You can reach us through our adoption specialist, Shelley Brownell, at Family Services of Greater Vancouver, at sbrownell@fsgv.ca or 1-866-582-3678.

"We believe that it is important to have a creative outlet. Gus is an accomplished amateur photographer and highly skilled carpenter, and Marion is a singer/songwriter with two solo CDs to her credit. We believe that every child has a talent, and as parents we will do our best to nurture whatever gifts your child has."

Dear Birthparent(s),

Our names are Marion and Gus, and we are honored to be a part of your search for the right adoptive parents for the baby you are carrying.

We met in October of 2002, while living in Boston. We knew very quickly that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and we married less than a year later. We also shared a lifelong dream of moving to the West Coast and raising a family. Two days after our wedding, we packed up and drove all the way across the continent to start our new life together. We are so happy that we did, as we enjoy a wonderful life along the coast in beautiful British Columbia!

About Marion
I work as an ESL teacher and private tutor, and am also an accomplished musician. Over the years, I have worked as a special needs teacher, an elementary school teacher and as a Program Coordinator in a busy Harvard University office. I especially love my work when it involves children, and I look forward to being a full-time mom.

About Gus
I have been a carpenter for many years, and now work as construction superintendent in Vancouver. I started my career at age 17 in the Canadian military, building bridges. In addition to making my living building things, one of my hobbies/passions is building things for our home. I look forward to building wooden toys, rocking horses, and other things and passing on my love of building and creating to your child. Most importantly, I will be a devoted and caring father to your child, giving him/her everything that he/she could ever want or need in a father.

About our Life Together
Our lives are full with friends, family, and happy activities. As a couple we share many common interests such as hiking, camping, and traveling, to name a few. We love to be outdoors together and we share a deep love and appreciation of nature, which we will share with your child. A child in our home will enjoy plenty of time outdoors, camping, walking, riding a bike, reading a book, spending time at the beach, and of course, lots of play.

We have two dogs, named Idaho and Lucky.  We enjoy them immensely.  They are both young and active, and wonderful with children.  We love all kinds of animals, and expect to acquire new pets as your child grows up and becomes curious about the animal world.

We believe that it is important to have a creative outlet. Gus is an accomplished amateur photographer and highly skilled carpenter, and Marion is a singer/songwriter with two solo CDs to her credit. We believe that every child has a talent, and as parents we will do our best to nurture whatever gifts your child brings to this family.

We have lived in a few different places over the years, so we have family and friends living all across Canada and the US. Gus is a dual citizen of Canada and the US, and Marion is a citizen of the US and a permanent resident of Canada. It might please you to know that if we adopt your baby then your child will also have the privilege of dual citizenship. The benefits include ease of travel between our two countries, equal access to each country, increased opportunities for work, education, and medical care.

About our Families
We both come from stable, close-knit families. I (Marion) grew up on the east coast of the U.S., near Baltimore. My parents had a wonderful home in a natural setting where my siblings and I were happily raised. Our neighborhood was very safe, and I have many fond memories of spending lots of time outside, all year around.

My (Gus) parents and most of my extended family were born and raised on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. I was born in Massachusetts, and moved to Cape Breton Island when I was nine. I love Cape Breton Island and still feel to this day that it is “in my blood.” Growing up I spent a lot of time camping and exploring the vast wilderness on Cape Breton Island. I had a good childhood, and I carry with me the appreciation and love of nature that I developed there.

Our parents and siblings, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins are eager to have a new child in the family, and they will welcome your baby with open arms and open hearts. There will be no shortage of love and attention for your child and no shortage of respect for the sacrifices you have made.

Some Final Words
We are in good health, and feel happy and content with our lives. We look forward to raising a child in the loving, enriching home environment that we have created. And we firmly believe a child in our home would enjoy the positive, creative and fun environment we can provide. We wish to honour whatever it is that you need from us to make this adoption work for you. We want your child to know that not only do you deserve his/her respect, but that we, as adoptive parents, and you as his/her life parent(s), respect one another other as well.

We are financially secure and have no concerns when it comes to satisfying any educational desires your child may have. We guarantee to give your child the all the benefits of our tranquility, patience, stability, wisdom, confidence, time and, of course, our zest for life.

As adoptive parents, we will be open to any amount of contact that feels comfortable to you. We are confident in our ability to have a healthy and wholesome relationship with you if you desire this. However, if you believe a closed adoption is best for you at this time, please know that we will provide you with our contact information so you may get in touch with us at any time in the future. Again, we have nothing but respect for you and the decision you have made. We have only good wishes for you as you search for the right adoptive parents for your child.

Sincerely, and with our warm regards,
Gus and Marion