Hello & Welcome!

We are Michelle & Sean. We are the proud parents of our 2 ½ year-old son, Terrence. We feel blessed to have started our family through adoption and we are so excited to be adopting for a second time! We want to thank you for your time and consideration. We hope to have the chance to personally talk with you.

Forming our Family through Adoption We fell in love and were married 8 years ago. We share a strong, love-filled marriage. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we were not able to have children, so we turned to adoption to grow our family. We both have big hearts with lots of love to give, and feel that we are more than ready to welcome a second child. We are prepared emotionally and financially to take on the role of parenthood. It is obvious to us that your heart is full of love for your child, and due to circumstances beyond your control, you are making plans to give your baby a great life.

Sharing Updates We currently have an open adoption with Terrence’s birth mom. We keep her updated through letters and photos. We are also willing to share updates and pictures with you, if this is something you desire.

Our wedding day

me!

Family Family is a top priority for us, we treasure our time together. Since becoming parents, we have fallen even more in love. Terrence is an amazing little boy, and we enjoy every second with him. We are a close family and make it a point to get the kids together as often as we can to play. Together we have 19 nephews and nieces who adore Terrence and will be delighted to have another cousin to pal around with. Michelle comes from a family of 8 children and Sean comes from a family of 3 children. We both value and appreciate the warmth and structure a family can provide to all of its members. Faith, Education & Careers We attend a nearby Catholic church which offers many opportunities for families to learn and grow together spiritually. We believe having faith is very important to a child's upbringing. We feel education is very important. We both have post secondary educations, and appreciate the opportunities that a good education can provide. Michelle works in banking while Sean has started his own web design & photography business. Working from home, he is able to make his own schedule and work around the needs of our family. He is such a great dad and we both feel blessed that he is able to be at home with Terrence.

Sean is a great photographer and loves capturing moments Above: Terrence in our backyard as he takes in the view

Right: Sean captured this view on our vacation in California

Terrence loves to explore

This is fun Mommy �

Terrence playing a fishing game

Our neighborhood playground

Terrence and his uncle take a nap

Michelle and Sean, relaxing at friend’s party

Michelle with two of her sisters

Michelle’s brother and his boys

Mommy & Terrence in the pool

Terrence in the pumpkin patch 2011

At the museum with Daddy

Terrence playing in his octopus sprinkler

Michelle – in her words I grew up in a large family, I have five sisters, and two brothers. Growing up there was always someone to play with. I share a close relationship with my siblings and want to give Terrence that same sibling bond. My father was a financial adviser, he was larger than life, extremely intelligent. He had a great sense of humor and he loved everybody. He was a very involved father. My mother was thoughtful, generous and kind to all. Both of my parents valued education and got their Master’s degrees in Education. My Dad taught at university for a short period of time and my mom continued with her studies to work on her Phd. I feel fortunate to have had great relationships with my parents. While at school I participated in just about everything I could, I played clarinet in the band, played tennis and was a part of the swim and track teams. I tried to take in as much as I could and enjoyed each moment. I never got to work during my school years, but after graduating college I went to work as a financial advisor in investment banking. I found this work to be a great experience, very demanding, but the quality of work and caliber of co-workers was exceptional. During this time I decided to return to school and complete my Masters of Business. After I graduated, I entered the world of corporate banking - where I still work today. I first met my husband Sean over the phone and became friendly. We took advantage of modern technology with instant messaging and got to know each other more before meeting in person. Thinking back, even before meeting him, I loved the way he could communicate and could tell he right away had a warm and loving heart. We met for the first time at a coffee shop and instantly connected. After being married for this many years, we share a mutual respect for one another and work well together. We talk things through when we don't agree. I love my husband for many reasons: he an amazing father, has a terrific sense of humor and because he is honest, caring and loving. He has great analytical capabilities and judgment that helps steer our ship through life together.

Mommy, Terrence and even the dog cuddle

Sean – in his words Growing up, I had a great childhood. My father worked for a natural gas company, and traveled a lot and my mother was a stay at home mom. My parents were always happy, and had a good marriage. I continue to have a positive loving relationship with both of them. I have a older brother and sister. We don't see each other as often as we would like to, because we are all in different states, but we get along well. My parents encouraged us to take advantage of the opportunities we had, and supported us in our goals. If they didn't think something was appropriate they would let us know, and make suggestions, but for the most part they let us figure things out. Sometimes I had to learn from my mistakes while most times, I gained confidence in making decisions. I liked playing sports, hockey from a young age, and basketball in school. As a teenager, music grabbed my attention. I waited a few years after high school before attending college. I got started in the automotive business, working my way up to a service manager and enjoyed dealing with customers. Recently, I started my own business doing web design, and some photography. It took time to make the career change, but now I am doing something that I really enjoy. I was able to make this move, thanks to Michelle’s loving support and her successful career. Michelle and I first met in a coffee shop, in early 2003. We talked for hours on the phone before that, and I loved her outlook on life, sense of humor, and fierce independent streak. When I met her in person it only got better. We dated, and quickly realized we wanted to spend our lives together. We were engaged that fall and married the following year, about a year and a half after we met. Our lives merged together seamlessly. Michelle showed me that there's so much more to life; when it's shared. My wife is there for me in every way. I am a happy and content man. I love my wife, she's everything I could want. My son Terrence has enriched both of our lives so much and I am so thankful to be his dad. He amazes me daily. I would describe myself as a good listener, trustworthy, loving, and even tempered. I am always willing to help out where I can. I am looking forward to welcoming a second child and sharing the life we’ve created together.

Terrence Terrence is 2 ½ years old. He is a very happy, energetic and sweet little

boy. He attends a Christian nursery school twice a week, their main goal is to teach the children how to socialize and develop a love for learning. He is always happy to go to school and interact with the

teachers and his classmates. Terrence has a great disposition, he sleeps through the night and is very easygoing. He loves throwing the ball for

our two dogs and has fun playing with the neighbor’s kids. Many friends and family have told us how blessed we are to have a child like

Terrence because he is so good tempered. He likes running around and exploring, so he keeps us busy. He loves puzzles, singing songs and can even use an iPad and iPhone a lot better than his mother. Terrence

is not afraid of new situations and loves to travel. Terrence is very loving and a handsome boy. He recently moved into a toddler bed

(which he loves). He enjoys playing at the park, his favorites are the slide and the swings. Terrence took swimming lessons this summer and learned a lot. We are confident that he is going to make a FANTASTIC

big brother!

Our Home We own a large home with lots of room for our family. There is a big backyard with a crystal blue swimming pool and plenty of room to run and play. Our home is surrounded by many tall mature trees. We live in a quiet neighborhood and we are close to great schools, hospitals, shopping and playgrounds. Our neighborhood is safe and has many families with young children. We have some close friends who live in our area and we get together regularly. Pets We have two labrador retrievers and love to take them to the local parks to play. Our dogs are beautiful, friendly, and gentle pets. This breed is known for being great with children and they are a special part of our family. We also volunteer for a local labrador rescue organization and enjoy giving back to the community. Family Fun There is always time for fun in our family. We love to travel and always plan exciting family vacations. We live near a great museum that we like to visit. Most days we like to take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy outdoor activities. On occasion, we go to the movies when there is a good family movie to see. Michelle loves the arts, is quite good at calligraphy and loves fine writing tools and paper. She also loves to read, and learn about new things. Sean is a car enthusiast and likes watching them race. He is also into technology, and is great with computers and photography.

Jake

Merlin

Contact information We are easy to talk to and willing to answer any questions you may have for us. If you want to know more about us or about the adoption process please call 1.800.626.4324. A caring member of The Adoption Alliance can answer your questions and

put you in touch with us. Our hearts are bursting with love, and we look forward to welcoming a second child into our home.

Last, but not least We will always respect you as our child’s birth family. We will make sure that your child knows that your decision was made

with absolute love. Without even knowing you yet, we already are convinced that you are an amazingly unselfish person.

With love and respect,

Michelle, Sean and Terrence too!