Isabel and Todd
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We recognize that your process requires extensive soul-searching and careful consideration. We wholly admire your interest in exploring an open adoption and want you to know that we are fully committed to providing a wonderful life for your child as well as keeping in good touch with you.
We’re Isabel & Todd. We fell in love in 1993 after meeting at a photo studio where we were both working. We’ve been married since 2000 and adopted Simone through Open Adoption and Family Services as a newborn in 2009. We live with our three kitties on a quiet, urban street full of outgoing, generous neighbors. We are within easy walking distance to excellent schools, parks, a public library, restaurants, farmer’s markets, shops and movie theaters.
Isabel is a fifth-generation Portlander who has lived in both England and Italy. She has a degree in art history and is a veterinarian with her own veterinary acupuncture house call practice. She loves her job, feeling blessed to be able to work with animals and their people, while actually being paid to do it! She is a born explorer who is always in search of the next adventure. Besides caring for Simone; yoga, hiking, cooking and gardening are her passions. Testing new vegetarian recipes and baking cookies with Simone are a particular delight! Isabel is the social and travel planner of the couple; she executes vacations and outings with our extensive support network of family and friends with young children. She regularly volunteers for a non-profit organization that provides healthcare for pets of the homeless population.
Todd grew up in Michigan but moved to Portland following completion of college, after being impressed with the cultural diversity, beauty and progressiveness of this city. In Portland he found the home he had been looking for, his best friend and the love of his life. He has his own business producing retail and environmental graphics. Todd loves to cook and is particularly skilled at making pastas and seafood, to Isabel’s great fortune! He has played guitar since he was a teenager and has fronted several bands. Todd enjoys running and is a motorcycle enthusiast. Like Isabel, he is fond of hiking, gardening, and spending time at the family vacation homes on the Washington coast and in Central Oregon. He is extremely skilled at house maintenance and dabbles in woodworking projects.
Simone is a happy, inquisitive, supremely clever, funny and active three-year-old. She is the joy of our life! She loves dancing, singing, swimming, drawing and attending preschool. She’s one of the most social and caring children we’ve ever known. We maintain a close bond with both of her birthparents, celebrating birthdays and holidays together as well as enjoying more casual outings throughout the year.
We have had a particular passion for open adoption ever since learning eight years ago that Isabel has an older sister she previously knew nothing about. Her sister, Nina, had been placed in a closed adoption years ago and spent most of her life wondering about her birth family. Since finding each other, Isabel’s family has become very close with Nina and her adoptive family. Nina’s journey inspired us to seek open adoption when we were preparing to adopt. Now that we have Simone and Nina in our lives, we cannot imagine living a life without open adoption.
Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about us and to consider open adoption. We wish you peace in whatever decision you make.
Todd, Isabel and Simone