RUSSELL &STEPHENIE
dear birthmother,
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s we introduce ourselves, we want to let you know that we believe you are a strong, selfless and amazing person for considering adoption. You are giving the gift of family, which may be the most important act of love one person can provide. We hope to be able to raise a child with the same strength of character with which you are bringing your child into this world. Whether you choose us or not, we know you are a loving and caring person and we are moved by your generosity.
Russell and Stephenie
boy meets girl
I
 n June of 1999, while on separate vacations, we both ended up in the same tiny town of Pine, Arizona, in the same tiny antique store, on the same day. After striking up a conversation, we agreed to meet for dinner the next night, and then the next. After a while it became obvious that we were having too much fun together, so we decided to join our trips and spent the rest of the summer traveling together. We’ve been traveling together ever since. A year after meeting, Russ took another trip from Illinois to California to start a life with Stephenie.
In the Redwood forest
In Yosemite Valley
Stephenie is a high school English teacher and Russell works as a graphic designer. Both our jobs allow us to be creative and challenge us to keep improving. As an added benefit, our employers are very supportive of family leave time and allow us the flexibility to work from home or part-time if we choose.
Key Largo, Florida
our work
what we do for fun!
W
e love to get outside and spend as much time as possible exploring the world.
We regularly hike and ride our bikes, which is easy to do in Southern California. On weekends we often take Zoey, our beagle, on a hike or ride to our favorite coffee shop for breakfast. As an English teacher, Stephenie reads books like crazy, especially those her students recommend. Russ is a lover of the outdoors, so he will garden or go on long rides with a friend. But he is also a lifelong Denver Bronco’s fan, so we try to see them play the Chargers when they are in town.
it’s a big world: our adventures Washington, D.C.
If there is one thing for you to know about us, it is that we love to travel. We were both raised on a summer staple of road trips and camping and still enjoy getting out and seeing the country. But we also want to see other places and experience other cultures. We have been incredibly fortunate to visit Mexico, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Every year we work around Stephenie’s teaching schedule to take a ski vacation as well as a trip each summer to a new place.
Snowboarding in Mammoth, CA
As parents, we plan to
At the Broncos v Chargers game
Visiting a historic home in Bali, Indonesia
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encourage an open and adventurous spirit in our child and an awareness of common values shared between cultures.
meet Zoey
O Her favorite spot!
At Newport Beach, CA
ur lives wouldn’t be complete without Zoey, our beagle. We are completely in love with her and can’t imagine our home without her. She goes with us nearly everywhere. When we load up the car to go out she’s first in line to get in. Whether it’s a simple walk around the block, a stroll on the beach, a cruise in the car, a hike in the hills, or a cross country adventure, she’s constantly by our side. She’s very cute, cuddly, funny, and knows it! She is always on our annual Christmas card with a photo of her being silly, sweet or adorable.
Zoey is super gentle, even around children, and will be a welcoming companion to the child we are lucky to have join our family.
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By tide pools in Cambria, CA
Big Sur, California
I love the passion she has for life and how she gives 100% of herself to everything she does.
what I LOVE about steph (as told by russ)
S
tephenie never stops impressing me. I love the passion she has for life and how she gives 100% of herself to everything she does. I love how she always does the right thing even if it’s not the easy thing. I love that she is patient and kind to everyone she meets. I love her laugh and her smile. I love that it’s so much fun to be with her. I love that she loves me. She has such a big heart and so much love to give. I can’t wait to be her partner in parenthood. The baby that we are blessed to give a happy home is going to be a very happy baby.
Bi-Plane ride over San Diego Hand roasting coffee in Bali
what I LOVE about russ (as told by stephenie)
I Russ has the biggest heart, a huge sense of loyalty, the best sense of humor, and some mad grilling skills!
The Merced River in Yosemite Valley
can’t imagine my life without Russ in it. I love that he can make me laugh out loud with the simplest little phrase. I love that he will start to “boogie” to lighten the mood. I love how he treats my family with just as much care and affection as his own. Russ has the biggest heart, a huge sense of loyalty, the best sense of humor, and some mad grilling skills! In the thirteen years we’ve been together Russ has been my love, my rock, my advocate, and I know that he will be all of these to our child. He will make an amazing and loving father and I cannot wait to see him grow in this role.
Sunset in Key Largo Hiking on Santa Cruz Island
Chichen Itza, Mexico
Winter Cypress Swamp
Steph and her grandmother
Russ and his brother in Alaska
Russ’s Family
Metropolis, IL
EVERYONE in our families is very
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EXCITED to welcome the FIRST GRANDCHILD. They can’t wait to hear the pitter-patter of little feet, celebrate
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birthdays, enjoy visits from Santa, and cheer him or her on in life! Steph with her siblings
family ‘matters’: our family & friends Steph’s family
I
have a small, but close knit family. My grandmother, mother, brother, sister and her husband all live within two hours of us and we try to get together for family brunch as often as we can. My mother has dinner at our house every other week so we can catch up and watch a movie together. My whole family is thrilled to welcome a child, but my mother and sister are especially eager to shop for baby clothes. My father is currently living in Singapore, so we use the computer to video chat at least once a month and he flies back here as often as possible. When we are all together you can bet there will be a competitive but friendly game of Uno and lots of cooking.
Girls Night!
Steph’s Mom and Brother-in-law
Steph and her Dad in Singapore
With Russ’s brother and sister-in-law in Santa Barbara, CA
our{extended}family Neither one of us grew up in California, so our local friends have become like family to us here. Stephenie is incredibly close with her fellow teachers; they often plan girls’ night out, spa days, play dates for the kids, and hikes together. But we also get together with all the spouses and have dinners, birthday picnics, and movie nights. One of our favorite things to do is invite friends over to roast marshmallows and make S’mores in the backyard. Our local friends have generously invited us for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when we couldn’t be with our own families and they are eager to host a family of three.
With our good friends in Mammoth
Russ’ family
I
credit my family for giving me a solid foundation. We are quite a large group and we like to have fun. Recently, we celebrated my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary together. There are no other adopted children in my family and this experience has provided an opportunity for everyone to get excited in a way that has not been experienced before. It’s quite wonderful to see how open, accepting and encouraging they all have been. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the family for a new addition. Stephenie and I are so glad for the support we’ve been given. We can’t wait to introduce our child to them.
our home and neighborhood
W The California coast
e live in a southern California town with a ski resort thirty minutes away and beaches within an hour drive. There is also a bike path one block from our house that we often take to get breakfast on weekend mornings. The path is full of families riding together which is something we can’t wait to do with our child. We love the look and feel of old neighborhoods, so our house is within walking distance of our community’s historic downtown area which hosts a farmer’s market each weekend by the old train station. Our backyard is a nice quiet spot with a great big Elm tree and plenty of room for playing. We have terrific neighbors and many parks where the local children gather to play.
We love hiking this mountain trail just
0 minutes from our house!
Welcome!
becoming parents
“Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.”
E
ven though we love to travel the world, having a family is the adventure we’ve wanted most for many years. Our journey to adoption has been a long one. We dated for five years before getting married, and then waited until we had purchased our home before trying to conceive. It took us another six years before reaching a cross-roads of having to choose between going through further medical treatments or pursuing adoption as a way of starting a family. For us it was clear that adoption was the right choice. We want to offer a safe, loving, nurturing home to a child. We want to raise a child to be honest, humble, hard-working, kind-hearted, and generous to others. We want to be parents and are excited about doing all our favorite things together as a family.
“...having a family is the adventure we’ve wanted most for many years.” “They live with passion and have a healthy, positive interest in everything they do. We know that they will lovingly provide a child with a rewarding environment that will include lots of play, outdoor experiences, travel and education. But above all, Russ and Steph will provide a child with a whole lot of love.”
What our friends say about us “They want to be the best parents they can and be actively involved in loving and nurturing a healthy family. There is no magical recipe to determine parenting skills, but all the ingredients are right for this family to succeed.”
“We know this child, who is already adored and anticipated as much as any child has been, will experience tremendous love, both from Stephenie and Russ, and their friends and family.”
} “Above all, Russ and Steph will provide a child with a WHOLE LOT OF LOVE.” }
We are excited to talk with you!
thank you! If you would like to speak with us about adopting your child or If you have any questions for us, please contact one of our Adoption Advisors at AdoptHelp by calling 1-800-637-7999, toll-free.