Once we were two, yearning to be three,
And great was our joy when this came to be!
Yet, something's still missing
--we're not quite complete--
We long for the patter of two more little feet.
So we wait, filled with hope, our arms open wide,
To welcome a second little one to our side.
We wait for the selfless act of another,
One who is, but cannot remain, a mother,
And whose gift of her child
--her son or her daughter--
Will fulfill the dreams of this mom, dad, and brother. 

Dear Expectant Mother,

We want you to know that our thoughts are with you as you contemplate an adoption plan for your child. You have our respect and admiration for the selflessness and strength you must have to be doing this. We strongly believe that a successful adoption benefits all parties involved. The child gets a stable, secure, loving home with opportunities she or he might not otherwise have. A happy family gets another member to love. The birthmother obtains the serenity that comes from knowing that she made a good decision for both herself and her child. If you should choose us, we are flexible concerning the degree of openness: visits, phone calls, letters and pictures, or no further contact; whatever you feel comfortable with. 

Beginnings
Our names are Duncan and Susan. We met in college at a mixer a few weeks before Susan graduated, and discovered that we had much in common, including that Susan had grown up a block from Duncan's grandparents in a small town in central Missouri. Even though he visited his grandparents often, we had never met. Susan knew Duncan was serious when, shortly after she moved to St. Louis to work, he bicycled 160 miles to see her (having no car at the time). We carried on a long-distance romance for two years, and were married in a beautiful Methodist church in Susan's hometown shortly after Duncan graduated. We've now been happily married for over 15 years, and enjoy financial security and a warm, stable, and loving relationship. The phrase from our wedding announcement about marrying "my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love" is more appropriate than ever. 

Our Family Grows
We are infertile as a couple, and yet we both strongly desire children. We were blessed with the adoption of our son Corey, whom we love dearly and of whom we are very proud. He is a bright, active, caring, happy boy, and when he smiles, his whole face lights up. Corey's adoption was semi-open: we exchanged letters and pictures with his birthmother Christine, but never met her. She has since relocated and no longer wishes contact, but she was happy with her placement of Corey, and we respect her privacy. We consider adoption a wonderful way to welcome a new member into our family. Our extended families, friends, and neighbors are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of our next bundle of joy. We have completed a home study with the Hope Cottage adoption agency in Dallas and are approved and waiting. 

Off to Work and School
We both hold graduate degrees. Duncan has a Ph.D. in physics from Caltech and is a university physics professor. He teaches courses at all levels, does research, and is involved with the astronomy program and community outreach. Corey consequently gets to go periodically to the observatory, physics demonstrations, robotics competitions, science fairs, and the like, which he loves. Susan has an undergraduate degree in accounting, has graduated from medical school, and has recently completed her family practice residency program. She is planning to work part time until our adoption is complete, at which time she intends to stay at home with the child for at least a couple of years. 

Obviously we value education very highly. We spend a lot of time patiently helping Corey with his schoolwork and reading with him, and will certainly do the same for our next child. We will give both children the opportunity and encouragement to continue their education beyond high school. 

What We Do for Fun
We both have many interests to fill our leisure time, and we also do a lot as a family. Susan enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends, sewing, refinishing and reupholstering furniture, and gardening. Duncan enjoys bicycling, running, camping and hiking, reading, listening to music, fixing things and working with his hands. We like to take walks together, watch movies, entertain friends, go to amusement parks, roller skate, and sail. Duncan and Corey undertake all sorts of construction projects, including airplanes and rockets of all sorts, and do a lot of Cub Scout activities together. We have taken trips to places such as England, the Hawaiian Islands, northern California, the Texas coast, Florida and the Disney amusement parks. We also enjoy regular visits with the grandparents. Corey loves to go to Grandpa's farm, ride the tractor, and help feed the cattle. 

Our Home
We live in a spacious brick home on a large, tree-covered lot in a friendly neighborhood. Our college town, which is in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, is surrounded by rolling terrain, lakes, and oak forest. We live within walking distance of a great city park and playground, a library, and excellent elementary and middle schools. We live close enough to the metroplex to have access to all of the city's resources yet far enough away to reside in a neighborhood with more of a small town feel. We have two pets, a friendly, smart border collie named Shadow and a brown tabby cat named Matilda.  

You can read more about us and see more pictures by clicking on the links below the one to this letter. Again, thank you for reading our letter and we wish you all the best in your search. If you would like additional information about us, you can contact us in any of the ways listed below. We would love to hear from you! 

Duncan and Susan

Click here to write to Duncan and Susan 
Call us directly (collect) at 1-940-383-4055 
Call Carolyn, our adoption counselor at Hope Cottage (or Linda if Carolyn isn't available) at 1-800-944-4460