 |
  |
 |
 |
| Sunny Ridge Family Center is licensed as a child welfare agency by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (#019976), and by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family and Children, as a child placing agency. |
| Dear Birthparent, Thank you for taking the time to read this letter from hopeful adoptive parents. Choosing an adoption plan is probably the most difficult decision you have made in your lifetime and we wish there was a way to alleviate your pain and sorrow. We admire and respect you for considering such a difficult unselfish decision. Your consideration to put your baby’s needs first and set aside your own desires in life takes a special person. We wish you peace of mind, love, and joy in your life time. About Us… About Michelle… As a child, I recall summer time being very busy for me. My family would go camping at Kentucky Lake with friends and neighbors. We would also go to Six Flags and St. Louis Zoo with my relatives from Springfield. Every summer I would spend about a week in Springfield by myself with relatives. My aunt and uncle would take us to the park fishing, to ball games, and to play tennis.
After numerous bank mergers, I resigned and decided to try my hand at factory work. I worked at a local car factory for five and a half years and had to have both hands operated on for carpal tunnel. In 2006, I became certified to be a Teacher’s Assistant and currently substitute for a special education school district. About Donnie… Courtship-Marriage…  We started trying to conceive a child in early 2002, a few months after marriage. No success. I had my gallbladder removed in the fall of 2003 only for the surgeon to find the worst case of endometriosis he had ever seen. The surgeon suggested I get a hysterectomy. How could I? I was only thirty-two years old and had no children. After further testing, it was discovered my tubes were too damaged to conceive. We consulted an invitro fertilization specialist in 2004 and decided to proceed with IVF. Donnie had to provide a sperm analysis for this procedure. It was then discovered that Donnie’s sperm were abnormal, had minimal movement, and IVF was not even recommended. As a couple we did not want to lead a child-free life and wanted to experience parenthood. We feel that God chose infertility for us so we could journey down the path of adoption.Openness…  One of our adult dreams is to be good parents. Sure, we are nervous about becoming first-time parents, but then think of a child of our own and are suddenly overcome with joy and happiness and the fear fades. We wish to share our lives with a child and provide them with unconditional love in a stable, positive environment to fulfill their needs. The plan is to split childcare between my parents and an in-home day care if Donnie and I are both working. Both of my parents are retired. My parents anticipate becoming first time grandparents and are beyond excited about us adopting a baby. We want our child to be exposed to other children to help develop social skills. In the future, Donnie hopes to “hang up” his factory job. He would then farm full-time and have more of a flexible schedule for our child. In order for Donnie to quit his factory job, I would have to work outside the home to provide my family with a steady income and health insurance coverage. We attend a Catholic church and plan for our child to attend Catholic school to experience religion. We truly believe that God has led us on this adoption journey to become parents and complete our lives.Our Neighborhood…  Twin and Tinker are our white, long-haired, domestic cats. They were born in 2001 at our house. Their mother disappeared about two weeks after they were born. Donnie and I soon became their caregiver. We took turns mixing up formula and feeding them with an eye dropper because they were so tiny. There was no way we could part with them.
Peatair is our grey, short-hair domestic cat. She mysteriously appeared at our house in 2003. Not willing to leave, we decided to take her in and have her spayed because she spends a lot of time out doors.
Phoebe is our coon-hound/border-collie mix. She was born in January, 2006, at the family farm. As a puppy, we brought her to our house four to five times on a trial basis to see if she could get along with our cats. She passed the test and became part of our family.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story and look into our lives to learn more about us. We respect your interest in the adoption process. May peace of mind find you in the decision you choose. We admire your strength and courage. If you would like more information please contact Sunny Ridge Family Center. God Bless, Michelle and Donnie |
We are Michelle and Donnie and are pleased to have the opportunity to tell you a little bit about us, our lives, and why we wish to adopt and have a family. Donnie and I feel that we have many things to offer a child. Not only would our child have all the pleasures of country life, but also all the culture, schooling, and recreational activities found in larger cities nearby. We believe that a child should have the opportunity to explore and learn from the environment that surrounds them. But more important, they would be loved so very much by us and our families.
Donnie and I met in 1993 at a local bank where I was employed and he was a customer. At first, we became acquainted on a business level for awhile, then the flirting started. In 1994, we decided to go on a date because I was no longer in a relationship. On our first date, November 12, 1994, Donnie made plans for us to attend a Chinese restaurant about forty miles away from us. Periodically, we visit that same establishment for our anniversary. Our dating days consisted of going to the movies, ball games, church, out to eat, family gatherings, picnics, ATV riding, and the zoo. In 1999, we had discussed getting engaged and decided to go shopping to just look at rings. We arrived a local jewelry store, looked at the display of rings and both picked out the same ring and bought it that day. Two years later, in 2001, we had a small Catholic wedding at our church which consisted of about two hundred and twenty-five people. 
We are becoming more comfortable with open adoption because of meetings at Sunny Ridge, talking with couples who have adopted, and reading material. We understand it is important for a birth parent to meet and get acquainted with the couple who will be adopting their child. We would like to send you pictures and notes as the child grows and have an occasional meeting because it is important for a child to know where they came from and circumstances of the situation. We also respect ones privacy and are willing to compromise and have a situation that works well for everyone, but most of all, the child.
We live in the country on a three-mile block surrounded by Donnie’s parents, brothers, and sisters. Across the road from our house we recently cleaned up a four-acre wooded area so my parents could move there and be close to us. Our house is the only one on our road so we have quiet, peace, and privacy. Many different wildlife creatures roam our area. Some of them include deer, turkey, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, possums, rabbits, squirrels, and the not so welcome snakes and skunks. We also have cattle at the farm site. The animals take advantage of the many acres of farm ground planted with beans, corn, and wheat and also use the wooded area for shelter. We would not think of living any place else.
