Waiting Parents
Craig and Cheryl... waiting in Connecticut
Welcome,
We have been waiting a long time to become parents, and we are very grateful that you are considering us. As you are thinking and making your plans, we want to introduce ourselves. We have been married for 11 years and have struggled with infertility for the past five. Even while we were going through our fertility treatments, we knew we wanted to adopt. Our goal is to give a child a loving, nurturing home, and to expose that child to education, sports, the arts, travel and the world beyond our small suburb.
Our names are Cheryl and Craig. We met 12 years ago. After a short time dating, we became engaged at Walt Disney World. Craig has visited Disney a whopping 30+ times, and it is his all-time favorite vacation spot! The last 12 years have been filled with laughter, adventures and mutual respect. Our relationship is that of best friends; we make decisions together and have grown together.
We live in a four-bedroom contemporary colonial in a great town. We have an acre of land, complete with playscape! We think the previous owners left it there as an omen for us! There is a brand-new elementary school down the street. The town we live in is known for an excellent school system, one of the best in our state, and a family-friendly community. In the summer there are concerts on the town green, kid-friendly activities and small-town parades. The town is bustling with activities, from library book sales to antique shows and dog park walks. There are several farmers’ markets near our home, and a cider mill down the street that sells pumpkins and apple fritters in the fall. There is also a petting zoo for kids. In the winter, the town is aglow with white lights in the windows of every home and a large Christmas tree and menorah illuminate the town square.
Cheryl is a school administrator. She was formerly an English teacher, got her master’s degree in reading education, and now is in charge of the reading/language arts curriculum in a nearby public school district. Craig is a project manager for a construction company. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications, spent time in culinary school, and now runs construction jobs. Education is a priority for both of us, and we both believe in the value of hard work.
When we are not working, we love to get take out pizza on a Friday night. During the summer, we can be found on our boat, cruising or water skiing. We love to vacation at Disney, but also at Cape Cod and the islands. We even enjoy the ferry ride over to the islands…getting there is half the fun! Once there, we rent a jeep, go surf casting, golf, eat lobsters and shop. During the winter, we head up north to ski. We rent a condo with our sister and brother-in-law and can be found ringing in New Year’s Eve in a blizzard, yet safe and warm with family and a large fireplace.
Closer to home, Cheryl enjoys reading, antiquing and having small parties or cookouts with families and friends. We also host game nights with family members, but we talk and laugh so much that we never get around to playing the game. Craig loves to work in the yard, coach youth soccer, and (we admit it) watch Sports Center on ESPN. His culinary school talents come in handy; he actually likes to grocery shop and enjoys cooking and grilling.
We host Christmas parties, Easter dinner and a Mother’s Day brunch at our house. All of our relatives live close by, so we enjoy seeing them regularly. Craig’s father is a college professor of mathematics, and his mother works in human resources. Cheryl’s dad is a retired accountant, and her mother is looking forward to retiring so that she can one day help babysit! All are generous not only with their money but also with their time.
We each have one sibling; Cheryl’s sister is Amy, who is married to Craig’s best friend Lou. Craig’s brother is Eric, who is married to Jenny, and they are expecting a little girl in the fall. We are very excited to welcome a niece into the world. It is truly a blessing to have such close relationships with family, and we hope that one day all of our kids will play together.
Religion is important to us. We were both raised Catholic, and Cheryl attended Catholic schools. We also volunteer our time. Craig has coached soccer in our town when his schedule permits, and Cheryl works at college fairs to recruit students to her alma mater. When we can, we also attend high school games and events, and participate in walks for Multiple Sclerosis and give donations to cancer charities. This Christmas, we decided not to think of ourselves and instead used our money to buy gifts for underprivileged kids in our community. We had so much fun in the toy department at WalMart! When we woke up on Christmas morning, Craig said, “I wish I could see the kids’ faces when they open their gifts.”
We hope this letter has given you a peek inside our lives. We are more than this letter, but we need to be the right match for you. While we enjoy being a couple, we would love to become a family.
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