First, whether you are considering placing your child for adoption, or you're somebody close to a prospective birth mother, thank you for taking the time to read our profile.
We would like to offer you a glimpse into our lives and share information with you that may help you decide if we are the right family for you and your baby.
Our names are Dustin and Jamie Tate. We have been married for nearly six years, and it's been a great adventure thus far. We have been trying to have a child for a few years now, and have even gone the route of modern medicine (which means lots of shots and lots of doctors), but we have not had any success. Through this trial, we have come to realize that adoption is such a wonderful opportunity for us to have the family that we yearn to have.
ABOUT US AS A FAMILY
Besides the two of us, there are other members of our family. We have the sweetest yellow lab in the world - Quique - who loves children. All of the kids in the neighborhood, as well as our nephews and cousins, love playing with Quique.
We live in a very nice neighborhood in Holladay, Utah - which is a suburb of Salt Lake City. We love our neighborhood, with its large, mature trees, fantastic schools nearby, and some of the best neighbors you could ask for - many of which are our age with young families. We're centrally located to everything within the Salt Lake Valley - just a fifteen minute drive from world-famous ski resorts and within walking distance to some great parks.
Jamie and Dustin both have family nearby. While Jamie's parents and sister live just an hour and a half flight away (Northern California), she has aunts and cousins nearby, with whom we get together often. But we're so fortunate to be able to have her mom and sister out to visit us often (at least two or three times a year).
Dustin's parents live within a mile and a half from our home, his sister's family (with our two fun nephews) lives 20 minutes away, his other sister (expecting) lives just 10 minutes away, and his brother (with one of our nephews and a niece-to-be) currently lives five minutes away.
We love traveling and seeing the world, as we feel that we learn so much by experiencing different cultures. Recently, we just returned from a trip to Europe, where we visited Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. Dustin speaks Spanish fluently and has lived in Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico, while Jamie studied abroad in Spain and is also very comfortable with the language. We are so excited to be able to give our children the opportunity to see the world and learn.
We also love spending time at Dustin's family's cabin - located just two hours away. We're looking forward to spending quality family-time there - hiking, boating, and just relaxing.
Another past-time for both of us is volunteering their time with youth in the community. Both Dustin and Jamie have worked with the youth in the community for the past five years, and have been involved with planning girls camp and scout camp and combined Young Men and Young Women summer trips. They recently returned from a weekend in Martin's Cove, Wyoming with 200 youth and adult leaders - where they simulated the trek of the pioneers across the plains.
ABOUT JAMIE (written by Dustin)
I met Jamie more than nine years ago, shortly after I returned from my mission. She started working at the same place where I was working during that time, after coming out to Utah from California on a swimming scholarship. I instantly made it a goal of mine to go out with her. We went out soon after that, but I had to wait three years before I could convince her to marry me.
One of the things that I admired most about Jamie from the very beginning was her interest in others. She's a great listener and has always been so genuinely interested in others. This trait has only become more apparent as time has gone on. What I love the most about Jamie is her selflessness. She always puts the needs and well-being of others in front of her own. In this and other senses, she has always possessed so many natural motherly instincts.
For the past five years, she has served in a capacity with the young women (12 - 18 year olds) in our church and neighborhood, and I have seen her develop such strong relationships with each girl. Because of her genuine care for them, so many of the girls have a deep trust with her. Now, it's all too common to have one of the girls drop by our house to ask Jamie for advice or just talk with her about things going on in their lives.
One thing that Jamie loves to do is cook. A couple of years ago, she organized a Dinner Club in the neighborhood with about seven or eight friends where they have a monthly theme and each person brings a dish and shares a recipe, and it has become a strong tradition. Jamie's patience and desire to make others happy are some of the traits that make her a great cook, and cooking is just one small way in which she is prepared to be a wonderful mother.
I am so excited to be a parent with Jamie. I don't know what I'd do without her, and I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful wife. She will undoubtedly be the most incredible mother to a very lucky child.
ABOUT DUSTIN (written by Jamie)
I knew that there was something special about Dustin from the first time I met him. When we first became friends, he was somebody that inspired me and motivated me to be a better person. He is also a very ambitious and determined man. At first I thought that I was too young when we were dating, but he never gave up on me. He knew from early on that we were supposed to be together and I am so glad that he continued to fight for me because I cannot imagine my life without him. Dustin is also an extremely intelligent person. I would say that he is probably one of the smartest people that I know. He graduated with a double major in Marketing and Spanish and then went on to get an MBA as well. While working on his MBA he was working 50 plus hours a week. He can fit more in a day than I could ever dream of. Dustin also has a deep love and passion for sports. He grew up attending college football and basketball games, and this is still one of his favorite things to do with his family. But he also loves skiing, scuba diving, and cycling. He's planning on competing in his first triathlon this summer. Just another example of his ambition and desire to constantly set forth new goals and accomplishing them.
Yet even though Dustin has these strong personality traits, he is also a sweet, kind and loving person. He has been the President of our Young Men youth organization through our church for over 5 years. These young men not only look up to Dustin, but he has formed relationships with them that will last for many years to come. He has also been an amazing support system for me. These past two years have been difficult, but Dustin has never let it get him down, he has always been so positive and even when things haven't gone in the direction we would have hoped, he has always been hopeful and optimistic for the next step. I can't even imagine living my life without this incredible man and I feel so blessed every day that I am married to him.
OUR PROMISE
We hope that from this brief profile, you can see how much love and appreciation we have for each other and how hopeful we are to add a child to our family.
To the potential birth mother, we realize how much love and sacrifice a birth mother has to give their child up for adoption, and this will never be forgotten. But we want you to know that we will be eternally grateful for the opportunity of having a precious child entrusted to us. We want you to know that, with us, your child will be surrounded by love and will be given every opportunity to grow and succeed in whatever he/she wishes to do. We will raise the child with our own love and also with the knowledge that they are loved by their Heavenly Father.
We know that the upcoming months will continue to be difficult. Please know that our prayers are with you and we're confident that our Heavenly Father is mindful of your needs. We pray you will be given the guidance and peace you desire in making the decision that is best for you and your child.
Please feel free to post a comment for further details, or email us directly at: dustin_tate@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
Dustin and Jamie Tate
