MARK & KATHLEEN. A brief introduction to us, our families and friends.

Transcription

1 MARK & KATHLEEN A brief introduction to us, our families and friends.

2 Dear Birthparents, We want to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about us. We have been married for 3 years now and are looking forward to the opportunity to expand our family. We have always believed we would be parents and that belief has lead us to the path of adoption. We admire your courage and strength in making this difficult decision to plan an adoption for your child. We can only imagine how challenging this decision is and how much you love your child. We hope this book gives you an idea of who we are and what our lives are like and the kind of parents we could be for your child. Mark & Kathleen

3 2008 BCS Championship Game I am a pediatric nurse practitioner and h a ve d e v o te d m y l i f e t o t h e c a r e o f children and their families. I love my patients and the role I have in keeping t h e m a s h e a l t h y a s p o s s i b l e. I l o ve being around children and have always i m a g i n e d I w o u l d h a ve a c h i l d o f m y own some day. In addition to work and spending t i m e w i t h f a m i l y a n d f r i e n d s, I l o ve t o t r a ve l! I h a ve b e e n f o r t u n a te t o find a husband who likes to travel as we l l. I e n j o y o u t d o o r a c t i v i t i e s l i k e hiking and zip lining, as well as being a r e g u l a r p r a c t i t i o n e r o f B i k r a m y o g a. I n a d d i t i o n, M a r k a n d I l o ve c o l l e g e sports! I am a Florida Gator and Mark i s a F l o r i d a S t a te S e m i n o l e! We e n j o y attending games when we can. Pediatric Nurse Practicioner, ARNP, DNP Ziplining in Manuel Antonio, Cost Rica University of Florida Football Game

4 About Kathleen, From Mark Kathleen is my soul partner in life. She is dedicated and a hard worker taking care of and guiding children through life. While excelling in her education, Kathleen is well rounded in other things in life as well. Her desire to continue learning new things and experiencing other cultures is what makes me look forward to growing old together with her. Maid of Mist, Niagara Falls New York Those that know Kathleen will all agree that she will be a fantastic parent. She has interacted with children in a variety of settings and children absolutely love her - several of which travel up to an hour to see her at work. Challenge Course at Barrie, Canada Graduation, Doctor in Nursing

5 Ziplining in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica Balance is the key to my life! A s a n e n t r e p r e n u e r a n d b u s i n e s s c o n s u l t a n t, I a m b l e s s e d to have the opportunity to help small businesses owners to grow their companies. This is a challenging and rewarding career that has taken me across America and internationally to work with individuals in the garment decorating industry. I c a n h o n e s t l y s a y t h a t I e n j o y w a k i n g u p i n t h e m o r n i n g a n d going to work. As hard as I work, I make sure that I make sure there is p l a y t i m e o n t h e s c h e d u l e e a c h we e k. I e n j o y t r a ve l i n g a n d learning about different places. Being raised in Boy Scouts, I have come to appreciate time being active in the outdoors doing things like hiking up waterfalls and zip lining through jungles. I have been a life-long fan of the Florida State Seminoles, but enjoy going to any college and professional sports games. I also love going on our weekly date night with Kathleen - my wife and best friend.

6 About Mark, From Kathleen M a r k i s m y b e s t f r i e n d. H e a n d I h a ve e n d l e s s t h i n g s t o t a l k a b o u t a n d e n j o y m a n y of the same activities. He is a hard worker a n d n e ve r g i ve s u p! H e i s a l w a y s s u p p o r t i ve o f m e a n d t h i n g s t h a t a r e i m p o r t a n t t o m e. M a r k w i l l b e a g r e a t d a d b e c a u s e h e i s l o v i n g, p a t i e n t, k i n d, a n d s i l l y t o o! M a r k i s t h e b a l a n c e i n m y l i f e a n d h a s t a u g h t m e t o n o t b e t o o s e r i o u s a n d e n j o y l i f e t o t h e fullest! FESPA 2013 in London, England Challenge Course, Brevard, Florida Niagara Falls, Canada My Wedding Day Bodyguards Rappeling in Manuel Antonio Pearl Harbor, Honululo Hawaii

7 Th e C h a p e l The Arrival! Our Wedding Party

8 Our Parents and Us The Ceremony Leaving the Church

9 Mark s Family Wa l te r a n d J u d y h a ve b e e n m a r r i e d f o r o ve r 4 5 ye a r s. Wa l te r g r e w u p i n S t. A u g u s t i n e a n d m o ve d t o O r l a n d o a s a te e n a g e r. J u d y g r e w u p i n D a y t o n, O h i o a n d m o ve d t o F l o r i d a after graduating high school. Mike is married to Allyson and they have two daughte r s - E m m a a n d L i l a. M a r y i s m a r r i e d t o K e n a n d a l s o h a s t w o d a u g h te r s - S a m a n t h a a n d C h r i s t i n a. M a tt i s a b a c h e l o r, b u t h o p e s t o start his own family one day as well. Mark is the third child of the four. G r o w i n g u p i n a l a r g e f a m i l y o f 6, e ve r y d a y w a s a n a d ve n t u r e. We we r e a c t i ve i n o u r c h u r c h a n d i n t h e S c o u t i n g C o m m u n i t y. A l l t h e s o n s r e c e i ve d t h e r a n k o f E a g l e S c o u t and Mary received the Gold Award. We traveled all over the United States visiting hist o r i c a l p l a c e s a s a f a m i l y w h i l e g r o w i n g u p. We h a ve a l l r e m a i n e d c l o s e a n d r e g u l a r l y s e e each other at holidays and family events. Older Brother Mike & His Family Younger Brother Matt & Girlfriend Michael, Walter, Mark, Judy, Mary & Matt Sister Mary & Her Family

10 Jimmy and His Family in Yokusuka, Japan Mary Ellen, James, Missy, Kathleen and Jimmy Kathleen, Missy and Jimmy Kathleen s Family J a m e s a n d M a r y E l l e n h a ve b e e n m a r r i e d f o r o ve r 4 5 ye a r s. Th e y h a ve o n e s o n a n d two daughters, Kathleen being the youngest. Jimmy and his wife, Lynn have one d a u g h te r, C a r o l i n e a n d t w o s o n s, A n d r e w a n d Pe te r. M i s s y a n d h e r h u s b a n d, S te ve h a ve t w o s o n s, E r i c a n d Th o m a s. F a i t h, f a m i l y, a n d e d u c a t i o n we r e t h e f o u n d a t i o n o f o u r h o m e a s c h i l d r e n a n d c o n t i n u e t o b e t h e c o r e o f o u r g r o w i n g f a m i l y. Thomas & Eric Kathleen s Family Reunion 2011

11 Our Family Home We live in a quiet, small neighborhood at the end of a cul-de-sac. Our home has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and we have redone most of the inside ourselves. We have a large backyard which will be a great place for kids to play in. Behind us is a natural preserve with an abundance of wildlife that is truly rare to find in the city. Our Family Home Our neighbors are very friendly and there are other small children in the neighborhood as well. Both the elementary and middle schools are fairly new and well respected. Our Backyard & Natural Preserve

12 Kitchen Family Room For approximately the past 5 years, we have slowly worked on remodeling the inside and outside of our lovely home. It has been a lot of work, but we have helped to create a very warm and peaceful home to live in. We laid both the tile in the kitchen and the hardwood flooring in the living room ourselves. Might not sound like a large feat for some people, but they are tasks that we are very proud of. Our plans are to turn our spare bedroom into a nursery when we are blessed to adopt a baby. Spare Bedroom / Future Nursery

13 Kathleen s 2009 Birthday Trip Mark, Thad and Jen at Wrigley Stadium Our Friends With friends all are family, with family all are friends! As stated above, our friends are an extension of our family. We a r e f o r t u n a te t o h a ve a g r e a t n e t w o r k o f f r i e n d s f r o m many different backgrounds. We enjoy spending time with our friends at events like weddings, graduations, sporting events, and birthdays. Kathleen is also the Godmother for our closest friends son - Conor. We look forward to spending more time with our current friends in the future and creating new friends as well. Kathleen, Mark, Loreeen & Brandon

14 Sean & Bella FL Keys Trip 2009 Kathleen s Godson s Baptism Francis, John, Victoria, Mike, Anne & Gary

15 Zip Lining 2011 UF vs. LSU Football Game Lake Tahoe 2010 UF vs. LSU Football Game Beach Weekend 2010

16 Summer Scavenger Hunt, Orlando, FL Francis & Jon s Wedding, 2010 Bevard Zoo 2012

17 Riu Hotel Ochos Rios, Jamacia S t. Pe te B e a c h Ocho Rios, Jamacia Our Travels We h a ve b e e n f o r t u n a te e n o u g h t o d o a lot of travel since meeting! We have e x p l o r e d s e ve r a l m a j o r A m e r i c a n c i t i e s a s well as several foreign countries. Travel i s s o m e t h i n g we e n j o y d o i n g t o g e t h e r and is a reward for our hard work. New York City, NY Central Park, New York City Chicago, Illionsis

18 Notre Dame, Paris Arc de Triomphe, Paris Eiffel Tower, Paris Cardona, Spain Paris, France FC Barcelona Stadium Barcelona, Spain

19 Waterfall in La Fortuna, Costa Rica Arenal, Costa Rica Arenal, Costa Rica Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Hanging Bridge at Arenal Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

20 King s Luau, Hawaii Hanauma Bay in Honolulu, Hawaii Bluejays Game in Toronto, Canada Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii Niagara Falls, Canada Diamond Head Volcano in Honolulu, Hawaii Niagara Falls, USA

21 We hope that these pictures helped you to learn a little bit more about us, our lives together, our families, a n d o u r f r i e n d s. We l o o k f o r w a rd t o e x p a n d i n g o u r l i ve s w i t h a c h i l d. Thank you for looking at our profile and for making the brave decision to share your child through adoption.