to learn more! - Adoption Support Center

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Evan and Shannon
Dear Birth Couple,
We want to thank you for taking the time to learn more about us as
you consider adoption for your family! We have been a
couple since college and married since 2009. We are parents
through adoption to our 3-year-old son, Gavin. We enjoy an
open adoption with his birth mother and her family even
though she lives in another state. We enjoy visiting with
them every year, phone calls, video chats, sending cards,
pictures, and artwork Gavin has done. It is our hope and
dream to add another baby to our family through adoption
and Gavin is excited to be a big brother! We would love to
meet you and share an open adoption with you, through
letters, pictures, and visits.
Just like with Gavin, we plan to raise the baby in a fun,
loving, and open home! We plan to openly share who you
are and the brave, sel!ess decision you made out of love for
them. We hope to be able to share with them who you are
and where they come from! Our families and friends are so
very excited about adding to our family through adoption and very
supportive of the relationships we gain in the process.
We hope our pro"le gives you a good idea of who we are and the
kind of family we are! Thank you for your courage and strength and
considering us as the family for your baby.
God Bless You,
Evan and Shannon
© 2016 Adoption Support Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Shannon
As a child, I really enjoyed being creative. I liked to dance, write, and
draw. I would take as many art classes as I could in school and during
the summer. Our home was the home everyone in the neighborhood
would come to and play. My mom’s house is still the social point for
all the family. They live out in the country and have a pond for
swimming and "shing.
Growing up, I enjoyed having friends over for sleepovers to listen to
music, talk, and play games. I still enjoy being creative by decorating
our home, doing projects, and being creative with Gavin. Sports,
especially football, are important in our home. Music is also
something we enjoy and there is usually music playing all the time.
I love being social and spending time with friends and family. Evan
and I really enjoy having people over for cookouts or game nights
and holidays.
Evan
As a kid I played about every sport. I was really good at football and
played center. We did baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming,
karate, etc. We were active all the time. Vacations were usually
spent in a cabin somewhere. We spent a lot of time on lakes in boats,
swimming, and "shing. We would also go hiking and camping in the
various state parks around where we lived. We did go to Florida a
handful of times to visit my uncle. We still visit them when we go to
Florida to visit Gavin’s birth mother. I still enjoy getting out in the
woods with my dad and brother.
Shannon and I are both football fans and we root for the Colts. We
also watch college ball and I’m working on getting Gavin to root for
Notre Dame. I am also a basketball fan and follow IU. Music-wise I
like older rock mostly, stu# from the 60s 70s and 80s. I am a history
bu# and really like to watch documentaries and period pieces. I am
interested in German culture and language and can still hold a good
conversation in German.
Gavin
Gavin is so full of joy and personality! He is very active and social. He
makes friends wherever he goes, and loves to laugh and make other
people laugh. He loves to climb, jump, run, and play. He loves all
things that “go”: trucks, cars, planes, etc. He is very interested in
learning how things work and "guring them out. He loves gadgets,
remotes, tools, and puzzles.
Gavin also loves babies, and he helps his babysitter take care of the
two babies at the same daycare by helping her get diapers, toys, and
blankets. If they cry, he wants to help comfort them. It’s been our
greatest joy raising him and being his parents!
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Shannon’s thoughts
about our relationship
There is a lot to admire about Evan! He is very driven and hardworking. He continues to succeed at his job He is so very intelligent
and strives to continue to learn each day. Evan has a kind heart and
would do anything for his family and friends. He cares deeply for
others and it shows in his interactions with them. He is very
supportive of his family and they remain close. I always knew he
would be a great father, and he shows how great of a dad he is each
day with Gavin! He is always playing with Gavin and has always been
“hands on” when caring for him. You can "nd Gavin and Evan playing
outside with cars, games, or play wrestling. Evan is good at
comforting Gavin when he is upset or caring for him when he is sick.
I chose Evan to marry because I knew that we would continue to be
best friends. I can be myself around him and count on him to support
me when things are going well or when things are di$cult. I knew
that he would be an amazing father to our children and he proves
that daily! I knew that he was mature enough to make good
decisions for himself and his family. He is faithful, loving, and caring.
He pushes me to reach my goals and helps me in areas that are not
my strengths. I can’t imagine life without him and there is no one I
would rather be married to and have a family with!
Evan’s thoughts
about our relationship
Shannon and I are best friends. We love spending time together
and truly enjoy one another’s company. We laugh constantly and
are pretty goofy. We both understand one another’s strengths and
work together as a team. Saturday mornings we clean the house
and dance around while listening to music. We communicate well
and never go to bed without resolving any di#erences. We like to
cook together, go to movies, go for walks, anything really! I married
Shannon because I can’t imagine not being with her. She supports
me, encourages me, loves me, and humors me. She makes me
better. I know she will always be there for me and I will be for her.
No matter what’s going on in life, Shannon is my partner.
Shannon is a phenomenal mother. She is great with Gavin and I love
seeing them together. She enjoys playing with him, teaching him,
and making sure he knows how much he is loved, not just by us,
by his birth family as well.
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Fun Facts
• Getting together to bake is a big Christmas tradition with
Shannon’s family.
• We enjoy swimming & "shing at Shannon’s mom’s pond.
• Shannon’s mom has a garden with pumpkins. Gavin gets to pick
out his pumpkin from Grandma’s garden.
• Thanksgiving weekend is all about family and football. We are
all Michigan fans, but now Shannon’s sister cheers for Ohio State.
There is a big competition between the two over Thanksgiving!
• Evan, his brother, & cousin had a “garage band” in high school.
They weren’t very good, but had a lot of fun.
• Evan’s dad lives on a mini farm and has goats, chickens, rabbits,
and pigs. Gavin loves to visit.
• We enjoy vacations to Florida where we get to visit with Gavin’s
birth family.
Shannon
Born:
Height:%%
%
%
Complexion:
Hair / Eyes:
Religion:
Education:% %
%
Occupation:
Mat/Pat Leave:
1984
5’ 8”% %
%
%
Fair
Blonde / Blue
Christian
Master’s Degree%
Social Worker
Yes, 3 months
Evan
%
%
1983
6’ 1”
Fair
Brown / Blue-Hazel
Christian
Master’s Degree
Team Manager
Yes
We have been married since 2009. We have one son, Gavin,
adopted at birth in 2013. We also share our home with Brewtus,
a lovable English Bulldog.
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Home and Community
We live in a suburb of a major city. We are close enough to enjoy all
the city has to o#er, but out in an area we love! Our home is in a very
family friendly neighborhood that holds a number of activities
during the year such as movie nights, block parties, and fall
and summer festivals. Our home is two stories and has three
bedrooms and a loft. There is a playroom on the main !oor.
We have a large fenced in backyard where we spend most of
our time as a family. Our neighborhood has walking paths
throughout and a large park and swimming pool for us to use.
We enjoy swimming in the smaller toddler pool during the
summer! The elementary school is right down the street from
our neighborhood and is a very good school! The district
provides an excellent education and the schools
are highly rated.
Why Adoption?
We had planned on having biological children and also adopting.
When we weren’t able to get pregnant, we went to our doctor who
referred us to a specialist. After a number of tests and procedures,
we realized were unable to have children on our own and knew
right away that we would adopt. We began the adoption process
the "rst time in January of 2013. A week after our home study was
complete, we got a call that we were matched with our son Gavin’s
birth mother.
Thank you for considering us!
A note from Gavin’s birthmom, Alexis
I, too, went through the process of picking out the perfect parents
for my handsome little man, and I can say that I got lucky. I honestly
think that I couldn’t have made a better decision. Evan and Shannon
are both so patient with Gavin. They teach him right from wrong;
they’ve taught him amazing manners; he plays well with others;
he’s great with babies.
They have kept their promises to me and I enjoy letters and pictures
as well as the chance to visit with them so Gavin and my son will
always know each other. Our relationship is one I’ll cherish for the
rest of my life.
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