Allan & Shelly

Dear Birthparents,

We cannot imagine the struggles, emotions and uncertainty you may be going through but we know that you are making a selfless decision through adoption.  You likely never expected to have to make such an important decision and we realize this must be difficult.  Please know we are thinking about you and pray that you are able to be at peace with the decision that you make.  You give us great pleasure and a sense of hope in that without your act of kindness, unselfishness and courage we would not have the opportunity to be blessed with the perfect gift ... a child.  We are blessed to have our son through adoption and are looking forward to expanding our family through adoption again!

We met in 2001 while attending a Brewers game with mutual friends.  Our first date was a short time later and we soon realized we had a huge amount of interests and experiences in common,  most of which centered on the outdoors.  It was not long before we planned our first fishing and camping trips together.

We married in 2005 and immediately tried to start our family.  After a couple years without success we decided that adoption was the path we would take.  In May of 2010, we were blessed to bring home our first child, Cooper.  We have maintained an open relationship with his birthparents and again are interested in a level of openness that is comfortable for the birthparents.   

Allan loves the outdoors and enjoys golfing, hunting, fishing, camping, snowmobiling, boating, gardening, and going out for dinner and a movie. He has a warm, sensitive heart and is always eager to help out.  If you need a laugh, you can count on him to cheer you up in an instant.  He has been employed for 14 years as an Engineering Manager for a large local company and enjoys sharing his energy and enthusiasm for life with Cooper!

Shelly is very outgoing, loves people and enjoys the outdoors as well. Her hobbies are much same however her favorite is sand court volleyball. She especially loves fishing and is usually the one asking for one or two more casts!  Shelly is a great cook and enjoys trying new recipes frequently.  As a stay at home mom she enjoys every minute spent with our son.  She spends her days reading to Cooper, taking him to the children’s museum, library, swimming, and to play dates with other friends.  She is a terrific loving mom, eager to teach more about everything in life to both Cooper and our future child.

We are blessed to have close relationships with our families and live within close proximity to all of them.  Adoption is not new in our family as we also have an adopted niece.  We meet up with Allan’s family frequently at the family “cottage up north” in Minocqua.  There we spend extended weekends fishing, swimming in the lake and enjoying family time together around the campfire in the evening.  Shelly’s entire family lives in the Milwaukee area and we travel there frequently for family gatherings as we truly appreciate family time!

When we moved into our home on the lake it had always been one of our dreams to live on the water.  We have a fenced in backyard which provides extra security keeping the little ones away from the water.  Cooper and his friends and cousins enjoy playing in the sand box, taking canoe rides, and eating fruit from the garden. We especially enjoy being just a short boat ride from our usual fishing destination!

Our plans for raising our children include Shelly continuing to be a stay at home mom while we strive to surround our children with a diverse and active life.  We attend church regularly and will raise our children in the Lutheran faith.  We pray that God’s love will surround you and give you peace and guidance through this difficult time in your life. We feel that adoption should be an open topic of discussion in our house so that our children know who they are, where they came from and that their birth parents loved them very much.

Thank you for choosing to learn about our lives and remember that you are continually in our thoughts and prayers. We would be happy to meet with you to allow you to get to know more about us or to answer some questions for you. 

Sincerely,

Shelly & Allan

(Married)

Preferences for Child

Age:                     Birth to 3 months, twins/triplets acceptable

Ethnicity:           African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American

Openness:          Willing to send and receive letters. emails, and photos

                             Willing to place and receive phone calls

                             Willing to exchange gifts

                             Willing to have physical visits after finalization