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Ben & Brielle are hopeful adoptive parents from Arizona waiting to adopt a baby.

If you are pregnant and considering placing your child for adoption, please read the following Dear Birthmother Letter.

Congratulations!
We're Adopting a Girl.

Our Story . . . Who would have thought that we would ever be writing such a personal letter to someone we have never met before? I guess that proves that life is not always what you expect it to be! What a wonderful thing it is to have life throw you so many curve balls. There are countless lessons to be learned and so many memories to be created from the most unexpected circumstances. We would like to first off thank you tremendously for your consideration of adoption. It must have taken an immense amount of courage to begin looking into this process of entrusting your child to another. We wish you the best of luck in your future, and you are in our hearts and our prayers daily.

Now for the fun part! We get to spend a few moments letting you into our lives and allowing you to know our personalities. Ben and I truly met by luck and happenstance. We both worked for the same retail company in college, The Buckle. We worked at two different stores, so we had never met. My manager decided to send me up to Ben’s location to work for two weeks. I originally had my eyes on another guy, who happened to be one of Ben’s best friends . . . oops! But, it’s all good because Ben hadn't come into work yet, so I didn't know what I was missing. The day that Ben showed up for his shift, I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. There was something about him that attracted me so much to him. Apparently he was feeling the same way because by the end of his shift he asked my out on a date. Our first date included bowling and miniature golf, two sports that I have never been able to master. Ben was a complete gentleman and held my hand on the first date. It took about another week for him to lay a smooch on me, but it was worth the wait. Our romance progressed quickly and we were engaged after four months of dating and married another four months later. For his proposal, Ben had taken me to a very nice Italian dinner and then we went on a walk around Temple Square in Salt Lake City. There is a large fountain there where you can see your reflection. Ben had put items all around this fountain that reminded him of me. He put a Buckle name tag for where we met, a little car because that’s where we first kissed, a water gun because of our huge water fight with his family, and a few more items. At the very end he had a dozen red roses and that’s when he got down on one knee and said, “We've spent all this time making memories together, and I want to continue making memories with you forever.” Awwww . . . doesn't that just make your heart melt? What a thoughtful guy!

Who We Are . . . We are definitely a carefree and loving couple who make it a point to have fun. A week without a date night would be a tragedy; of course, we are more than ready to put that tradition on hold for a while after having a baby! Our date nights are made up of us going out to dinner at one of the following restaurants: Claim Jumper, Cheesecake Factory, Bajio’s, Pita Jungle (our new found favorite with the best hummus in town), or some random hole in the wall that our friends have suggested…those usually don’t turn out too well. We always share a meal, after much complaining on Ben’s part because his eyes are always bigger than his stomach, but in the end he always admits that it was a good idea to share. Ben is the funniest person to eat with. He always has a running commentary with his food, especially if it is good. One of his favorite phrases to say to his food is, “Come to papa! Don’t be shy!” The best part of food, claims Ben, is the sauce. He is definitely a sauce guy. I on the other hand am not satisfied until dessert is served. Although, the best dessert can’t be found at any restaurant, it is simply Bluebell ice cream. After dinner we usually take a late night run to Kohl’s which has the best deals in town! I am your world’s best bargain shopper. In fact, my best pair of jeans cost me a whopping ten dollars! Anyway, we look forward to the weekends when we have a break from work and can spend this time together.

Why We Love Eachother . . . (From Brielle) From the day we met, I knew that Ben would make a wonderful father. This may sound a little weird or freaky, but I was drawn to Ben because he reminded me of my dad. They have similar features and personality characteristics. My father always put his family first. Never for a second did I doubt my father’s love for me. In comparison, I have never doubted the love that Ben has for me. I can definitely be your nit picky wife at times, and he just smiles and does his best to make me happy. He has such a love for people in general. I am always told how easy it is to get along with Ben. He is so genuine and really cares for others. He is always looking for opportunities to be involved in the community, his work, or the church. He teaches roller hockey to little kids two nights out of the week and they absolutely adore him. Sometimes when we go on our nightly walks, one of his kids will run up to him and yell, “Coach Ben!” and want to show him something cool. Almost anywhere we go, somebody knows Ben. We could be grocery shopping, going to the movies, or even driving along the freeway and he will see somebody that he knows or has made an impression on. We recently attended Ben’s ten year high school reunion and I can’t count the amount of times that individuals pulled me aside just to tell me how awesome Ben was in high school and how important he made everybody feel. I can’t wait until Ben can take these personality traits and teach them to our children. Who better to teach honesty, courtesy, love, compassion, kindness, etc. then somebody who lives these qualities on a daily basis?

(From Ben) I know that Brielle will make a wonderful mother someday. Brielle’s grandma laughs at her because when she was young she asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she looked at her without a moment of hesitation and said, “A mommy!” She tried asking Brielle again explaining that she meant a job, but Brielle refused to be anything other than a mommy. I think Brielle has always had those motherly instincts growing up. She has two little brothers that she absolutely adores and feels like she is a second mother to them. She is always calling and checking up on them, and they ask her for advice about school, girls, jobs, and so on. One of her little brothers is serving a mission in Peru, and she is so proud of the choices that he has made. It is really hard to have him gone because they have become best friends, but he is setting such a good example for her and the rest of her family. Whenever she thinks of having children, especially boys, she truly hopes they can grow up as awesome as the three brothers she has. She often says that she is the luckiest girl out there to get stuck with such stinking cool brothers! Being a high school teacher, I often find myself in awe at how Brielle handles her students. She has earned their respect through a perfect mixture of discipline and love. Her students feel so comfortable with her that they call her “Miss Breezy” as a fun nickname. Brielle has influenced and molded many lives through her teaching. This influence will last a lifetime. She makes me want to be a better person. She makes me want to improve myself and pushes me to fulfill my full potential. All of these qualities she will bring to the table as she hopes to soon be a new mommy.

Our Hopes . . . We can’t wait to become parents so that we may begin some of our own family traditions. We both come from families that are very close and that love spending time together. Ben’s family is small in numbers, yet huge in personality. His mother is one of the craziest, funniest, most creative people you will ever meet. She would be your perfect grandma who always has some fun activity going on. Ben was involved in numerous activities growing up including karate, dance, hockey, piano, drama, and debate. His parents were always supportive of him taking on new challenges. Ben’s family also loves to travel. They make it a point to go somewhere fun every year so that they can bond and create lasting memories. Las Vegas is a frequent vacation spot for his family because his dad attends film conventions down there once a year. They see all the great shows like Cirque du Soleil, Mama Mia, and the Blue Man Group. Brielle’s family is definitely more low key and relaxed, but they still love having a good time. Growing up, Brielle always spent her summer vacations going to Utah to visit relatives. She remembers playing with her cousins everyday and spending time with her grandparents. They would spend the summers going on hikes and bike rides in the canyon. Brielle’s favorite place to hike is Mount Timpanogos in Utah where you get to slide down a glacier at the end. Brielle has a very close relationship with her immediate family. She and her mom talk daily, and she is definitely a daddy’s little girl. Her parents are both so supportive and excited about our adoption. They constantly follow up and ask us where we are in the process. They are more than willing to offer us any help we need in our transition into parenthood.

Although everyone has a strong desire to create a biological family of their own, we feel very blessed to have come to the decision of adoption. In fact, we may have gotten the better end of the deal because we will have the rare opportunity to bond with a special birth mother and bring her beautiful child into our home as our own. We have been trying for almost two years to begin a family of our own. We were excited and thrilled to find out that we were pregnant in January 2008. We then miscarried which was completely devastating. We got pregnant again in April 2008 only to miscarry again. Since that time, we have not been able to get pregnant again. It was heart wrenching at first to watch friends begin and add to their families while we waited in limbo. In July 2009 we began the process of adoption and have completely embraced the idea of welcoming a child into our home. We plan on being the best adoptive parents that we can by loving any child as our own. We will support them, protect them, and teach them as much as we possibly can throughout their lives.

If only we could pop out of this page and show you what we are really like! It’s hard to put down on paper everything you want to say to someone that is going to be such an important part of our lives. If anything please know that we are not perfect, but we have pure intentions at heart. We’ve always said that we love roller coasters, and what better roller coaster to ride than one that will change your life forever? We love you and we have such gratitude for the time you are giving us to consider our family for your child. Good luck on your journey.
A very sincere thank you,
Ben and Brielle