We understand if you’re reading this you have an incredible decision that is before you.  We want you to know that although it will LITERALLY be our most memorable event to date we are extremely compassionate to your situation at hand.

With that being said, here is a quick synopsis about us

Scott & I met 16 years ago at a restaurant where we were both waiting tables as we were finishing up college. The truth of the matter is it took me a bit to warm up to Scott at first, which has now been a longstanding joke between family and friends. Scott graduated with a BA in criminal justice but chose the field of IT where he and his partner, Seth, successfully run their own business since 2003. I have a degree in Court Reporting, which is the career that I studied for and now have been working in as a freelancer for the last 15 years. Although my career over the past 15 years has brought me professional and personal satisfaction we both are looking forward to me starting my new role as a stay-at-home mom.

We dated a few years, got engaged in December of 1997 where he proposed by putting, Renee, will you marry me in the menu of one of our favorite restaurants; of course, I accepted. We were married April 30, 1999. We have been married now for 12 years.

We purchased our first home in Mercer County in 1998. In the year 2000 Scott rescued a dog named Kobi. She was my Christmas present that he gave me on Christmas morning. She is now 11 years old and spry as can be, she just exudes coolness! In 2005 we decided that we wanted to move to a larger home with some additional land, this leads us to our current home again in Mercer County. Our house sits on 3 plus acres.  We figured we had all this land why not rescue another dog, so in 2006 along came Oliver.  Oliver is now four years old and he is goofy and fun and fits right in to our family. In 2009 we were fortunate enough to purchase a second home with Scott’s parents at the Jersey Shore – yes, the one you hear about all the time! The summer months we spend at the beach with family and friends. We both have a lot of extended family in the area as well so they’re plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins to be found. You can imagine the barbecues going on. It’s definitely a place for past, present and future memories to be made. I don’t think there’s a weekend that goes by that we are not entertaining or being entertained.

Speaking of enjoyable things, one of my Loves is to cook. Scott picks out recipes from TV, magazines – basically wherever he can find them for me to cook up something new or different. There’s nothing I won’t try, even if it doesn’t turn out to be worthy of my cookbook. I made my own cookbook of family and friends recipes, which I’m constantly adding to. Scott enjoys cooking also and is an excellent cook in his own right, so we find ourselves in the kitchen trying to expand our culinary creations. Dinnertime is a very important time of day for us, it’s where we can relax and reminisce to each other about the day. I also enjoy gardening, and with the size of our property I’m always learning something. I won’t lie but I also love to shop – there is just something about the challenge of finding a good bargain that makes me smile. I like to kick back with a good book, whenever I can since reading is a big part of my job, and share in switching books among friends.

Scott is a HUGE soccer fan – well, let’s get something straight, he’s a Huge sports fan, so as he enjoys football, baseball, basketball his passion is soccer. He also is an assistant coach for one of the local high school boys’ soccer team. Scott starts his day – every day – in the gym at 5:30 a.m. He probably reads at least a book a week, if not two. Oh, and he won’t use a Kindle – he likes the good old-fashion don’t bend the pages book.

Together we enjoy the simple things, barbecuing, bike riding, riding on the quad, taking the dogs for long walks. We love the theatre and concerts – we enjoy ALL kinds of music. We also have had the opportunity to travel and have been to many great places throughout our 12 years together. We play tennis – not good, but we make an effort and laugh the whole time. We are also total beach bums, relaxing from the crazy workweek.

We are constantly getting together with “close friends” which consists of a quite a large group of people that we consider our family. We’re not just talking about people you meet in your later years of life, although that is wonderful too, we are blessed with childhood-based, growing up together, we knew since we were five years old group of  friends. We have shared in Weddings, births of many babies, divorces and just life-long trial and tribulations. They are a strong core of who we are today.

With that, let’s talk immediate family. Scott has one sister, Kim, who is 35 years old and in a relationship with her partner Kelly. I have one full sister, Noelle, who is 35, married to Joe (high school sweetheart by the way) and is now expecting their first child – no, children. Twin boys that are due May of 2011. Our child will have the benefit of two boy cousins to play, love and grow-up together with. I have two half-sisters, Tina and Andrea, and one half-brother, Anthony; three nieces and two nephews. In all honesty it hasn’t been the most “traditional” situation but I wouldn’t change the dynamics that makes us all the modern family.

 Scott’s parents Bob and Linda have been married now for – well, a lot of years and they are patiently anticipating their first grandchild, or two or three, whatever the future holds. My mom, Donna, has been widowed now since 2003. She was married to Robert (a father-figure to Renee and Noelle) for 16 years. She also has been patiently awaiting a grandchild, and even though she’s going to have two, it’s just not enough

We are extremely close to our parents and siblings. We see each other – well, in the summertime every weekend. We also live close to our immediate family and are always popping in or making plans to be together. I know this is going to sound like a cliché but we couldn’t have become who we are without them. They are our mentors and confidants. We get our strength and perseverance from them. They should be proud as they have taught us well and our goal is to bring those same values to our child/children.

Traditions

 We “all” spend the holidays together and some of the traditions that have been developed over the years are the annual Thanksgiving cook-off between sisters. We really mean business when Noelle & I are preparing our birds. However, they both always come out tasty and we usually call a truce.  Scott & I host an annual Christmas Eve Open House. We’re in our eleventh year now. We look forward to it every year; it’s the best way to start off the Christmas season. We never know who will be walking through our door, but everyone is welcome. Even Santa has made an appearance some years!

I hope this sheds some light on who are and what we are about. We are simple, hard-working people that haven’t yet been blessed with child/children. We do have a wonderful family and are thankful every day for the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.  

Again, Scott & I both realize that you are faced with a most difficult decision. We can only speak to you from our hearts and let you know that having a family of our own has been our prayer since the beginning of our relationship. We will not only Love the child/children with everything we have but will instill honorable values like our parents have instilled in us. I know we will be great parents because we were taught from the best, our parents.

Despite whether your choice of giving us the privilege to provide the loving care of raising him/her or your choice of another family that have been patiently awaiting and dreaming of the day too that their family will start, Scott & I wish you the very best in life’s endeavors