Our Marriage We have been married for seven years and love to be with each other. Our marriage is based on love, respect, and commitment till death do us part which provides the stable, loving, two-parent home that is so beneficial for raising a child.  No matter where we go, we find joy in each other’s presence and humor in even the littlest things.  Our lives are certainly not perfect, but we often remind each other that we are happy to be journeying through this imperfect world together.		Dealing with Conflict When there is conflict in our lives, we immediately turn to our faith.  When we find ourselves falling back into the ways of the world we help each other to get back on the Lord’s track by reading Scripture, reminding each other of what Jesus would do, and by praying.  Lots of praying.  Sometimes together, sometimes by ourselves, alone with the Lord.  We are pretty good at talking things out when something bothers us and responding in loving ways.  In addition, we love to laugh and we try to lighten up the situation with humor. When there is conflict around us, things that are out of our control, we try not to let anxiety get the best of us and instead let God take control.
	Our Views On Parenting We have a love for children and a strong desire to raise a family.  As educators, we are constantly in the presence of children and through our years of experience in the public schools we have learned much about patience, discipline, and resolving conflicts.   As in the classroom, we will establish rules and expectations in our home, and teach the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own actions.  We also understand the necessity of remaining calm and level-headed in the face of a crisis and of loving forgiveness when things go wrong.  We believe that a good sense of humor is important to have especially when facing dirty diapers and sleepless nights!  Cindy plans to use the lessons learned from teaching toward being the best stay-at-home mom she can be.
	Our Family Currently, we have a beautiful baby girl that we adopted last winter.  Also. we have a young boy and girl in our home who are on their way to being adopted.  The three love and adore each other and it is so much fun to watch the baby have giggle fits whenever her "brother" is nearby.  We also have several nieces and nephews whom we adore.  Our parents and siblings are also a big part of our lives.   They support our decision to adopt and, like us, are very excited about it.  Most of our family lives in the area and we, therefore, spend the holidays and other celebrations with them.  Family is so important to us and we cannot wait to surround your child with our love and the love of those with whom we are close.
	Our Friends When we have the opportunity to share our home and our humor with our friends, we welcome them with open arms.  Our friends come from many walks of life but seem to have the same core characteristics...love each other and those you care about, have strong faith and rely on it and each other, and enjoy life.  We are fortunate to have kind friends who truly do love and enjoy life.  They are excited that we have chosen to adopt and have been supportive of us from the beginning.
Our Activities Gardening and reading are among both of our favorite activities.  Cindy also enjoys painting and Mark is an avid weightlifter.  We also like traveling out West to take in the awesome scenery.  Sometimes we just enjoy being silly, by dancing around the living room, making up songs, and laughing until it hurts. We hope that our child enjoys life, laughs a lot, and learns from us to not take life so seriously.		Health   Besides our infertility issues, we have both been blessed with exceptional health.  Neither of us are smokers, we are free of drugs, and we maintain a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise.  We both enjoy healthy activities such as reading and gardening.   Mark visits the gym on a daily basis while Cindy looks forward to frequent walks around the neighborhood and up and down the nearby bike paths.
Our Education Our educational experiences were varied.  Mark has several degrees including a doctorate in Educational Psychology and Counseling.  Cindy likes to call him “Shrinker”.  Cindy has a degree in Landscape Architecture and a master’s degree in Art Education.  Mark likes to call her “Master”.  We place great value on education and plan to instill that value in our child.  We have found that an education opens all kinds of doors to new opportunities and opens your mind to an awareness of the beauty of diversity in our world.  We also realize that parents are the biggest educators and influences in a child’s life.  Please know that your child will be raised with education as a priority but even more importantly, we will help to build in your child a strong character which will help them to make the right choices throughout life.		Our Professions Our professions as educators give us experience with children, which is invaluable.  Mark, a school counselor, college professor, and psychologist, has a great amount of compassion and problem-solving strategies.  Cindy, an art teacher for middle school children, has a huge amount of patience, a good sense of humor, and an eye for beautiful things.  These qualities have already helped to build our home into the beautiful, stable, and laughter-filled place that it is today.  We enjoy our work, but it is just that, work.  We have great dedication to our professions but much more towards our home life.
	Our Home We recently moved into a brand new neighborhood.  People tell us that they feel comfortable in our home and that they can just be themselves.  We strive to make our home a peaceful place where people can relax.  It is a brand new house with a large, open floor plan.  It has a huge yard and lots of gardens.  The baby nursery is on the second floor across the hall from the master bedroom.   The town is a wonderful place for a child to grow up; there are several parks, bike paths, and waterways nearby.  We also have a little place out in the country.  The property is 22 acres and has two large ponds stocked with fish.  We hope to make wonderful memories here with some good old-fashioned fun.
	Our Traditions Making sweet memories through shared moments is what families do best.  During the Christmas season, we have lots of decorations, very tall Christmas trees, visits from Santa.  At Easter, we have a traditional brunch and an occasional egg hunt.  For the Fourth of July, it is not uncommon to see a last-minute parade of kids marching with noisemakers down the street.  However, the most important traditions we practice are those involving our faith.  For example, we aim to keep the meaning of each holiday at the center of the celebration.  We love to reflect on what we are thankful for during the holidays and throughout the entire year.  We find such beauty and depth in our traditions and wish to share them with your child.
	Our Faith You have probably figured out by now how important our faith is to each of us.  It is the rock upon which we live our lives.  It offers us hope and love in the midst of a troubled world.  We rely on Jesus Christ and believe in the power of prayer to a loving and forgiving God.  This faith had been planted at our baptism and continued as our parents brought us up in the Catholic Church.  As we continue to grow in Christ, we discover more of what is important in this world; to love one another and all with whom you come in contact.  We know that is important to raise a child to know God, to accept His love, and to strive to live as Christ lived.  As parents, we will continue to attend church weekly and to donate graciously to the needs of the church.  Just as God has shown us His love in so many ways, we long to shower our child with all the love in our hearts.
	In Closing We are praying that during this time you, and we, will have the faith to let God lead the way.  Throughout this experience, we hope you do not allow anxiety to creep in, because God will make sure the correct match occurs.  Just listen to your heart and do what you know is right, and we promise to do the same.  Then watch for His perfect plan. God Bless, Mark and Cindy