Dear Birth Mother,

About 8 years ago, Tara was on her way to work. She had no idea that a little mishap was about to change her life. As she approached the gate to enter the parking lot, she greeted the Guard like she had for years. After he lifted the arm of the gate, he gave her the "wave" to drive through....then boom, boom, boom......the guard gate had unexpectedly dropped down onto the roof of Tara's car and bounced it's way along the car until she stopped. Of course the Guard felt terrible and Tara did her best to calm him down. Later that day, Tara received a call; a guy named Jon would be over to talk to her about paying for her car repair costs. Hmmm, she thought with a smile; he was the new guy that her friends at work had told her about - he had joined the company just a few short months before. As you might have guessed by now, that is how Jon and Tara met. Shortly after Tara's car was repaired, Jon and Tara started dating and were married 5 years ago.

Jon and Tara are both Christians. Jon is 42 years old and Tara is 43. Jon is 6'4", with brown hair, hazel eyes and medium complexion skin. Tara is 5'8" with reddish-brown naturally curly hair, blue eyes, fair skin and freckles. Growing up, Jon was an all-American boy and an all-around athlete where he played football, baseball, basketball, tennis and ran track in school. He continued this into college where he played football and baseball at the university. Tara was an athlete in her own right, playing volleyball, softball, basketball, and tennis. Both Jon and Tara continue to be active playing tennis, and Jon plays on an adult ice-hockey team with a group of friends, and also enjoys playing a round of golf. In the near future, Tara plans to learn how to golf so that Jon and Tara can golf together.

Neither Jon nor Tara is very musically inclined, although they both love to listen to music and occasionally go to concerts. As a child Jon dabbled in playing the drums and piano, but found he was better handling a ball than a musical instrument. Tara dabbled with the piano, but soon realized that this was not one of her true gifts either. J

Tara comes from a family of 4 children, having 3 brothers. Jon does not have any brothers or sisters. Tara currently has 8 nieces and nephews, ranging in age from 21 months - 17. Jon's parents will celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary this year and Tara's parents will celebrate their 50^th next year. The entire family is excited about welcoming a new child into the family. We also have a godson that will celebrate his 4^th birthday later this year.

Since we both grew up in Southern California, many of our long-time friends still live in the area. A number of them have recently been blessed with children and we enjoy being able to spend time with them and their children. Our close friends run the gamete of interests - from teachers to artists, from athletes to executives. This eclectic group of people has helped influence the type of people that we are. With the extended group of friends that we have, it is not uncommon for us to be at college football game in the fall, to a jazz festival in the spring, and to a community 4^th of July party in the summer. All of these people are caring and nurturing individuals that look forward to playmates and friends for their children.

We live in Monrovia, California - a charming city, located at the 'foothills' of the Angeles National Forest. Although we only live 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Monrovia has the look and feel of a small town. Living just east of Pasadena, our home is close to the Rose Bowl and where the annual New Year's Day Rose Parade is held.

Our historic 'Craftsman Bungalow' was built in 1928 and has many of the desirable features of an older home. We are fortunate to be able to live in an attractive area with many historic homes. Our backyard has a relaxing feel that is big enough for play and has a beautiful oak tree that must be at least 80 years old. Every morning we see the squirrels running around the large tree trunk and on its branches. In the early evening, it is not uncommon to see deer and other wildlife that have come down from the mountains to feed on the lawns and plants in our neighborhood.

When we're out for a stroll, we greet people walking their dogs, going for a bike or skateboard ride, a run or doing front yard work. Our neighbors miss visiting with our dog Shilo, who passed away three months ago after being a member of the family for 17 years. We plan to welcome another furry friend into the family in the near future. Monrovia is a great place to live and raise children; it has a small-town feel, with all of the advantages of living close to a big city. The residents are friendly and the area is rich with a variety of cultural and recreational activities that children and families can enjoy.

Early on in our relationship and marriage, we knew that parenting was something that we both wanted. Since we met later in life, we realized that having a biological child would probably be a challenge and that adoption might be how we would become parents. Sixteen months, ago, we experienced the most amazing and unselfish event in our lives when we were blessed with the adoption our son Blake. We will never forget the day when Blake's birthmother let us know that she had selected us and then when we were in the hospital to witness his birth. We keep in contact through email and photos. With Tara's interest in photography, she is always taking photos and as a result, there are some great photos to share. With his birthmother's approval, we plan to tell Blake's about his adoption story. After serious consideration, we decided that Blake would benefit from attending a small home-based day care near our home. He is thriving in the environment and is enjoying his daily interactions with 3 other children his age. If at any time we do not feel that the experience is beneficial for him, Tara will gladly become a stay-at-home mother. We both work about 3 miles from home, a rarity in Southern California. Everyone that has come into contact with Blake has commented on his happy demeanor and confidence. Others that spend time with him mention the same but also observe his love of music, his intelligence, and sense humor. We envision him being an exceptional big brother and look forward to sharing in his love for a sibling.

What we can promise, is a life filled with honesty, security, fun and unconditional love for your child. We will encourage self-confidence, optimism and respect for him/her and others. Since we both put a high value on learning and education, we plan to instill the importance of education, knowing that with our unlimited support and guidance, he/she will reach their full potential. Most importantly, we will raise your child(ren) in a Christian environment knowing God's love and compassion for all.

We recognize that it takes a special kind of love and selflessness to consider entrusting your child(ren) to adoptive parents. Know that we will never waiver from our commitment to your child or to each other. We hope that you will consider giving "our family" as a gift to your child(ren).

If you would like to learn more or to meet us, please contact our attorney, Tim Blied of the law offices of Schmiesing Blied Stoddart & Mackey at 1.800.678.6811 or send him an email at tblied@sbsmlaw.com. We had met one of Tim's daughters who told us that we just had to meet her Dad....and she was right. We had such a warm feeling when we met Tim and the amazing people that surround him; we're sure you will feel the same.

Sincerely,

Tara and Jon

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