christie
&KEN
We can't wait to start our family
dear BIRTHMOTHER Hi!
WE ARE KEN AND CHRISTIE.
We are honored to have the chance to introduce ourselves to you. Our biggest dream has always been to become parents. Please know that your child will be raised in a warm and safe environment surrounded by family, friends, and tons of fun. If you select us we will spend the rest of our lives making him or her feel loved, and always honoring the courageous choice you made. Thank you very much for considering sharing the gift of life with us. We want you to know that we both have great respect for you and your decision. We are anxiously awaiting the call that our baby is ready to come home. Actually, both of our families are very excited and are already preparing lots of sweet baby gifts.
We love being silly together >>
At our house getting ready to go on a date!
5 things we love
ABOUT EACHOTHER
how we met & LIFE TODAY Goofing around the grocery store
CHRISTIE ABOUT KEN: 1. Ken's laugh and smile 2. His love of dogs 3. His focus and commitment to being healthy 4. His sense of humor 5. His amazing devotion to his family
KEN ABOUT CHRISTIE: 1. Her loyalty to family and friends 2. Her positive attitude and loving spirit 3. The way all babies love her when she holds them 4. Her unique personality 5. The respect her colleagues have for her.
At a friend's barbeque with Yankee
WE MET IN FEBRUARY OF 2008 ON A BLIND DATE when we lived in Atlanta, Georgia. One of Christie’s good friends said she knew the perfect guy for her. Of course, she didn’t believe her at the time. Christie's friend's husband was Ken's College roommate. She thought that we would be good together because we were both from the Northeast, loved dogs, and always put our families first. Well, she obviously was right. We have been together ever since, and were married on July 17, 2010 in New York. We were surrounded by all of our family and friends. We have now been together for seven years and married for almost four years. Over the past seven years we have learned a number of things about one another. This might sound cheesy, but we seem to fall in love more every day.
WE ARE EACH OTHER’S SOUL MATES! We now live in Dallas, TX only a block away from a lake and in a highly rated school district. We have two dogs that are a big part of our family. We have very close friends that live within a few miles of us. Eight of them already have children and one is also going through the adoption process. We have an amazing support system, loving families, and we have the two of us.
THE ONE MISSING PIECE IS A CHILD AND WE HOPE TO ADOPT TWO ONE DAY.
meet christie BY KEN TIGGER IS MY FAVORITE
CHRISTIE AND HER SISTER
character at Disney World
at Ocean City
CHRISTINE AT THE hospital when her best friend had her baby. Christie is such a natural with children.
To
KNOW MY WIFE CHRISTIE IS TO LOVE HER. She lights up every room she enters. I knew this the first time I met her and saw right through that beautiful smile. She is tall and beautiful, but her
real beauty is within. Christie is loved and respected by everyone who meets her, from family, to friends, to co-workers and customers. She has an incredible professionalism about her. Seeing her around children is amazing. She will deserves instillto into bethis a mother lucky and childinstill what intomother her this lucky haschild instilled whatinher her.mother has instilled in her. The pictures you see of Christie show that of a fun-loving, social, charismatic person who brings a smile to all of those around her. When you have the chance to meet her, you will experience the same feeling. I was so blessed to be introduced to Christie by my college roommate and his wife. It was like winning the lottery to me. I knew that this perfect woman was out there, and sure enough we were introduced on a blind date almost 8 years ago. My life has changed for the positive ever since. I continue to learn from Christie and realize how fortunate I am each and every day.
CHRISTIE WORKS FOR A CONTENT PROVIDER FOR COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS OUT OF OUR HOME. Christie has been working at Cengage for her company Learningfor forthe thepast pastfourteen fourteenyears yearsininvarious variousroles. roles.She Sheisis now a manager of a specialists group. group that She covers loves her thecompany West Region.She and has loves her company established an amazing and has career. established They arean very amazing supportive career.They and excited are very supportive about us adopting and excited a baby. about Since us we adopting both work a baby. from Christie home, will we will be taking both get thebe to full there twelve for weeks every milestone of her adoption along the leave. way. Since we both work out of the home, we will be taking care of the baby with limited help from a nanny.
OUR CHILD WILL BE
loved and cared
FOR BY AN AMAZING
mother-to-be.
Our baby will be spoiled to pieces by her grandparents, nieces and nephews and extended family. I can't wait for the day that her Aunt Sarah (my sister) and Aunt Jenn (Christie's sister) get to hold this precious child. I can't wait to see Christie as a mom and love and nurture this little baby each and every day of their life.
CAPTIONS FROM TOP: 1. Christie with her Community Group; 2. Christie cooking with her friend Tracy for Sunday dinner!; 3. Christie loves to play dress up and read lots of books
my
FAVORITES
SNACK: Pretzels APP: Snapchat CARTOON CHARACTER: Tigger
VACATION SPOT: Disney World STORE: Farmers Farmer'sMarket Market DESSERT: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
K
ken'sCAREER en now works as an Enterprise Sales Representative at an
internet securities company. He has been working for them for the past fourteen years. He has a very successful career, and all of his fellow colleagues are also good friends. Ken works out of the home and has a very flexible schedule. He’s very excited about becoming a Daddy, and will be taking some time off when the baby arrives.
KEN IS AN AMAZING MAN, with strong family values, and will be a fun-loving & caring Daddy.
CAPTIONS FROM TOP: 1. . Ken and his nine god children; 2. Ken biking in AZ during the Ironman; 3. These two girls love to hang out with Ken
my
FAVORITES
SNACK: Popcorn APP: ESPN app CARTOON CHARACTER: Kermit the frog
VACATION SPOT: Hawaii STORE: Any local bike shops DESSERT: Frozen Yogurt with all of my favorite toppings
meet ken BY CHRISTIE KEN'S FRIENDS
THE MUDDY BUDDY RUN
all dressed up for the wedding
in Atlanta, GA
OUR FRIEND DAVID at a Jacksonville Jaguars game
KEN IS AN INCREDIBLE TRIATHLETE, who has completed over 100 triathlons. He’s done a number of ½ marathons, marathons, half ironmans, Olympic distance triathlons, Xterra triathlons and an Ironman.
T
he first thing that I noticed about Ken was his great smile and cute dimples. He works very
hard to provide a stable, loving home for our family. I was quite impressed that he attended The Citadel and was extremely successful at this school. I loved how he played with his dog Yankee and was a huge pushover. Ken is the godfather of nine children, and seven of them are his friends’ kids. My heart melted when I saw two of them run up and give him a hug while we were visiting their parents. They wouldn’t leave his side, and that was when I knew that he was the man for me. Ken grew up just outside of Buffalo in Hamburg, NY with his older sister Sarah and his parents. They owned a farm and ran a nursery and landscaping business. Ken and his family worked very hard to make their business a success. They sold the farm and business about ten years ago. However, his dad decided that for a hobby he would run a Christmas Tree Farm. I never knew that there were so many different types of Christmas Trees!!! Ken was surrounded by his extended family and we are both still very close to all of them. Ken graduated from a Catholic high school and still considers his classmates his best friends. We see them throughout the year, and their friendship is truly amazing.
things we LOVE TO DO
Christie cooking dinner
WE LOVE TO TRAVEL! WE'VE BEEN TO: •B ali and rode on elephants • Bahamas to swim with the dolphins •S t. Maartin to enjoy the sun •N apa and Carmel, California to visit friends •D isney World with our nieces, nephews, and sisters •O cean City, NJ: Christie has been going every summer since she was a little girl.
Swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas WE LOVE GOING TO NFL, NHL, OR MLB GAMES IN: New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Dallas
Ken's Ironman in Arizona
Meet Yankee With little D at an Atlanta Falcons game
FOR OUR EVERYDAY ADVENTURES
we love to:
• Run and ride our bikes around the lake • Read inspiring books about life • Go for walks with our dogs • Babysit and play with our friends’ children • Our favorite weeknights are when we cook dinner together and then curl up on the couch to watch our favorite TV shows. • On Sunday, we keep both of our families’ traditions by having a roasted chicken sunday night dinner.
He's a nine year old, Goldendoodle. He’s full of life and would rather play with the kids at our local dog park, then the other dogs. He loves to play catch, although he normally doesn’t want to give up the ball.
••• MeetJJ ••• JJ is a twelve year old King Charles Cavalier that we rescued when he was six. He’s an absolute sweetheart! Whenever there’s a baby in the house he does a lot of sniffing. JJ’s favorite thing to do is to bark at squirrels.
Ken at our playground by our lake
On our back porch with Yankee & JJ
home sweet HOME We
have a three-bedroom home with a large backyard in Dallas, TX. We are looking for the perfect little excuse to add a
sandbox to practice building sandcastles for trips to Ocean City, a treehouse for hideaways and adventures, and a playset for lots of climbing and swinging high.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW REASONS WE PICKED OUR :
neighborhood
1 The School System is highly rated and respected.
At our lake to run a 10k
The elementary school is only two blocks from our home.
2 We live a block from a beautiful lake that is perfect for biking, running, walking the dogs, and family picnics.
3 The park by the lake includes a huge dog park, which Yankee & JJ love to visit 4 Directly behind our home is a playground overlooking the lake. Absolutely beautiful! 5 The Farmers Market is on Saturday in a parking lot only a block from our home. It’s the perfect place to pick up fresh vegetables and say a quick hello to our neighbors.
meet our ENTIRE FAMILY
Christie & her nephews just being silly
Ken's nieces are always entertaining on Christmas morning
Christie with her family in Epcot
CHRISTIE: I have one sister, who is also married to a great guy. Together, they have two girls and four boys, who are my pride and joy. They live in New Jersey, and we go to see them often. I talk to my sister every day and text with all six of her kids multiple times throughout the week. My dad and step-mom also live in New Jersey, but they are retired and live in Vermont for the summer months. I have a step-sister and brother-in-law who adopted their son Grayson through AdoptHelp. My parents were married for 35 years when my mom passed away from ovarian cancer. My mom was amazing and I believe she taught me everything I know now. I was blessed again when my Dad married my step-mom a few years ago. She is there when I need her and gives great advice! My girlfriends in Dallas are part of my family too. I have 7 girlfriends who are part of my church’s community group and live within a few miles of our home. Five of those girls now have children of their own, so our Dallas family continues to grow! My friend Emily was adopted, and has been very helpful to us in this process. Emily and her husband are hoping to adopt a child of their own soon.
Baseball practice with Ken's nieces
Ken's famly is always laughing & smiling
Christie with her sister & step-sister
our FAITH Christie with her dad
Ken & his mom at a race
BY KEN
Christie and I were both raised in homes with a strong commitment to faith. Christie was raised in a Presbyterian household and Ken in a Catholic household. We plan to raise our child in an environment where they are properly educated about the importance of faith. We will teach him or her how to pray, attend church, and the importance of having God in your life. We will not push religion or faith on our child, but rather continue to lead by example as our child grows. At a farm wedding
KEN: My extended family is absolutely amazing. Fun, caring, humorous and a joy to be around. My mother and father are the reason I am who I am today. My Dad was a police officer, a Vietnam Veteran, a business owner, and an active volunteer at our church. He made us all proud to be a Stoddart, and I can’t wait to name my first son after him. Kendrick III. I am fortunate to have a wonderful sister named Sarah who lives in Harrisburg, PA with her husband Scott and my two beautiful nieces Anna and Olivia. I love them all dearly. My family gets very extended from there, with my dad having 4 brothers and sisters, making me the youngest of 23 grandchildren. My grade school friends have always been like family to me. We might live in different states, but we stay close through Facetime, vacations, and text messages. These guys are like my brothers, and we would do anything for each other. We celebrate the good times and hold each other up during the rough times.
our life AS PARENTS We
have been waiting for a long time to become parents. We have each other, great careers, a loving family, and amazing friends. We feel that having a child would complete our family, our lives, and our dreams. We have so much to offer and can’t wait to give it to a child. We will make a great parenting team and together we will: • Be amazing role models for our children and lead by example. • Provide our baby a safe and loving household. •A llow them to be a kid, but won’t let them do anything that would cause them harm. •B elieve in time outs and as they get older taking long walks to talk through situations in order to correct the behavior. • We will expose them to sports and activities, but allow them to follow their arrow
A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO YOU Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. We greatly admire your courage to consider adoption. We are committed to communicating and maintaining contact to the level you feel most comfortable. We want to raise our child in an honest, open, and trusting atmosphere with lots of love and hugs. We are very excited to welcome you and your baby into our lives.
Christie and Ken
If you’d like to speak to us about adopting your child, or have any questions for us, please contact one of our Adoption Advisors at AdoptHelp by calling 1-800-637-7999 toll-free.