Alana

My Family and Friends: I am super blessed with such an amazing family... my mother, Suzi, my brother, Uval sister-in-law, Heather, and my nephews Henry (11) and Max (9). My parents were best friends, business partners and happily married for 41 years before my father passed in 2010. I am truly grateful for the gift of having such a kind, loving, and supportive set of parents. Using them as my role models has really shaped a lot of my personality. I cherish my relationship with my mother, we talk every day – she is the biggest influence and most important relationship in my life. That is the type of parent I want to be for your child. Kari Lynn has been my best friend since 5th grade. She is so smart and sassy. Kari lives in Boston with her husband and 2 daughters, Sophia and Margaret, who call me Aunt Alana. We started a tradition of every other year going on a trip with just the two of us and the kiddos. We went to Cancun, Mexico this past summer and had a blast playing in the pool, dancing on the beach, going on an adventure to Isla Mujeres! It is so important to me to be part of Kari’s kid's life as she will be in your child’s life My best friend since college, Allyson - Ally is more than a best friend, she is my soul sister. I talk to Ally every day and she is a huge presence in my life and will be Auntie #1 to my baby. She loves kids, has a real knack for making up fun games, is full of energy, and every kid she meets falls in love with her. Ally is a lifelong member and supporter of our family. My friends are friends for life, my support team, and come from each chapter of my life, growing up, college, graduate school, and a load of friends picked up along the journey. They are a diverse group that represents a lot of ethnicities and nationalities - I am so lucky and I value these friends dearly. Many of my friends have kids already and are ready to support me and my family with love, advice, and visits! I am always a kid favorite when visiting my friend's family - you can usually find me playing with them instead of being with the grown-ups. I have a village of friends who are ready to be Aunties and Uncles to your little one.

Career/Occupation: I sell office space to large companies, I know it sounds boring but trust me it is super fun, every day is different and goes by fast! I am able to balance my work and enjoy my life. Working remotely gives me great flexibility in my schedule, and I do not work on the weekends. My mother will be very involved in our daily lives and help with babysitting, she is less than 2 miles away and her home is a kid's wonderland - she has a pool, grapevines, and an olive grove for your child to play hide and seek, and a yard to run around. Her community has a lake to go kayaking, community activities, game rooms, and even horseback riding.

Home/Community: I love my neighborhood! I live in a super cute, family-friendly town full of charm in Southern California. We are in a valley surrounded by mountains and a drive away from the Pacific Ocean. From my home, I can walk to the main part of town with shops and restaurants. There is a cute town square where they have events like the weekly farmers market, Christmas Tree Lighting, July 4th celebration, music on the weekends, and cultural events. Your child and I will be able to walk to the local elementary school and middle school from our house and there are parks nearby for playtime. My home is a 3 bedroom home with an open floorplan French doors that open to a side yard... indoor/outdoor living! It’s a wonderful home for a child to grow up in. There is a large kitchen where I can be cooking and watching over the rest of the living/dining area and a kitchen counter where I picture your child coloring while having after-school snacks and we talk about their day.

Interests & Hobbies: I am a lifelong potter and have been teaching a beginner wheel class too. I am very crafty and I can fix things, I have redone a lot of my furniture, I love interior design I can throw it down in the kitchen. I’m not a recipe gal, I am a make-it-up as I go, wing-it type. I am looking forward to making fresh baby food for your child and as they grow up, taking our meals together just as I did with my parents. I enjoy taking lots of long walks, sometimes with friends, or as “me time” and eventually “our time” with your little one. It is great exercise, plus I get to explore the neighborhood. I make a lot of my calls to catch up with friends on walks or clear my head and this is the best time for me to come up with my great ideas. I take walks on the beach with my dog Goldie who hates the water but loves chasing the birds.

Personal Values: Being a good, kind, thoughtful human is of the most importance to me. I believe strongly in education and how it can change a person’s life. Not only schooling, which is wildly important, but also being a student and having curiosity throughout life. I plan to enrich your child’s life by always incorporating mindfulness, gratitude, acts of service/volunteering, and positive thinking into our daily life practices. Travel is another way to always be learning and growing... I want to instill a sense of wanderlust into your child’s life. I love, love, love to travel and have been to 26 countries! Some real standouts are Japan, India, and Greece For my mom’s 70th birthday we traveled to Italy for a week-long cooking course. And one of my favorite quotes is: “You can’t have a favorite place till you have seen them all” Every year we go on family trips, usually around the kid’s school breaks. We have gone to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hawaii, and road tripped through New Mexico and California. We also are with them for Thanksgiving most years, Henry’s birthday is often over that holiday. I cannot wait to add a little one to these family adventures. Every summer, my nephews come out to California for 3 weeks to be with my mom and me around the July 4th holiday. We do all kinds of activities, play in the pool, go to the parade, and see fireworks. I love this time when Mom and I get to be with our little dudes without their parents. My favorite is the mornings - Max and I are early birds so he crawls into bed with me, we snuggle and talk till everyone else wakes up, and eventually, they are all snuggled up with us in my room... dogs included!

Openness:
I love that many adoptions are open these days. I want your child to know the gift you shared when you chose me. It will be the greatest gift anyone has ever or will ever give me in my whole life and I will forever be thankful. I want to create a life book, and if you are open to it, I would love to include pictures of you and I would love one picture of the three of us together to show your little one they are loved and this choice was made with love and understanding on all sides. I am open to discussing a relationship that works best for everyone involved as long as it enriches the life of the child.

Parenting: I promise your child will always feel loved and supported. I will raise your child to be a global citizen with love and respect for all people. I will instill the values of kindness, gratitude, honesty, loyalty, and compassion. I will raise them in a loving home. I believe in being honest, understanding, fair, and consistent. Making sure your child knows right from wrong. Their actions have reactions, guiding them to self-enhancing choices and ultimately leading them to self-discipline and building confidence.

In Closing: I understand there are a lot of hard choices you have to make so if you have any questions, please let me know. Making an adoption plan is such a brave choice and should you decide to bless me with your child, I will be forever thankful for your choice. I promise to raise your child with deep respect and gratitude for you and the important role you have in building our family.

Thank you for looking at my profile and I would love to get to know you too.
Xoxo
Alana