We both grew up having pets around - Alison had dogs, fish and a rabbit and Mort was raised on a farm in Ireland, so animals were always a part of his childhood experience. Whether it be dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, horses, sheep, cows or even donkeys, there are always animals to visit and care for on the farm! When we were married and settled into our first home, we rescued a lab-mix puppy who very quickly became not only a member of our family, but was a popular addition to the neighborhood. He loves to play fetch and run around in the yard, which makes him a hit with all of the children in our neighborhood (it helps that he has the softest coat as well and is patient while getting plenty of pets and belly rubs!) A few years after adding one puppy to the family, we decided to find him a brother and rescued our second lab-mix puppy. They are now ages 6 and 3 years and love to be outside with the neighborhood children and their dogs, walking, hiking, playing fetch in the yard or relaxing with us on the patio or on the couch.

We have a very active lifestyle and enjoy being on the go. Mort is a Mechanical Engineer, who enjoys discovering new and different ways to make things more efficient, whether it be at work or at home. Alison is an HR Leader for a Biotech company and spends her time ensuring that people develop their talents to the utmost.

Outside of the workplace, we enjoy experiencing what our local area has to offer by heading to the lake for a walk or kayak, going for runs, taking walks or hikes with our dogs or meeting with family and friends and enjoying the outdoors. We are also avid travelers and love to see different parts of the U.S. and many international destinations. We are blessed to have family and friends in a number of countries around the world and are always looking forward to our trips to destinations like Ireland, England, Europe, the Caribbean or Asia. To experience these types of adventures with a child is something we look forward to doing together.

To relax, we enjoy cooking together and entertaining friends and family. Not only will a child be able to share our hobbies, but they will have opportunities to learn from and share experiences and activities with many friends and family members.

Our personalities definitely complement one another. We are both incredibly adaptable and are willing and able to tackle whatever life brings.

Mort is stable and constant in nature. He is pragmatic, straightforward, and has a wonderful sense of humor that finds amusement in the everyday.

Alison is very determined and has an ability to easily engage with others. She focuses on a person's strengths versus their weaknesses and can bring the best out in them. Her friends and family are always coming to her for sound advice, as she is always there for them.

We enjoy trying and experiencing new and different things. Our sense of adventure has led us to traveling the world, moving to different international locations and being able to experience different opportunities to learn and grow as individuals and a couple.

Our families raised us to be open to new experiences and curious, with a thirst for learning. Since we both enjoy learning about different things as individuals - Mort being someone who is always fixing or building things and Alison who is creative in nature - we are always learning from each other and look forward to the day we can provide similar opportunities for a child to experience so many new things that will be a part of their learning and development as well.

Our home is in a wonderful location! We live in a four-bedroom house with a finished basement and big backyard that is perfect for running around in and playing with our two dogs.

Our street is in the shape of an oval, which makes for close neighbors, friends and many families and their young children interacting, whether it be playing basketball in a neighbor's yard, riding bikes around the oval or splashing around in a neighbor's pool.

We live within walking distance of Lake Erie, with beaches, parks, swimming pools and other outdoor recreation areas close by. Our home is also within walking distance of several schools, many shops and restaurants.

Our city hosts a regular farmer's market, concerts, movies in the park in the summer and outdoor skating rinks in the winter.

Being so close to downtown Cleveland means that we are able to take advantage of the lakefront, our local sports and music venues, zoo, aquarium and many museums.

We grew up miles apart, with Mort being born and raised in Ireland and Alison in Ohio. We met in Ireland when Alison was working there and moved to a number of locations together before returning to Ohio to be closer to Alison's family. Despite being raised in different countries and cultures, our upbringing was similar, with family, neighbors and friends being close in both proximity and relationship.

Family is incredibly important to us and both of our families are looking forward to the potential of being a part of raising a child.

Alison's parents, brother and sister-in-law live close by. We get together regularly whether it be to celebrate a birthday, holiday, attend a sports event (ice hockey is a family favorite), concert or for a cookout.

We travel to visit Mort's family in Ireland at least once a year. When we do, we stay with his parents and his sisters, one of which is raising a young family. We make the most of these visits to catch-up with our young nieces whether it be traveling within Ireland to experience new places, playing hide and seek, building with Legos or exploring the family farms. We always have fun together.

These moments are all something we would love to be able to experience with a child, and we know our families are eager for the opportunity to go on trips, spend holidays together and build upon the memories that we have been making over time.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We know that adoption will be an amazing experience and can't wait to embark on this journey and share our love with a child.

We realize that you have a difficult decision that you are in the process of making and we admire your courage and strength while doing so. We hope that we have given you a glimpse into our world, but would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to provide more detail if there is more that you would like to learn about us.

We both grew up in different countries and have experienced different cultures as a result. Even after knowing one another for 14 years and having been married for nearly 10 years, we are always learning about one another and believe that it is important to share different thoughts, ideas and experiences to continue to build upon our relationship as a couple.

Alison's parents are both retired educators and raised her to value learning, whether it be in school or through everyday experiences, traveling the world and/or interacting with many different people. Mort's parents both farmed the family farm in Ireland and emphasized not only learning in school, but also through the practicalities of living and working on a farm. To watch our nieces learn and experience the same in Ireland is something we hope for our child as well. We will place a focus on education in both a classroom setting and through experiences outside of school, as we believe in the importance of shaping a future through making learning fun. Both of our families have set wonderful examples of integrity, morality, kindness, strong work ethic, tolerance and fed our curiosity by providing many opportunities to learn and grow. We look forward to sharing these traits with a child and our families can't wait to welcome a child to the family.

We both have a sense of humor and like to have fun whenever possible. We approach most tasks and situations with this mindset, which makes tackling anything doable! This is evident both inside the workplace and at home. As our family grows, we plan to adjust our roles so that we are fully present to care for all of the needs of a child. It will be a privilege to share new experiences as we embrace parenthood together.

We will share with you your child's growth and experiences through letters, emails and photos if you wish to receive these. We are also open to making arrangements for visits when the time is right and look forward to being able to do this over the years should it be something you wish to do. We are eager to work together to maintain a healthy relationship with you and a child. We will be open and honest with a child as it relates to adoption and their story. We will always speak positively about you and will honor you with our words and actions. We believe that it is important for your child to know that they are loved by you and that your decision about adoption was not an easy one to make.

Thank you again for considering us as potential parents for your child. We look forward to the potential of adding to our family and will always provide the love and support that will help a child to thrive.

Mort & Alison