Spending time at the Jersey Shore has always been a highlight of our lives (long before we met!). Growing up, we each spent time with our families there, and when we had the opportunity to get a place of our own we jumped at the chance. We love being so close to the beach, where we relax for much of the day listening to the waves crashing while the seagulls fly overhead. We enjoy taking walks along the seawall, especially in the morning as the sun is coming up.

The best part of going to the shore is being able to spend time with family. We all go to the beach together, or we head to the boardwalk for amusements and games. It's a lot of fun to take our nieces and nephews there. Of course, coming back to the house to listen to music, hang out either on the deck or at the family table in the back yard can't be beat. Cooking out, playing board games, and doing a lot of laughing truly make this our favorite place to be.

,p>Since this place has been so special to us, we would love to welcome your child to our "home away from home."

We find many different ways to enjoy our leisure time. In addition to going to our house at the Jersey shore, we also love to host family and friends at our home. Whether it is playing board games, singing karaoke in our living room, or holding shuffleboard tournaments, we love to be able to gather with our loved ones to just hang out. The more the merrier!

We also love to go to concerts and sporting events. Throughout the year, we enjoy supporting our nieces and nephew by cheering them on at their different sports and activities. From volleyball, to football, to cheerleading, we have a blast watching them have fun with their teammates and friends.

Of course, we also spend time with just the two of us. Whether we immerse ourselves in a new series or movie, play 500 Rummy, or have a PlayStation season of MLB Baseball, we do so together, having a great time along the way. We also both enjoy cooking! Melissa loves to bake different kinds of treats, and Scott enjoys smoking homemade BBQ.

We can't wait to have the opportunity to share these activities with your child. It will be great to have a catch on the lawn, teach them to play UNO and chess, and to build sandcastles on the beach when we're not playing in the waves.

Our family is directly affected by adoption. We have a family member who is adopted, as well as another who made the decision to put a child up for adoption.

Melissa's aunt and uncle adopted a baby over twenty years ago. The child's mother was young and in the military, and did not have the means to raise the child on her own. Since the couple knew her and her particular situation, they decided to welcome the baby into their family, and we are all so happy they did! She has grown into an intelligent, talented, and funny young woman who brings so much to our family. We look forward to any chance we have to spend time together.

Melissa has another relative who over 30 years ago made the decision to put a child up for adoption. She become pregnant in college, and knew that she would not be able to provide the life she envisioned for her baby at that time. Therefore, she made the difficult, and selfless, decision to entrust her child to people who wanted to be parents. This adoption was a closed adoption, which was common at that time. However, her child recently connected with her, and both were incredibly happy at the reunion.

Because our family has experienced both sides of adoption, and are all the better for it, we are excited at the opportunity to welcome your child to be part of our family's special and unique story.

We live in a development in Delaware that greatly values community. There are families throughout the neighborhood with young children, many of whom play on our block. Each fall, our civic association organizes a community picnic that features events for families who live here, and every winter Santa Claus is welcomed as he drives by, waving to children of all ages.

The community playground is on our street, only about two blocks away. There is also a private swim club just down the road. Our school district is outstanding, and the schools themselves (elementary, middle, and high) are within 3 miles of our home. We purchased our home with the desire to grow our family, so we have plenty of room! We have 4 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. When we entertain family and friends we love spending time in our open kitchen and dining room, as well as our family room. In our garage we have a shuffleboard table, and of course, we enjoy having family tournaments when the weather is nice. Our fenced in back yard is spacious and backs up to a creek, which will be fun to explore when your child gets older.

We also love spending weekends and portions of the summer at our house at the New Jersey shore. Our shore house is about a mile from the beach, and it is one of our favorite places to be any time of year. We can't wait to make new memories here with your child!

Both of us come from close-knit families. Scott is an only child. Scott and his parents often played games together, and went on trips to various cities and states. Every year, along with aunts, uncles, and cousins, Scott's family would spend a week's vacation together. His parents instilled in him a love of learning, and a passion for games and sports. To say they are excited to become grandparents is an understatement. They live 30 minutes away, and cannot wait to spend time with their first grandchild!

Melissa has two older siblings, a brother and sister. Her mom stayed at home when they were younger, and was their biggest cheerleader. The phrase, "you do for one, you do for all" meant that she loved and supported them all equally. Melissa's aunt and her family lived nearby, so she was able to grow up with cousins who were similar in age, and they remain close to this day. Melissa's siblings and their families are excited to welcome a new addition to the family. Both live within a 15 minute drive of our home, so your child will be able to see their cousins often. Melissa's parents have passed away, but we know that they are looking down on us, beaming with joy about the adventure ahead.

Our families get together often to hang out, share a laugh, or sing along to music while sitting on the deck during a summer night.

Thank you so much for reading our profile, and for considering us as adoptive parents for your child. Just by taking the time to explore the possibility of adoption truly demonstrates the love you have for your child. We cannot wait to help that love grow by welcoming him or her into our family.

We have been together since 2001, when we met our junior year of college. We had so many mutual friends, it was kind of surprising that it took us two years to find each other. However, once we did, it didn't take long to realize that we would be together forever. We've been married since 2006, and fall more in love with each other every day. Even before we got married we talked about how much we wanted to be parents. Melissa has two siblings, and Scott is an only child. We both believe that children bring a special joy to a family.

For nearly 18 years, Melissa has been a registered nurse. Caring for patients and their families comes naturally to her. After 13 years at the bedside, having earned her master's degree, she began the next phase of her career as a clinical educator, training her colleagues in best practices so that they can provide the best care possible for their patients.

In 2004, Scott began his career in education. He started as the Assistant Dean of Students, and after three years began teaching full-time. During this time he earned his master's degree and served as head coach of the school's wrestling team. In 2016, he stepped down as coach to earn his doctorate in education. Since 2018, Scott has continued to teach and serves as his department's chairperson.

Although we found time to advance our careers, we also took on other responsibilities. We became caregivers to Melissa's mom after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Sadly, not long after she passed in 2016, we assisted her siblings in caring for their father, who then left us in 2018. Although these were difficult times for the two of us, it was our love for each other that carried us through. It's that same love that we want to share with your child.

Throughout the good times and bad, we still knew we wanted to become parents. Despite our efforts, we came to realize that we would not be able to grow our family naturally. So, after we did some soul-searching and had many conversations, we decided that adoption was the plan for us!

We're so excited at the opportunity to welcome a child through adoption. We can't wait to share our family's traditions with your child. Whether it is hanging out on the beach at our shore home, Cookie Weekend and Pollyanna during the Christmas season, or simply getting together for family dinners on Sundays, we promise that your child will be part of the family and loved to the moon and back. Our family and friends are beyond excited to welcome a new addition, especially Scott's mom and dad who can't wait to be grandparents! We have so much to look forward to: family vacations, youth sports, cookouts, and more. Mostly, we look forward to the chance to share our hearts and home with your child.

Of course, we look forward to including you in this journey. We will share your child's story with you through email and pictures, as desired. We promise to be honest with your child about adoption, so that they can know that it was your loving decision that brought them to us. Even though this decision may be very difficult, we will always be sure to tell your child how much you love them, and will always hold you in our hearts with gratitude and respect.

Thank you for considering us as potential parents for your child. For a long time now we have been looking forward to the chance to build our family. We know you have an incredibly difficult decision to make, but please know that we will provide nothing but love, care, and support for your child. You will be in our prayers as you move forward.

Sincerely,

Scott & Melissa