Hello,

e are Marisa and Gregg and we would like to tell you about ourselves and why we would like to become parents by adopting a baby. Because of the love and care we both experienced in our own lives from our parents, we are looking forward to being parents and raising a child of our own. Our families are very important to us, and we would love to experience the joys that come from loving, nurturing, and raising children as parents.

utual friends who knew we were both born and raised in Southern California, although Marisa lived in Georgia and Gregg in Texas at the time, introduced us in 2003. We got to know each other by spending time together and enjoying simple pleasures like eating ice-cream cones, reading Dr. Seuss stories, hiking, and watching sunsets. Just before we were married, a year later, Marisa got a job in San Diego and we were able to move back to California to start our new life together.

ot far from the ocean sits our comfortable home with several bedrooms. Very welcoming and open, the living room, dining room, and kitchen are all connected as one "great room." It's a wonderful space for entertaining our friends and family, and opens onto a covered patio where we have a large table for enjoying summer meals. The adjacent grassy area, dry creek, and pebble path make a nice area for small children to play, though we'll plan to use a neighborhood park for games of Frisbee and catch. We have one room picked out as a baby's room. It already has a bookcase with our favorite children's books, and we can't wait to complete it when we hear the amazing news that we will be parents.

n the mornings, we frequently take walks together. It's a really nice way to begin our day. Most weekends we watch a movie on the big screen in our media room while snuggling with our cat Henley. We also like to get outdoors and be inspired. The two of us have hiked in Yosemite, Grand Teton National Park, and Hawaii. We fondly remember beautiful sunsets and rainbows in Kauai, but we can only laugh about the noisy roosters that kept us up at all hours of the night. On our trip to Wyoming, we went horseback riding. The views of the snow-capped mountains in the distance were breathtaking, but when we stopped for a picture, Marisa was usually busy keeping her horse from wandering off too far to eat grass near the trail.

oth of us enjoy getting to know our neighbors and entertaining friends and family. When we go to parties with Marisa's coworkers, Gregg often makes a batch of cookies from a family recipe. For dessert after dinner with a few family or friends, we often serve yummy cake we get from a bakery a few blocks from our house. Many of our friends and family have children. Marisa loves the chance to set up a children's table with toys and games for toddlers, and Gregg loves to play catch or Frisbee. Gregg's command of punch lines to knock-knock jokes recently surprised a second grader, but all at the dinner table had a good laugh watching the comedic exchange.

olidays are a special time for us and we are creating new traditions as well as continuing some old ones. Since both our mothers live in the Los Angeles area, we can get together for most holidays. Most recently, all of us joined Gregg's older sister and her family in San Francisco to celebrate Christmas. One tradition that Gregg holds dear is watching the Rose Parade curbside a few blocks from his childhood home. We haven't missed one yet since we met. For Gregg and his sign ("One More Block"), it's 25 years and counting, usually with some extended family and good friends. Marisa's new tradition is walking among the beautiful flower-covered floats the day after the parade.

About Marisa

studied ballet as a child, and my parents gave me the chance of a lifetime twice to attend ballet summer school in New York City. My younger brother was the one who shared our dad's sports passion, but I did enjoy attending an occasional baseball game as a child, or as a college student, attending football and basketball games with my family. One of the greatest joys of my life has been being an honorary aunt. My best friend in Atlanta has generously shared her two children with me since they were babies, and I have enjoyed helping them grow and loving them. The times I have shared with them, sometimes with the whole family and sometimes just the children, have been a tremendous blessing in my life. Once we have our baby, I look forward to bath time and story time, and weekends at the zoo and park.

About Gregg

grew up in the foothills of Pasadena, with my parents and older sister. Then, after nine years, I lost the title of youngest of the family when my little sister was born. I have a lot of fond memories as a child and look forward to making new ones as a parent. My dad used to play catch with me in the yard and take me to Dodger games. On Saturdays during the summer, he would take the kids to Laguna Beach for a day of fun in the sun.

fter graduating from college, I took a job in Dallas, Texas at a large computer company. I enjoyed the challenges and rewards of software development, but after 10 years I left to join a couple of friends forming a new company that develops software to control the machines used to make computer chips. More than 10 years later, the three of us are still together. Away from work, I like spending time outdoors with my camera. Landscape photography is my favorite. For many years, volleyball has been one of my sports, and I still manage to play once a week. I also started the tradition of taking a Frisbee on trips when I was a teenager visiting Europe.

ur life together is happy and fulfilling. Yet, both of us have always dreamed of being parents. Because we cannot have children on our own, we are looking to adoption to help us make that dream a reality. We know that you are making a difficult and loving decision for your child, and we want you to know that we are ready and committed to being parents for your child. Our love for each other and our families inspires us to welcome a child into our home and grow together as a new family.

he two of us would like to hear from you and help you get to know us. You can email us at marisa-gregg@sbcglobal.net or contact us toll-free anytime at 1-866-456-8150. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you if that is your desire. You can also contact our attorney Dave Baum toll-free at 1-800-795-2367 or by e-mail at adoptlaw@ix.netcom.com if you want more information about us and/or the adoption process. Thank you for considering us, and we wish you the best in making an adoption plan for your baby.

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