Our Photos

Taking a hike in Washington D.C

Visiting Mayan Ruins in Mexico

Abby’s first trip to So. Africa

Time with family & friends

Jess and cousins in Denver

One big happy family

Relaxing on vacation in Mexico

On a breakaway

This is for the birds

Hanging at the Rugby 7’s tournament

Soccer champions

On Safari

Jessica & Marc

About Us Thank you for giving us the privilege of being adoptive parents. We recognize that raising a child is a life-long obligation and full-time job. We are eager to provide love, support, financial and emotional stability to our entire family. Our pledge to you is that we will raise your child to be a loving adult who has been given the education, tools and opportunities to thrive and accomplish whatever they set their mind to.
Our first date was the beginning of a romance and partnership that grows stronger each day. While getting to know each other we realized that we were perfect for each other. Both of us are very outgoing and love to play sports. Jess is a fantastic soccer player and loves to run. Marc can’t stand running and can’t make it ¼ of a mile, but he willingly tries to run and keep up if Jess needs a partner. Marc is an amazing cyclist who can go for miles at a time. Jess still hasn’t figured out how to keep up with Marc, but she follows along, hoping that she at least stays close.
We live in San Diego not too far from the ocean. The beautiful weather we have year-round allows us to spend a lot of time outdoors. The beach is a favorite place of ours and holds a special place in our hearts because it is where Marc proposed. We love to pack a lunch and just head out to the beach for the day, the sand and surf make it feel like you are on vacation, even if it is just for a couple of hours.
From the very early days of our relationship we knew we wanted children in our lives. We tried for several years to get pregnant, but to no avail. So, it was at this point that Marc and I first started talking about adopting.
It was September 29, 2008, and we were off for a weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The problem was I was just not feeling good. Out of the blue I decided to take a pregnancy test and miraculously it was positive. We were blessed with the birth of our daughter Abby on May 31, 2009.
After an amazing eighteen months with Abby, we decided that it was time for Abby to have a brother or sister. We worked with a fertility specialist this time, but unfortunately, nothing worked, we just couldn’t get pregnant. After trying to get pregnant for so long we came to the realization that maybe we just weren’t meant to get pregnant. Somehow by finally saying that we couldn’t get pregnant, we finally freed ourselves up to start the process of adoption. While it may have taken us a while to realize what we were meant to do, it doesn’t come as any surprise.
Adoption is a natural option for us given our experiences. Marc was born in South Africa and moved to the US by himself in his early 20’s. Marc literally knew no one when he moved here, and it was the people he met who “adopted” him into their families that made him realize that he wanted to stay in the US permanently. Jess comes from an amazingly blended family that includes step brothers and five adopted kids. After Jess was born her parents had trouble getting pregnant and adopted her brother. Jess’ parents were encouraged in their adoption process by her Aunt and Uncle who adopted her two cousins and one of Jess’ cousins has adopted two children of her own.
The patchwork that is our family blends races, cultures and religions into a foundation that is supportive and very experienced in adding new family members.
Our house is like an indoor/outdoor playground and sometimes feels like a circus. In addition to Abby we have two four-legged kids. Lucille is a chocolate Labrador and Jerome is a dog that thinks he is a cuddle bear. We also have a huge backyard where all three of our kids like to play. Abby is always chasing the dogs around the garden or throwing the ball or Frisbee for Lucille to fetch. Jerome just likes to sit in the sun and watch everyone.
We have been very fortunate to build a community of friends who we know we can rely on for anything and everything. We love to throw parties to get everyone together and Marc is a bar-b-que master. We have several regular parties that all our friends and family look forward to—the annual New Year’s Eve dinner where we pull out our party clothes and eat a wonderful meal surrounded by those closest to us, outdoor movie night where about 15-20 families all come over to the house and we have a pot luck dinner and watch a movie under the stars, complete with popcorn and a jump house and the annual Halloween cookie exchange where anyone who bakes cookies is welcome to come over and swap cookies and spooky stories.
When we are not enjoying all that San Diego has to offer, we are a traveling family. Marc still has family in South Africa so there is a built in incentive to get on a plane and go. In addition to South Africa, we have been to Mexico, Australia, Europe, Israel, China, Thailand and all over the US, including Hawaii. While it is not always easy to make the time to travel, it is very important to us that we stay connected with our extended family wherever they may live. We make a special effort to get to Denver at least once a year to visit with cousins and even if we can’t make it to South Africa quite as regularly, we Skype with our family there so we all stay in touch.
While we truly treasure our life and all that is in it, we feel that we are not complete. Marc and I know that what is missing from our lives is another child. We want to share all that we have to offer and make our family whole. We can’t think of a better way to complete us than through adoption, it is a natural fit given our individual and combined experiences and we can’t wait to start the journey.

About Mom to be:
Jessica is the most caring and loving person I have ever known and is a fantastic mother, there is nothing she would not do for her family.
She loves to spend time with Abby playing at the park or going to JW Tumbles classes or watching her in ballet class.
Cooking is one of Jess’ passions, and she is a great cook who loves to have Abby join her in the kitchen in her Chef’s apron and hat. Apart from seeing the food flying all over the kitchen from both of them, everything turns out delicious.
Did I mention that she has a great sense of humor and always is up for goofing around or pulling a joke on someone?
Curious George and Max and Ruby are some of Abby’s favorite books and Jess will read them to her before she goes to bed at night. Somehow Abby always manages to convince Jess that she needs just a few more stories by sticking up five of her fingers and saying one more minute, one more minute of reading, before she goes to sleep.
Jess loves to play soccer and takes Abby to all her games so she can kick the ball around on the field and try and tackle Mom.
Jessica is really close with her large family and especially close with her two brothers, who are always spoiling Abby. For me, Jessica is the ultimate wife and mother. She has so much love to share with her family and is always there for any of us when we need something.
There are more than a few things about Jess that both Abby and I find really funny—she is a little bit clumsy and is always knocking things over. She is also very focused on trying to keep the dogs healthy and not over-weight so she is always telling us not to feed the dogs any leftovers – Abby and I listen to what Jess has to say and then we smile and hand the dogs more food, Abby particularly likes to give the dogs all the food from her plate that she doesn’t want to eat. Jess also loves to dance and sing– she isn’t very good at either. But that doesn’t stop her from cranking up the Wiggles and singing at the top of her lungs, even the dogs have to leave the room sometimes. Finally, Jess has a passion for mint chip ice cream, it is the instant cure-all and both Abby and I know to keep a supply on hand in case of emergencies.
My life with Jess is more than I could have imagined, she is my number one supporter, confidant, wife, mother and my best friend. I can’t wait to come home each day and see how my girls are doing. The thrill I get knowing that I am coming home to hugs and kisses from Jess and Abby makes walking in the door the best thing in the world. It is something that everyone should experience, and I can’t wait to share it with another child

About Dad to be:
When Marc and I got married he adopted my two dogs, Lucille and Jerome. From the first moment Marc met the dogs, he treated them as if they were his own and spoiled them rotten – the dogs went everywhere he did, including the couch and bed (no small feat given Jerome is 107 pounds). While the dogs were thrilled to have a new friend around who made sure they were played with, walked and given tons of treats, I got my first picture of what an amazing father Marc would be. It was as if Marc had always been a part of the dogs’ lives. My second chance to see Marc as a father was with his niece and nephew. While Jason and Julie live in South Africa, Marc is very much a part of their lives. He talks with them as if he is right down the street and dotes on them as if they were his own— Marc still lovingly cares for the Spiderman and Nemo towels he bought for them when they visited him about 10 years ago. When Marc and I visited South Africa, Marc could not wait to see the kids. Before we were out of the airport Marc had been transformed into a human jungle gym with Jason hanging from his back and Julie clinging to his chest.
Given how amazing Marc was with the dogs and his niece and nephew, I wanted desperately to make Marc a father. It was clear that fathering came easily to Marc and he had no fears about it. So, when I finally got to tell Marc we were pregnant, it was the most fantastic feeling. Marc went into father mode immediately, going to all our doctor appointments and reading to the baby each night before I went to bed. The caring and love Marc showed for a child he had not yet met was astounding. When Abby was born, she cried and cried and cried. That is until Marc picked her up, held her on his chest and started talking to her. Abby immediately stopped crying and was content to just be with her daddy, clearly the bond had been formed many months ago with the first bed-time story.
That first moment of Marc caring for Abby is etched in my memory. I could literally feel the love that he had for this child flowing in the room. It is this one trait, his ability to love unconditionally and fully that simply amazes me. Marc is an amazing man: a brother, son, uncle, cousin, friend, husband and most obviously a dad. Marc has so much love in him and I know how badly he wants to share that with another child. His heart is so large and so kind and there is nothing that would make him more happy or proud than to be a dad to another child.

What you hope to offer a Child:
As we have learned, having a child is not a right, it is a gift. Your journey has led you to consider giving us the most precious gift there is, the opportunity to offer a family to your child. As we have shared bits of our life with you in this letter we hope you see the loving, warm and caring family that your child would become a member of.
Part of what makes our extended family work is that we have learned that it isn’t important where you come from or how you became a part of the family, just that you are a part of the family. The bond that weaves our family together is based upon everyone’s story, not as an individual but as part of the family. Whether someone is adopted or a step-child, step-parent or someone who married into the family, they are appreciated for who they are not whether they are biologically related to one of us.
Your child will become a part of our story and bond that we share with each other. We thank you for taking the time to get to know a little bit about us. Our whole family is eagerly awaiting our newest addition, and we hope that you take some level of comfort in knowing that your child will be welcomed instantly and effortless into a family who so appreciates the decision you are making. We welcome the chance to speak with you on the phone and if you would like to learn more about us, please contact Cindy at A Loving Alternative at 1-800-556-5635.

Regards,
Jessica & Marc

Contact This Family

To talk to this family, please call Cindy at 800-556-5635 or by sending an email below