We have one living child, a brave, funny, kind, chaotic 4-year-old biological daughter Blake. She is the true center of our world and most days the reason why we do what we do. While going through this process it was hard to find pictures of our life without her in it. She has been our focus for the past 4 years. Blake’s story started off in an unexpected way. After being born at 31 weeks Blake spent her first 33 days of life in the NICU, welcoming us into parenthood in a non-traditional way. Throughout our stay in the NICU, we learned not to take anything for granted, something as simple as reading a bedtime story and rocking your child to bed or giving them their first bath is not always something you have access to. Now, Blake enjoys dancing, cooking, and playing outside.

We also have a son who is our guardian angel named Graham. Graham was born early at 28 weeks and suffered major complications during birth. We were able to spend 8 days with him, surrounding him with love, family and comfort during his short life. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t think about him and include him as part of our family story.

We love our traditions! We spend the “Summer Holiday’s” at the lake with family. Summer Holiday’s for us includes Father’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. Every 4th of July we participate in a 2-mile fun run by the lake and take the boat out to watch fireworks over the water. There’s also plenty of BBQ, burgers and homemade ice cream!

For Birthday’s we “sneak” down to the kitchen the night before to decorate it with balloons, banners and streamers. For Blake, on her birthday she is woken up with the “Happy Birthday Song,” balloons poured into her bed and a big balloon with the number she is turning. We look forward to sharing this tradition with your child.

Christmas and the winter holidays are another big one for us. We have multiple holiday gatherings with friends and family, all surrounded by food! Christmas eve we attend church, eat dinner with family and set cookies and carrots out for Santa and his reindeer. Christmas morning, we host at our home for any family that wants to come and make homemade cinnamon rolls and have mimosas with the grandparents while the kids open gifts and stockings. There are so many wonderful traditions spread throughout the year.

Our lifestyle is busy! We love to go do things as a family with our extended family and friends. Not everything we do is a big event, it may be something as simple as going over to a friend’s house to watch a football game or hosting friends just to spend time together. We deeply believe that parenting is easier with others around, so we make an effort to spend time with friends who have kids and build memories with them together.

When we’re not hanging around our town, we can be found at our family lake house on the weekends or on our annual trips to the beach over the summer. We have an annual beach trip with another family and over the years we’ve added 3 kids to the mix. Its so much fun to watch the babies all grow up together with these core memories. Our weekdays include attending events at Blakes school, spending time at our neighborhood amenities, Dance or Gymnastics. We sit down every night at the table and have family dinner without screens or TV. We talk about our day, what made us happy, what’s to come in the next days and usually end up laughing at something crazy our 4 year old Blake has done.

We are very lucky to be surrounded by an amazing group of friends and family. Our friends and family are excited to be involved—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who have become family are ready to shower your child with love. All living within an hour of us!

We have a strong, tight knit community that has loved us and supported us through the roller coaster of life. We have friends that we take an annual summer beach trip with (Year 9 is coming up!), friends we meet monthly to catch up and let the kids play, and plenty of weekends at the lake house hosting family and friends with their children.

When we aren't off on vacation or a weekend away at the lake, you can find us hanging out with the neighborhood/day care crew at the neighborhood pool, the local playground, or out to a local restaurant (probably Mexican).

As a family we are very intentional about spending time and making memories with the ones we love.

Michael, Cydney and Blake live in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. We've lived in our house for almost 4 years and have worked hard to make it into a home. With 4 bedrooms, a play room and fully fenced in back yard there is plenty of space for your child to explore and grow.

If you asked our daughter Blake, she'd say her favorite feature of our home is the bounce house we blow up in the backyard in the warmer months.

We live in a wonderful neighborhood of over 100 houses full of families with kids of all ages. Our neighborhood includes a pool, playground, basketball court and tennis court all just 6 houses down from our home.

We also enjoy taking walks around the neighborhood after school/work and meeting up with neighbors at the pool for pizza on Friday nights during the summer.

Cydney is a member of the HOA helping to planning summer parties at the park and pool, neighborhood book club, cookie exchanges, Halloween Parades, Chili Cook Offs and Movie Nights on the Tennis Courts.

To start, we want to thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We can only imagine the strength, courage, and love it takes to make this decision, and we deeply admire you for considering adoption. Please know that whatever you choose, you are making an incredibly selfless and loving choice for your child. A parents love knows no bounds and we've personally experienced this. We had to make a painful decision for our son, Graham. After a traumatic early birth we were told the heartbreaking news that he suffered a severe brain bleed and wouldn't have any type of quality of life. This led us to our decision to do what was best for him and our family and say goodbye. Not a day goes by that we don't think about that decision, but we know in our hearts that it was the right one. Our hope for you is that you feel, in your heart, that this is the best decision for your child.

We are Michael and Cydney, and we live in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, GA with our 4 year old daughter Blake and 8 year old Chocolate lab, Oliver. Our home is filled with laughter, warmth, and a sense of belonging. We’ve been together for over 10 years and married for 7. From the very beginning, we dreamed of building a family rooted in love, kindness, and support. Adoption has always felt like a beautiful way to grow a family and after our son, Graham died, we felt pulled towards adoption. We are so excited and honored about the possibility of welcoming another child into our lives.

A little about us: Cydney is kind, fun-loving and dependable and enjoys making memories and spending time with the people she loves with some reality TV sprinkled in. Michael is a calm, steady, loving presence who enjoys playing ice hockey, reading, and computer games. Our weekends are filled with exploring new parks or outdoor areas with Blake and friends, hosting game nights, and taking time to spend with family. We also cherish quiet evenings at home, curled up with Oliver and Blake to watch her favorite shows or watching a good baking show for us.

Our home is in a safe, family-friendly neighborhood with great schools, parks, and plenty of space to play and grow. We have a big backyard shared with Oliver (who will chase a ball as long as you'll throw it), a swing set, a garden, a bounce house (when the weather is nice) and plenty of space to run. Our extended family lives nearby, and they are thrilled to welcome a new little one into the chaos. Both sets of Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are ready to shower your child with love and support.

If you choose us, we promise to provide a nurturing environment where your child will feel safe, loved, and encouraged to dream big. We believe in raising children with patience, kindness, and respect. Education is important to us, but so is creativity, play, and helping a child discover who they are. We will honor your child’s story and make sure they know how much love and courage went into your decision.

We are open to staying connected in whatever way feels right for you - whether that’s sharing updates, photos, emails, or visits. We want you to feel comfortable and supported throughout this life long journey.

Thank you for considering us as part of your child’s future. We would love the opportunity to get to know you and answer any questions you may have. Whatever you decide, please know that we are sending you strength and peace as you make this important choice.

With gratitude and respect,

Michael & Cydney