PICK US: The top 10 reasons...

1. We love God. We will give this baby every opportunity to know and love God. They will know who they are, where they come from and where they are going.

2. We are WAY less than perfect! We don't expect people to be perfect, least of all our children. Our child will grow up in an environment where it is safe to make mistakes and where they will have the opportunity to be better every day.
3. We believe STRONGLY in education. Our children will have every opportunity that we can possibly give them that will stretch their minds. They will have the chance to go to college and be supported in their career paths.

4. We see no reason to cut you out of the picture. We don't see this baby as something that belongs to us. We know that our children belong to God and that they are on loan to us. So they belong to ALL of us. To God. To you. To us. We hope so much that you will want to be a part of our lives in whatever way we all (including you) decide is best for the baby.
5. We believe in talents! We think that our children's talents need to be highlighted and encouraged. We provide lessons to our children to help them in their goals. Our girls have taken: soccer, piano, dance, musical theater, gymnastics, swimming, art and basketball lessons. When they eventually find the thing they like, we encourage them and support them in achieving excellence.

6. Travel! We love to travel. Our children will always have opportunities to learn and grow individually and as a family through travel. Some of our favorites include: Camping trips in our camper, the Oregon Coast, Yellowstone, Disneyland, Canada, and camping in the back yard!

7. Health! Christie is a great cook who cooks wholesome and delicious food for the family. We also love activities that keep us healthy like hiking, swimming, fishing, and sports. We believe in taking care of our bodies.

8. We are well educated in adoption/parenting issues. Doug has his bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science. Christie is a peer parent which means she is hired (occasionaly) to go into the homes of people in danger of having their children removed and help them with parenting skills.
9. This child will be taught that the only sure way to find joy is to love and serve other people. They will be taught not to judge. This is the number one rule in our family. We always take care of the underdog. We don't know people's past and so we don't judge them if they make different choices than we do. We never think that our way is right and every other way is wrong. We believe that everyone is on their own path back to our father in heaven and that we don't have to participate in behavior we don't agree with but we don't make judgment. We will teach them that "to love another person is to see the face of God."

10. Traditions! We have the MOST FUN family traditions in the world! From Valentines cookies for the whole neighborhood, to Christmas Eve service projects, WE LOVE TRADITIONS.