Our Relationship: We met in 1977 and immediately became the best of friends. Our marriage is a happy one and is built on a solid foundation of love, trust and mutual respect for one another. We have faced some difficult situations in our lives and choose to face them had on, do what needs to be done and support each other. We both have a great sense of humor and think that laughter is great medicine because it is easy to get and doesn't cost a dime.

Debbie's thoughts about Michael: If you imagine a playful and imaginative daddy for your baby then that has to be Michael. Michael is a caring and compassionate person. He is gentle and loving and his number one priority in life is his family. He loves all children and children love him. Children take to him immediately because he has a way of making them feel like he's one of them and not a scary adult. Michael volunteers as a mentor to Elemtry School aged children.

Michael's thoughts about Debbie: Debbie has a gentle and caring personality. She has a quick wit and a great sense of humor. She keeps my spirits high and my life interesting. Debbie is very family focused. She loves unconditionally and expects nothing in return. She believes that everyone no matter what his or her culture, financial state or any situation, that everyone is a human being and deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. Debbie is a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation that grants wishes to children who are facing life-limiting illnesses.

Our careers: Michael is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for a large ambulance company. He has been an EMT for three years and is planning on becoming a Paramedic. Michael is very good at what he does, he has a great ability to make people feel comfortable even when they are facing a bad situation. Debbie is a Development Assistant for a pediatric hospice.

We live in Modesto, California. OK, here's some history on Modesto. Modesto a town that is rich in agriculture and is locate in Central California. It is within a two hour drive of the Sierra Nevada's for skiing, San Francisco for enjoying the arts and culture of a large city, Yosemite National Park for year-round beauty and the great beaches of the pacific ocean. Modesto has a full spectrum of seasons from the chill at Christmas time to the cool delta breezes in the summer. Modesto is every child's fantasy, it is home to 38 playgrounds, 53 parks and the minor league team of the Oakland A's. The famous movie "American Graffiti" was filmed here and based on the life of Director George Lucas's boyhood experiences growing up here where cruising was part of teenage life. One thing that remains a constant in Modesto is the spirit and pride of its people. They cherish the many historical houses, neighborhoods, tree-lined streets and its rich traditions and family oriented atmosphere.

Our neighborhood has many young families and there are always kids playing in their front yards. Our street is very quiet and parents feel safe having their children play outside. We own have owned our home for seven years. We are just a few blocks from the elementary school and a great park.

What we do for fun: We love to do a variety of things. We love the water and are drawn to the beach and love boating. We also love the beauty of the mountains. We make it a tradition to attend our County Fair and the California State Fair. And some weekends we love to do nothing except take a stroll around the Farmers Market and enjoy relaxing at home.

Our view on raising children: We think a kid should be able to have the luxury of being a kid. He/She needs above all to grow up in a healthy, safe environment with a lot of love. We believe that it is very important for parents and children to have open communication with one another. It is important that a child be able to feel that they can tell their parents anything without fear of how they will react. We feel that a good education is important and gives a child the tools they need to take on the world as adults. We will encourage our child to follow their own dream and pursue whatever career they want. We are completely against a child being disciplined physically or by yelling at them.

Our families are very excited about our decision to become adoptive parents. They are very encouraging and our child will have a very special place in our extended family. Our families live in Southern California. We both have very close relationships with out families.

Our pets are like our kids, they are very spoiled and members of the family. We have a kitty named Angel. Michael found Angel and her two brothers in a dumpster behind McDonalds about four years ago and brought them home. Angel stayed with us and her brothers went together to a family. We have a dog named Pepsi (yes like the cola). Pepsi has lived with us for seven years ever since he was a puppy. They are both very gentle and affectionate and fit right in around our house.

Please call us anytime (toll-free) at (800) 484-3756 (Code 0767).

Heartfelt wishes,

Michael and Debbie