4507Derek and AmandaDear Birth Couple,Hello! We want to start by thanking you for considering adoption, something that is very near and dear to our hearts. We want you to

know that any child placed with us would be loved and cherished in every way possible and that we would always speak very highly of our child’s birth parents. We would share with our child that they have always been wanted and that their birth parents acted with the highest form of sacrificial love, blessing us with the gift of another child. We already have one daughter and are very excited to add to our family and give her a sibling!

Being parents already, we can confidently say that we have a lot of knowledge and experience in what it takes to care for and raise a happy, healthy child. Amanda has made the decision to be a stay-at-home mother until all of our children are in school. This gives her the chance

to nurture our child’s physical, social, and educational development by taking our daughter to the park, to the local pool, to the library, on play dates, and to visit relatives on a regular basis. Derek is home from work by dinnertime, during which we eat together and catch up about the day. In the evenings and on weekends, Derek likes to play with our daughter on our swing set, go on walks with her in the wagon, color with her, and play dolls together. (Yes, he even plays dolls!) We have a bedtime routine we do each night which involves lots of snuggles in the rocking chair, reading several books, and praying together. We try to raise our daughter to be kind, fair, and loving, intervening when needed, but also giving her a chance to try things out for herself. We have a good mixture of organized routine and silliness in our daily lives. With Derek being a professor, all of our children will have the opportunity as well as financial assistance to attend college should they wish to do so.

Thank you for reading this letter, looking at our biography, and considering adoption. If you choose us, we would be happy to keep in touch through letters, pictures, and email. We are also happy to do 2-4 visits a year with you and your family.

May God Bless You,

Derek and Amanda

© 2016 Adoption Support Center, Inc. All rights reserved. 1

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AmandaMy family has always been very close and supportive of each other. It has been a wonderful experience to watch my dad interact with my daughter, his first grandchild. They have a playful relationship, often laughing together. Having my mom home for most of my childhood was also a huge blessing! She often watches Ellie when I need a babysitter. She is very patient and loving and I know she will be thrilled to have more grandchildren to spoil! Growing up with 3 sisters meant there were sometimes arguments over clothes or bathroom space, but mostly we made lots of wonderful memories.

Christmas and Easter are very important to my family because they are important parts of our faith. After church on Easter we eat brunch together, do Easter egg hunts, and let my daughter open Easter baskets. On Christmas Day, we all go over to my parents’ house for my dad’s “famous” homemade omelets, a reading of the Christmas Story from the Bible, and opening gifts. Then we pose for pictures in front of their Christmas tree.

DerekI have two older sisters and, with them being girls and older than me, we weren’t that close growing up. But now that we are older and I have a daughter, we have a lot more in common. We live close to each other and enjoy getting together for pool parties. My parents and sisters all live in the same small town so my father often takes my niece and nephew to school for some Grandpa time. We live nearby, so we are able to get together often. When we get together, there is always lots of food. We love to play cards and games and are all Euchre fanatics!

My family accepts everyone equally as part of the family, no matter how they came to be part of the family. Adoption is woven throughout, from international adoption, to stepparent adoptions, to “adopting” Grandma Brenda. The child we adopt will immediately be welcomed, loved and accepted as one of our own.

EllieEllie is extremely loving, saying “aw” and hugging many of her toys and dolls. She has been very good about sharing toys with others and will observe if there is something another child needs. Ellie has been very concerned and helpful with taking care of her new baby cousin when he cries. She enjoys others’ company and is often the first to smile or even say “hi”. Ellie loves the water and we have enjoyed swim lessons, swimming in the neighborhood pool, and going to relatives’ pools. She enjoys our Story and Music time at the library each week. We enjoy the zoo, play dates, taking walks, gymnastics, and going to the park.

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Amanda’s thoughtsabout our relationshipDerek and I are unique in that we are so similar in some ways and complete opposites in other ways. Like me, Derek has a heart for helping other people. He knew from a young age that he wanted to teach others. He truly wants to help other people reach their dreams and succeed. Also like me, Derek likes to be somewhat adventurous. There have been many times that we would just go out driving to explore places we had never been. Derek is also a Christian and has always tried to follow God’s will for our lives.

Despite having a lot in common, we can also be very different! For instance, Derek is much more laid back than I am. He does not always see the need to do things in a particular way or order as I do. In this way, he helps to balance me out so I don’t get too focused on routine and structure! Derek also is much more extroverted than I am. This helps our relationship in terms of making plans with other people. Finally, Derek is much more focused on the outcome than I am. Where I tend to look at the details, Derek analyzes the overall picture much more easily. This helps to keep me grounded and focused! Despite our differences, we complement each other well, providing balance to our relationship. I couldn’t imagine my life without Derek and it’s even difficult for me to remember my life before meeting him as we have known each other for so long! Our love continues to grow daily.

Derek’s thoughtsabout our relationshipWe officially met in the fourth grade when I was “the new kid” in school. We were in different classes at first, but eventually got to know each other. We started to become friends through the devotional group that our friends started toward the end of our freshman year. It wasn’t long before we were chatting late at night on the Internet. We started dating our sophomore year and have been together ever since.

Amanda is, in many ways, everything I’m not - introverted when I’m extroverted, organized when I’m forgetful, gracious when I’m tactless. In short, she’s everything I need in my life and God knew that. Our relationship is intensely personal and one that neither of us ever take for granted. Amanda has made the extraordinary, ordinary. Life with her is never boring, but instead amazing on a daily basis. We are often able to communicate without even talking, and whenever we have a disagreement, we hash it out all the way. We do not go to bed angry, no matter what. Amanda is a wonderful, patient mother with Ellie and this is never clearer than at bedtime, where she can turn any tantrum into gentle cuddles.

Fun Facts• Our birthdays are just 3 days apart.

• We have now been together for more of our lives than apart. • Being retired, Derek’s dad loves to spend his time taking the

grandkids fishing. His mom simply loves being Grandma.• On Christmas Eve, Amanda’s family always get to open one gift. It’s

always a new pair of pajamas to wear on Christmas morning.

•Every year Amanda’s family goes to Florida and stays in the same place for some fun and relaxation on the beach, a little mini-golf, meals at our favorite restaurants.•Every Fall, Amanda’s family gets a cabin at

a state park together where we canoe, hike, and fish.

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Amanda DerekBorn: 1984 1984Height: 5’ 7” 6’ 2”Complexion: Fair FairHair / Eyes: Blonde / Blue Brown / BrownReligion: Christian ChristianEducation: Master’s Degree PhDOccupation: Mental Health Counselor Asst. ProfessorMat/Pat Leave: Stay-at-home mom

We have been married since 2009. We have one daughter, Elizabeth (Ellie), born in 2014. We are excited to add to our family through adoption! We also share our home with 2 sweet female cats, Socks and Sadie.

Home and CommunityOur home is two stories and has four bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, a living room, family room, kitchen, dining room, and 2-car garage; we have plenty of room for a growing family! We have about 1/3 of an acre, which is enough room for a fence around the backyard as well as a swing set. We have a front porch big enough for a couple of chairs and a porch swing.

A big part of the draw to our home was the neighborhood. It is very close to the grocery store, several department stores, and restaurants and is only about 15 minutes away from both of our families. Our neighborhood is fairly diverse as well, something that is important to us as we raise our children to love all

people. There are two gated pools (one kiddie pool and one regular pool), a playground, basketball courts, a picnic shelter, and two fishing ponds. Our street likes to have block parties several times per year where we all get together to eat and socialize. The school system where we live currently boasts an A-rating and national recognition. They provided many

opportunities for Advanced Placement classes, sports, music, and other academic activities.

Why Adoption?We are in the unique position of not being

infertile, to our knowledge, but feeling that God has called us to adopt. Before we were married, we had discussed adoption as our next step if we could not have children biologically. Then, when we were thinking of starting a family, we discussed that we would adopt once we were done having biological children. Last year we felt God calling us to adopt now. We realized that growing our family through adoption is plan A for us, not plan B. We

really want our daughter to grow up with siblings and we have a lot of love to offer to more children. Since we decided to adopt, it has been difficult to keep the news to ourselves! Everyone has been extremely supportive and many have even asked how they can help! Adoption has already touched our lives with Amanda’s grandmother being adopted by an aunt and uncle when she was young, Derek’s nephew being adopted by his stepfather, and Derek’s cousin and her husband adopting a little girl from Asia several years ago.

Thank you for considering us!

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