Hi! We are. Jeff & Elinor with our son Wilson

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1 Hi! We are Jeff & Elinor with our son Wilson profile and r u o g in d a e r r fo u o y Thank ther, fa y il m fa a s a s u g in consider hild. we c r u o y r fo r e th o r b mother and o our best to d l il w e w w o n k to u o want y the way. f o p te s y r e v e u o y e walk besid

2 A Quick Get to Know Us Jeff was born in Florida and raised in Alabama. Elinor was born and raised in Georgia. Both of us are the youngest of three children and were raised in middle class families with solid values of family, hard-work, honesty and giving back to others. We have shared interests, goals and values. We love to work on our house and yard, creating a comfortable space for our family. We love being parents and watching our son grow. We trust and respect each other and are able to rely on each other. We enjoy a simple walk in the neighborhood and also like to get away for a little adventure when we can. Whether it is a night out at a concert or a weekend away in the mountains, we like to have time with each other. Vacations as a family are something we love! Each summer, we take a long family vacation, usually to the beach. During the rest of the year, we go on day trips- taking Wilson hiking or to pick apples in North Georgia, or weekend trips to visit family. We are a committed couple and we look forward to expanding our family through the blessing of adoption. We love visiting the North Georgia Mountains

3 Hi! We are Jeff and Elinor Thank you for reading our profile and considering us as a family for your child. We are thankful for each other and for you. We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you and get to know each other over coffee, ice cream or dinner. We cannot imagine what you may be going through right now but we want you to know we will do our best to support you and to walk beside you every step of the way. Why We Want To Adopt Because we know biological ties do not define family or love, adoption felt like a natural fit. After our son Wilson was born, we tried, but were not able to have another child. We considered the options and chose adoption. Our families are supportive and excited about our adoption plans. Our parents are looking forward to having another grandchild to spoil! Wilson is thrilled to have the chance of a lifelong relationship with a younger sibling. We love that they will be close enough in age to play, but that Wilson will be old enough to remember his little brother or sister coming home from the hospital and joining our family. We will share with your child their adoption story because we feel it is important for them to know all the love that surrounds them. That you love them and were brave enough to make an adoption plan and choose the best adoptive parents you could for them, and that we went through great lengths to find them, choose them, and bring them into our lives.

4 My Wife Elinor (by Jeff) Elinor is fun, loving and caring. She is a planner and loves to plan family get togethers, birthday parties, play dates for Wilson, or date nights for us. We enjoy concerts, trying new restaurants, movies, and just enjoying each other s company. I love Elinor and love creating our life together. Teaching Wilson how yummy home grown veggies are! Elinor with her mother and sister Elinor s Hobbies and Interests I have lots of interests- reading, hiking, antique shopping, traveling, and volunteering. But, more than anything, I love to get together with friends and family. I love to create memories over the dinner table while kids are running through the house. My grandmother taught me to cook and I remember hours in the kitchen with her. The meals she served were like platters of love. On the weekends, Wilson and I make breakfast together. His job is to spoon the coffee beans into the grinder and to crack the eggs. During the work week, I leave meals in the slow cooker so that when we get home the house smells like roasted chicken or beef stew. It feels so good to sit down to a warm meal each night with my family. I love making meals for my family!

5 Elinor as a Mommy (by Jeff) Elinor is a great Mom. She wants to create the best life possible for her children. She teaches Wilson about good manners, respect and friendships. Elinor is always setting up play dates with other parents in Wilson s class and finding activities for us to do as a family on the weekends. We are regulars at the Atlanta Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Georgia Aquarium, and local playgrounds. Her favorite part of being a mom is listening to Wilson share his thoughts and feelings, helping him gain confidence and independence each day. She s a loving Mom and I can t wait to see her with another child. All Smiles at the Christmas Parade Taking a break from the sun and waves under the shade. Next up - sand castle building time! Fun at the zoo visiting the flamingos! They are a little stinky but Wilson loves watching them Elinor s Career I am an attorney and I specialize in family law, helping guide people through tough times in their lives. I started my career as a social worker and spent several years working with women and children who had been victims of violence. I decided to become a lawyer, thinking I could do more good as a part of the legal system. I enjoy helping others in my work, but am able to balance my career with being a Mom. I have flexibility to be there for Wilson s school activities and to take time off when he has appointments or needs me during the day. When we are lucky enough to adopt, I plan to take several months off, like I did when Wilson was born and just enjoy being Mom. When I go back to work, the baby will be home with a nanny or at the childcare center at our church - the same center Wilson attends.

6 Jeff is never afraid to show his silly side! My Husband Jeff (by Elinor) The first thing I noticed about Jeff was his beautiful blue eyes and his contagious smile. He is curious, loving, funny, nurturing and hard working. Jeff is a true partner. He makes me feel safe. When I have a bad day, Jeff can make me laugh the stress away. We balance each other so well. He is my soul mate, my rock. I never doubt he is the person I am intended to share my life with. Us hiking in Arizona Jeff with his dad Jeff s Hobbies & Interests I enjoy staying active. I run several times a week and workout at the gym. I m starting to play tennis again (an activity I used to do when I was growing up). I ve bought Wilson a racket and he enjoys hitting the ball with me! I ve played the guitar for years and really enjoy seeing live music around Atlanta. Lastly, I enjoy entertaining friends and family at our home (especially firing up the grill on a nice summer day). I love to play music

7 Jeff as a Daddy (by Elinor) Swimming with Daddy is so much fun! Jeff was meant to be a Dad! When I was pregnant with Wilson, Jeff was at every appointment. When it was time to pick out the baby gear, Jeff did all the research to make sure our child had the safest whatever (rocker, high chair, crib, bath tub, etc.) available. When Wilson was born, Jeff spent each night in the hospital with us, sleeping on a terribly uncomfortable chair. Jeff changes as many diapers, gets up as much at night, gives as many baths and reads as many bedtime stories as I do. We parent together. Jeff builds Lego cars, plays on the playground, takes Wilson for haircuts and picks out Wilson s clothes each day. Jeff plays guitar with Wilson and encourages him to be creative. They play hide-and-go-seek and have a great time trying to surprise mommy! Jeff is a protective dad, but also encourages Wilson to explore the world. Jeff is a great dad. hanging out at home together Jeff snuggling with Wilson as a baby Jeff s Career I am a Systems Engineer for a large stock exchange in Atlanta and I ve been in the technology field for 13 years. I graduated college with a Psychology degree and moved my way up in the technology industry by learning on the job and accepting opportunities when presented. It s an exciting time to be in Atlanta and there are many opportunities in my field. I enjoy the flexibility of working from home when needed. It allows time to attend appointments with Wilson or to stop by his school and visit. When we are blessed with another child, I plan on taking off as much time as work allows to be at home with Elinor and the child.

8 Family beach trips include flying kites, building sand castles, trips to the local ice cream parlor, and of course hunting for sea shells! Our Son Wilson Painting a picture for his new little brother or sister! Wilson, age 4, is an active, playful, charming, talkative preschooler. He loves his mommy, daddy, doggies, trucks, trains, books and cartoons. Wilson is a cuddler when he first wakes up and when he goes to bed at night. He is independent, confident and not afraid to voice his own opinion because he knows we value it. He loves to make up stories and sing songs, and loves to pretend to be animals and characters. He is interested in learning and curious about the world. Wilson is also very social. He looks forward to play dates with his buddies and visits with cousins, so there is no doubt he will be a great big brother! Most of his friends have younger siblings and Wilson has frequently asked, Where is my brother? Where is my sister?

9 We are so excited to become a family of FOUR!! The Three of Us We are always together and can t wait to make it 4! On weekend mornings, Wilson and Elinor garden, watch cartoons and build train tracks together. Wilson likes to help Jeff water the plants and assist with home repairs. We like to go to playgrounds, go to the pool, ride bikes or have dinner at our favorite pizza place. Wilson s favorite is pepperoni- Elinor and Jeff are hooked on Hawaiian. We also enjoy just being home with each otherplaying with puzzles, painting pictures, kicking the ball around or watching a movie. We have so much fun together and are excited to have a new member of the family to share our time and energy with. Parenting To us being a good parent means all our decisions have to consider our children; where we live, work, shop, eat out, who we spend time with, and what activities we involve ourselves in. Our children will depend on us to do the right thing every day. We love being parents. We thank God for giving us the opportunity to be Wilson s mom and dad and the opportunity to welcome a new son or daughter soon. We work hard to be the best parents we can. Elinor s father gave her the gift of time. When Elinor was a child, her father made her feel like her opinion was important and that he was listening. Elinor s mother gave her the gift of a strong work ethic. Elinor s mother always worked hard and went back to college later in life to give her children a better future. This made an impression on Elinor as a child. Jeff s father gave him the gift of being responsible. Jeff watched his father work multiple jobs when needed. Jeff s mother gave him the gift of culture. When Jeff was a child, his mother exposed him to art and the theatre. This helped open Jeff s mind to trying new things. We both hope to pass along lessons that we learned from our parents to our children. We will also teach our children to find the good in everyone, to be a friend to everyone, to not hurt other s feelings, to appreciate what you have and what you are given, and to enjoy each moment.

10 We have lots of room to play outside Our Home We live in a three-bedroom, three-bath one-story home with a big basement that is used as a family room and Wilson s play room. Our yard is about a half-acre with a large fenced in area for Wilson and the dogs to play. We have a big deck in the backyard great for family cookouts, a hammock for those lazy afternoons and a play-set for Wilson to explore and have fun. This year we plan to add a vegetable garden so we can spend time together outdoors, learning about growing our own food and then having fun eating it. Our Georgia home is the place where our families converge for family occasions, like birthdays, and holidays, like Christmas and Easter. Our neighborhood, full of flowers and trees, is large and very family friendly. We have a swimming pool, tennis courts and playground a few blocks over, and the elementary school is within walking distance to our house. We love that we are within a few minutes of the zoo, aquarium, parks, museums, baseball and football stadiums.

11 Education We both believe higher education is important and want to help our children attain their degrees. There are many paths to a successful life and we will work to guide our children down whatever path makes sense for them. We both attended and graduated from college and have seen the value in it. Elinor extended her education by earning her Masters degree. We have excellent public schools in our area, but would also consider sending our children to private school if we feel like that is the best decision, at the time. We already have a college fund set up for Wilson, and would do the same for another child. meet Our Dogs... Buckley Sumter

12 How Our Families and Friends Feel About Adoption Our families are excited for us in our adoption journey. They know we are ready to grow our family, and are behind us. They all wait with open hearts, eager to welcome a new little one into our family with love. We are lucky to have friends who have adopted, are in the process of adopting, or have been adopted themselves. We have shared with them our plans to adopt and they are all very supportive and encouraging. We believe having people within our circle of influence that are familiar with adoption, can identify with it, and have embraced it, will be helpful to your son or daughter as they grow up. Jeff s parents with Wilson Wilson & his cousin at the beach Elinor with her mom, sister & Wilson Wilson with Uncle Clif (Elinor s brother) Elinor s family in Scotland

13 Egg Hunt Time! Christmas Eve with Jeff s family Celebrating Wilson s Baptism faith and Holidays Wilson s 1st Christmas We are lifelong Episcopalians. Our church is accepting of all. Growing up in the church, we attended Sunday school and were involved in youth groups. As adults, the church has stood by us during difficult times. We both feel that our church involvement helped instill positive values, such as the equality of all people, loving others and giving back to the community. We intend to raise our children the same way. Jeff s favorite holiday is Christmas. We stay at home, so Santa will know where to find Wilson. Jeff and Wilson pick out the Christmas tree and we deck the house out in decorations- many of which were passed down to us. Our families come to us for the holiday, and after the gifts are opened and wrapping paper put away, we have a huge family meal that everyone helps with. Elinor s favorite holiday is Easter. In our faith, the message of Easter is that of rebirth- new starts and the chance to try again. Given that we are all human and make mistakes, it is comforting to know that we always have another chance to be the person we want to be.

14 We Are Comfortable with an Open Adoption We are so excited for this opportunity and want what is best for your child. We would welcome the chance to talk with you in whatever way feels most comfortable. We would be honored to meet you and be a support to you throughout your pregnancy. We will make ourselves available to be as involved as you d like us to be, and we would love the chance to be at the hospital for the birth. We feel the more we get to know you, the more we can share with your child about you as he or she grows. We are open to sharing information and pictures with you. Phone calls and visits are also something we would consider. We will respect you and your feelings and will understand if you choose a more private and closed adoption. Our Promise To You We promise to love and care for your child. We promise to raise him or her in a warm, loving, open and stable environment. We promise to provide this little girl or boy with the best childhood we can provide. We promise to comfort this child when crying or on dark days. We promise to tenderly bandage those boo-boos. We promise to celebrate this child for the person he or she is. We promise to help this child achieve success in life. We promise to help this child find happiness. We promise to be honest and open with this child and share his or her adoption story. We promise to make sure this child knows how much you love them and the amount of love, sacrifice and bravery it took to make this decision.

15 Thank you for the time you took to review our profile. We hope we have given you the information you need to find peace and decide we are the right family for your child. If you have any questions, please let us know. We welcome the chance to speak with you. Best wishes on this journey. Jeff WILSON Elinor

16 Thank you