NOVA SCOTIA ADOPTION PROFILE - RENÉE AND JEREMY

CONTACTS:

If you prefer, you can contact our Adoption Practitioner, Barbara Darby:
Tel: 902-832-0608
Email: bdarby@gillisassociates.ca

A Warm Greeting...

Welcome to our family! We wanted you to get to know the real us and have written and rewritten this letter while deciding what to share with you. What do you say to someone you haven't yet met, but will play such a big part in your life? How do you express your admiration to someone, who out of love chooses life for their baby? What do you say to a person who will deliver to you your dreams and your future? What words could we write that would capture the emotion and gratitude that we feel? We decided to simply write what is in our hearts and be as transparent as we can.

To us adoption is an amazing act of love and we are so grateful that you are considering us as adoptive parents. We realize that while reading about us, you are faced with many choices right now. We can’t presume to know how you feel but we do know that this must be one of life’s hardest decisions.

We hope as you read through our story that you will discover a little more about us and what life for your baby might look like if you do choose adoption, and us as adoptive parents.

OUR STORY

How We Met

Jeremy and I bumped into each other while volunteering at a local downtown shelter. We were both helping serve juice to our guests and Jeremy asked me the question every girl wants to hear, “Can I help you pour juice?” We soon came to realize how much we had in common and how well we complement each other. From the first date, it was easy, natural and everything we had hoped to find in another person. We were married within a year in 2004 and had a small ceremony with our closest friends and family.

Our Marriage

We have been married for almost six years...We treat our marriage as an equal partnership and we are best friends, as well as husband and wife. Our friendship is the foundation of our relationship, and our love is built on mutual trust, honest communication, understanding, faith, compassion, and the ability to laugh at ourselves (and one another). We respect each other and know we can depend on each other. We are thankful everyday that we found the person we’re supposed to spend the rest of our lives with and we are committed to going the distance through the ups and downs of life - side-by-side as a team. In a nutshell, we’re a down-to-earth, creative and happy couple living the everyday life and we can't wait to share our home and our love with a little one.

What Led Us to You

Life has a course and sometimes you end up where you never saw yourself being but it is in these moments that we discover new things about ourselves and grow even stronger. Although we are very happy together and doing well in life, there is a big hole in our lives. We already have a place in our hearts and home for this child. Our hearts have been broken after many years of infertility and we know some of the pain of letting go of a baby. We have always talked of having children since the first day we met, (we think 2-3) but after a few years of trying and loss, we could not start a family of our own. We took some time to grieve our loss and have since embraced a new dream for our family which is just as fulfilling to our hearts ~ Adoption! When we made the decision to adopt, it was after much prayer and contemplation. We wanted to be sure to adopt a baby for the right reasons: we want this child to know that he or she was never a “Plan B.” We decided to adopt because we want to love and raise a child, no matter how he or she arrives in our family.

We are open to adopting one baby or twins with or without minor special needs. We have friends who have adopted and have seen firsthand the incredible miracle of adoption.

ABOUT RENÉE AND JEREMY

Meet Renée!

I like the every day things and I am grateful for what I have. My family provided for my needs but we didn’t have the extras and frills and I understand and appreciate the financially secure and abundant life I live now. To me living right is about being honest, as well as kind, to those around me and showing a lot of grace when others let me down because I’m not perfect either. I feel it's important to take care of my health so I may be the best wife and future mom I can be! Family means a lot to me and I feel raising and loving a child is such a gift!

Some of my favorite things are: singing in the shower (hopefully on key) and music, activities with my family and friends, sitting on the beach and listening to the waves, scrap-booking, baking, trying new things, such as a dance class or getting dirty in the garden. I also like to learn and have taken up French classes and sewing. I like reality shows such as American Idol, crime dramas like Law and Order and Raising the Bar and medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Trauma and Mercy (just to name a few)! It is important to me to have nutritious meals and when I become a Mom I aim to keep a healthy perspective on food choices but also leave some room for treats. I personally love spaghetti and meatballs so hopefully someday we’ll have one of those famous baby pics where they are in their highchair and have spaghetti absolutely everywhere and the bowl upside down on their head!

Renée, in Jeremy’s Words…

Some guys envision the type of girl they would like to marry when they are growing up. I can honestly say that I have exceeded my expectations. Renée is so genuine and is truly one who wears her heart on her sleeve. Renée is an extremely caring, sweet and sincere person and seems to be able to put just about anyone at ease with her friendly personality within minutes. She’s the type of person who doesn’t matter who you are, where you came from or what you got because she treats everyone the same and seems comfortable around just about anybody. Her warm smile and carefree laugh will light up a room. She is very thoughtful and brings a lot of special touches to our lives. She makes our house a home. She has a great sense of humour and is fond of nature and animals. Renée cherishes her relationships with her best friends and supports them when they need her.

Besides this, Renée is very intelligent and a hard worker yet has no problem dividing the time between work and play. I have been so proud of her for so many different things that she has accomplished. She has two masters’ degrees in Education and loves her job as a public junior high school teacher. Renée is my best friend. I love spending time with her whether its cooking supper together, grocery shopping, taking a vacation or staying in on the couch to watch t.v. We compliment each other well. Renée is very well grounded in her values but also non-judgemental and accepting of the values and beliefs of others. It is important to her that our children learn to respect the diversity and similarities of all cultures and beliefs while celebrating their own. Renée has always wanted to be a wife and mother in a loving family and I am totally convinced she will be a caring and loving mother for the new baby we hope to adopt.

Meet Jeremy!

Hi there. I am excited to be a dad and look forward to teaching my children the skills they will need in life and sharing my faith with them. I had a very loving family growing up who encouraged me along the way and that I share many great memories with. I loved fishing and camping with my family and just hanging out together. I grew up loving most sports and was fairly active all through high school. I loved to play ice or street hockey with my buddies. My summers were filled with fishing trips or camping and enjoying the outdoors.

Today I really enjoy carpentry, traveling, photography, camping, hiking, kayaking, working in the yard and quite times with a good book. I also play the guitar and love listening to all kinds of music. To me life is about cherishing each day and trying not to get too wrapped up in the business of it all. It’s important to make time for the most important things in life. Such as helping out a friend or spending fun and quiet times with family. I am looking forward to raising kids with Renée and creating lasting family memories.

Jeremy, in Renée’s Words…

Jeremy is very respectful; he loves his family and shows it in practical ways. He warms up the car for me in the winters and even helps me iron a shirt if I’m running behind. He is the type that would go to the ends of the earth for his family, or any of his close friends and he is very loyal. He is very level headed and patient, yet he is strong and stands by what he believes in, so there is no guess-work what you see is what you get - he is reliable. He is also a very kind hearted and generous person. He has provided me with love, security, and commitment over the years and was extremely supportive when I decided to go back to school for my teaching degree and later a master’s degree. On the same hand, he can be the biggest goof ball going and can get me laughing at any time; he knows how to have fun and relax. He is a fun uncle who always has time to play catch or read a book. He is very generous, non-judgmental and kind. He is my best friend and teammate who is always there for me.

Jeremy graduated from university with a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics. He has worked for the same local company in Information Technology for the last nine years as a Systems Analysis. Jeremy has a strong work ethic and seems to excel at anything he sets his mind to. He loves to work with his hands and has built many things around our home including our back deck and cabinets. Next week he’s taking on plumping! Once he decides he is going to fix something he sets out to learn all he can about it before starting. Jeremy has so many great qualities that make him such a wonderful husband and will also make him an incredible Dad.

Our Family and Friends

I (Renée) grew up in a Protestant home with my mom and older sister. My parents divorced before I was born but I got to visit with my dad, uncles, aunts and cousins for huge family dinners at my grandparent’s home every Sunday. Some of my fondest memories as a child were baking with my mom and making her famous jam-jam cookies in the family kitchen or coming home from school every day and telling her everything that happened from the moment I left till I got back! Sadly, my mom passed away when I was just twenty but she helped shape the person I am today. I got my deep faith, sense of compassion for others and strong work ethic from my mom and I hope to pass these traits on to my children someday when I become a parent. I am really close to my older sister and because we live in different parts of Canada we keep in touch through phone calls and visits through the year.

I (Jeremy) grew up in a Catholic home with my mom, stepdad, two brothers and two sisters. My youngest sister and I are really close. She is a single mom who has one little boy. They spend Christmas with us in our home and bring much happiness and joy to our lives. Like Renée, I too lost my mom when I was younger, as well as, an older brother and I value family by cherishing all the moments we have with each other. My older sister is quite a bit older than me and has five grown children.

Friends are also very important in our lives and they are very eager to love a child we bring into our home. We have been blessed with many good friends who live close by that we can go through the seasons with in life. We are also proud to serve as Godparents to two of our friends’ children.

Our Home and Community

Our home is a happy and cozy place that is only missing a child. We bought a nice size modern house a few years ago with the hope of starting a family and have spent the last few years turning it into our home sweet home. We have plenty of room for our family to grow! It has three bedrooms, a nice backyard and a big kitchen to cook family meals and make chocolate chip cookies. It is situated in a great family oriented community with lots of children and wonderful schools nearby. Renée has thoroughly enjoyed decorating our home and turning it into a warm, comfortable place for both of us and our friends and family. We have one of our extra bedrooms picked out for a nursery and can’t wait until the day it actually becomes one!

There are many hiking trails and parks in our neck of woods. We spend lots of time walking our dog, Abby. She’s a gentle Golden Retriever who turned four in January and she means the world to us. We both love animals and she is very much part of our family. She even has her own stocking hung by the fireplace at Christmas time!

We enjoy spending time out on the back deck swinging in the hammock, enjoying nature or chatting with family and friends around the enclosed fire pit. We get to see all types of wildlife out there. Jeremy tries to identify the many birds and Renée has a bit of a green thumb and looks after the three flower gardens surrounding our home. Our backyard is very large and also has a huge oak tree that would be ideal for a playhouse and is private with lots of room to play and set up a swing set and sandbox! Part of our property has a nice sloping hill that is perfect for sliding and our nephew and neighbours’ kids’ love coming over to play in the winter.

Last year our family hosted a neighbourhood barbeque where various families from our street gathered in our backyard for a huge potluck filled with music and games. We had kids everywhere and way too much food but after we cleaned up the mess and took a breath we were really happy we did it by the end of the day! We believe a child would be happy here, as they grow with playmates, friends and family in a safe, fun loving community.

Our Interests

Being from Atlantic Canada, we love the changing of the seasons and there’s no shortage of variety when wanting to make plans for a fun day out! We love to take advantage of all the wonderful things our community has to offer, museums, musicals, concerts, shopping and walks along the ocean boardwalk. We love to spend time together...being both silly and serious. We enjoy apple picking in the fall, barbecues and swimming in the summer, and skating on the pond in the winter. We also love going to sporting events, reading in bed and watching movies. We enjoy going out to eat somewhere where they have live music, going on walks through the neighbourhood and traveling. We have visited several states in the U.S., India, Belize and explored our own great Atlantic provinces. We look forward to sharing our adventures with children because there’s nothing like seeing the world through the eyes of a child!

Another of our great passions is the great outdoors and we often pack up the car and head out to a cottage or campground for a few days. Our favorite thing about camping is it forces us to be in the moment as there is no house to take care of, emails or phone calls to answer. It’s just simply being together and having fun. Whether it’s snuggling in one sleeping bag trying to keep warm, kayaking through the rivers, roasting marshmallows to make smores (yumm) or playing guitar or a game of cards under the stars, we always have a great time. We hope to someday build our own cottage and spend many weekends watching our kids running around and having fun.

Our Family Traditions

We both believe that traditions are very important for children to experience and remember. We each have many fond memories of our childhood and the traditions we experienced and we hope to continue many of them with our family.

Some of our traditions are centered on holidays and others are just around our day-to-day lives. One of our most frequent ones is our weekly pizza and movie night, which is on Fridays. We make a variety of homemade pizzas (Jeremy makes awesome pizza crusts!) rent a few movies and cuddle up on the couch with our munchies, pizza and Abby, who also gets a special big doggy treat every Friday. She would be hurt if we left her out.

Of course Christmas is rich with tradition in our house as well. Our home is the family gathering spot and we enjoy having our home filled with laughter and, of course, the smell of great turkey. We go out to a tree farm to select just the right tree while trying not to freeze and then go for hot chocolate to warm up. On Christmas Eve, we make homemade meat pie, open the oddest shaped gifts under the tree and later go for a drive to look at Christmas lights and deliver Christmas gifts to friends.

One of the traditions we hope to continue with our children is family camping. We like the crisp, clean air of the mountains, and the clear starry night skies. Camping is definitely a great way to meet other people. We have met a lot of very nice people, from all walks of life. We’ve shared many interesting stories and fun experiences around the campfires. We are eager to create more traditions with our kids that include the tooth fairy, animal shaped pancakes for supper and silly fun sleepovers with flashlight stories under our make-believe tents.

Our Thoughts on Adoption

We are so blessed to have a strong marriage, a wonderful extended family, successful careers, and a beautiful home but we long to be a Mom and Dad more than anything. We need help in making this dream come true. We realize the incredible responsibility of being parents and promise to approach parenthood with complete dedication, patience, and unconditional love.

We believe that it is important for a child to understand how they came to be part of our lives. Your child will always know he or she is adopted and your loving choice of adoption will play a strong role in his or her life story. Your child will know of your love and will understand the precious gift of life that you gave to him or her and to us as adoptive parents. Please know that you will always be an important part of your child's life. The colour of the child's hair or the sound of his or her voice - these things will forever come from you. We are comfortable developing a semi-open adoption plan and would like to work together to develop a relationship that suits you and us, while putting the child’s best interest first.

Our Vision for Parenting

Because having kids has been a challenge for us, we see having and raising children as a gift. We realize the reality of parenting is something we cannot grasp yet, but we know our family and friends and our strong faith will provide guidance through every milestone. We don’t aspire for perfection, but we do aspire to be genuine and flexible in our approach to parenting. We hope to provide a safe, fair, and loving environment in which a child can feel comfortable to be themselves and confident in knowing they will always have a welcoming home to accept them. We believe in positive reinforcement, modelling appropriate behaviour, time outs or redirection in our discipline approach rather than spankings or belittling comments. It is important that children know that while their behaviour may not always be acceptable, they will always accepted and loved no matter what.

As parents, and with Renée being a teacher, we definitely want to take an active role in our child’s education. There is so much to learn and school plays a big part, but that is only a small piece of their education. We believe it’s our responsibility to see children as unique learners and tailor our academic support to reflect their learning style. We also want to be transparent and model proper moral and ethical values through everyday teachable moments. We want learning to be fun, and our children to self-discover the possibilities that exist within them and the stars they can reach, while we love and nurture them along the way.

We will also encourage our children to participate in other activities, whether it be music, sports, arts, theatre, dance, or anything else their hearts desire. Exercise is important in a child’s life, and we will promote as much outdoor activity as possible as a family, such as playing ball in the backyard or biking together.

We will always provide for the needs of our children. We will do all we can to supply them with the tools they need to realize their dreams, and as they journey through their childhood, teen and adulthood life we will be their biggest fans cheering them on!

Thank you!

Thank you for considering us in your search and for taking the time to learn a little bit about us. We can assure you that if you chose us to raise your child, he or she will be brought up in a loving home and be part of a caring extended family. We appreciate the soul-searching that must come with reaching a decision to make an adoption plan. If we could only say one thing to you it would be that no matter what wonderful family you choose to raise your baby, we wish nothing but the best for you and your baby on this journey and with all the love and warmth in our hearts, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

We would love to hear from you and hope that you are interested in getting to know us better.

Warmly,
Renée & Jeremy

Best friends tie the knot.

A moment with Uncle Jeremy.

Celebrating at a friend's wedding.

Our big yard.

Apple picking adventures we hope to share with a child...

Just engaged, an hour ago!

Visiting the spot where we got engaged. Oh, the memories!

Renée sliding in our backard with our neighbour's kids.

Exploring Acadian history and culture in Annapolis Royal.

Jeremy had fun building the deck on the back of our home.