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Dan & Marianne are hopeful adoptive parents from Nebraska waiting to adopt a baby.

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

Our Family Dear Friends,
Thank you for taking a minute to get to know us. We know that we are blessed by the selfless decisions that you, and people like you, are making. Our hope is that you find peace as you do this. We know that Heavenly Father has guided you in your choice to place your baby for adoption, just as He has guided us in seeking to adopt.

We have three people in our family. Our names are Dan, Marianne, and our daughter Emma. After attending the same high school for two years, Dan and Marianne finally ended up in a class together. It was then that we discovered that we lived just blocks away from each other. That was the beginning of a long friendship. As soon as Dan came home from his mission, he came up to Marianne’s house; we went out that night, and the next, and the next, and every night after that – to this day, over six years later.

We love being married, and enjoy being together. Both of us have strengths and weaknesses that add to our relationship, and that keep life interesting. We do not claim to be perfect, or to have a perfect marriage, but we do claim the ability to solve problems, and to communicate about whatever comes into our lives.

Dan is a fun-loving, hard-working man. He loves to joke, and he is very loving and affectionate. Dan's family is very close, and his parents love to dote on their one and only grandchild, Emma. Dan has an older sister, an older brother, and one younger brother. They all enjoy most physical activities together. Dan's family loves to wakeboard, and spend many free days of the summer out on the lake.

Marianne is a passionate person, who loves to care for those around her. She grew up in a family of six, with one younger sister, and two younger brothers. Her parents are her heros. They are incredibly loving parents, and very involved grandparents. They set a wonderful example to us as to how to raise our own family. Her family loves to spend time together, and will pass hours simply talking and hanging out. We also love to make music together, all of her siblings being very musical. We believe that grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins are a huge strength to children. We love to spend time with our families, and we know that they are excited for our family to grow.

We have spent many years of our marriage longing for children. Our daughter, Emma, came to us three years ago, after over a year of desiring and praying for a baby. Emma is an active, curious, loving three year old. She is learning to talk, and enjoys the company of other people so much, and we know she will be a loving, fun big sister. We are just now beginning to realize what a miracle she was as we deal with infertility, including many visits to the doctor and endless months of hoping. Though we were ultimately told that we have little chance of conceiving, we strongly believe that more children are meant to come into our home, and we know that another miracle is in store for us through adoption.

Our Education and Work Education is very important to us, and we have spent all of our married lives in school. Marianne finished her bachelor’s three years ago. She studied Family & Human Development in school. Her education focused on child development and family relationships, and she spent a six-month internship at a community center teaching parenting classes, working with children in the foster care system, and helping families in distress. Though we have learned that nothing can truly prepare one for the experience of having a child, her education has provided us with tools and resources to make parenting more successful and much more fun! She now stays at home with Emma, and teaches pre-school in our basement two mornings per week.

Dan has put many years of hard work into school. He received his bachelor’s in biology, with a minor in chemistry, three years ago, and entered dental school right after. He will graduate and be a licensed, practicing dentist in 2009. Meanwhile, we live among other students and enjoy this time in our lives. Dan has worked hard, and made many sacrifices to get to where he is. He cares very much about his education and future occupation, and he does everything (including the very choice to become a dentist) with the comfort, care and enjoyment of his family in mind. He will always be well able to support his family because of his combination of education and work ethic.

Our Fun and Faith There are so many things we love to do. The bulk of our free time is spent together, of course. We like outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, camping, boating, snowmobiling, and whatever else gets us out and about. We also like to visit new places, and hope to do more traveling as Dan’s career grows. We also like to play games, and spend many hours playing cards or board games with our families, and of course, hours on end playing CandyLand (the “treat” game) with Emma.

Dan does not have a lot of leisure time but still stays very active, and enjoys playing most sports. In particular he likes to wakeboard, play basketball and to golf. He also enjoys a good paintball match. Marianne loves music. She has played the piano since the age of five, and insisted that Dan buy her a piano before he bought her engagement ring. Marianne also loves to read. A good book is the best way for her to relax and unwind. She also likes to do creative projects, like scrapbooking.

We love our Heavenly Father, and are so thankful that we have the knowledge of the gospel in our lives. It helps us maintain hope through hard times, and brings us great joy to know that our family is eternal.

Opportunity to serve in the church is important to us, and we enjoy spending our free time helping others. Dan served a mission in Seoul, Korea, and had many experiences that bless our family. He serves as our ward membership clerk, and keeps things very organized. Marianne has served as the Primary President in a past ward, and is now serving as the Relief Society President in our current ward. Although she loves the things she has been able to do, she will always say that playing the piano is her favorite calling.

Thank You We know that parenting is a wonderful responsibility. Children are good by nature, and we belive that a parent's job is to guide and teach their children how to make good choices. We always make an effort to show Emma how special she is, and even disciplining is an opportunity to show love. Though there are always challenges to meet, it has always been our goal to make parenting (and being a kid) fun.

Once again, thank you for reading our letter. We want you to know that we have the best interest of your baby in mind. We respect you very much. Please contact us for any reason. We are excited to hear from you. Send us a message

Sincerely,
Dan and Marianne