Michael and Whitney

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From Us to You

We feel deeply grateful that you are taking the time to consider us as prospective parents for your child. We admire the courage it takes to consider placing your child for adoption and we do not take it for granted. This tells us that you care deeply about your child.

We have always dreamed of being parents, and we always saw adoption as part of our story. After battling recurrent pregnancy loss for almost three years, we are surer than ever that we are ready to be parents and that raising children is the deepest desire of our hearts. Our families have been blessed by the beauty of adoption, making our decision to begin our adoption journey a natural one.  While we are under no pretense that this is an easy road for anyone involved; we seek to enter this journey with you with open hearts and open minds and hope to grow in understanding and grace with each step. We see this journey as a partnership with you, a commitment to do our very best daily to provide your child with a life full of stability, joy, and experiences. A life in which they would know to their core that they are deeply loved and valued, by you, by us, by the community we will build around them, and by God. This is not about going home with a baby, this is about raising an infant, a toddler, a child, a teen, an adult. It is about our commitment to grow with them as they move through life, to support them genuinely in each stage. We promise to be fully devoted to your child, for the rest of our lives, and we would consider it an absolute privilege to guide them in grace through life.

We cannot imagine the way you feel, nor the weight of this decision on your heart, but what we can do is assure you that we would be in this journey alongside you. We have love in our hearts, and room in our lives for both you and your child. We hold so much respect and admiration in our hearts for you. We want you to know that we pray over you. We feel such a sense of peace and certainty over this decision we have made, and that is what we hope for you.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about who we are, what we stand for, and what we have to offer. Your consideration of us means the world. We will be praying over you, your pregnancy, your health, your well-being, and your decision.

Yours,
Michael and Whitney

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Why We are Choosing to Adopt

Since we first started dating adoption was always part of our dream of building a family. The concept of adoption is comfortable to both of us, and it is something we both strongly believe in. We have always had every intention to adopt. We thought we would start our family biologically, but after almost three years of recurrent pregnancy loss we know more than ever that we are excited and ready to be parents, yet we weren’t any closer to that happening. This is how we made our prayerful and intentional decision to start pursuing the adoption process now. We know we are ready to be parents and welcome that opportunity through the avenue of adoption.

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About Michael, by Whitney

My husband, Michael, is the most genuinely kind person that I know. He works diligently to love each person in his life well and express his gratitude for them. You’d be hard pressed to find a wiser and more self-sacrificing individual than Michael. Michael is also incredibly funny and playful. It is not uncommon to witness him bring himself to tears laughing at his own joke. One of his catchphrases is “I am the funniest person I know,” and he is. I think that it is unique that he can sit and listen with genuine care, and the next minute he has you laughing harder than you have in weeks. He is someone that can make any little moment or task fun with his goofiness and spontaneity. Like one time we were cleaning the house together and I come downstairs to him arguing with the Alexa because she wouldn’t “play Olivia Rodrigo at volume one-thousand.”  Michael is a person who can find joy in all the little things. I am confident that Michael will be an amazing dad, because it is all he has ever wanted to be. He is intentional about seeking out relationships with the children in our lives, and I love listening to him read them stories (silly voices included, of course) or watching him play tea party decked head to toe in a princess costume. He is genuinely excited to grow through parenthood, and I cannot wait to do that by his side because he is a truly wonderful human being.

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About Whitney, by Michael

My wife, Whitney, is a fun-loving and passionate individual. She has a fierce love for those close to her. I admire how she always puts others before herself. One of my favorite things to do with her is spontaneously call up friends and invite them to come over and have food or play games with us. Since she is more competitive than I am she usually wins. Another thing I like to do with Whitney is cook meals. I tell Whitney, “You are a wizard in the kitchen.” Seriously though, she can whip up some magic. Her kindness, intentionality and patience are traits I learn from every day. I’m certain Whitney will be an excellent mother some day and I’m so excited to parent alongside her. I have seen Whitney help young children work to process their emotions. She encourages them to problem solve and come to their own healthy solutions with her gentle guidance. I personally believed myself to be excellent with kids, then I saw Whitney, and how she works to understand things on their level and translate it to inspire them to learn and grow. I am amazed at her abilities as a caretaker. I’m convinced Whitney has it all, considering that she is also so fun to be around. She would tell you that her husband is the patient, kind and humble one, but I would tell you that I have learned how to deepen my patience, kindness and humility by watching her. Whitney is a dedicated, hardworking, kind, silly, and passionate soul with so much love to give. It is an honor to live life alongside her.

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Adoption in our Lives

Whitney’s two younger brothers were adopted internationally as older children and we both have aunts who were also adopted. We are surrounded by people who are familiar with the adoption process and are walking in support of us each step of the way. We have included pictures from the re-adoption ceremonies of each of Whitney’s brothers, because we believe they are powerful examples of the people in our lives who are in support of adoption (and our family). We know firsthand and believe firmly that family are the people you choose, and should you choose us to be the parents for your child, you too will always be considered a very special part of our family.

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Our Home and Neighborhood

We live in a beautiful, two-story, single-family home in family-friendly neighborhood. It is a five bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom home, and our bedroom is right across the hall from the nursery. Our home’s character is warm and comforting and we enjoy spending time together completing house projects, such as the custom window reading bench. We have a privately fenced backyard that will fit a playset so quaintly one day, and an elaborate fruit garden which is Whitney’s labor of love. Our home is down the block from the elementary school and the neighborhood is delightfully walkable. The area we live in is stunning. We get all four seasons here, so there is always something new to do. In the spring and summer, we get to walk, hike, kayak, go to the local farmers markets, and community events the city hosts. In the autumn we often visit the apple orchards (Washington apples are simply unbeatable) and sunflower fields in the area. The local pumpkin patch makes fresh pumpkin donuts in the fall that are to die for. In the winter we get tons of snow. There is a perfect sledding hill behind Whitney’s parents’ house that we frequent in the winter with her brothers and then promptly hop in the hot tub with our hot chocolate. The city where we live is full of life. There is always something exciting to do. It is rich in diversity, art, and community. There are concerts, sporting events, comedy shows, and festivals year-round. We feel blessed to have grown up in an area that that has so much to offer, and we cannot wait to give your child the same experiences.

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Our Families and Friends

We are lucky to have our families so involved in our lives. Both sets of our parents are still married at thirty years plus. Our home is within five minutes of Whitney’s parents, siblings, grandparents, as well as Michael’s parents and siblings. They are all eager to help us on our journey to parenthood and will be an amazing “village” for us as we raise your child. Whitney has three younger brothers. Two of her brothers are deaf; due to this we are both fluent in conversational American Sign Language, as will your child be. Whitney’s parents are mentors and encouragers of both of us, and we feel lucky to consider them our friends. Michael has one older brother, and he is married. We are also close to Michael’s parents. They are deeply supportive of us and are “drop everything to help” kind of people. We are blessed to be able to see extended family regularly and participate in a family reunion with each side annually. Our immediate families have monthly dinners together; everyone is invited, and it is so much fun. Also, our family members are part of our childcare plan. Michael’s dad is about to retire and is eager help with childcare, and both moms, as well as Michael’s brother and sister-in-law, are teachers and are excited to help during the school breaks. Our family’s support and participation are a constant blessing to us.

We have a friend group of five other couples, all who live within ten minutes of us. They are our closest friends, our support system, our “backyard BBQ crew.” They are the people we call to play games with, to go to concerts, help with house projects, or run errands. We get to celebrate holidays with them. They are the people that check in on us, know about struggles we are going through, and show up with dinner or flowers when it has been a hard week. They are the people we celebrate our successes and grieve our failures with. We are blessed to have this network of friends so regularly involved in our lives, and we know that your child will be blessed by them too.

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Letters from Friends and Family

From Katrina – Family friend

It is often said that having children is comparable to wearing you heart on your sleeve, exposed to the world along with all its vulnerabilities. I can personally attest that in choosing to be a working mother and determining what form of childcare would best suit our family, I was anxious. We were fortunate enough to pursue a nanny, which first introduced us to Whitney. From our first impression during the interview, I knew Whitney was truly special. She was honest and straight forward in her word with such an open heart. It was clear she was extremely hard working and choosing to nanny purely for her love of children as she pursued her nursing degree.

Caring for our children and growing to become a part of our family over the past two and half years, we have been blessed to know both Whitney and Michael. We have provided them our outmost trust and been so rewarded to have them as part of our parenting team. On numerous occasions, through the challenges of toddler years, I have called on Whitney to help support our children. She has prayed with my daughter to help her sleep and feel safe, only to call the next morning and check on our progress. She has helped my son through digestive struggles of infancy as he had colic. She has been a core of our sanity and happiness as we juggle the constant changing dynamic of two beautiful, growing children. On special occasions, Michael had availability and would come play or help nanny the children. Without compensation, he has such an honest love for children and would play “princess dress up tea party,” without complaint and with true interest. They have joined us for birthdays, graduations, holiday baking and countless life celebrations – all out of personal love for our kids. It is without reservation that I would provide you my comfort and advocacy to choose Whitney and Michael to become parents to your unborn child. These are two people who are, in a sense, already parents without children. I have complete faith and certainty that as they build their family, they will provide endless love, stability, happiness and guidance to their future children.

From Emma – Friend

I have had the privilege of knowing Michael and Whitney for six years now and they have become family. There is no one I can think of that would be a better fit to love and raise the child you bring into this world. The thing I love about Michael and Whitney most is their ability to make you feel like family no matter the length of time you’ve known them. I have gotten to witness them love on and care for several kids but the most special was watching their interactions with my baby. They are patient, thoughtful, loyal, and kind. They lift up in encouragement and are quick to offer a helping hand. I know that whatever child they are placed with will never have to question their worth. They will always have someone who supports, loves, and advocates for them. I wholeheartedly believe they will make the best parents.

From Josiah – Whitney’s brother

Hello! My name is Josiah, I’m Whitney’s younger brother.  I’m writing to tell you how amazing Whitney and her husband Michael are and have been to me and our youngest brother Cameron.

My brother Cam and I are adopted from China.  Whitney and Michael support and love us unconditionally.  They are intentional to spend time with us, they have always come to our school and sporting activities, and love to hang out with us.  We watch movies, play card games and video games together. Whitney makes great food and desserts to feed us too.  They are always there to help us when we need help.  Though Cam and I are deaf and use American Sign Language to communicate, Michael and Whitney make sure that we are included in conversations.  They both have learned sign language which means a lot to us that they communicate with us in our own language.

They are kind and teach us new things like how to bake.  They celebrate holidays with us and invite us to dinners.  They even help us celebrate our culture, like when we celebrate Chinese New Year, Michael and Whitney come to celebrate too.  They are involved in our lives and get to know our friends.  For instance, Whitney just recently helped my homecoming date get ready with hair and makeup.

They are a great couple who will love your baby SO much. I know they will do all these things and more for your baby as they have done for us.  They are our family even though we are not related by blood, they are everything a family should be…. supportive, loving, kind, fun, good communicators, they show up and they are intentional.  We’re very blessed to be family and your baby will be blessed by them as family too.

From Mikayla – Whitney’s cousin

I have known Whitney pretty much my whole life, I’m her cousin. She and Michael make a great couple; I hope to find my own “Michael” someday.

Ever since I can remember, Whitney was ready to be a mom. As we grew up, I always looked up to her (even though I’m older). She was always the “mom” of whatever group we were in at the time and could be trusted to take care of everyone. I don’t know what it’s like to want nothing more than to have a kid and not be able to have one of my own… but Whitney and Michael do. I don’t know what it’s like to have a loving partner, a stable home with an empty bedroom ready, and a dream of a family held close to your heart for a long time… but Whitney and Michael do. I wouldn’t wish their first attempt at parenthood on anyone, but it has brought them to make the decision to adopt and provide a child with a loving home. What they have been through on their journey has led them here, and permanently ensured that they will never take a child for granted; they would unconditionally love a child and instill their same appreciation for life and love into that child. They have a dream of having a family, and adoption is their way of realizing that dream. They have a solid marriage, are financially responsible, and are the “poster children” of ideal parents.

I am a mom of a toddler, and Whitney and Michael are her godparents. There is no one else in this whole world I would trust more with my child than them if something were to happen to me. I wholeheartedly give my recommendation of Whitney and Michael to adopt your child.

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Our Sweet Pups

We have two, 3-year-old, male German Shepard puppies named Scout and Sayler. We love the German Shepard breed because, while they are energetic and playful, they are also intuitive and deeply loyal. They are both so smart and have a unique ability to read the room and match people’s energies. While they are large dogs, we have no concerns about their ability to interact safely with children of any age. We have trained them for just that since the day we got them. When we have any of the young children in our lives over, you’ll find Scout cuddled up to them while we play or read books, and Sayler will greet them excitedly and then go play by himself. It has been so fun to watch Scout and Sayler learn how to play with the kiddos. They truly enjoy having these little friends around, and you can tell by the way they interact. We love having the dogs in the house, as we both grew up with dogs. We are looking forward to having them around as your child grows. They really do make the best companions and bring us so much joy.

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Our Lifestyle

During the week we wake up together and get ready for our day. Michael enjoys sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of coffee and getting some cuddle time in with the dogs before work. Dinner as a family is one of Michael’s favorite things so it is something that we prioritize as often as we can, as we love this opportunity to catch up with one another. We tend to cook dinner together before we settle into the rest of our nighttime routine which may include games, a TV show, a walk, or reading a book. We look forward to evening family walks and bedtime-story marathons with your baby. We cannot wait to include them on our weekend getaways around the Pacific Northwest, there is so much beauty here and we hope to pass on our love of exploring. Our lifestyle tends to change with the seasons, which keeps things fun and interesting as there is always something new to do.

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Traditions

We love celebrating all things big and small; honestly, we jump at any excuse to spend time with the people that we love. We have holiday bake days with the family Whitney nannied for and love the joyous chaos of baking ten different cookies while bouncing babies on our hip. Our families technically switch on and off years for Thanksgiving and Christmas, though we often see both families and even tend to combine celebrations. Whitney’s mother and grandmother come over every year and help her decorate the tree, it’s time they cherish together. We always attend a candle lit Christmas Eve service and on Christmas morning the story of Christ’s birth is read before any presents are opened. Games are typically played at family gatherings, card games being the crowd favorite. We do monthly dinners with our families; our parents love to get together with each other and often the grandparents come along. The theme changes (i.e., pizza night, taco bar, homemade pasta) and it is one big party. We celebrate Whitney’s brothers’ “Gotcha day” every year. We do a special meal with the whole family, talk about their adoption, and tell stories. Another tradition is that Whitney’s family is involved in a youth summer camp. She attended from the time she was a small child and is now the co-director. Her dad and older brother are counselors and her youngest brother attends. It is their favorite part of summer. We feel lucky to have every season filled with these traditions, and we cannot wait to introduce your child to them.

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Racial and Cultural Diversity

In our dreams of adopting a child there was never a race or gender associated. We are both ethnically mixed European, and the traditions, stories, and cultural influences that come from our families enrich our lives. We want that for your child as well. We desire to help them understand their ancestry and value what makes them diverse. We recognize that we will need to involve outside influences to assist us in doing this. We are committed to educating ourselves and engaging in meaningful relationships with individuals who share the same racial backgrounds as our children. We feel confident that we can do this well as we have participated in and watched as Whitney’s family has learned about and celebrated their adopted children’s ethnic and cultural diversity in an intentional and respectful way. Deaf culture is also something we have integrated into our lives, and this has taught us how to be a part of a culture that is not inherently our own. This is a topic we find vitally important, and we are committed to being intentional stewards of this responsibility.

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Our Faith

We were both raised in Christian homes. Michael was raised in a more traditional church and Whitney was raised in a more non-denominational church (think hymn books versus full worship band). We also both have catholic influences from our families. Michael received a degree in Ministerial Leadership and spent several years as an intern at a church, and while he does not currently work in a ministry role, we believe that ministry can be anything that you involve the Lord in. The church we currently attend has a darling children’s ministry, and we look forward to raising your child in this community because we know they will learn that they are beautifully and wonderfully made and deeply loved. We will strive to parent within the same love, comfort and grace that God has given to us.

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Our Passions and Careers

In her career fields, Whitney is a nurse and a part-time soldier (Army Reserves). She finds these careers to be very rewarding and challenging in the most fun way. She loves getting to spend time with her patients, and she brags that they have the best stories. While she is almost finished with her military career, in effort to be as present as possible for your child, she is grateful for its influences. You may also find her reading a mystery novel, practicing embroidery (because if we are being honest, she needs the practice), or baking. She makes the most scrumptious homemade pies (our favorite being strawberry-rhubarb, which we get from the garden).

Michael loves to work with his hands and challenge himself. His previous career and passion is carpentry. Currently Michael is expanding his portfolio by working in tele-communications and internet. Michael finds great satisfaction in completing a project with efficiency while taking great care in the quality of his work. Michael loves to learn, and grow, and strives to be a lifelong learner. His desire to grow and learn overflows into his hobbies as well. Michael loves to have new experiences and challenge himself in various house projects, or just simple strategy games at the table (the one that he built of course). You will often find him spending time out-doors kayaking new lakes, pretending to know how to fish, hiking various trails, or hammock-ing in the backyard. He loves exploring the outdoors with his Wife and his dogs. Whether he is working hard, or out adventuring, Michael is someone who pursues the things in life that bring him joy.

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Our Promise to You

You have our word that we will raise your baby in a home that is full of warmth and unconditional love. We promise to tell them about you and speak only positively about you. We promise to dedicate ourselves to giving your baby everything they need to grow to be a happy and successful individual. We promise to teach them about Jesus and help them pursue the life that God has set before them.

We promise to use our words to speak life and love into their lives, and we promise to use our actions to develop trust and stability. We promise to live every day with deep gratitude for the blessing you have given us through adoption.