Journeys

Like the little road that leads through our woods, sometimes we don't know where we are headed and then - suddenly - we see the wonderful conclusion to our journey.

Our own journey together started in New York City and has taken us places that we hardly could have believed. We drew closer to one another, our love emerged, and we eventually outgrew the city and moved to a safe, healthy, and nurturing place we could call our home.

Through all our happiness and pains, the joys and the losses, the support and love we have for each other has given us the strength to continue to hope, to strive to help others, and to try to make the world a better place knowing that we will always be there for each other.

It is our hope that we will be able to share with your child the love we have for one another, to provide them with our strength and support, and to encourage them to follow their dreams wherever they may lead.

About Lisa... By Lawrence...

Lisa was born and raised in the Midwest, the youngest daughter of two of the area's most distinguished educators. Along with her older sister and brother, her childhood instilled in her a strong appreciation of the value of education, the need for compassion, and the healing power of creativity. Lisa took these lessons to heart and based her careers around them, first as a multi-media artist in New York City and then by devoting herself to helping both humans and animals in need.

Lisa is the kindest, gentlest, and most compassionate person I have ever met.

As our lives grew together, I have watched with tremendous pride as she took her passions and turned them into not only a job but her life's work. She turned her love for dogs into becoming one of our area's eminent dog trainers and has helped thousands of dogs both in homes and local shelters find loving, forever families. She turned her love of children into working with our local schools, libraries, and hospitals to develop animal-assisted therapy programs that have brought help and hope to both children and seniors in need in ways bordering on the miraculous.

Her entire life is based on caring for others and I know that she would make a wonderful mother for the child that comes into our family. Her business is based out of our house and she can't wait until that allows her to become a stay-at-home mom.

About Lawrence...By Lisa...

An only child raised by a working mother, Lawrence's childhood taught him not only the importance of self-reliance but also the greater value of having a caring community surround him.

After his mother's remarriage, he had the opportunity to move frequently and was awed by a world that was so different than the one he had known before. These early experiences left him with a love of adventure, a unique creativity, and the desire to give the same opportunities he was given to those he loves. He has traveled widely, studied in Paris, and now works in an international bank with friends and teammates that span the globe.

One of the greatest lessons that Lawrence hopes to teach is to encourage our child to find whatever it is they love in life and to hold onto that dream with both hands

Intelligent, generous, sincere, creative, and compassionate, Lawrence has always been wholeheartedly supportive of me pursuing my dream of becoming a dog trainer and behavioral professional in addition to all my volunteer efforts. He always reminds me to allow for fun, to take the time to enjoy our blessings, and always brings me laughter whether a side-splitting, laugh-out-loud or just a quiet smirk. I cant say enough of how proud I am of how he has built his career, the effort he puts into achieving his goals, and the life that has provided the both of us.

As a deeply creative person, he can't wait for the opportunity to write his own bedtime stories to tell to our child. He has already created the cast of characters stuffed animals Harvey the Bear, Dot the Hippo, and a monkey friend named Kookalaka who will accompany our child and Boo on adventures to exotic places like the pyramids and the Moon.

Home

Where we call home is nestled away in the hills, surrounded by our ten acres of woods crisscrossed by hiking and biking paths, streams, and a nearby private lake for swimming, kayaking, or other summer fun.

Our home is surrounded by the love and wonder that we would love to share with a child - like this year's fawn left to snuggle for the night just outside our back door.

We live in a fun, family-oriented town filled with parks, playgrounds, great public and private schools, and tons of kids to play with.

In addition to providing us all our favorite outdoor fun, were only a short drive away from all of the zoos, aquariums, and museums we love to visit.

Whether we're playing in our yard, hiking with our dogs, splashing in the lake, or out on a daytrip, ours is the kind of home we feel is perfect for welcoming and raising a child.

Tales About Tails

We can't tell you our story without also telling that of our animals, all of whom we rescued. As much family as they are pets, they provide us endless love, support, laughter, and inspiration.

Dante is our oldest, whose friendliness is only matched by his love of sticks

Porthos is our youngest (bounciest, too!) and is all smiles when meeting new people. Lab to the bone, he is happiest when he is carrying something around in his mouth.

Boo's kind and gentle nature wins over anyone who meets him and his love of kids has made him famous both locally and nationally.

Freya is a stray we found in the woods who enjoys chasing Boo and cuddling with Porthos.

They just can't wait to give the new addition to our family incredible snuggles and kisses.

Paw Prints & Miracles

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Ghandi

While our careers have blessed us, we have never forgotten the lessons of our childhoods and how big a difference can be made in the lives of others if we just raise a hand to help.

We both believe that while each person can be strong standing on their own there is much greater strength when we stand together as one.

With Lawrence's support, Lisa takes our dogs Boo, Dante, and Porthos to visit children in schools, libraries, and special needs classrooms in addition to seniors in nursing homes.

Lisa has been able to impact the lives of hundreds of children and seniors in need in our area. However, for one little boy, Boo's help was close to a miracle. A selective mute, he didn't speak to anyone until he met Boo and it wasn't until that meeting with Boo that his mother heard her son's voice aloud for the first time in all his six years. When he turned to his mother and yelled I love Boo! he confirmed to us all that we're at our best when we act to help others.

We would love to pass this sense of generosity and the desire to make the world a better place to the child that comes into our lives.

We love to visit our families and our friends who have become our extended families

Our family and friends eagerly await the arrival of the child we will adopt so they can lavish them with both love and happiness. Our best friends of many years also have an adopted child and having this in common will not only strengthen our friendship but our children will have similar life experiences to share while growing up together.

We are always happy when our friends and their children come to visit us. Its not just Lawrence and Lisa who are looking forward to a new child sharing their lives - our pets just can't get enough of kids!

Happiness is a Good Friend

Lisa and Lawrence love spending their free time with their friends and their kids. Trips to the zoo, a museum, or the local farm with critters to visit and pet are often on the calendar.

Our Adventures

We have always loved to travel and take trips to Europe, Maine, and around the country to visit family and friends. Whether it's a holiday trip to visit family, a Fall vacation on the Maine coast, or a trip to explore Europe, we can't wait to share our adventures with the child that comes into our lives.

Hopes and Dreams

Lawrence and I have many hopes and dreams we would like to share with the child we raise.

We look forward to showing the world to a new set of eyes and helping them see the wonder that surrounds them. We look forward to encouraging and supporting our child's interests and talents, allowing them to explore their gifts and the things that bring them happiness, all the while teaching them as much as we can before they journey out into the world on their own. Our animals and Lisa's connections to local farms and other animal organizations will allow our child to experience firsthand the joy and empathy that is the human-animal bond.

Lawrence and Lisa both had the opportunity to study abroad in college and we would love to give our child that opportunity as well. While Lisa studied Fine Arts and Lawrence studied French and English Literature we are both now employed in very scientific fields. From our own experience, we know all too well that everyone's journey through life is not always a straight line to a single destination and we are very happy and eager to share the journey the child we raise will take - wherever it will take them.

Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to share our story. We hope that your journey as you make this momentous and loving decision brings you both peace and joy for your child's future.

It is our hope that our words and pictures have touched you and perhaps offered a sense of comfort as you consider your options. We would like to learn more about you, please call us anytime through Friends in Adoption.

Lisa & Lawrence

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. -Malcolm Forbes