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Welcome to our lives...
Hello! We wish we could reach through this website right now and give you a big hug. We can’t imagine how scared and overwhelmed you must be feeling. We remember feeling the same way the first time we met our daughter’s (Esther) birth mother. It’s amazing to think that you’re out there somewhere and we haven’t met you, yet you will be very, very important to us, for the rest of our lives. Adoption is intense! In hindsight it’s no wonder we were nervous. Yet we, and Esther’s birth mother, have all laughed at our collective nervousness. People (adoptive parents, birth parents) are a lot easier to understand than process (the adoption process). That’s why we can’t wait to meet you! We’ll all have tea and feel much better...Until then, let us tell you about ourselves. I guess the most relevant thing about us is that we LOVE adoption for a number of reasons: 1. Children, 2. Birth family, and, 3. Truth.
Children
We love children. I (Lori) did a Master’s Degree and was considering a Ph.D.-- the most important driving factor for me was that we didn’t have kids yet! We have both always wanted to be parents and believe parenting is the most important job in the world. I have loved being a Stay-at-Home Mom for Esther, and plan to do this for your child as well, of course. Andy is a very involved husband and father, and has always maintained that family takes priority over his responsibilities as a Doctor.
Birth Family
We don’t know an adoptive couple that doesn’t speak very, very highly of their child’s birth parents, and we are no exception! We believe open adoption works only when all parents (birth and adoptive) support and value each other and their roles. Open adoption helps us to understand and relate to your journey and the great sacrifices you have made for your child. We immensely respect Esther’s birth parents for the selfless decision that they made regarding making an adoption choice for their child; we feel incredibly blessed that Esther has a birth family with such gentle, loving and considerate hearts. In a future adoption, we would enjoy some level of openness, if openness were the choice of the birth mother and/or birth father.
Truth
We value truth, and believe that open adoption provides an excellent means to allow Esther to know the truth about her own life story. We have met several times with Esther’s birth parents since she was adopted, and have met some of her extended birth family. Esther has crooked pinky fingers, like her birth Uncle. We also wonder whether she will be musically gifted, as are many of her birth mother’s family members. We wonder which traits Esther may pick up from us -- for example, perhaps her current love of reading. We believe that open adoption helps us to understand the full picture of who Esther, and your child are meant to be.
Before Lori met Andy
I was born in Trail, BC, and lived at my parent’s cottage home at Christina Lake, BC in the summers. My parents now live at Christina Lake (one hour away) and we go to the lake cabin, and to my parents place to see them often. I had a very happy childhood, with lots of time outside, enjoying my friends and family, and we want your child to enjoy this lifestyle too. My mom loves all her family and dotes on Esther’s every whim, which Esther loves. My dad has inspired me in his love of the outdoors, has a quirky sense of humor and is very sensitive and caring. We rely on our family and close friends, and spending quality time with our family and friends is very important to us. I also have a love for life/adventure and have traveled fairly extensively, picking up some of two foreign languages (French and Spanish) along the way. I completed a Masters Degree in Resource and Environmental Management in Vancouver, BC, where I met Andy...
Before Andy met Lori
Andy was born in Winnipeg. His mother died of breast cancer when he was four, and his dad raised him as a single parent for 5 years. His dad then had a heart attack and was in the hospital for months. Andy remembers being a very sensitive, scared child at the time, and was very worried about what his life would be like without a mother or father. God worked graciously in his life, however, and his dad recovered after open-heart surgery, and came back home. His dad fell in love with one of the nurses who looked after him, and Andy soon had a new mother! His step-mom (who he considers his mother through and through) has a great impact on his life. She lives fully, was an actress and a pilot in her youth, and is a fun, terrific grandmother! He has learned his love of life from her. Andy’s dad is quiet, gentle and kind, thoughtful and considerate. When we face tough times, we call his parents because we trust their opinion and know that they love us. Andy and his parents moved to Victoria when he was 17 and his parents still live there. Andy went to University there and did a science degree, then went to medical school in Vancouver. It was in Vancouver that Andy and I started dating…
Two Become One
We met each other in Vancouver and started dating in the summer of 2000. Andy had to move to Calgary to start his surgical training, so I followed him there and in 2001, we married. We enjoy laughing and goofing around a lot. We feel fortunate to share the same values and many of the same interests. We hoped to have children, and have since learned that God makes families in many different ways. We will be excited to discover whether He is leading you and us together!
Two Plus More
Our world became more beautiful when our daughter Esther was adopted into our family after her birth on December 5, 2005. Esther is the most charming toddler we’ve ever met (we may be a little bit biased). We think she is very smart too! We’ve been reading books to her since she was very young, and she sits for a surprisingly long time listening to and “reading” stories herself. Esther has an incredibly gentle heart (after this we’ll stop bragging about her). Her favorite activity lately is to follow around small babies, and to ask to “hug and kiss” them. Maybe this is her way of telling us she wants a sibling too!
I greatly enjoy teaching Esther, whenever she shows an interest in something. For example, at one point Esther had an interest in the letters of the alphabet. She soon knew all the letters of the alphabet just by playing games with her. We were surprised to learn recently that by Kindergarten, kids should know about 12 letters. We feel confident that your child will reach her educational threshold in our family. Incidentally, we have already invested in an RESP, should your child choose a career that requires a college education. As well, television is a treat in our home, so you can be sure that your child will be spending much quality time learning and laughing with family instead!
The Rest of our Lives
In terms of our careers, Andy is a General Surgeon, and Lori chooses to raise Esther full time. Previously, Lori was an Environmental Planner, specializing in providing technical advice for First Nations, Industry and Government in the Oil and Gas sector. We feel very fortunate to live in Rossland, BC, a small city that has recently (September 2004) been rated one of the top 10 places to live in North America by National Geographic Adventure Magazine! We regularly enjoy the family centered outdoor activities in the area including downhill skiing, hiking, x-country skiing, skating, mountain biking, tobogganing etc.
Our faith is very important to us. We attend church regularly, and generally also attend a weekly bible study. We have a strong group of friends, some of whom are from the church. We have both been church youth group leaders; Lori has taught grade one and grade five Sunday School and helped in the nursery. We both grew up as Catholics, and have been attending mainstream Protestant churches for approximately 15 years.
It is hard to get to the heart of who we are without meeting us, and so we would love to meet you and to find out whether we are meant to be the adoptive parents to your child. This must be a difficult time for you, but it could be exciting too, as we support each other and share a very special gift.
God bless you,
Andy, Lori and Esther
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