ONTARIO ADOPTION PROFILE - KATHARINE, BARRY AND ETHAN

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CONTACTS:

Feel free to contact us directly at:
Email: barry_katharine@rogers.com
or by phone (please call collect) at:
Tel: (519)432-1038

If you prefer, you can contact our Adoption Practitioner, Kim Gray
Tel: (519)672-0116
Email: kimgray@gtn.on.ca

We’re Barry, Katharine and Ethan – a fun-loving family who is passionate about living every day to its fullest and filling it with adventure, love and lots of laughter. We’ve been blessed to have adopted our son Ethan two years ago. It has been such an incredible and positive experience that we would like to do it all over again.

Selecting a family for your child must be the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make. Your decision to make an Adoption Plan for your child is brave and selfless. We admire your strength and our thoughts are with you as you search for the ideal family for your child.

We thank you for taking the time to learn more about us and hope this profile gives you a good sense of who we are.

All About Barry

Barry grew up in Bowsman, Manitoba, a small rural town approximately 6 hours north of Winnipeg.

He comes from a very close-knit family where adoption is very much a part of their history. In addition to our son being adopted, Barry’s sister has also adopted two children from birth.

When I met Barry I was instantly drawn to his kind eyes and smile. He exuded a confident, fun-loving energy that won me over. We’ve been married for 12 years and he is an amazing husband.

What’s even more amazing is seeing Barry as a Dad. Watching Barry and Ethan sing and dance, play dress-up, feed the ducks, and share quiet time cuddling has made me fall in love with him all over again.

To witness everyday the love between Ethan and Barry swells my heart. To be in another room and hear their laughter booming through the house makes me smile with joy.

Barry has a great sense of humour and a wonderful spirit. He is full of life and enjoys being active. Barry is very much a hands-on Dad and Ethan wouldn’t have it any other way. Ethan just can’t get enough of Daddy – whether he’s crawling on him like a jungle gym, chasing him around the yard, splashing him with water balloons, tobogganing, or listening to him read a bedtime story…the looks, the smiles, the laughs, the hugs, the kisses – it’s clear to everyone how much Barry loves us and we love him.

Barry is an outstanding Dad!

All About Katharine

The day our lives crossed paths, I knew Katharine was the one for me. I was instantly drawn to her warm smile.

Katharine grew up on a farm outside of London. She is the only girl of five siblings. Katharine is smart, funny and affectionate with a huge heart and strong character. She has always been a warm and generous person, putting the needs of her family and friends ahead of her own. Katharine has a way of making everyone feel special and always senses when someone needs an encouraging word.

From the moment Ethan wakes up bouncing in his bed greeting Mommy with a giant hug to the time he gives her a gentle kiss and drifts off to sleep, it’s so easy to see Ethan is the centre of Katharine’s world, and vice versa.

After we adopted Ethan, Katharine chose to make a career change that would allow her to stay home full-time with Ethan. She now works from home for a top-ranked dot-com company. Knowing that Katharine is home to share in all of Ethan’s firsts and his personal discoveries is truly rewarding.

Katharine has been a constant source of love, support and inner growth. As each day passes, it’s heart-warming to see “Mommy’s little shadow” learn and grow whether they’re exploring at the park, reading a book, or playing with toys and using his imagination. Katharine is a fantastic Mom!

Ethan - Our Little Man

The first time Ethan was placed in our arms, he was only minutes old. When we looked into his eyes we felt love like we had never in our lives ever experienced. Our hearts were no longer our own – they were now his.

Ethan is a happy, caring and handsome 2-year-old boy. He’s full of life, adventurous, beyond curious and is always on the move. He enjoys anything that can be done outdoors and if it means he can get dirty while doing it…all the better! Whether he’s climbing, running after squirrels in the park, playing with his trucks in the sandbox or diving into the biggest mud puddle around, the messier the better!

Ethan has a wonderful personality, fantastic laugh and a charismatic smile. He brings immeasurable joy to us and our entire families. When we are out he tends to turn heads and makes perfect strangers smile.

Adopting Ethan has been an absolutely amazing experience. He has taught us so much and changed our lives in ways we could never imagine. The enjoyment and happiness Ethan has brought us leads us to seek a brother or sister for him.

The bond siblings share is deep and unparalleled. With Ethan’s loving and caring nature, huge smile and gentle touch, we know he will make an excellent big brother…a big brother for your child to share toys, secrets, laughs, hopes and dreams with…and a big brother who is also adopted and can share in that life experience with your child as well.

Our Adoption Experience

Our lives were forever changed in November 2007 when we were contacted by Ethan’s birth family. We were blessed with Ethan’s birth a month later.

We love being parents and Ethan has brought us unlimited amounts of laughter, excitement and joy. We have truly cherished every day he has been in our lives and are proud to be entrusted to be his parents.

We share an open relationship with Ethan’s birth family and meet with different members of his birth family at various times throughout the year.

We have created a private website specifically for Ethan’s birth family which includes pictures, a weekly blog, lists of his favourite activities/books/toys/food, a list of his ever-growing vocabulary, and numerous videos which help document milestones in his life from first steps to first words and even clips of us all just goofing around.

We’re comforted knowing that Ethan’s birth family is just a click away from watching him grow and knowing exactly how he is and what he’s been busy at.

Your Adoption Plan

We appreciate the benefits of an open adoption with Ethan’s birth family. However, if an open adoption is not something that you are comfortable with, we respect and support your decision. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and hear about your hopes and dreams for your child.

What We Do For Fun

We love spending time together as a family, both at home and at play.

We enjoy being active and like to go to the beach, park, animal farm, garage sales, take neighbourhood walks and bike rides, go to the movies, play board/card/video games, and catch concerts and special events – anything that is fun and allows us to spend time together. The last concert we attended was Michael Buble and the next event we have planned is going to see The Wiggles.

When Barry has time to himself, you can often find him with a golf club in hand – Ethan can be found walking along side with his very own golf bag and clubs. Even though he swings his golf club more like a baseball bat, and his club usually flies further than his ball, he and Daddy still have a ton of fun! Barry also enjoys reading about Ancient Egypt and Astronomy; on a clear night he’s in the backyard setting up his telescope.

Katharine and her green thumb can be found working in our yard in her spare time – Ethan is right in there with his own watering can and digging in the dirt. At times Ethan’s watering can just isn’t enough and he grabs the garden hose and lets the water spray…soaking him and Mommy in the process. Katharine also enjoys baking and Ethan is the best little helper/sous chef. When making their famous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies Ethan is in charge of measuring the chocolate chips. We usually end up with more than the recipe calls for, but they’re so good.

Not all of our time together is spent being busy. We like to spend quiet time together cozying up with a good book or movie – Ethan’s choice – or spending time with family and friends.

Our Home

We have lived in London, Ontario for the past 16 years and we love it.

We feel that London is an ideal place to raise a family. It offers many opportunities for children – excellent schools, tons of parks, festivals, concerts, and fairs.

We live in a new subdivision of London which is filled with many young families. We have wonderful neighbours and have friends with young children who live only streets away.

Within walking distance of our home we have schools, a large park with plenty of green space as well as playground equipment, and a new Community Centre that once it is finished will house a library and YMCA.

Christmas and Other Celebrations

We really enjoy spending time with family and friends and are always looking for an opportunity to celebrate and have fun. Whatever the occasion – birthdays, Halloween, Christmas – we go all out.

Christmas is a particularly exciting time in our home. We’re one of those families who start the countdown to Christmas the day after Halloween. The Christmas music and movies come out of storage, we decorate a tree on each floor, bake batches of Christmas goodies throughout the season, and have a revolving door of friends and family coming and going all season long.

We get caught up in the spirit of Christmas and spending time with loved ones. Having the privilege to see Christmas through Ethan’s eyes has made it even more magical and we would love to embrace the magic of Christmas with your child.

Our Promise

We promise to raise and nurture your child in a way that you will be proud of. Just as Ethan knows the story of his birth, so will your child. We plan on sharing your child’s special story with him or her right from the beginning. We will give your child an understanding of adoption and an appreciation of your loving plan to place them with us.

Your child will have a life full of love, security and opportunities. Whatever your child’s aspirations may be, we will give them the freedom to grow and develop in the direction their dreams lead them. We will encourage your child with all of the love, support and guidance they will need to be able to achieve their dreams.

We have an endless amount of love to offer your child, and family and friends who are just as anxious to share their lives with your child as we are. We are blessed to be surrounded by love and support from our family and friends. Both of our families have given us unwavering love and support and eagerly await the arrival of your child into our home and their hearts.

We would like you to know how truly grateful we are for considering us. We hope it will give you peace knowing that we are devoted to giving your child the best life we possibly can…one filled with love, stability, opportunity, education and adventure. He or she will know from the start how we became a family and that this is truly a journey of love.

We wish you peace within your heart as you decide what is best for you and your child.

Sincerely,
Katharine, Barry and Ethan