. We aim to laugh and enjoy this blessed life we are given. We constantly surround ourselves with our loving family and friends. If you step inside our home, you will probably find lasagna in the oven (Adrien’s mom’s recipe), books of all sorts on our shelves, pretty art on the walls, and music and movies of varying genres playing. We are physically active, and love being by the water. We live a couple of blocks away from one of the many beautiful lakes of Michigan. Travel is our favorite hobby and we have visited many countries around the world. Our top travel destinations so far have been Brazil, Italy, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Vietnam. If you envision a life full of adventure and excitement for your child, you’ve come across the right people.

On the subject of travel, we are a unique couple with interesting backgrounds. Adrien is from France and his first language is French. He immigrated to the USA when he was 22 years old and became an American citizen in 2021. Angelina was born in Michigan, to a father who is from Malta (an island just south of Italy). Her mother is also Maltese. Angelina grew up spending her summers on the Maltese Islands. Both of our cultures are intertwined into our everyday life. We vacation to France and Malta often, to spend time with our precious family. You can expect your child to be fully immersed in both of these cultures and we hope it excites you to know that your child will be exposed to both the French and English languages.

While we live life to the fullest, we also work incredibly hard at our jobs to make it happen. Our parents and ancestors raised us with an understanding that the world we live in can throw you a curveball at any given moment. We must always be able to land on our own two feet. Your child will be raised with this same general understanding – in order to play hard, you must also work hard. We can assure you that our work lives are moving in the right direction. We are financially stable and are prepared to weather any storm.

We believe that, along with the teachings of our families, our educational experiences are at the heart of our success. We both highly value education and live in a community that will ensure your child is given the utmost opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. One of the top contenders in choosing the home we live in today was the strength of the surrounding education system. You can feel good knowing that your son or daughter will attend safe and quality schools that will gear them for college later down the road.

Know that your baby will begin their life with two people who have been striving to be parents for many years. After seven years of trying to conceive (naturally and medically), it finally dawned on us. We have been fighting our destiny all along. We were meant to adopt and provide a child with an incredible life. Once we signed the initial adoption paperwork, our minds became clearer. Our smiles came back. Sometimes we try to control what simply cannot be controlled.

This is a snapshot into the life in which we live, however, our life would not be complete without you. You are, in fact, the birth mother of your child, and if you are open to being a part of our family, we are happy to welcome you. Your child will know who you are and there will be no surprises. We will honor you throughout your child’s life with us.

We hope this letter has given you a sense of calm, knowing that your child will be placed in the loving arms of a couple who has nothing but the best intentions.

With love,
Angelina and Adrien

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Why We Are Choosing to Adopt

To put it simply – we feel we were put on this planet to be the most amazing parents.

When we married back in 2013, we decided to wait a little to begin our family. We had big plans to travel, expand our careers, and Adrien had plans to work towards a Master’s Degree in Business. We wanted to have our ducks in a row to welcome this beautiful child into our lives one day. It was two years later during our vacations in South Vietnam, while soaking in our surroundings of turquoise waters, sunshine, palm trees, and orchids, that we felt ready to start our family. We were excited and nervous. With butterflies in our stomachs, we turned the page to begin the next chapter of our lives.

One year passed, and then another, with no positive pregnancy test. We could not understand what was wrong. We are incredibly healthy people (we were told) who eat well and exercise often. Our doctor, family, and friends assured us that for some people – this just takes time. “Stop stressing,” they said. We prayed. We tried. After a while, we had enough.

A dear friend of ours referred us to an IVF doctor, and we decided to try it out. We tried it out, two times. Still, no positive result. After a total of roughly seven years of sadness and frustration, scary needles, surgery, hormonal changes, and therapy, Angelina found out that she has a chromosomal abnormality that will make getting pregnant for her nearly impossible.

There isn’t a word that accurately describes the sadness we felt when we found this out. After some time, we made peace with our bodies. We rose above the ashes and made the decision to adopt. We can assure you, this is the best decision we’ve ever made. We are so excited. When we say we have an immense amount of love to give – that’s putting it lightly.

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About Angelina, by Adrien

Angelina is a hard-working and very social person who enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys caring for her plants and drinking a fresh cup of coffee on lazy Sundays. She cares about her family so much that she would drop anything to tend to their needs. I had a few sports injuries that led me to have joint surgeries which immobilized me for a couple of weeks each time. She would feed me, manage my medication, do groceries, clean the house, and take care of our pets while working full time. Her small stature hides her immense strength. While her mother was going through breast cancer, she was visiting the hospital every single day bringing her food, magazines, and a few laughs from the day. She lifted her mother’s spirit which helped her win against cancer. Her love for her family also manifests itself through never forgetting birthdays and always making time for them no matter what. She enjoys cooking with me so long as I do not make a mess, which is almost mission impossible. Her worst fear in the kitchen is grated cheese left on countertops, and my love in cooking is cheese, ahaha.

Angelina is my favorite travel partner. She is up for adventure and does not shy away from the uncomfortable. Over the years, she and I slept on hard mattresses made out of natural rubber in northern Vietnam (the feeling is similar to sleeping on concrete), got lost in the middle of Italy at night without a hotel reservation, and visited favelas (shanty towns) in Rio de Janeiro.

She loves sitting at the table and catching up with me after a hard day of work. Her Maltese background leads her to want to know everything about the people she loves. She got that quality from her Maltese grandmother with whom she spent most of her childhood summers. She was the matriarch of the family, listening to her children and grandchildren’s life stories and providing guidance when necessary. I am grateful that I got to also meet her once before she passed on. The strong backbone she inherited from her Maltese grandmother has led her to become the loving, caring, and charismatic woman she is today. Her strong sense of what is right or wrong makes me a better man. I know in my heart that she is the perfect person to mother your child.

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About Adrien, by Angelina

When I met Adrien, I quickly noticed his priorities in life matched mine. Within moments of talking, I knew his intentions were pure. After a couple of first dates, I flew to Malta to stay with my family for the summer (I was classroom teaching at the time and had the summer off). While I was there, Adrien messaged me asking how my nanna (grandmother in Maltese) was doing. My heart melted, he actually cared (and listened to how much my nanna means to me)! I giggled to my auntie, “I think I found a keeper.”

When I returned from my summer abroad, we were stuck to each other like glue. It excited me to learn about French culture, and meet his diverse group of friends. I suddenly found myself hanging out with people from all areas of Europe on the weekend (and they loved to dance!). It felt like home to me to know that we had somewhat similar European backgrounds. I loved being active with Adrien, running, biking, swimming, and walking Lola everywhere. I enjoyed watching him play soccer and keep his French connections strong while living in the US.

Adrien is tall, smart, French, funny, competitive, and active. He is an avid soccer and handball player with a strategist mindset. He loves cats, numbers, languages, chess, BBQ, and cheese. Adrien has a way of seeing the positive side of things. He does not let worry get him down. When he sets his mind to something – he does it. He is there for me in sickness and in health. I was at my worst when we found out that the second round of IVF did not work. I was heartbroken, and so was Adrien. Adrien, however, was able to absorb the news, cry, let it all out and then find ways to get on our own two feet again. He knew there were other options (adoption!) and this was not going to be the end of our dream. Adrien found a support group for women going through infertility, which was a lifesaver for me. He still stands by me to endure the incredible pain that overcomes a woman who is told she has “a very low chance, if any, of ever getting pregnant.” Adrien is my little (tall) guardian angel.

Adrien is also the godfather to three children of three separate families. They chose him to be the godfather of their children because they know how good a person he is. Adrien loves being around children. You could say he is a big child himself. When Adrien’s godchildren spot him, their eyes light up (along with any of our friends’ kids). He is literally one of the only adults I know who has more fun playing with the kids than hanging out with the adults. There is nothing Adrien wants more in life than to be a dad.

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Lifestyle

You could call us weekend warriors! We work hard during the week, while maintaining a healthy diet and physical activity level and enjoy our weekends spent with friends and family. We begin each day with a morning ritual. Adrien is a morning person. Regardless of the amount of sleep he got the night before, he wakes up with a smile, carefree and ready to start the day. He throws open the curtains, turns on the lights, and plays either upbeat, French music or the news. Once he’s had his coffee, upstairs he goes to lift some weights and stretch before hours of sitting in front of a computer at work. Angelina, on the other hand, slowly wakes up and walks like a zombie to the kitchen, turning off the lights and music that Adrien switched on in an attempt to feel like her night is not yet over (she is a true night owl!). Usually, a cup of coffee is enough for her to gather enough motivation to get her cycling class started. That moment is the moment when the entire house wakes up, the walls vibrate to the sound of the music she plays while she challenges herself on the bike between chuckles from the class instructor’s jokes.

Angelina is the queen of lists. Groceries and projects are scribbled in her notebook. Our weekends are based on what goes on the list that day. Whatever adventures are in store, we balance our active lifestyles by making time to relax at home, walking our dog Lola, cooking, and catching up with family overseas on the phone. We make time to see friends and our godchildren on the weekend, where we usually pig out at each other’s house (local pizza, homemade pasta, smoked briskets are favorites). Sunday mornings are dedicated to watching European soccer games and going for runs if the weather allows it. Sunday evenings are usually dedicated to family. For instance, we enjoy catching up with Angelina’s parents while breaking bread.

When we become parents, we look forward to building new family traditions and expanding on our current ones. We imagine a time when weekends will be made of slow, cozy mornings on the couch, days packed with fun and engaging activities in our community by the lake, evenings shared with family and friends, and laughing at the dinner table while enjoying delicious meals. On the weekdays, we will eagerly come home after work to shower your little boy or girl with all of our love. Angelina, a teacher by training, will be keen on making sure your child is on top of their classwork, while Adrien will be there to set up the next game for them to play.

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Home & Neighborhood

We moved into our home during the pandemic and physically carried every single box and piece of furniture into our home by ourselves. Needless to say, we love this home! Our colonial-style home was built in 1926 in one of the first suburbs to be built around the city during the second Industrial Revolution. It has lots of character and was built to last.

We can already imagine making homemade pasta with your child in our beautiful kitchen. The windows allow for the perfect amount of sunlight to come in and dry out the pasta noodles. The rustic kitchen table in our dining room is the center of our family gatherings. Our cozy, oversized couch sits across from a natural fireplace, perfect for those chilly winter Michigan nights and storytelling. Our basement was just remodeled and is already the child’s favorite with our godchildren. Know that we already have a bedroom picked out in our home for your child. It’s right next to our bedroom and has an attached bathroom. The cozy furniture comes soon, the walls to be painted a calming hue. We have a bookshelf picked out, along with many children’s books to fill it (most of which are Angelina’s from when she was young – she is an avid children’s book lover). Our backyard is a nice size, perfect to play in with friends and the dog. We consider this home our forever home, the place where your child will create many of their most cherished memories. In love.

We could not write about our home without including our dog, Lola, and our cat, Dusty. Lola is a Toy Fox Terrier that Angelina rescued before she met Adrien. Dusty was given to us by a neighbor whose cat had an enormous litter of kittens. Lola never leaves Angelina’s side and Dusty is one of Adrien’s best buddies.

Our home is situated in a beautiful neighborhood a block away from a lake. We live about twenty minutes away from downtown. The schools in our city are ranked amongst the best in the nation. We can already envision your child enjoying Michigan’s four seasons, swimming in the lake in the summer and ice skating in the nearby park with his friends in the winter. The sunsets are breathtaking, with hues of orange and purple. When the weather is nice in spring and fall, children either walk to school or ride their bikes. The traffic on our street is mild, and the proximity to our church allows us to walk to Mass on Sunday morning.

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What We Will Teach

We will lead by example. Your child will grow, from day one, in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment with an understanding that each day is a blessing. Family will always be a priority. They will be taught how to love themselves and others. How to navigate the ups and downs in life while staying strong. Your child will be given a beautiful life, but will remain humble. They will understand the true meaning of gratitude and how blessed they truly are. They will be baptized into the Catholic faith and will attend catechism and church, weekly. They will participate in community service and dedicate time to others who are less fortunate. Your son or daughter will learn by doing. Learning and play will be a primary focus, along with hard work, commitment, and dedication to schooling. We will encourage them to explore their natural interests. They will see the world and will honor differences in people and cultures.

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Our Careers

Adrien earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering in France. He studied for one year abroad in the United States, to better his English and therefore obtain his Master’s Degree in Engineering. He enjoyed life in the United States so much that he sought an opportunity to come back and start his career. Following an internship in Paris, Adrien was awarded an opportunity in the US to work for a tier-one automotive supplier. Twelve years later, Adrien wished to further his education and climb the ladder within the automotive industry. He decided to go back to school and pursue his Executive Master’s of Business Administration, which he obtained in 2018. Adrien is now leading a global engineering team at a major tier-one supplier in the Advanced Driving Assistance System industry.

Angelina graduated from University in Elementary Education. She specialized in Early Childhood Education. Angelina began her teaching profession as a Fifth-Grade Teacher. After a few years of elementary classroom teaching, she studied the Science of Reading through an accredited organization. Once she learned the method of teaching the Science of Reading, she began teaching students of all ages, K-12. Angelina grew passionate about the method of instruction she was providing her students, as she witnessed immense levels of progress. After some time working with students, she was asked to become the director of two learning centers. This meant Angelina assessed each student, created their learning plans and measured their success, all while communicating with teachers and families. Angelina was eventually asked to become an instructor and taught teachers the Science of Reading program nationwide. After seven years, Angelina was ready for a change. She now works as a Project Manager within the administrative office of Curriculum and Instruction for a local school district.

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Our Families & Friends

Family is what is most precious to us in our lives. When we announced our decision to move forward with adoption, everyone was incredibly happy for us. They stand by our side through every chapter of our lives.

Adrien comes from a tight-knit and hardworking family. His mother is an excellent cook. They love to travel and center their world around their family and have a good time. Laughter is their best medicine. Adrien’s parents come from France, a region in the northeast of the country, just a hop away from Germany. His parents met in a popular disco in France on New Year’s Eve. Patrick invited Daniele to dance to “Hotel California” by the Eagles. They have been married for over 40 years. Adrien’s mother’s family originates from northern Italy from which they emigrated during the Second World War. Adrien is the oldest and has three siblings, one brother, and two sisters. His brother has two boys and his oldest sister has a baby on the way.

When Adrien was growing up, his family would spend about a month every summer in the south of France where they enjoyed the Mediterranean Sea, food, and culture. Adrien and his brother, Gaetan, are only 18 months apart. They practiced Judo, played handball, and discovered the joy of the internet and online gaming together. The family followed Patrick’s job (Adrien’s father) as he was transferred multiple times during his career working for IBM in France. Each time was a new beginning and a new challenge for the entire family as we all had to develop new footings.

Angelina’s father, Charlie, is from Malta, an island nestled in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Italy. Her mother’s father was also from Malta. Charlie bravely immigrated to the USA when he was in his late twenties. He left his entire family to pursue a better life for himself in the States. When he arrived in the USA he did not know what snow was. He stepped outside one morning with wet hair, and it froze. After working odd jobs as a tradesman, Charlie landed a machine repairman job at General Motors, where he worked until his recent retirement.

Charlie met Carol, Angelina’s mother, at the Maltese Club downtown. In her twenties, Carol was what you would call a true “hippie” with long, flowy hair and bell-bottom jeans. She loved dancing and going to concerts at local music venues. Although things did not work out (they divorced when Angelina was ten years old), they have since remarried. Angelina considers her stepmother, Della, her second mother, and is grateful for her sense of humor and ability to not take life so seriously. Angelina does not have siblings and is an only child.

Angelina has been surrounded by a loving family her entire life. Her parents made sure that every summer was spent with her relatives in Malta. This tiny island houses many of Angelina’s most precious childhood memories. Time spent with her grandparents helped shape the woman she is today.

We visit our families overseas at least once a year. Angelina’s parents are local, and we spend time together every week. They are just about fully retired and ready as ever to be grandparents.

We consider our close friends to be family too. Our friends are a happy, fun, diverse, adventurous, successful bunch. They live all over the world, speak different languages, and have many children that can’t wait to be lifelong friends with your child.

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Family Traditions

Adrien’s hometown in France is considered the “Christmas Capital of the World.” When we visit in winter, we stroll the Christmas markets with friends and family, and enjoy the spectacular lights, food and music. Adrien tries to make one snowboarding trip a year with friends, while Angelina gets cozy by the fire with a good book. We both enjoy snowshoeing in parks around our neighborhood and walking on the frozen lake a block away from our house where children usually set up shop to play ice hockey.

Springtime is birthday time! Our birthdays are one week apart in April and May and we celebrate each year with family and friends. Flower Day (the Sunday after mother’s day) is a springtime tradition, held in the city’s historical Eastern Market. On this day, local farmers turn their fresh produce stalls into one giant flower shop. Angelina and her mom have quite a green thumb and love learning about flower varieties while picking the perfect selection for their yards. Adrien comes along to pick out a plant or two, but mostly comes to splurge on the best pizza in town (also a family tradition).

A summer tradition of ours in Michigan is to visit Leelanau Peninsula, about four hours north of Detroit. This is where we got married, a place that holds the memories of one of the best days of our lives. We usually rent a house by the water, go kayaking and pick out fresh lavender plants. In summer, Adrien hosts a massive barbeque event with our friends and family and invites the neighbors to feast. Angelina is a vegetarian and she makes the salads.

The Fall Colors Tour is the name we coined for our yearly jaunt to northern Michigan with close friends. Each year we visit Harbor Springs, Michigan, to witness the leaves change color. Imagine rolling hills covered in trees with leaves of deep red, orange and yellow. We pick apples and hike throughout the day, tell funny stories by a fire at night, with a sky full of stars above us.

On Sundays, we love to go running in the morning, cook in the afternoon and speak with our dear friends in California and family overseas. We end the day with dinner with Angelina’s parents. When cooking, Angelina is very meticulous with following recipes while Adrien goes rogue. Angelina is clean and calculated, while Adrien makes a huge mess in the kitchen. Either way, the food mostly turns out great!

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Travel

By now you know how much we love to travel! We visit France and/or Malta every year to see our family. Know that your child will have many cousins to grow up with, and in doing so, they will have plenty of opportunities to learn the French language. One of our favorite destinations is Puerto Rico. We recently visited the islands off the east coast and spent ten days basking in the sun, snorkeling, reading books, and traversing around on a scooter. The people are incredibly kind, the food is delicious and the music makes you get up and dance. We will enjoy showing your child the beautiful marine life snorkeling around that Island.

We intend to keep discovering the beautiful world that surrounds us. In our family room, we have a giant world map, with countries we have visited pinned. During the years we have known each other, we have traveled to the following states/countries:

Put in ABC order …

• Barcelona/Rioja/San Sebastian, Spain: Stunning art scenes, delicious wine, and tasty pixos.
• Breckenridge, Colorado: Adrien got Angelina to ski in the Rockies!
• Chicago, Illinois: Our favorite city to visit within the USA.
• Cocoa Beach, Florida: Adrien joined Angelina for a work trip – we kayaked with manatees and Adrien got to see the Kennedy Space Center (while Angelina was working one day).
• Culebra/Vieques/San Juan, Puerto Rico: One of our all-time favorite places to visit. Angelina felt like the Little Mermaid in the Bioluminescent Bay.
• Everywhere, Italy: Our sacred place, where we celebrated our honeymoon. We did a road trip, and there are literally no words that will explain how much fun we had.
• France and the Maltese Islands = our second home.
• Los Angeles, California: Angelina’s dear cousin lives here. We visited the set of “Friends” with her once at the Warner Brothers studio.
• New York, New York: We ate a substantial amount of pasta in Little Italy, and fed pigeons bagels in Central Park. Lady Liberty is stunning!
• Phu Quoc/Hanoi, Vietnam: Noodles! Spice! We stayed in a little beach bungalow, swam with Buddhist monks, and found incredible solitude amongst the chaos of the city.
• Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: World Cup, 2014!
• San Francisco, California: Our dear friends live here, we cannot put into words how much fun we have each time we visit.
• Toronto, Canada: Where Angelina signed her official paperwork to become a Maltese citizen!
• Tulum, Mexico: We celebrated New Years’ Eve on Riviera Maya and rode bikes to the beach every day. Angelina wanted to take an iguana home. Our favorite food was street food prepared by an adorable lady dressed in very colorful clothes.
• Vancouver, British Columbia: We went whale watching, saw orchids in their natural habitat in a temperate rainforest, and did lots of yoga.
• Willamette Valley, Oregon: Stunning sunsets along the coast! Delicious coffee everywhere.

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Racial & Cultural Diversity

You’ve learned by now that getting married to each other meant that we also became one with our partners’ culture. French and Maltese culture is a staple in our everyday lives. Our hometown is very diverse – people from all walks of life live here and it’s a major part of why we love it so much. Most weekends you will find us downtown, at some sort of ethnic restaurant, or at the art museum watching a foreign film.

Aside from the diversity within our marriage and families, we also have a diverse group of friends. Ever since childhood, Angelina and Adrien grew up with people from different cultures. Angelina grew up alongside her Filipino girlfriend (from the second grade up through college) and Adrien has played (and continues to play) on many soccer teams equipped with players from all over the world. We have Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, and Indian friends, who we equally adore and consider as family. We could not imagine life any other way.

We think this topic is one of our many strong suits. We happily and excitedly can say that your child will grow up understanding the beauty that lives within all of us. S/he will be immersed in the cultures of the world, well beyond the life of a small suburb in Michigan.

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Our Promise to You

Your child is an absolute miracle to us.

We promise, from the first day we meet, until the day we are no longer on this earth, to do whatever it takes to maintain the safety, happiness, and well-being of your child.

We promise to shower your child with our love – we have so much to give. We promise to nurture your child to grow to their fullest potential and keep them out of harm’s way. We promise to make your child laugh whenever possible, to soothe them when they are sad, and to be there as his/her rock in every life chapter. We promise to be there for the good times as well as the bad times. The times when the world has been crazy and unfair and the times when everything is going right – we promise to be there to listen, to laugh, to dream, to cry, to celebrate, to teach, to punch pillows, to dance in the rain, whatever it takes.

We are here because we genuinely care and want the complete best for your child. You have our word.