We have so much love in our home and want to share it. With us, your baby will be cherished every second of our

lives. His or her childhood will be filled with smiles, giggles and joy-filled experiences, along with lots of family, fun

vacations and the best educational opportunities.

Richard & Liz\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

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Hello!We are Richard and Liz. Thank you for taking the time to read about us. We are honored to be considered as adoptive parents for your child. It is our hope that this book will provide a sense of who we are, and how we will be as parents. This must be a difficult time for you, so we pray you will find peace in this journey. We admire your decision for an adoption plan and hope you will choose us to provide an amazing future for your child.

Cheering on our Auburn Tigers!

Happy New Year

Engagement kiss

Our Special Wedding

Day

Great catch!

Having a Blast Together as Partners in Life!After college, we both returned home to our neighboring hometowns. Liz’s college roommate, who went to high school with Richard, saw him at a cook out and was immediately determined to set us up. She thought that Liz’s more reserved personality would compliment Richard’s more outgoing side. She introduced us, and as they say... “the rest was history”. We dated for 4 years while Liz was in medical school, and then we tied the knot in the spring of 2008. Early in our marriage we were both very passionate about our careers. Liz was pursuing a career in medicine and Richard was growing the family business. Any free time we spent together usually included friends or family. We enjoyed grilling out, catching one of our favorite bands, or going to the movies for a flick. We also loved to travel to the beach, the lake, camp out, or snow ski out west. To sum up our early years before the interest in building a family came upon us, we were simply having a blast together as partners in life!

Date Night at a Concert

Biking in San Francisco

Two Peas in a Pod

Hitting the slopes!

Growing our Loving FamilyThe day came when we realized something was missing in our lives... children. We both come from such close-knit families, and constantly saw before us the endless joy our nieces and nephews brought to our sisters and their husbands. We were ready to start building our family, but as we began trying we learned it was not so easy. After three tough years of multiple surgeries and five failed in-vitro attempts, we were finally blessed with our baby girl, Hanson. Liz remembers holding Hanson for the first time after a complicated C-section, and immediately turning to Richard and saying “I am ready for number 2.” Adoption was the natural next step for us to complete our perfect family. We are so thankful to have this avenue to bless us with another child. With one of Liz’s best friend’s being adopted and her Godparents adopting their two children, the miracle of adoption has always been right in front of us.

Our Road to Adoption… Our Journey to YouWe have always said we want a large family, and we know we have the means to support it. This long road we are taking to get there is just part of our story and has only strengthened us. We have so much love in our home and want to share it. If you choose us for your adoption plan we look forward to as much interaction before the birth as you would like, whether it is meeting in person or just talking briefly over the phone. We realize you may have some additional questions and we want you to know we will make ourselves available to you. We would love to be at the hospital for the delivery, but we completely respect your wishes as to when we will meet your child. It is important to us that your child always knows the love you have for them. We welcome the opportunity to keep in contact with you after the birth through pictures, letters, texts, and emails so you can be at peace knowing your child is being loved tremendously and thriving in our home.

“We both know our

family is not yet complete. We are so ready to grow our family through

adoption.”

We look forward to celebrating

special milestones, just like we have enjoyed

with Hanson

Hanson’s birth was a gift

and we can’t wait to

welcome another child!

The nursery is ready, stocked with everything a baby will need

My Wife Liz… Many Qualities wrapped up in One Dynamic Package! ~written by RichardLiz and I have known each other for 11 years now. With every year that goes by, I feel luckier and luckier to have my best friend as my wife. Liz’s natural beauty is what froze me in the beginning, but her many talents and qualities wrapped up in this one dynamic package is what amazes me the most. She has shown an incredibly diverse set of qualities as her passions and purposes have changed in order to adapt to our path in life.

Liz’s Hobbies & InterestsIn Liz’s free time she loves to exercise, go out with her friends, or may choose to just stay home and read a book. Socially, Liz carries herself in an easy manner that immediately disarms people to come closer. She has a huge smile and carefree laugh that lets you know she doesn’t take herself too serious. One place Liz often visits with her friends is the tennis courts where she loves to practice, compete a little bit, and then hang out afterwards. Liz is active in the community heading up our local library’s family night. She is also involved in an organization that brings music and dance to underprivileged kids.

Let’s start with her independence, determination and brains. I saw these qualities early in our relationship as she completed medical school, residency, and fellowship. This drive didn’t come from a desire to make “the big bucks”, but rather she was led by a curious mind and a natural ambition to learn everything she could about the intricacies of the human body. Sure, this commitment to medical school made it a little tough on our relationship at times, but Liz would always make sure to set aside some time for a date night or simply just a study break to come see me. I have seen Liz give a 30-minute presentation in front of 200 doctors, and I have seen her nurture, develop, and teach our young daughter. She is diversified and well rounded to say the least. As our family grows, I am so anxious to watch her continue passing along her unique package of talents and qualities to our children.

Hiking with my momFun in the sun - our

first family beach trip!

Graduating Medical School

Liz as a Stay-at-Home Mommy… Let your Imagination Soar!When we were blessed with our baby girl, Hanson, I immediately saw Liz’s loving and nurturing motherly instincts take over as she closely held and rocked our baby in those first days in the hospital. I watched this inseparable bond continue to grow while Liz was on maternity leave. After seeing this it was no surprise that in the end Liz chose to set aside years of hard work to be at home with our daughter. This was the most unselfish thing I have witnessed in our marriage. I love coming home every day from work to see Liz in her new role as Stay-at-Home Mother. Liz has a natural ability to make learning fun. She may be reciting the alphabet in a funny Elmo voice, or may get messy with some driveway chalk or paint to teach colors. And I can’t tell you how many puzzle pieces I have accidentally stepped on this last year.

Be aware, because there is no telling what kind of adventure you may run into at our house as Liz always encourages imagination. She and Hanson may be in the closet “riding on a fire truck or train” or they may be “floating on an iceberg (our bed) in the North Pole”. This constant interaction that Liz creates throughout the day may be the most important quality I could ask for in a mom. It’s simply a beautiful thing to watch.

Visiting the Zoo

“Hey Daddy do you want to hop on the fire engine?”

“Brrr it is chilly in the North Pole!”

Building Cinderella’s Castle!

Richard’s Active Approach to LifeRichard is willing and confident to try anything. He is very athletic and enjoys competing in half marathons and triathlons. This drive is not just in sports, but in life. He was determined to build Hanson a playhouse for her first Christmas, and sure enough after a week in the cold weather with a hammer and nails, Santa (Richard) gave her backyard fun. Because of his active approach to life, Richard has a wide range of hobbies ranging from golfing and fishing to home improvement projects. When I asked him about updating our kitchen countertops, he did some research the next week, and was off to pouring his own concrete countertops. I love the way he exudes this willingness and confidence in Hanson and encourages her to try new things such as tubing on the lake, baiting her fishing hook, and jumping off the diving board.

My Best Friend and Fun-Loving Husband, Richard ~written by LizI am lucky to have Richard as my husband and my best friend. I remember when we were first dating and I was meeting his friends, I noticed how everybody from early elementary to high school to college referred to Richard as “their best friend.” I realized quickly that everybody wanted to be around him because he is funny, energetic, and “the life of the party.” But at the same time he is very sensitive and is the first to lend a helping hand to anyone. It is this fun-loving but sensitive guy that I fell in love with.

As long as we have been married, I have been grateful for Richard’s constant support of me and my endeavors. When we first met, I was in medical school striving to become a doctor. Richard was a constant encourager bringing me ice cream during study breaks and planning celebratory fun-filled lake trips after a big test. When Hanson was born I quickly realized that it was going to be very difficult to leave her and return to work. I struggled with the realization that my career was not as important as I thought it might be. Richard was right by my side supporting my decision to stay at home.

World’s Best Uncle!

Providing for our Growing FamilyEven though I changed my “working” role, Richard has been steadfast in growing the family business. He works with his dad, uncle, and cousin in a successful family business that his granddad started in 1960. He has been working there since graduating from college (14 years) and has worked in multiple areas within the company in order to understand exactly how it ticks. Whether he is on the phone, out to dinner, or entertaining a customer Richard is always able to find common ground. This ability to respect and to relate to all types of people makes him a successful business man. Richard is extremely close to all his employees and is dedicated to keeping the business successful. At the same time, since it is a family business Richard has flexibility at work. If we ever need him, he is able to just zip home. When Hanson was born, daddy was able to put work aside for a while as we adjusted to our new miracle. Daddy can’t wait to take a break again to get our next miracle baby. Daddy usually gets home from work early enough for a couple hours of fun and our family dinner. Then he loves wrapping up his day tucking Hanson into bed every night.

I have loved seeing Richard become a father. He never hesitated to wake up in the middle of the night to change a diaper, feed, or even just calm Hanson as a baby or even now. It was never “is it your turn or my turn” but “our turn.” He continues to be that sensitive loving father wanting us to stand on the front porch waiting for him to get home from work. And I love the giant smile that comes across his face as he pulls up our driveway and Hanson and our dog, Bubba run to his truck. I appreciate and truly love that he wants to do the “night time” routine of brushing teeth, reading books, and rubbing Hanson’s belly. And that Saturday mornings he has a standing breakfast date with Hanson to get pancakes and chocolate milk.

Great daddies buy their kids cotton candy!... and then

share it! :)

I love the way Richard teaches Hanson confidence and courage to try new things

Richard is 100% Daddy

Hanson is our 3 year old daughter. She is an outgoing, loving, and affectionate bundle of fun. There are many things she loves to do, but reading books is number one. Ever since she was a baby, we have always enjoyed snuggling up with her and reading book after book. Now she can climb into her own reading chair and flip through books with all her stuffed animals. “Story time” at our neighborhood library is one of her favorite activities.

H A N S O N

Hanson loves being outside just like her mommy and daddy! Living in the south we have great outside weather for the majority of the year. We have many different parks and playgrounds within a few miles that we visit year round. She started out in the baby swing, but now she is all about the biggest and most winding slide she can find. She has even nicknamed all the playgrounds, with the “sea saw park” being her favorite. Just as often, we will just walk out of our house for some outside fun. You can find her in her playhouse in the backyard, or she may be riding her scooter with daddy on our quiet neighborhood streets.

Hanson loves all animals! We are lucky to have the zoo just five minutes away. She will tell you the “ellies” are her favorite animal, as she will do her elephant stomp. She also loves her dog Bubba, a big old white lab, and enjoys giving him his daily dog treat. We have also recently been seeing a bunny in our front yard, that she named Benny the Bunny. She has been putting carrots out in the mornings so Benny has a good breakfast.

Hanson loves to sing! It may not be a Hollywood voice, but she will recite at the top of her lungs “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” or “the ABCs”. She is always singing something. After work in the afternoons the three of us will turn on her music, get out her musical instruments, and have a dance party in the den.

Beach Day Fun!

Loving her beam Daddy built her!

Scooter Girl coming through!

Making music with cousin Frannie

“I love you Bubba!”

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As for sports, Hanson loves gymnastics, dance, and swimming. She will proudly show you her summersault, and her pink and purple balance beam in the backyard that daddy made her. Since we are around water so much (the pool, lake, and beach), Hanson was destined to be a little fish. She is enjoying her first swim lessons this year.

Lastly and most importantly, Hanson loves doing all these activities with others. Whether we are at the playground or the pool, she confidently goes up to other kids and says “do you want to play with me?”. There is nothing more she would want than a little brother or sister to love, care, and play with.

Catching Fish

with the Cousins

Easter with

family

Finding shells

Petting Zoo

We have a spacious three-bedroom house set up for fun with a craft table in the kitchen, baskets of toys in the family room, books and games in the living room; and fun words such as “splish splash” hand painted by Nana on the bathroom walls. In addition, more toys can be found downstairs in our colorful playroom. We love our big fenced in backyard which has a hanging outdoor chalkboard, a swing set, a flower garden that we plant seeds in every year, and a long rope swing hanging from a huge old oak tree.

Our Comfortable, Cozy & Child Friendly Home

Our neighborhood has various family friendly parties throughout the year. Our favorite is the Halloween parade that we have before the trick or treating begins.

We love our big

backyard!

No shortage of toys in our playroom!

Kid’s Bath

Our Vacation Homes – Fun, Water, Family, Relaxation and Food!There are three places our family loves to escape to... the beach, the lake, and the farm. The family beach house is 4 hours away and is perfect for a long weekend getaway. Richard loves waking up early with a cup of coffee and fishing in the surf. Then we put on our sun tan lotion and head to the beach for sandcastles and swimming in the ocean.

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The family lake house is only an hour and a half away, which is perfect for weekend trips. Richard loves grilling hot dogs and burgers on the deck as the sun sets. In the morning we all jump in the lake for a swim. We will then hop on the boat for waterskiing, tubing, or just a fun cruise.

The family farm is only forty minutes away and is great for a few hours of fishing on the pond or taking a ride in the farm buggy through the trails.

Since we share them with Richard’s sisters, it is always a blast with so many cousins getting to play together. We feel blessed to have these three places where we can leave our day-to-day clutter behind us, clear our heads, and completely focus on each other.

A little healthy

competition at

the lake house

Taking a stroll around the farm

Tubing fun!

Our Small Town Feel, Family Oriented NeighborhoodOur quiet streets allow children to roam and play any time of the day or night. In the mornings, we love to watch the children walking to the elementary school. We are lucky because our neighborhood sits within a nationally ranked school system. In the afternoons, kids of all ages are riding bikes, shooting baskets, playing tag, or climbing the giant magnolia tree. We also love being close by our local “village”. We often take this half-mile stroll on the weekends to play at the elementary school playground, eat lunch at the bagel shop, and maybe a quick stop by the candy shop for some chocolate. This area is also very special to Richard because he grew up here. Only a couple of miles further away is a family oriented club with a great swimming pool, tennis courts, and a golf course. During the hot summer months, this pool is our second home. The zoo, the baseball stadium, the children’s science center, and the art museum with a wonderful children’s area are all within just a few miles from our doorstep. As you can tell, we are very attached to this special place we live. We have a history here, and it offers everything a family could ask for!!

We’re Truly Blessed with an Overabundance of Family Support

Richard’s parents, Elizabeth and Howard, have been married for 45 years and still live in the same house Richard grew up in, which is about 3 miles from where we live. Elizabeth is the homemaker, while Howard still goes into work at the family business. Hanson loves to go visit “Bebe and Pop” and their playroom that is overfilled with toys. Since Hanson is their 9th grandchild they have everything you can imagine, from a closet filled with dress up clothes to an old-timy rocking horse. However Hanson’s favorite times with Bebe and Pop are their trips to the local creamery with all the other cousins! Richard’s two sisters, Shelby and Lacy, live within walking distance of us, and both are married with four kids each (two girls and two boys). We frequently see his sisters and parents whether it is getting together for a birthday, swimming at the neighborhood pool, or just stopping by on a walk.

Liz’s parents, Becky and Steve, have been married for 39 years, are both recently retired and live about 15 miles away. Hanson loves to go visit “Nana and G-dad” where they let her ride her tricycle to their neighborhood park, and to the nearby lake to look for fish and turtles. We see Liz’s parents almost every week as Nana always loves whipping up a big home cooked meal. Hanson is her little helper mixing and stirring everything. Liz’s sister Sarah, lives a couple of hours away with her husband and their 7 year old son. Liz’s sister is her best friend, so we are always traveling back and forth for weekend visits.

We Value Family, Friends, and ReligionWe are so lucky to have both our families close by, but even luckier to have such close relationships with all of them. We have many family traditions from ordering Christmas pj’s on December 1st with Aunt Sarah and Grant to the giant Easter egg hunt at Bebe and Pops house with all the grandchildren. Regardless of the tradition, whether big or small, we love any and all time spent with our families.

We are blessed with great friends who feel like family. Most of our friends have young growing families like us. On Sunday afternoons we love getting all the kids together and we call it “Sunday Funday” where we cookout and let the kids goof off. Our favorite party with our closest friends is our annual Halloween party, where we have a costume contest and play games such as

pin the nose on the pumpkin, ghost bowling, and sack race. This last year 26 kids came and boy was it fun.

Our Christian Faith has always been an important part of our life and has helped us through our struggles with infertility. Church is a place of comfort for our family. We love picking up Hanson from Sunday school and bringing her to the worship service and watching her stare in awe at the choir singing loudly.

If you choose us as adoptive parents, your child will always know how loving, selfless, and brave you are. Your baby…an amazing blessing to us will be adored

every second of our lives. Always know we will provide your child with unending love and support, financial

stability, and the best educational opportunities. Thank you again for taking the time to read about us. We

pray for comfort and peace in your decision.

Richard Liz

H ANSON(Bubba)