Our names are Sam, Emily, Adam and Jacob, and we are ready to expand our family through adoption!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Welcome!
Our names are Sam, Emily, Adam and Jacob, and we are ready to expand our family through adoption!
Dear Birthmother,
It is with mixed emotions that we write this letter: happy because we are so excited to welcome another child into our family and sad because we recognize what a difficult decision you face at this time. We hope you can feel our love for you-please know how much we respect and admire you, and honor your role as a birthmother. We hope you will be comforted and find peace at this time. We look forward to getting to know you, and hope this profile will help you get to know us a little more!
Just two weeks after we adopted our son Jacob, Adam said to me "Mom, I love my baby brother, but I really want a baby sister." I explained that we're not in charge of when we get a baby, or even if it's a boy or a girl! But we all have felt that our family is not complete, and there's at least one more spirit waiting to join us. Adam just turned ten, and Jacob is five. Both are ready for a little sibling.
Adoption has been such a blessing in our lives. Our hopes and dreams of having a family did not end after 10 years of infertility and finally a hysterectomy-because of adoption we can invite children into our home to be loved, and nurtured, and protected. During Adam's adoption it seemed that God sent little miracles at every turn, to confirm that he was to be our son, and we were to be his parents. And Jacob's adoption was one miracle after another. One thing we know--the Lord is involved in the process of bringing his children to the earth, and he will lovingly guide each party in adoption.
We honor the role of birthmother; to us it is a sacred responsibility to carry a child and choose its family, faith, and future. We recognize that the decision you face seems impossible. Our hearts go out to you--hopefully you will feel the love and comfort of the Lord, no matter what you decide.
Again, we thank you. Our hearts and prayers are with you,
Sam and Emily
Just two weeks after we adopted our son Jacob, Adam said to me "Mom, I love my baby brother, but I really want a baby sister." I explained that we're not in charge of when we get a baby, or even if it's a boy or a girl! But we all have felt that our family is not complete, and there's at least one more spirit waiting to join us. Adam just turned ten, and Jacob is five. Both are ready for a little sibling.
Adoption has been such a blessing in our lives. Our hopes and dreams of having a family did not end after 10 years of infertility and finally a hysterectomy-because of adoption we can invite children into our home to be loved, and nurtured, and protected. During Adam's adoption it seemed that God sent little miracles at every turn, to confirm that he was to be our son, and we were to be his parents. And Jacob's adoption was one miracle after another. One thing we know--the Lord is involved in the process of bringing his children to the earth, and he will lovingly guide each party in adoption.
We honor the role of birthmother; to us it is a sacred responsibility to carry a child and choose its family, faith, and future. We recognize that the decision you face seems impossible. Our hearts go out to you--hopefully you will feel the love and comfort of the Lord, no matter what you decide.
Again, we thank you. Our hearts and prayers are with you,
Sam and Emily
At A Glance
Sam
Education: Master's Degree
Age: 40
Occupation: Marketing/Business
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Brown
Religion: LDS (Mormon)
Years married: 18
Emily
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Age: 38
Occupation: Homemaking
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Brown
Religion: LDS (Mormon)
Years married: 18
Adam
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Brown
Ethnicity: Caucasian/Hispanic
Adopted: Yes
Jacob
Gender: Male
Age: 5
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Adopted: Yes
Becoming a Family
Sam and I met at college. When we were dating, he used to write me songs and serenade me with his guitar. Who can resist that?After dating for a semester, I went to Russia for six months. We kept in touch through email and letters. During that time I decided that I never wanted to be so far away from him again! Soon after I returned home, we were engaged.
We've been married now for 18 years. We hoped to have children right away. Although it was a struggle to wait so long to become parents, we are grateful for the time we've had together .
When Adam joined our family, it was one of the most wonderful days of our lives! He was placed with us when he was just two days old. I still remember our first night together, Sam and I took turns holding him and crying--it was a miracle! After so much hoping and praying and waiting (and waiting!), we were finally parents!
Sleeping with dad.
Cuddling with Mom.
Sleeping with Dad (again!)
It is a joy to raise Adam, to help him as he grows and discovers the world.
Jacob joined our family in a flash--his adoption was 14 days from start to finish! With Adam, we went through an adoption agency, waited several months to be matched, and then several more months until he was born. With Jacob, we met the birthparents a few days before he was born, and they didn't make a final decision until several days later. This time we used an attorney, and completed the adoption privately.
Adam and Jacob are as different in personality as they are in looks, and we wouldn't have it any other way! From the minute he came home, Jacob and Adam had a special bond as brothers.
About Us: Sam and Emily
Sam was born and raised in Utah, to a very talented and musical family. He is the youngest of three children. Sam is a musician at heart--he studied classical piano since he was a young boy. In high school he learned to play the bass and enjoyed playing in orchestra, as well as jazz groups. He also taught himself to play guitar and enjoyed playing in a rock band.
He studied music in college, graduating with a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts in Music. There he performed in almost every music group that could use an electric or acoustic bass.Sam worked for several years, and then returned to school to get a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He worked as the Vice President of Marketing for a small internet company for 6 years. A few years ago he left that job to start his own company. While he learned a lot, it was not the success we had hoped, and now he's working again as a Media Director for a local government agency.
Emily is the second of ten children. She grew up with six siblings, and her parents adopted three more when she was in college. She was raised in a very small town in western New York state, and attended the same high school as her mother and grandfather! One of the benefits of living in such a small community--Emily was able to be involved in everything! She was a cheerleader, student council president, co-editor of the yearbook.Emily went to college on a full-tuition scholarship and studied human development. She graduated at the top of her class and hopes to return to earn a Masters degree someday.
Before Adam was born, Emily worked full-time as an assistant director at a non-profit organization. After he arrived, she quit her job to be home full-time.
About Us: Adam and Jacob
Our children are the center of our universe! Our lives have been so full of joy since we've become parents. Adam is a source of constant entertainment and delight. he is a very determined boy; we call him "the survivor" because he can outwit, outlast, and out play us every time. He is so smart and fun!
Jacob is such a fun and easy-going toddler! He loves to sing and dance, and has just hit the phase of loving trucks, cars, trains, and airplanes. His favorite activity is to follow his brother around, causing trouble!
Adam has such a wonderful imagination. He spends lots of time as a ninja, jedi-knight, wolf, or superhero. He is going into first grade this year, and can't wait!
Jacob took swimming lessons, and he's quite a little fish! He loves the water, whether it's in the pool, hose, or bathtub. He also enjoys his trike, the trampoline, and copying everything his brother does.
Extended Family
We have lots of extended family, and they're all excited for us to adopt another baby. Adam has 19 cousins on one side, and 10 on the other.
We love getting together with family for holidays, barbecues, and pool parties. Adam enjoys lots of attention from all the grandmas and grandpas, and he loves playing with his cousins!
Activities and Fun
Like we mentioned before, our kids are literally the center of our lives! We love to do fun things together: bike rides, sledding, museums, and best of all, the rodeo!
Travel and Vacation
Both of us love Russia and its people. We have each visited or lived there three times. Emily visited Moscow for the first time in high school, and returned during college as a volunteer English teacher.Sam went to Moscow with a music foreign exchange program, and then lived in Donetsk, Ukraine for two years as a missionary for our church.
We went to Moscow together as head teachers for the same program Emily had taught with.
We enjoy taking family vacations, usually to destinations where our families live: Las Vegas, New York, and California.
Contact Us
Email: samandemily@gmail.com 801-922-0668
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