A Letter from Mike & Liz
Hi, we’re Mike and Liz! We are fun-friend-family-loving foodies who are excited to adopt our first child. We feel lucky we met each other and have grown a strong partnership to support each other and our loved ones. We work hard in biotech and medicine (Mike is a scientist and Liz is a pediatrician) and though we’re different in many ways, we make a great team who bonded through our love of gardening and cooking. We hope to meet you and would love to learn more about you and your child!
Our Story
How we met, as told by Mike: Liz’s sister likes to say that our “eyes locked over a Bunsen burner in the lab.” It didn’t happen quite like that, but we did meet in a biochemistry research lab when I was getting my PhD and Liz was a part-time research tech while she prepared for medical school. Some of my classmates set us up on a blind date to go watch the opening day of baseball. While neither of us like baseball that much, the beginning of each season reminds us of our first date!
As a couple we enjoy:
• Gardening (like crazy!)
• Morning coffee walks through our property to see what’s blooming or growing
• Cooking for dinner parties at our home (especially Texas brisket or making thin crust pizzas with veggies from our garden!)
• Walking our dogs
• Going to Gulls ice hockey games with Pops (Liz’s dad, Phil)
• Salsa dance lessons
• Traveling to visit family in Pheonix, Canada, Cape Cod, and Texas
• Hikes
• Attending concerts with friends
A Little About Liz
Mike says: Liz is an incredible multi-tasker who is kind, loving, and one of the hardest working people I know. Her patients and coworkers appreciate her care and concern at the hospital. Liz is also outgoing and can be quirky, fun, talkative, and spontaneous too! She will be an amazing mother because she already cares deeply about her family and is always thinking of how to love on them. Plus, since Liz is a pediatrician, our child will always have fantastic healthcare!
Liz’s interests:
• Gardening (the biggest plant nerd!)
• Exercise
• Reading books (huge book worm!)
• Singing and playing the flute
• Learning new languages
• Decorating our home
A Little About Mike
Liz says: Mike is steady, calm, organized, patient, and a great leader. He works hard and enjoys the contributions his career makes to changing medicine and the way illness can be diagnosed or treated. My husband is kind and will make a loving, devoted, and very involved dad.
Mike’s interests:
• Landscaping and planting an edible garden
• Playing and watching ice hockey
• Cooking (especially on the smoker!)
• Home brewing
• Science and technology
Family Life
We love having Liz’s father, Phil (“Pops”) living with us. He is very sweet and loves people. In the past, Pops went through some things that caused him mild mental limitations, and he moved in with us so we could help him in this season of his life. He’s very independent and loves to tell stories, read books, or help in the garden. It will be such a treasure to raise a child with Pops at home with us.
There’s a common theme in both our families that surround cooking, gardening, and music. When we’re together, everyone helps make meals and takes pride in sharing what we make with those we love. Mike’s parents and brother live in Arizona, so it’s an easy drive to visit each other. Liz’s sister’s family is out in north Texas and we enjoy visits with our two nieces to cook or bake together. Liz’s mom was one of 11 siblings, so we have lots of loved ones on her side scattered around the U.S. Every 2 years Liz’s extended family gathers in Cape Cod for a big family reunion.
Our Home in California
It’s true that the weather in Southern California is great! We also love our cozy, family-like neighborhood. We specifically purchased this home because of its incredible yard on a half acre. So far we have planted several fruit trees to add to the citrus trees that were already on the property. We have also planted a vegetable and herb garden, along with concord grapes to continue the family tradition of making grape juice.
Our 4 bedroom home is located just outside downtown, in a quiet community with amazing neighbors who really care about each other. Our backyard “Good Times Grotto” has a large workshop shed, an outdoor fireplace, and barbecue area, as well as space to sit by the grapevines. It’s peaceful here, with beautiful views of the mountains and nature’s beauty.
Pets: We have 3 little white dogs! Chaucer, Max, and Shaemus are Coton De Tulear dogs, and we love this breed because they are smart, sweet, snuggly, very soft, and they don’t cause allergies. Our pups are great with people and will be such fun companions for our child to grow up with.
Thoughts from Our Hearts...
We dream of making memories as parents and helping our child become who they are meant to be. It would be an honor and joy to welcome your child into our family! We will teach our child to work hard, be grateful, love themselves and love others more, and to discover their gifts so they can share them with the world. We will help him or her to learn to balance fun and responsibility, and to appreciate food, family, and the beauty around them. We will parent with Christian values and show them how to find God in all things.
We promise your child will grow up with lots of silly songs, hugs, and bedtime stories. It’s important to us to provide every educational opportunity this child will need to reach their potential and dreams. We plan to send our children to Catholic school, as well as to teach problem solving and life skills.
If you want an open adoption, we’d love to embrace a connection you’re comfortable having with us, such as with email, phone calls, or visits. We hope to hear what you have in mind! We understand adoption is full of mixed experiences and emotions, and we hope you know you are prayed for and loved as you move through this decision. Your child will always know who you are, how much you mean to us, and how we all came together this way.
We’re beyond thankful to be considered as adoptive parents for your child. To talk with us, please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.
Learn More About Mike & Liz
| Mike | Liz | |
|---|---|---|
| Our Education | Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics | Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Our Professions | Research & Development Scientist | Pediatrician in the ER and Children's Cardiac Unit |
| Stay-At-Home | No, but sometimes I do work from home | No |
| Our Racial Background | Caucasian | Caucasian |
| Some of Mike & Liz's Favorites | ||
| Movie | Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | Life is Beautiful |
| Book | Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers | Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett (I have so many favorite books!) |
| Pets | Dogs! | Doggies |
| Food to Cook | Texas Smoked Brisket | Pizza with roasted artichokes |
| Sport or Exercise | Ice Hockey | Lifting weights or hiking |
| Weekend Activity | Gardening in our yard | Gardening or dinner parties |
| Flower | Iris | Roses |
| More About Our Family | ||
| Why We're Hoping to Adopt | (As told by Liz) We’ve wanted to raise a family for many years. After completing our degrees and starting our careers, we stepped in to help my parents during a challenging time. Along the way we became caregivers for my father, had a sudden job shift, and moved from Texas (where we met and went to college!) to Southern California. When things started to settle down, we began trying to have a baby and have not been able to get pregnant. Adoption was something we’ve talked about for a long time, even before we had challenges conceiving. It’s hard to say why our stories go the way they go sometimes, but we trust God has gotten us here so far, and that He’s been leading us to adoption through it all. We’re excited to start a new season as parents! | |
| What Matters to Us | We value family, honesty, hard work, generosity, and service. Together we attend a Catholic church nearby and lead a church-based dinner club called “Divine Diners.” We believe in a God who loves us despite our flaws and gives us the grace we need at all times. We also believe in the value of life and that everyone should be treated with respect, no matter who they are or what they’ve been through. It’s important to us to be mindful with money, to manage the time, talents, and blessings God has given us, and to laugh at ourselves when we mess up. | |
| Adoption in Our Family | Our whole family is behind us in our journey to adopt a child. Liz has a very unique insight into adoption through her sister’s story as a birth mother. Years ago, Liz’s sister placed a baby for adoption and today that little girl is an amazing young woman who has grown up with adoptive parents who are just perfect for her. Their story reminds us that God has good plans, even when the unexpected happens. Because of her sister’s experience, we both are wholeheartedly open to an ongoing connection with our future child’s biological parent or family. | |
| Fun Facts | About Us: Mike is originally from Canada and Liz is from Texas! We both went to college, met, and got married in Texas too. Mike: Having lived in Texas for 11 years I fell in love with Texas style BBQ. I’ve now mastered how to smoke beef brisket, ribs, and pork shoulder. My friends and family know that if you get invited to a BBQ at our house they will get to taste some amazing meat! Liz: I collect way too many scarves and coffee mugs. Once in high school, I was the silly mascot for an HEB grocery store back home. When I get the chance, I also like to mentor women with financial struggles and help family members navigate the healthcare system when they have an issue. | |
| We Prefer a Child Who Is... | ||
| Age of Child | Newborn up to 4 years old | |
| Twins | Yes | |
| Gender | Either boy or girl | |
| Sibling Group | Yes, up to 4 years old | |
| In Closing | ||
We're very grateful for your time to consider us as adoptive parents for your child. It would be a blessing to connect with you, answer any questions, and to learn more about you and your child. We have hoped to raise a family for many years and it's exciting to be in this process to adopt! We value family and education and look forward to creating memories as first-time parents. We want to honor and celebrate our child's background and how we came together, with you, through adoption. In our family, your child will always know how much you mean to us. To talk or set up a video chat, just ask Lifetime about us! |
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