CONTACTS:

Feel free to contact us any time at:
Email: tmadopts@yahoo.ca
or by phone (please call collect) at:
Tel: 519-933-6579

If you prefer, you can contact our Adoption Practitioner, Kim Gray
Tel: 519-672-9921
Email: kimgray@gtn.on.ca

Hello

We are Michelle and Terry, a happily married young couple who are looking forward to becoming parents through adoption. We find life can be quite interesting as you just never know what is going to happen or how various people are going to enter into your life. We can’t even imagine what you are going through at this time. Thank you for considering adoption for your baby. We are honoured that you are reading our letter and taking the time to learn about us. We hope that through our letter and pictures you will get a glimpse of the kind of loving fulfilled life we could provide for your child.

We are both very excited to start this new chapter in our lives…starting a family. Although this was not exactly how we envisioned it in those early days of our relationship, we believe and have faith that everything happens for a reason. We are thrilled to be given the opportunity to create our family through adoption.

We both look forward to establishing a relationship with you, in whatever way you feel comfortable. In the past few years, we have formed friendships with a number of adoptive families. These families all have varying degrees of open adoptions. We feel that it is very important for your child to know as much as possible about you and your family. There are many ways that we can do this. If you are interested, we would like to offer regular visits, a family blog or a Facebook page meant just for birth family, with pictures, videos and updates, or letters and pictures sent to you throughout the year. We look forward to meeting with you and discussing an adoption plan that is the perfect fit for all of us.

We are fortunate to have a friend who has been very open with us about her experience with placing her child for adoption. This has allowed us to somewhat understand how this decision and process may be for you. We would like to offer you comfort in any way that would be of support to you. We are committed to helping you feel comfortable with our relationship.

As we have been preparing our profile, we have been thinking about how we want to raise our child. We were both raised in very happy, relaxed and supportive homes. One thing that sticks out in both of our minds is the fact that we always sat down together as a family and ate dinner. Even in the busiest of times in between baseball practices and piano lessons we ate together. This was always the time of day that each of us had a turn on the “floor” as we each had a chance to discuss what was happening in our lives. This is something that we have continued to do to this day and we can see how important it is to spend this time talking and sharing with each other. We believe this is what continues to keep our families strong and will ultimately keep our family together.

Honesty, communication, and trust, are the most important part of family life to us. We can’t promise that we won’t make mistakes, what we can promise is nothing will be more important to us than our child. We will always put our whole heart into raising him or her.

Our Story

Imagine, sleeping in late, Sunday morning at your parents house and unexpected guests arrive. I threw on a bandana, sunglasses and some comfy clothes and reluctantly came out to meet friends of my parents. Little did I know at the time, two weeks prior this same couple had been golfing with Terry. Still fresh in their minds how nice they thought Terry was, they immediately decided they needed to be matchmakers. We both still laugh when we think about this couple looking at me in my somewhat grumpy, sleepy state and actually thinking that I should be matched with anyone. Within a couple days, names, numbers and a few vague details had been exchanged. Then, one night Terry made that ‘blind date’ phone call and left a message on my answering machine. Luckily I had the courage to call him back. We talked on the phone for hours that first night. I guess you could say that was the start of the rest of our lives.

We started spending more and more time together, discovering that we had tons in common. Very quickly we became best friends and knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Here we are, 6 years later and we couldn’t be happier together!

We were married at my parents' home in Grand Bend, Ontario. After our wedding, I relocated to London, Ontario where Terry had purchased a home a few years before.

Michelle, in Terry’s Words

Upon speaking with Michelle that very first phone call I could feel something was different. I knew very early on that this quite possibly could be the woman that I would spend the rest of my life with, and to be honest I couldn’t wait! We enjoy so many things together. We love to talk about our day, going for walks, creating in the kitchen or just being together and not saying a word. Time away from Michelle is uncomfortable for me; I love to see her in the morning and can’t wait to see her after work. I love her passion for life and look forward to her sharing that with a child.

Michelle cares, she genuinely cares. Whether it's friends, family or clients, Michelle is always eager to find out what’s new with you and your loved ones. Her memory is second to none and she will always follow up on the conversation from the last time you spoke. Michelle is always there in times of need and is the first to start preparations when a celebration is in order. She is a respected big sister, daddy’s little girl and great friends with her mom.

Michelle always has something fun on the go. From a young age she ice skated competitively and continued to do so into early adulthood. Early morning practices, daily routine and the discipline that was needed, taught her to make the most of her time. Michelle does not take anything for granted and never wastes a single minute. She loves to cook, entertain, scrapbook, dance and is very dedicated to early morning exercises.

Let’s just say Michelle has her act together. She knew from an early age that she wanted to be a hair stylist and pursued the dream right out of high school. She started out with college, and then learned under one of the most regarded stylists in the city. It wasn’t too long before she went out on her own and now has her own Aveda salon that currently employs eight people! Michelle is caring, passionate, thoughtful, respectful and loving. Given Michelle has all of these qualities I know she will be an outstanding mother. Whenever we visit friends or family Michelle always disappears. I am never worried though because I know exactly where she is; having fun with the children, of course! She may be in front of the bathroom mirror with our 12 year old nieces teaching them how to curl their hair, or upstairs in 6 year old Raine’s room playing dress up with all her barbies. If I still can’t find her it means she has found a brand new box of crayons and has convinced one of the kids to lie on the living room floor and colour with her. I can’t wait to see Michelle as a mom, caring for, encouraging and providing every opportunity for a child to thrive.

Terry, in Michelle’s Words

When Terry and I got married his best man gave a wonderful speech about him. At one point Brent looked at me and said “Michelle you have won the lottery!” He was so right! Terry has changed my life; he has helped bring out my best qualities. I think when people are truly happy they become better people all around and that is what Terry has done for me. I feel so lucky that he chose me to spend the rest of his life with. Terry and I have so much fun together. There isn’t a day that goes by that we are not laughing at something one of us has done or said but most of the time it is me in a fit of giggles because Terry is tickling me and I can’t escape. For me though, the best part about being with Terry is the fact that I get to live with my best friend! That old saying, “opposites attract” suits us. We are opposites in many ways. Terry is a ‘night hawk’ and I can’t keep my eyes open past 9:30. I like to have things neat and tidy and Terry is way more relaxed. Even though we have our differences, I truly believe we bring out the best in each other.

Terry is loved by everyone in his life. He has tons of friends that he has known since childhood. While Terry has lots of friends that he loves to spend time with, the most important people in his life are his family. If any one needs anything Terry is always the one to offer his help. He is great at making you feel like it is no big deal… you would never know if he had something going on in his own life. No matter what you need, from picking something up on his way home from work, to helping construct a fence, friends and family can always count on him.

From the first time I talked to Terry I could sense that he loved sports. It doesn’t matter what season, he has his favourite. In those first months of our dating it was football season, a sport I was unfamiliar with. Well, I was a quick learner and now we enjoy watching it together. Football Sunday is a big day in our house. When football season is over he moves on to whatever is next, basketball, and hockey and then there’s always golf! Terry loves to get out on the course for some fresh air and a fun round of golf with friends. Terry’s other passion is cooking. This guy can whip up a fabulous meal. Many nights I will come home and he will have a bag full of ingredients and just start creating…it is always a success. I know I am lucky to have a husband who enjoys making me dinner. What more could a woman want?

Right out of University Terry joined the family auto parts business. After graduating with his Honours Degree in Business Administration, Terry’s family realized their business could grow with his insight. The company has grown by leaps and bounds in part, due to Terry’s expertise.

Terry is the most caring, compassionate, and patient man I know. I am so excited to see him as a father. It always makes my heart melt when I hear our nieces and nephew’s talk about their Uncle Terry. They are older now and love to tell me about the times Terry would swim with them all day long; his shoulders being their human diving board and always letting them win the race to the deep end. They often talk about how he would take them mini golfing which was a huge hit but I think the ice cream cones that came after the game were the highlight. Terry is always the favourite surprise visitor at our friends houses because he never comes empty handed. He always has a box of Timbits hiding for the kids to search out; behind his back, in his jacket... he never disappoints. All of these qualities along with his great sense of humour and good hearted nature will make Terry a terrific "dad".

Family Dreams and Parenting Values

We feel good parenting starts by providing a child with a safe, secure and loving home where they can grow and thrive. We will aim to provide your child as many opportunities as possible by exposing him or her to a wide variety of ideas and activities. We believe that children should be given as much positive reinforcement as possible, thus building self-confidence and individuality. We don’t believe in any type of mental or physical discipline. Instead, we will use positive role modeling, time out, reinforcing good behaviour, 1, 2, 3, Magic and discussion to teach your child right from wrong.

Education is important to both of us, and we will offer your child all of the opportunities we can for an enriched and positive life. A post-secondary education provides opportunity. We wish to provide every opportunity so your child can pursue their goals and accomplish whatever dreams they have. We will also encourage your child to follow their heart in the hobbies they choose — sports, music, art, dance or reading — so that they will flourish with the natural gifts they possess.

Of course, we also love having fun. So we know that we will have many good times and laughs along the way! There are so many things we are excited for…reading bedtime stories, family holiday weekends at the cottage, going out for ice cream, trips to Disney World, celebrating birthday parties and sharing all the activities that we enjoyed growing up. We will always be a positive light in your child’s life from infancy into adulthood, and will always support your child and help them find their way through life.

Your child will know of his or her adoption from the beginning. We believe in honesty and integrity and believe that a child will thrive in a relationship based on honesty, openness and compassion. In our house, adoption will be something we celebrate and discuss openly. We plan to share your child’s adoption story with him or her from a very young age. We hope to provide as much information as possible so your child can have any answers he or she may desire. We can see how important it is for children to know their story; what Grandma they may look like, who they got their crazy sense of humour from, if their birth parents share in their interests and talents. In the years to come, these and other questions may be important to your child. We hope that an open adoption with you will help provide answers to your child. An open adoption would mean that your child won’t have to wait years for answers to their questions. Open adoption also helps us to understand and relate to your journey. However, we will respect the arrangement that is most comfortable for you and your loved ones. If this is something you feel is not in your best interest, we will respectfully support you and your wishes. We want you to know that should you change your mind about the level of openness you want in the future, our door will always be open. A balanced and stable life for your child is ultimately most important to us.

Our Family

Family is a huge part of our lives. We both come from loving, stable homes and are both extremely close to our parents. Michelle’s day always begins with a phone call to her mom where they talk about what has happened the day before, and her work day often ends chatting with her dad. It would be safe to say that besides Terry, Michelle’s closest friends are her parents. Terry actually spends every week day with his dad and enjoys lunch with his mom everyday. We both realize how lucky we are to be able to have the most amazing parents. We couldn’t ask for better role models.

Michelle has a younger brother, while Terry has an older sister and two older brothers. We both admire how we were raised by our parents, and intend to raise our child in a similar way. We believe that mutual respect is important, communication is imperative and love is the glue that will bind our family together.

It's truly amazing to see how well our families interact with each other. It is not uncommon for our families to congregate in Grand Bend at Michelle’s mom and dad’s house. It’s a great place to enjoy the lake, the seasons and of course, each other.

There is no doubt that every member of our family is excited about the arrival of a new child. Terry’s family can’t wait for another baby to arrive. Your baby would be the first grandchild in Michelle’s family!

Our Home

We live in a family-oriented subdivision near lots of parks, playgrounds, wonderful walking and biking trails and schools. Together we have enjoyed decorating and making our spacious three bedroom house a home. Last year we renovated our kitchen and love the changes. We are excited to decorate a nursery when we are blessed with a child.

Our Cottage

I (Michelle) grew up creating fabulous memories at our family cottage. This summer, we purchased the cottage from my grandmother. We are so thrilled to keep it in the family and plan to carry on tradition and create wonderful childhood memories for your child, with family each summer. Our cottage is in a small town on the shores of Lake Huron and just a short drive from our home in the city. We have kept very busy on the weekends giving this little building a major makeover. The hard work has definitely paid off. We are now reaping the rewards of having a cottage at the lake where we can relax, unwind, forget about work for a little while and dream about our future together. There are so many things we are excited to share with our child at the cottage. We can’t wait to toast marshmallows and roast wieners on our campfire in the backyard, spending lazy afternoons at the beach skipping stones and digging in the sand trying to make our way to China…and we can’t forget Sunday night dessert which always means a walk uptown for your choice of over 60 ice cream treats.

While the town is a quaint little cottage community there are other draws as well. Aside from the parks, trails and beach, most importantly, the town is also home to my mother’s church, where she is actually the Minister. We are now able to easily join the church family where we have been welcomed with open arms. We know that this support is invaluable as we endeavour to start a family of our own.

For You

We have the greatest respect for your courage and strength at this time. We hope that you and your loved ones can see the kind of parents we will be and the life that a child would have with us. We have dreamt of the day that we will be blessed with a child.

We understand that this is not an easy decision for you and your family. Our thoughts are with you at this time and we truly hope that you are getting the support you need. We want you to feel confident in your decision knowing that your child will be safe, happy, healthy and loved by every member of our family.

Again, we want to thank you for taking the time to read about us. Should you have any questions at all, please feel free contact us.

Wishing you all the best,
Michelle and Terry