4469Matt and ChristinaDear Birth Mother,We can’t even begin to understand how you are feeling right now as you consider adoption. We admire your courage so much! Thank you for considering us to love and raise your baby.

Our belief in God is so important to us, and we believe that He has led us to choose adoption to grow our family. We have so much to share; a very loving and stable home, a strong marriage, and tons of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that can not wait to surround this child with love!

We love to laugh, live life to the fullest, and have fun in all things! We were both raised to love other people, appreciate other cultures, be open to education (in college and throughout our lives), and have a true appreciation for what life can bring. We love to travel, both overseas and in the United States. We love sports (playing and attending) and staying active and !t. We appreciate art and music, and we can’t wait to share all these things with a child. We believe that our role as parents is to love and encourage our children, and give them the tools they need to bring out the best in them, so they can be the person that God meant them to be.

We would be happy to work towards an open adoption with you, sharing photos, letters, or visits. We would love the chance to meet you and discuss your hopes and dreams for your child. We hope you can be comforted in knowing that you will always be a part of your child’s life and such a special and important part of our family’s story! We promise to love and encourage your child so much and provide what they need to grow into their best and happiest self. We are praying for you everyday and hope that God gives you peace during this time.

Sincerely,

Matt and Christina

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ChristinaI grew up on a farm in a small town. By nine years old, my dad had taught me how to drive the farm truck so I could help to feed the herd of 100 beef cattle we had on our land. Childhood days were spent playing in the !elds with my siblings, climbing trees, or riding bikes down the dirt road to see the neighbor kids.

Later on in middle school and high school, I was involved in lots of school activities including sports, art, band, and drama. As an art major in college, I loved being creative and exploring manydi"erent mediums (drawing, ceramics, graphic design, and even metalsmithing). Now as an adult, I !nd that my favorite activities still center around art and design, or exercise and physical activity.

Both of my parents traveled overseas and instilled in me a love of travel and learning about new cultures. Our extended family includes families my dad has befriended from Vietnam and the Sudan.

MattMy parents have always been very supportive of my brother and I. My brother and I are very close and we hang out as often as we can. My grandma came from a huge Italian family. They were loud, fun, emotional and loving. We would get to gather ay my uncle’s house every Sunday to eat (a lot), laugh, and just hang together.

I enjoyed playing baseball, soccer, and basketball as a kid. I would spend hours on a basketball court! My height made me a better !t for the cross-country team and I found not only success, but an appreciation of how great it is to be in shape! Running gave me con!dence and clarity. In college, I played intramural basketball with my friends. I still run and play basketball now for !tness, but my favorite workout is swimming with a local program.

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Christina’s thoughtsabout our relationshipMatt is as solid as they come. He has never stopped being supportive, always encouraging me to pursue my dreams and goals. I love being married to Matt and I know God made him to be my partner in life. We have worked hard to create a solid partnership that is equal parts love and respect. Our marriage is very strong and we work hard to always make it stronger, making sure we reserve some time each week to be together just the two of us.

Matt is such a gentleman, always opening doors for me and is always !nding small ways to show me he how much he cares about me, like holding my hand if we’re sitting next to each other. He makes me feel so cherished and special, but he is still very strong and tough. He works hard for our family. He is so honest with such a true heart and so loyal to the people he cares about. I love watching how kind and patient he is with our nieces and I can’t wait to watch him be a dad!

Matt’s thoughtsabout our relationshipChristina and I have grown so much together over the years. We committed early on in our marriage that no matter how tough things might be, we would never leave each other. Christina and I have so many great memories together. We have been challenged in our marriage, but as much as it hurt, we have grown the most through the tough times. I can honestly say I love Christina more now "for better or for worse" than I did when I said those words at our wedding.

She has always pushed me (whether I like it or not) to be better. She challenges me all the time because she knows what I want out of life and she wants so bad to see me get it! I know that our love has been tested time after time, but I also know that we have picked each other up over and over again. We know that God has a plan for us as a couple and that we should take the blessings we have been given and share them.

Fun Facts• We love roasting marshmallows under the stars with our nieces and

friends’ kids.• As crazy as it may sound, it was love at !rst sight for us!

• We love to travel together, most recently to London and Paris. • We both love to stay active together, whether it be our summer

walks along the beaches of Lake Michigan, hikes in the many parks around our home, night jogs through our neighborhood, or cross country skiing in the winter.

• Christina spent a summer in Spain studying abroad.She became #uent in Spanish.

• We love spending time with family boating on the lake.

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Christina MattHeight:$$ $ $ 5’ 5”$ $ $ $ $ $ 5’ 10”Complexion: Fair FairHair / Eyes: Brown / Brown Brown / BrownReligion: Christian ChristianEducation:$ $ $ Bachelor’s Degree$ $ $ Bachelor’s DegreeOccupation: Graphic Designer Sales/Project Mgr.Mat/Pat Leave: Yes, then work pt-time

We have been married since 2004 and are so excited to be parents!

Home and CommunityOur home is a two-story, four bedroom home, with lots of room for kids! Christina works from home so that she can be home to raise our kids while working part-time. We re!nished an area of the

basement for her o%ce. If at any time, it’s too much for her to work part-time, she has the ability to cut back her hours even further.

We are committed to giving our kids what they need to #ourish! Our yard is large and safe, with plenty of room for swing sets, yard games, and days spent playing outside. We live in a wonderful, family-oriented subdivision, on a quiet cul-de-sac. e have great neighbors who look out for one another. The neighborhood is made up of everything from families with young children to older couples. We bought our home speci!cally for the school district. It’s one of the best in the

state! Our children will have the opportunity to pursue any area of interest they choose: sports, music, science, art, etc.

Why Adoption?When we did decide to start a family, we approached it very casually for about two years, assuming it would just happen. We spent the next two frustrating years trying harder to conceive and working with our doctors to improve our chances. We’ve never been able to get pregnant and didn’t want to go through medical intervention (IUI or IVF) when we know we could love an adopted child just as much! Our friends and family could not be more excited. We have friends who adopted a bi-racial baby two years ago and they’ve been a constant source of encouragement for us.

We would love the chance to meet you and learn about you and your dreams for your baby. We would welcome an open adoption with letters, pictures, and visits so that your child will always know you and your love for them.

Thank you for considering us!

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