REID AND PAUL

Hello!
We are thrilled to be starting a family through the exciting process of adoption! We appreciate that you're taking some time to read our letter in order to get to know us.

We hope this information will give you a picture of who we are and what kind of a life we will provide for the child we are fortunate enough to adopt. Hopefully you will find us to be a great match as parents for the hopes and dreams you have for your child. We are open to creating a plan for updates and contact with you if you are interested!

About Us
We were both raised in Christian families with a strong emphasis on kindness, respect, and integrity. Reid has been a second and third grade teacher in a diverse public school system for 11 years. Paul taught middle school math before entering the business world as a sales account manager. We both consider our education and teaching backgrounds to be tremendous assets in our abilities to successfully raise a child.

Our Relationship
We have been together since being introduced by a mutual friend in 2000. We hit it off right away and learned that both of our leading interests are family, the outdoors, and sports. We later had a commitment ceremony in August of 2003, attended by lots of relatives and our closest friends. One of the first decisions we made as a couple was to do everything we could to start a family by adoption. We have been preparing for the adoption process for the past several years and cannot wait to become parents!

Extended Family
We visit Reid's family in Duluth and Paul's in Green Bay on many weekends. We have 17 nieces and nephews, so we have had plenty of experiences to help us to know and understand the joys and challenges of raising children. Our families are more important to us than words can express!

Travel
We love travel and adventures! We have taken many camping trips to the Rocky Mountains, met Reid's relatives in Norway, and visited Alaska, Florida, Boston and tons of other places in the US! Our favorite place to be is at Reid's family cabin on a small quiet lake just north of Duluth. The cabin is our getaway for fishing, canoeing, playing cards and enjoying family time. Sharing travels and adventures with our children is something we are very excited about!

Sports
Playing sports through high school and in college was a great experience for both of us. Into adulthood we both have continued on in coaching; Reid in volleyball and Paul in basketball. We are still active participants in several sports, and we hope to be our child's mentors, practice partners and biggest fans if he or she chooses to become active in sports.

Reid on Paul
There are so many things I love about Paul! He is the best cook! His mom has taught him all her secrets and tricks for cooking and baking the most amazing meals (especially Italian!) and goodies. Whether it's Twins baseball, Duke basketball or Packer football, Paul's passion for his favorite teams is VERY important.

Paul is the most loving, caring and committed partner I could ever hope for. He is selfless and spends more time and energy doing things for others than he does for himself. I have never seen another person who can play with our nieces, nephews and friend's kids as exuberantly as Paul. He is a total natural with kids and will be the best dad!

Paul on Reid
Patient, loving, compassionate, loyal, and kind are words I use to describe Reid. Whether it's in his interactions with our families, his students, or me Reid's love of life is something I adore. In his spare time, Reid loves being with family and friends, the outdoors, cross country skiing, reading, and painting.

Reid's calm temperament, boundless energy and positive outlook make him a successful teacher as well as a wonderful uncle. Plus, his school schedule allows for summer and holiday vacations and gives him the opportunity to be a very involved and active dad. I am very fortunate to have Reid as my lifelong partner, and I know any child would be lucky to call him dad!

Home and Community
We live in a great community in the southwest suburbs of Minneapolis with parks, bike paths and playgrounds very close by, which we hope to put to lots of use for fun and active days with our children. Additionally, our neighborhood schools are some of the finest in the state. We live in a community FULL of opportunities for children and families!

Thank You!
We want to thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about us. We wish you the best in choosing the parents you feel are the best match for your hopes and dreams for your child, and we hope you will consider us! Please call or e-mail us any time!

Reid and Paul

Reid: 763-443-2926
Paul: 612-205-7988