Ricardo & Susan
We sincerely thank you for taking time to read this and hope you get to read it from a good place. Just imagining that the Birth Parents of our future child may be reading this is welling my eyes. From the journey that brought you here, to the path that brought us, and the life still to be led which may be made possible in this very moment; it’s a story that will be shared and honored in our family forever. The story of a courageous couple who, with love’s greatest sacrifice, created the opportunity for a blessing to have an even greater chance for happiness than love alone could have provided. The promise for a child to have the means by which to succeed, the stability to create the happiness she/he deserves, the experience of growing up in a home created with her/his well-being in mind and the with parents situated to provide this right from the very beginning.
It’s also an amazing feeling of gratitude from us, whose lives we be equally changed and forever enriched. We can only hope to honor your act of selflessness through the love and support we will always give. In essence, it’s the story of all of us, an interwoven family history of how someone will be blessed twice-over, once from you and then with us to create the reality of her/his life. A life we hope is filled with love, happiness, personal success, and gratitude.
Susan by Ricardo:
Every morning I wake up understanding just how lucky I am to have found Susan and be spending my life with her. It’s like I wished her into my life and it came true. Yet, I’d go a step further and say that the reality of her is even better; not only is she all I was hoping for but exactly what I need. She’s caring, committed, always pushing herself to improve and always seeks to understand. She’s great at keeping us on track for what the real important things in life are: family, friends, our marriage and the quality time we spend on each. She’s shown me how to live with these things in mind and it’s made me better. This is just part of her nature. She just makes the lives of people she interacts with better, from her parents to the first little girl I used to watch her babysit and the students she helps daily. Her heart and commitment to those she cares for creates greater places for everyone.
Ricardo by Susan
Ricardo is the most thoughtful, generous, and caring person I know. I am constantly blown away by his unwavering ability to put others before himself, from me, to his family, to his students at work. He challenges me and our marriage to continually improve; he is always willing to listen and to try to make himself better, which makes me want to be better, which makes for a great relationship. He is a pro at communicating! One of the many reasons I fell in love with him was because of the way he would talk about his dreams for the future, about how he wanted to be as a father and within a family. The passion he expressed and continues to express about raising a family melts my heart. He is my perfect match and I can’t wait to watch him in action as the wonderful father I know he will be.
Where We Call Home:
Our home is located on a double cul-da-sac street. There are lots of young kids riding around on their bikes and little battery operated cars. Our city, Santa Clarita, is recognized for its award winning elementary and high schools as well as being listed among America’s safest cities. Our neighborhood is fairly diverse which we enjoy and would want our family to experience. It’s truly years of planning that led us here. Usually Pu Wei, our dog, stays home and protects us from the occasional squirrel or gust of wind he feels may threaten the house. We have plenty of room for a kid’s, our own room and Pu’s space…though he prefers the top of the stairs so he can sleep with a view of the valley. It seems like a great place for kids. There’s a park at the end of the block where there are always kids and we often walk through on the way to some hiking trails where we let Pu sniff random bushes and chase lizards to his heart’s content. It’s very suburban here but centrally located for short drives into L.A., the beach, desert or mountains, including even a Magic Mountain.
Our Family:
We have a pretty good mixture of traditional and non-traditional family, and they mix surprisingly well together. On Ricardo’s side, he came from Mexico with his mom and sister when he was very young. That’s when he also met the man that would become his dad who in turn introduced them to their new uncles and cousins. Now he is an uncle himself to two nieces, and a nephew, one of which has her own two boys. Susan and her two brothers grew up in a 1st generation Arab-American family here in-town. Everyone is still fairly close, including her aunt, four uncles, their families and now their kids’ families. Holidays and birthdays can get pretty big and even bigger when everyone comes together.
We feel so incredibly fortunate to have such caring family nearby to offer their support as well as enrich our lives as we look to grow our family, they ’re almost as excited as we are to get started!
Our Thoughts On Parenting:
In some ironic way, having to wait to become parents may have helped us become even greater parents. Even though we have both always had a passion for kids and family, this time has allowed us to be even better prepared to provide for all the needs of our family. Working with kids and families we get to see how parenting styles can differ and understand how every child is different, even in the same household. We get to see what’s common among the most well-adjusted and happy kids. It’s only somewhat ironic because it is part of why we both got into education, our passion for all kids as well as our ideas to provide stability for our own and be able to spend time with them as we all grow.
Part of what we’ve learned about parenting just solidified who we are already. Be loving, caring, supportive, put your child/children first, support their dreams/development and respect them as people. Still, it’s in the details where we’ve gained the greatest understanding. Kids and people need both support and guidance. Dreams and talent require work as well as passion. Self-confidence is strengthened in praise but built in effort. Both parts are equally important. A child must feel he/she is loved to build his/her self-concept and trust in his/her own abilities These abilities of character, self-discipline, morals and respect help continue to guide them further as they grow older and more self-reliant. We, in our own humble hopeful way, are committed to that lifetime of support and guidance.