Hello!
We are so grateful for the miracle of adoption and look forward to getting to
know you. This is probably a scary and uncertain time in your life and there
are many decisions to make. You show so
much love to your child by considering adoption and we think you are amazing!
WHY ADOPTION?
When we were married in July 2004, we
looked forward to the day when we would become parents and did not consider any
difficulty that could get in our way. The
first two years we were married, we were happy and poor and we struggled
through college together. We then felt ready to start our family, but after
years of trying to conceive and doing fertility treatments, we were
unsuccessful. This was devastating for both of us, but we were hopeful and knew
that someday we would be parents. We asked our families to pray with us and we
felt so strongly that we were supposed to adopt. Our focus immediately shifted
to adoption and after almost two years of waiting, we were blessed with our sweet
son, Jacoby in February 2012. We love his birth mother and get to have an open
adoption with her. In February 2014, we were blessed with our daughter, Kimber,
also through adoption. We also have an open relationship with her birth mother
too, and often text and send pictures to both birth mothers. We know both
children are meant to be in our family, verifying to us that adoption is truly
a miracle. We know there is another sweet spirit that is supposed to be in our
family and are excited to be on this journey again.
ABOUT US
I (Vanessa) grew up in a loving family
and am the oldest of four children. My siblings and I grew up watching our
parents dance together in the living room and some of my fondest memories from
those years include the whole family dancing to disco music and singing
karaoke. I have always loved all kinds
of music, and I enjoy dancing, singing, and playing my violin. Running is also
one of my passions, and I can be found most mornings hitting the pavement with
my jogging stroller and Golden Retriever, Oakley. I have been interested in health and
nutrition since I was a teenager and studied nutrition in college, eventually
becoming a registered dietitian. Now that I am a mom, I get to stay home and
raise them and I love it!
Vanessa’s Thoughts on Cameron: Cameron is my
best friend, and I am so lucky to be married to him. He is very loving and so
patient with me. He is a very hard
worker and a natural leader who sets goals and accomplishes them. People
gravitate toward him and he handles responsibility well. One of things I really admire about Cameron
is that he is constantly thinking of others before himself and often volunteers
to help neighbors and friends with odd jobs and projects. He is also really
sensitive to people in need and will often say things like “I think this person
really needs someone to talk to.”
Cameron and I are both pretty stubborn
on some things and have definitely had disagreements, but the last 12 years
together has taught us that open communication and thinking of our spouse’s
needs before our own are key to making our marriage work. Cameron is a great
father and Jacoby lights up whenever his daddy walks into the room. He is also
a great provider for our family and allows me to stay at home.
I (Cameron) also came from a home where
I was the oldest of four children, one brother and two sisters. I also had a foster brother who lived with us
for four years after his parents died. I
grew up on a farm so I learned the value of work. It was not uncommon for a day to start around
5:00 a.m.
and last until well after 10:00 p.m. We
did a lot of playing to accompany the work.
I raced motorcycles, hunted, water skied, and snow skied, and did a lot
of camping with friends. After a two
year mission, I finished college with a degree is Organization Communications
(public speaking). I now own my own
business and enjoy the flexibility it provides in making time for my family.
Cameron’s thoughts on Vanessa: I met Vanessa
on a blind date and hit it off with her right away. I love spending time with her. She is a very responsible person that
frequently reminds me of what I’m supposed to be doing. She is also loving and compassionate and is a
great mom. I appreciate the hard work she does at home, which is often harder
than my job outside the home.
OUR HOME AND FAMILY
We live in a large two story house
at the edge of quiet subdivision in a small Idaho town. We love our yard and
our neighbors and we feel safe and happy raising children here. We have a big
play room downstairs where the kids are free to run and play and we often
snuggle by the fireplace and read stories together. We also have a great family
dog, Oakley, who is loyal, playful and great around kids.
FEELINGS ON PARENTING AND
ADOPTION
We both had very good experiences growing
up and we are using some of the principles we have learned from our parents,
including teaching by example, while molding our own parenting style as we go
along. We try to live Christ-like lives and are trying to teach our children
the importance of kindness, respect, and serving others. Parenting is not easy,
but we have truly enjoyed the “up-all-nights” and messy parts of being parents
to young children. It is amazing how fast they grow and change and it is
humbling that they learn everything from us so good parenting is so important.
We do not feel that adoption is
“second-best” in regards to becoming parents and feel that this is how our
family was meant to come together all along.
The bumps and bruises on life’s journey are how we learn and grow. We
know we have become better people and better parents because of our waiting
period before starting our family. Adoption truly is a miracle and birth
parents show a tremendous amount of selfless love in thinking about their child
before themselves. We hope our next adoption can also be open and that our
child can grow up knowing he or she is lucky enough to be loved by a birth
family as well as an adoptive family. We honor you and look forward to you
being a big part of our child’s life.
Love,
Cameron and Vanessa Foster
