Hello!
We are both nervous and excited at the prospect of your reading our letter and want to thank you for taking the time to do so.
We hope we can express in this brief contact, the depth of our respect and admiration of the courage and love you are showing in considering adoption.
As you read this, and get to know a little about us, we hope you can see how cherished and loved your baby will be in our lives.
About Us
We met at our jobs, became close friends and dated over a year before we realized how much we both meant to each other. We have been married over 10 years and our marriage is built on mutual trust, loyalty and love and we communicate well about our joys and fears and our plans to be new parents.
Terri and Tony in London, January 2003.
We tried to have a family through medical treatments but were not successful. As we explored alternate methods for creating a family we decided that open adoption was the best way to fulfill our dream. We have both traveled extensively in our jobs, taken wonderful vacations throughout our marriage and are now ready to complete our family. We look forward to teaching our child good morals and values and introducing him/her to the many museums, arts and music available in Southern California.
Our Home
We live in Altadena, California. It is a small, quiet community north of Pasadena - home of the annual New Years Day "Tournament of Roses Parade." We have a large back yard where our child can safely play. There are many big trees that squirrels and lots of birds regularly visit and an occasional beautiful peacock. There are many hiking trails and parks nearby where our child can play and meet other children. Even though we are only 30 minutes away from downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium and Hollywood, we can get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy our home in the foothills.
Tony with grandson Austin and his son Anthony in New Jersey.
About Tony
Tony is a wonderful, caring, considerate and loving husband, father and friend. He is a great cook and enjoys cooking his favorite secret pasta sauce for dinner with our friends. He has traveled for many years but now works close to home so he will have lots of time to spend around the house when the baby arrives.
About Terri
Terri is the most loving and considerate person I have ever known. She has the natural ability to make others feel special, mainly because she honestly feels that they are. Watching her with the children of our friends I see the warmth and nurturing aspects of her personality that I know will make her a loving and gentle mom.
We’d love to talk to you!
While we would be honored and overjoyed to be chosen to become the parents of your child, we know that you will make the right decision for yourself and your baby and wish you serenity now and always. If you feel that you would like to get to know us a little better, please call us toll free at 1-866-798-5172 or contact the Independent Adoption Center at 1-800-877-OPEN. You can also contact us on-line by sending a note to our email address via tdimarco@charter.net. Thank you again for taking the time to read our letter.
Ruger on the left with Tony and Spanky with Terri
Our Family Pets
We share our home with our two dogs, Spanky and Ruger. They are both mixed breed mutts saved from the animal shelter. They are great companions and love children too! They love running after the squirrels in the backyard. Both our boys are getting on in years - Spanky is 14 and Ruger is 10. Ruger still likes playing "catch," but Spanky is mostly content to just lie on the porch and watch.
Our Family
Our families are very excited about our adoption process and are very supportive. They will be loving grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins too!
Tony’s family lives in New Jersey. Tony has two children, Anthony (29) and Marlena (24) who also live in New Jersey. We have two grandchildren Austin who is 8 and Jason (called “JJ”) who is 3. We get to see Tony’s family 2-3 times a year and travel around holidays, birthdays and other family occasions. Terri’s mom and step-dad live in Bakersfield, CA, which is just a couple hours away from our home. They are newlyweds and visit with us about once a month. Terri has a brother near San Diego. We told our grandson, Austin that someday he would have an aunt or uncle that is going to be younger than he, and he laughed out loud and said, “that was cool and will be fun!”
Terri and JJ as a baby at the pumpkin patch.
Our grandson JJ, once lived with us for a while when he was a baby and we loved having him in our home. He brought a lot of joy and laughter. JJ’s stay reminded us that the sweetest sound is that of a toddler laughing. Austin came to visit us this summer and flew with Grandpa Tony to California. We had a great time taking him to Sea World, Disneyland, Universal Studios and to Dodger Stadium for hot dogs and cotton candy. We look forward to seeing our families throughout the year and planning vacations together with our new child in the future.
Our Extended Family
We have been blessed with many close friends. We look forward to expanding this “family” to include our child’s birthparent(s) and will work together to create an environment that is comfortable. We also look forward to sharing pictures of the baby and our families with you so that you can continue to share in the life and growth of your child. We know that this is a very important part in the overall positive development of our child’s life and will always be first in our minds. We want this to be as positive an experience as possible during this very challenging time for you.
Tony with his two grandsons, Austin and JJ and son Anthony.
What kind of parents will we be?
Warmly,
Terri has always dreamed of becoming a mom and is looking forward to all the little things and special moments the baby will bring to our life, including raising a teenager! Terri works in real estate, helping families buy and sell homes. She is interested in gardening, cooking and decorating the house and donating time as a volunteer to the community. Recently, she worked for the Home Heritage Foundation and is a Make-A-Wish volunteer for children with life threatening diseases. After working for many years and traveling in her job, Terri is happy to work close to home, cooking more home meals and being involved in the local community.
Tony is a loving, caring and responsible father and grandfather. He will be a good teacher and will continue to enjoy getting down on the floor and playing and wrestling with our child as he does with his own grandchildren. He has changed many diapers, blown lots of noses and wiped lots of tears and will be a great father this time too!
Please call us toll free at 1-866-798-5172 or contact the Independent Adoption Center at 1-800-877-OPEN. You can also contact us on-line by sending a note to our email address via tdimarco@charter.net. Thank you again for taking the time to read our letter.
Terri & Tony