Joe & Leigh. Dear Birthmother,

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1 joe & Leigh

2 Dear Birthmother, Our names are Leigh and Joe and we thank you for taking the time to get to know our family. We wish for you peace of mind and clarity as you seek to find the family that speaks to your heart. Our goal is to give you a sense of who we are as people and parents and share what has lead us to this adoption journey. Over 11 years ago we were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. When Leigh was dared to go on a date with Joe, she never thought it would lead to meeting her best friend and the person she would build a life with. Instantly we knew that there was something special. Our personalities just clicked. We have now been married for close to 9 years. Looking back at the ups and downs and challenges that life has thrown at us, we recognize how lucky we are to have one another to lean on and we are committed to each other and the family we have created. Despite all the love that we have for each other, we are two very different kinds of people. Joe is an analytical thinker and has a logical solution to just about any problem (or thinks he does). He can fix almost anything (or thinks he can) with his extensive collection of power tools. He attended a small Christian college and graduated with a bachelor s degree in business and minor in Spanish. During college he traveled extensively to Central America, the Caribbean and much of Europe. He really connected with the different cultures and continues to be passionate about them. To this day he maintains a relationship with his host family in the Dominican Republic and an orphanage in Guatemala. He is currently employed as a Field Team Director for a large pharmaceutical company and works primarily from home. This allows us to spend quite a bit of our days and evenings together as a family. His job has provided financial stability for our family and allowed Leigh to become a stay at home parent to our son, George, born in Leigh is more of a free spirit and easy going person. She attended a private fine arts college and graduated with a bachelor s degree in fine arts with an emphasis in fashion design. Before our son s birth, Leigh had been employed as a clothing designer. It is extremely important to us that we provide a safe and stable environment for our son and future children. We both have incredibly supportive family and friends, all of whom are very excited about us expanding our family through adoption. We were both raised in Christian households, and we hold close to the values instilled in us at an early age. We strive to be caring and honest people, and will raise our children to be kind, empathetic human beings who not only say Thank You, but mean it. We want you to know that we are embarking on this journey because adopting a child has been a shared dream of ours for years. Joe had a life changing experience volunteering at an all-girls orphanage in Guatemala on two separate occasions. He knew that one way or another adoption would play a role in his future family. It s important to us that our children have the opportunity to experience other cultures and learn to respect all people no matter our differences. We believe deeply that love has no limits and we would be forever grateful to welcome a child into our hearts and home. All Our Best Wishes, Joe & Leigh

3 about us We met through mutual a friend in Amazingly, Leigh gave Joe another chance after he canceled their first date because he was tired. He s lucky he has such a fun personality and great sense of humor or he might not have gotten that second chance. We love to gather with our close friends and their children, having summer cookouts and bon fires, and visiting flea markets and junk shops in search for treasure. However, we have the most fun spending time as a family watching terribly great TV and laughing nonstop through reruns of America s Funniest Home videos over dinner. Of course, so much of our joy comes from raising our son, watching him grow into a hilarious, train loving, sturdy, sensitive little person that we could never imagine our lives without. Us trying to look serious and failing Leigh on a helicopter ride Bundled up for a winter train ride

4 about joe written by Leigh Joe is the most supportive and loyal person I know. He is giving and selfless, reliable and puts his all into every task he sets out to accomplish, from loading the dishwasher in the most efficient way to building a series of train tracks and bridges for George. He has the ability to make me laugh until I cry. He says I love you and means it and always follows through. More than anything I respect him as a person and adore the father he is. I couldn t ask for a better partner. about leigh written by Joe Leigh is the most important person in my life. She loves me unconditionally but is quick to set me straight with a look or a witty comment if I get out of line. Leigh is a fun, caring, and passionate person. She is an exceptional mother to our son and it is very gratifying to see the joy motherhood brings to her. She has one of those special souls that people just want to be around. I count my blessings every day that she is in my life.. us at a glance... Favorite Childhood Cartoon Guilty Pleasure Food Favorite Vacation TV Show Most Embarrassed to Like Music Obsessions Favorite Book Favorite Movie Education What I want most for our children joe Bugs Bunny beef jerkey Costa Rica CSI Miami Neil Young, Tom Petty The Da Vinci Code The Big Lebowski Bachelor s Degree in Business, Minor in Spanish Be good and do good leigh Strawberry Shortcake Late night bowl of Fruity Pebbles Maui, Hawaii The Bachelor, America s Next Top Model, Judge Judy...I have so many The Avett Brothers, Pearl Jam, Jenny Lewis The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird & Pride and Predjudice Romy and Michelle s High School Reunion Bachelor s Degree in Fine Arts, emphasis in Fashion Design Always be kind, genuine, sympathetic & thankful

5 our profile Leigh likes to think she is a positive, supportive person who tries to see the best in people. She loves to laugh and tries avoiding drama. She is interested in all things artistic and creative. From an early age she wanted to be an artist. In high school she was active in the arts department, worked very hard, and was awarded a scholarship to a private arts college where she graduated with a bachelor s degree in fine arts. She has been a part time art teacher for close to 14 years and currently teaches 3rd graders the foundations of art. She worked for close to ten years as a clothing designer at various brands including Justice, Lane Bryant, Urban Outfitters, Hartstrings and actress Tori Spelling children s brand Little Maven. She enjoys drawing, painting, making Halloween costumes for anyone that will let her, watching The Bachelor with her girlfriends, reading and spending time with family. However, there is nothing she loves more than being a mother to George and an aunt to her five nieces. Joe was born and raised on a small farm outside a small town along with his two older brothers. Some of his favorite childhood memories are building log forts in the woods behind the house, horsing around in the old barn on the property, and playing sports in the front yard with his brothers and dad. Today, Joe plays games in the same yard and hikes back to explore the same woods with his dad and son. Joe learned many home improvement skills at a young age from his dad and later on working a summer construction job for a family friend. Working on home improvement projects has become a hobby he gets much enjoyment from. Joe would list his travels in the Dominican Republican, Guatemala, and Nicaragua as some of his most life changing experiences. Living with native families, volunteering at an orphanage, and working in some of the most impoverished neighborhoods imaginable opened his eyes to the beauty of other cultures but also to the injustices that so many face. A respect for other cultures and an ambition to be good and do good are the qualities he most wants to instill in his children Joe s job allows us to travel all over the United States as a family. We love exploring and learning about new cultures, trying out restaurants and learning about the local history in these new cities. While we have many favorite places, we both fell in love with the southwest after taking a road trip through Colorado and New Mexico on our honeymoon. We look forward to future travels with our children, and hope they share our spirit for adventure. All dressed up & ready to dance

6 our home We live in a well-established neighborhood on the north side of a metropolitan city. We have a large yard, with a deep wooded lot and old mature trees. It s not uncommon to see a family of deer in our woods, helping themselves to a meal of our shrubs. It s a community of all backgrounds, races and religions with open minded and friendly people. There are a variety of schools within a few blocks, as well as, a rose garden, duck pond and baseball fields just a mile away. There are all the attractions a city has to offer within five miles, such as art museums, a children s science museum, a botanical gardens and an award winning zoo. Our community supports local small businesses, offers an outdoor farmers market from spring to fall, and hosts arts festivals throughout the summer months. Our home has three bedrooms, two full baths and a great room (that looks out over our backyard) where we spend most of our time. Last summer we created an outdoor play area with a swing set, slide and tree house. Joe seems to always be working on one home project or another, recently converting the basement into a playroom and art studio. Our home is filled with quirky artwork, vintage photos and rehabbed furniture that we enjoy rescuing from flea markets and garage sales.

7 family life We both come from families where our parents have been married for 40+ years. We have found ourselves in the strange position of not only loving our parents, but really enjoying their company (A 16 year old Leigh would never have believed it). Whether it s traveling to Nova Scotia with Joe s parents, or visiting the east coast with Leigh s, we truly enjoy our time together. Joe is the youngest of three boys. His oldest brother is a father of three girls ages 18, 12 and 10 and his middle brother has two daughters ages 10 and 6. His parents are active members in their church, they attend every softball and soccer game for their grandkids, and they are just reliable in every way. The girls are fun loving, sassy little things who are athletic and open minded. Leigh has an older brother who she can t ever remember really fighting with. They talk several times a week and try to gather as a family as often as they can, as he lives on the east coast. Her parents are easy going, laid back people who have devoted their lives to providing a loving and stable foundation for their children. We have a great group of friends that we try to see as often as we can. Every year for the last 35 years Leigh s parents have hosted a rib cooking contest with extended family and has now grown to include our friends and their children. It is always a great time to catch up, play some volleyball or swim in the pool. Leigh has a group of girl friends from college that she has been gathering weekly with for close to nine years. These gatherings usually consist of catching up on each other s week while watching America s Next Top Model or The Bachelor. Now their gatherings include everyone s children and serves just as much as a support group as it does a ladies night. We are so grateful to have so much love surround us and only hope we provide as much support as we are given. Leigh & her mom at a flea market Joe s parents & nieces celebrate their 40th anniversary Leigh, her brother & dad Leigh & her ladies Joe on safari with his niece and George Finger painting and making a mess