Hello,

We are Kim and Elisabeth from Oakland, California. We are very excited about becoming parents. We have chosen open adoption because we want our child to know where he or she came from and to value your courage in making this decision. Thank you so much for taking the time to consider us. We hope this letter gives you a small window into our life and the kind of parents we will be.

About Us

We have been in a committed relationship for over 5 years and have been close friends for more than a decade. Every day, we feel lucky to have found each other and to have such a loving relationship. We both come from tight knit families and 3 years ago, friends and family came from far and wide to celebrate our wedding. From the beginning, we made choices with a child in mind - from training our dog, to choosing our house, to our careers. When we were unable to get pregnant, it felt natural for us to choose adoption. We have family and several friends who have grown their families through adoption.

Home Life

We've lived in Oakland for years and love it. Its rich history and cultural diversity give the city its own distinct identity. Our neighborhood is special and will be a great place for a child to grow up. It is safe and friendly with tall trees and many parks. A terrific grade school is just a couple of blocks away. Every August, we host a block party for our neighbors. For Halloween, we decorate the house with ghosts and jack-o-lanterns and have over 200 trick-or-treaters. We are close to our local farmers' market, an old-time movie theater, and the library-and we look forward to biking with our child to all of these places and more.

Our backyard is good-sized with fruit trees, colorful flowers and vegetable beds-a great yard for a kid to play in and explore. One of our favorite things is to cook for friends and family using food we have grown ourselves. Each summer, we pick peaches at a local organic farm with friends and then make jam and pie.

We look forward to creating new family traditions with our child and to sharing old ones such as our Italian Christmas Eve dinner of rigatoni and meatballs. On Christmas day, our extended family joins us for a celebration filled with food, a crackling fire and holiday stories.

We both grew up going to church and spirituality is important to us and our families. Recently, we have been looking for the right religious community for our family and have been visiting different churches.

More About Kim

Kim is quick to laugh, a little silly and loves playing games and doing puzzles - she is definitely a kid at heart. She is also a huge baseball fan and roots for both the Giants and the A's. She can't wait to take her child to his or her first baseball game. Kim is a "dog person" and rescued the family dog, Josie, from the local animal shelter. Exploring local trails with Josie and getting in some bird watching is something she enjoys on a Sunday afternoon. Kim loves to cook and often can be found grilling chicken or making a big pot of marinara sauce (her grandmother's recipe).

Kim was born in a small town in Idaho and moved to the Bay Area when she was nine. Her parents have retired and live just a few hours away near the Sierra Mountains. Kim is an only child but is part of a large extended family including 34 first cousins. She also has many long-time friends that she considers family too. One of Kim's friends from high school and her husband gave us the honor of being godparents to their daughters.

Kim works as an attorney in San Francisco. She is also involved in non-profit organizations that provide free legal services to people who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

More About Elisabeth

Elisabeth is a good listener and a loyal friend. She can be a bit shy until she gets to know you, but then there is no stopping her! She cries in sad movies and loves the people in her life fiercely. You'll often find her cooking dinner for friends, planting tomatoes, or biking around the neighborhood. She loves listening to all kinds of live music and playing the piano.

Elisabeth's family is close and tries to be there for each other in good times and hard times. She and her sister are just 19 months apart in age and are close friends. Elisabeth's sister is already making plans for cool things to do with her niece or nephew. Her parents live nearby and share meals and baseball games with us. Elisabeth was also lucky to have lived with other wonderful families in France, Costa Rica and Ecuador while learning to speak French and Spanish.

Elisabeth began her career as an elementary and middle school teach and then led teacher education programs. Now she is responsible for the learning and development of employees of the University of California. Elisabeth's job is flexible and she plans to work part-time when she and Kim become moms.She can't wait to help her child grow and discover the world.

Our Dog, Josie

We live with a sweet 7-year-old dog named Josie. Kids love to pet her amazingly soft ears. She adores people and is very excited about having a baby in the house as she is sure more food will end up on the floor.

Adventures

Our New Year's resolution is to try something new each month. We love learning new things about ourselves, each other and our world. We have taken Thai cooking lessons, attended a Japanese drumming recital, and visited a planetarium. Last spring, we milked goats and learned to make cheese with our friends and their kids. Elisabeth has taken Kim canoeing 3 times and Kim has only tipped the canoe twice.

Each year we go camping or take a trip. We love spending weekends at the beach or in the mountains with our friends and family and their kids. On a road trip to the Oregon coast and Washington wine country, we played in creeks and spent time with Kim's cousin and friends. We have seen eagles in Canada, roamed the countryside of France, and visited friends and their families on the East Coast. Our hope is to share these adventures and experience many more with a child.

Raising Our Family

As parents, we'll provide our child with a loving and safe home, a network of family and friends, and a good education. For the first year of our child's life, one or both of us will be at home full-time. We want to create an environment where a child can grow up feeling good about who he or she is. We'll introduce our child to art, music, sports, and a variety of cultures. We want our child to have the opportunity to grow up speaking two languages. We'll encourage a child to develop independence and good judgment, even if that process means learning from mistakes. We promise to provide lots of love, laughter and encouragement.

In Closing

We know you want the best for your child. Placing your child for adoption is a very important decision and one that takes great courage and love. Thank you for considering us. We believe open adoption is a wonderful way to start our family and we are comfortable exploring whatever level of contact feels right to you.

Please know that if you choose us to parent your child, we will be overjoyed and honored. We hope to hear from you and look forward to getting to know you.

1-877-503-9255 (toll-free)
ElisabethandKim@gmail.com
www.elisabethandkimadopt.com