Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Letter to the Birth Parents

Dear Friends,First off, we are very excited you are reading this letter. We would like to take a moment and express our appreciation and gratitude for the effort you are putting into finding the perfect adoptive couple for the precious child you are carrying. Although, we don’t know you yet, we are thinking of you and you are always in our prayers. We understand you have a big decision to make in the near future; this is an incredible sacrifice you are making. We pray that the Lord may guide you and comfort you during this time in your life. We can only imagine how difficult this time is for you, but whatever the outcome, we pray that you find happiness and peace.

Nici on how we met: Ryan and I met in Brazil. Actually we served in the same mission, Brazil, Santa Maria. Before we can really even remember each other we have a picture of all the missionaries that were going to Brazil on the same flight from the Chicago airport and we are both in it. Kind of funny! Anyway, we went to Brazil and were in the same group. We became really good friends. In fact, I always thought that if we had met outside the mission we would have been best friends. After 2 months in the mission training center we went to our mission and didn’t see each other again until the last 6 weeks of my mission. We got reacquainted and then I went home to Utah. Six months later Ryan went home to Indiana. Three months after that I wrote a mass email to friends, family, and people I knew from my mission and Ryan responded. We began to email back and forth for a couple of months before he came to Utah for a visit. We really hit it off, held hands, and decided to see where this could go. I went out to Indiana for a week and ended up staying 14 days, like I said we really hit it off! After that Ryan visited Utah one more time before he moved here. After Ryan moved here we dated for a month before he proposed. We were engaged for 5 months and then married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. And it’s been bliss ever since. :)

Ryan’s Thoughts on Nici: Where to begin? As I think of what to write I think the most important thing to say is Nici and I are best friends. The reason I think we are so perfect for each other is because we were friend’s way before we ever started dating. Nici and I have been married since 2004. Since then, I have been able to see what makes Nici tick. She loves life. She loves to have a good time, but she knows when it’s time to have fun and when it’s time to work. Nici is a very hard worker and dedicated to her family and her job. Nici is very determined. That quality has helped her in whatever she has done in her life. Growing up she was a very good softball player, because she worked so hard at it. She graduated from college with a Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science with emphasis in Social Work. That decision has been a blessing for her in her career and I feel will carry her farther yet.

Nici works with developmentally disabled adults. She’s the director of a day program where these individuals can go work and learn life skills. She loves her job, which I find amazing because it can be very difficult and stressful at times. Nici really understands how to help people. There is an individual that goes to her work who works there and is 52 years old, but she always tells Nici, “You’re like a mother to me.” Nici always laughs and says, “Well actually you’re old enough to be my mother!” The people she takes care of really love her. But I think she likes it because when she walks in everyone calls her name and wants her attention… she must think she’s a celebrity?!? Before I met her I didn’t realize it takes someone this special to help people, but it does and she does it well. She has a big heart.

Some funny facts about Nici are she can almost recite every episode of Friends (all 10 seasons) and the Office. One time when we were sitting around a family dinner with about 15 people there, out of nowhere Nici ask, “Which is the state Boston or Massachusetts?” She figured out the answer as everyone sat and stared at her. Sometimes she will laugh so hard that she can’t stop until somehow it turns into her sobbing. It’s more funny than sad.

Nici loves life, she loves to be around and help others. She learned very quickly how to get a crowd going because she is the middle child of 5 girls. She was the clown in her family growing up. She laughs at herself and thinks she’s so funny which makes those around her laugh too.

Having grown up in the Church and serving a mission, the gospel is very important to her and she has a strong testimony.

Nici’s thoughts on Ryan: Ryan is my best friend! That is the best way to put it. We have so much fun together. Ryan is just a hilarious guy. He never takes himself too seriously. He is very good at making me happy and knows what to do to keep me that way, i.e. always doing the laundry, surprising me with my favorite candy, Swedish Fish, and telling me I’m pretty. He makes me laugh every single day with his funny little impressions and accents that he does. He can really do just about any accent; unfortunately I have only mastered Jamaican, “Ya Mon!”:) Ryan is very passionate for life and lives it to its fullest. He loves being outdoors. A few years ago he got a road bike and since then he has trained very hard and ridden in many century rides (100 miles). He is not afraid to do hard things.

Ryan is a very hard worker. The thing that caught my eye back in the mission training center was his hard work and love for the gospel. He was a convert of only 3 years when he went on his mission and I was always impressed by his knowledge of the gospel. He has always worked very hard in his jobs and personal goals which has brought him a lot of success. Even when he lost his job in the early part of 2009 he picked himself up and in a time when it was difficult to find a job he found one that has really blessed our family. His hard work comforts me because I know that he will do whatever it takes to take care of me and our family.

Ryan is a great example to those around him. He is one of those people who do the right things even when no one is looking. He is the oldest of 3 boys and has lived a life that his brothers can look up to.

Ryan will make a wonderful father one day. He is so loving and selfless. He deserves to be a father and any child would be very lucky to have him as one. He is truly the BEST!

About Us: We love to do just about everything we can together. Not just the two of us but with our dog, Chase. Among the many camping trips we have taken to The Grand Tetons, Yellow Stone, Zion’s National Park, Bryce Canyon, and just the mountains in Utah in General we love be outside. We also love to travel and go on road trips. Nici loves Disneyland and everything Disney. Ryan had never been to Disneyland when we got married so we got to go together for Ryan’s first time. And now, he is a big fan too! We have returned several times since that first time and plan on going back many more times. We went on a cruise with some of Nici’s family members. We visited San Juan, St. Martin, and St. Thomas. We also went on a Church history Tour through Nauvoo, Palmyra, and we ended up in New York City. This was one of the coolest vacations we have been on. We took tons of pictures which were stored on our computer until it crashed and we lost everything. That was a very sad day! We also look forward to going to Indiana each year to visit Ryan’s side of the family. We also like to just kick back, watch movies, and eat popcorn. Some of our best date nights are just hanging out at home playing games.

Our goal in being parents is to raise happy children with the gospel of Jesus Christ as our foundation. We couldn’t imagine it any other way. We have seen the blessings of living the gospel in our lives and want that for our children. We strive to have Family Home Evening, family scripture study, and family prayer in our lives. Family dinner time is also a very important time to us. We want to be good examples to our children and be people who they can look up to. Family has been and will always be the most important thing in our lives!

Our feelings about adoption: When we think of the word adoption we think of HOPE. We were very devastated to find out that a natural pregnancy may not be an option for us. It was not until we had felt prompted to adopt that those feelings became lighter. Adoption is giving us something that we are unable to obtain for ourselves. We are very excited to become adoptive parents.

Placing a child for adoption is a very selfless act and is one of the greatest gifts someone could give us. We would very much like to have an open adoption and allow the birth parents to be a part of the child’s life. We look forward to sharing letters, emails, and pictures of the child’s life with you. We are also open to exploring a future relationship with the birth parents. The more people who love this child the better! We truly appreciate you taking the time to get to know us better as you consider who may make the best parents for your child. We would consider ourselves very blessed if you decide to contact us. We pray that the Lord may guide and bless you throughout this time in your life.

Again, we want to thank you for taking the time to read our letter, look at our pictures, and get to know us a little bit better. We hope to meet you soon. We pray daily for you and that you can be comforted with the decision you are faced with at this time in your life.

With Love,

Ryan & Nici

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