Waiting Families
Joe & Susan
Courage comes in many forms, some not easily recognized as such. Although we do not know all the thoughts and worries you have, we do know that this is not an easy time for you. You are about to make one of the most important and most difficult decisions of your life. The fact that you chose adoption shows us that you are trying to plan the best possible future for your son or daughter.
If you entrust your child with us, we will love him or her and do everything we can to give him or her the best possible life. We are blessed with our two daughters through adoption and cannot imagine loving them any more than we do.
Our Story
Our names are Joe and Susan. We were friends in high school but did not start dating each other until after graduating. We found out a few years later that we would be unable to have children due to infertility. We could not imagine living our life without children, so we started exploring adoption. In 2001 we adopted our daughter Katherine, and in 2005, our daughter Sara. We hope to adopt more children.
We do a lot of things with our families and friends, as well as doing "us" stuff such as playing with Katherine and Sara, reading to them, riding bikes or taking walks together. We are both avid readers. Joe likes true adventure and nature stories, and Susan likes mysteries set in medieval times.
We are both Catholic and plan to raise our children as Catholics. We do not smoke, nor does anyone in our families. We both grew up in Southeastern Michigan and root for the home teams, especially the Tigers, Lions, and Red Wings.
Joe
Joe comes from a very close-knit Polish family. He is an only child but has a large extended family and grew up in a neighborhood full of children. Both his parents have passed away, his Dad in 1986 and his Mom in 2004.
He has a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and has worked in both the aerospace and auto industries since graduating from college. His current job is close to home. He works regular hours and goes on one or two short business trips a year.
He is outgoing and open to new ideas and adventures. He is the outdoors type and enjoys cross-country skiing, canoeing, camping, backpacking, caving, and scuba diving. He also likes woodworking, fencing, and computer games.
Joe is the type of person who makes friends very easily and is extremely loyal to them. He expects a lot from people, but he gives much more in return. Although he takes life seriously, he is a fun person to be with and enjoys life. This combination also makes Joe a very loving and devoted husband and father.
Susan
Susan is the third of seven children and is part Irish, English, German, and Cherokee Indian. She has five brothers and one sister, so there would never be a shortage of aunts, uncles, and cousins for our children to play with. Both her parents are also great at spoiling grandchildren. She grew up in the city, but every summer her family would spend several weeks on her mom's parents' farm, helping with the daily chores.
Susan majored in History and English in college. She has worked in a greenhouse, repaired and painted statues, and held various office jobs. Before we adopted our first child, she worked in a camping goods store as a cashier and banker, and sold Avon part time. Now she is a stay at home mom and loves it.
Susan has a beautiful voice and loves to sing. She likes to cook, bake, and do crossword and jigsaw puzzles. Susan also enjoys ice skating, sledding, and curling (big rocks, brooms, and a long sheet of ice).
Susan is a very loving and caring person with a good sense of humor who enjoys doing things to make others happy. She is also a wonderful mother to our daughters.
Home/Neighborhood
We live in a four-bedroom colonial that sits on almost a 1/2 acre of land. It is in a friendly and quiet suburb with several parks nearby. There are many children in the neighborhood, and they love to play with Katherine and Sara on the swing set that we built for them in our backyard. We have trees waiting to be climbed and sidewalks for bikes to be ridden on.
Family
Our families are very important to us. Sue's parents live about 20 miles away, and we make it a point to talk to them a few times a week and visit them at least once a week. We spend the holidays with our families. We also get together on birthdays and other family events.
Christmas is the biggest holiday in both of our families. The four of us spend Christmas Eve at Joe's aunt's house with her family for a special Polish meal called Wigilia. After Wigilia we open presents and sing Christmas Carols in both English and Polish. Then we go to Midnight Mass and head home. At home the next morning we open the gifts Santa brought during the night. The rest of Christmas Day is spent with Susan's family.
With Joe's family, everyone takes turns opening their gifts, starting with the youngest to the oldest. There is a lot of oohing and aahing, and everyone sees what the others received as the gifts are opened. With Susan's family, you are not allowed to open any Christmas presents until they have all been passed out. Then it's a free for all with gift-wrap flying everywhere. Afterwards we sit around checking out what each of us got.
Future
We plan on Susan continuing to be a full time, stay at home mom. We believe that raising a child is the most important responsibility a person will ever have and that at least one parent should be there for the child. We want to be around for all the important "firsts" in his or her life.
We believe that a good education is important and will send our children to college if they wish to go. We will be supportive of their dreams whether they are musical, athletic or academic.
Our Promise
Family is very important to us, but family isn't something defined by blood. Family is loving, sharing, helping each other, and doing what is right and best for everyone. Your child will be our child just as much as a child born to us. He or she will be a part of our family just as our daughters Katherine and Sara are. Susan's sister and two of Joe's cousins were adopted, but there is no distinction made between them and any other members of our families. We wish you the best and happiest future and assure you that your child will be raised in a loving home.
We hope that whatever course of action you take, that it works out to be the one that leads to the best and happiest future for you and for your child.
If you would like more information regarding us, please contact Adoption Associates, Inc. where we have an approved home study on file.
Call Adoption Associates, Inc. at 1.800.677.2367, email adopt@planadoption.com, or request a free adoption information packet to learn more about making an adoption plan for your baby.
