Ray and Misty
Hello. We are Misty and Ray Bogler . First of all, we would like to thank you for reading our letter and considering us for adopting your child. We know this is not an easy decision for you. And, if you pick us or not, know that you are in our thoughts, and hope that you have peace with your choice.
We would like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about ourselves. A mutual friend introduced us to each other a few years ago. We connected instantly and after dating for a couple of years, were married on May 6, 2005. Having children has been a dream for each of us. We were unable to get pregnant and then had no success with fertility treatments. The emotional upheaval, the feeling of being out of control was very hard. And, now, knowing we are going to expand our family through adoption, we have only peace. We know we were meant to adopt our children, for all of us to become part of a bigger family.
In a lot of ways, we are very similar. We are both extremely family oriented, enjoy traveling, and also like to be at home. We love to spend time together whether it’s watching a movie or TV, eating or just sitting and talking. We also enjoy our own personal time (neither one of us will pass up an opportunity to read a good book). And, in a lot of ways, we are very different. Ray manages a group of financial analysts at Mellon Bank, loves to golf with his friends in the summer and enjoys his bowling league in the winter. Misty owns a massage therapy practice with her best friend, spends time with her and other close friends, and loves to take pictures. Through these and other similarities and differences, we have both learned and grown a great deal.
Traveling is a great escape for us. Whether it’s for one of Misty’s annual family reunions ( West Virginia and South Carolina ) or for a vacation, we love to travel. In fact, our cats are named after our first two vacations, Aruba (Ruby) and Ireland ( Blarney ).
Our child will be raised with all the love and acceptance of both of our families and our friends. We will raise our child in a loving, supportive and stable home with two parents who love each other very much and who are committed to each other, and our family, wholeheartedly. We will instill in them a sense of self-worth, of family, of the importance of education, responsibility and respect.
We live in a 4-bedroom, 2-story colonial house, which has large, level front and back yards, with our two wonderful cats, Ruby and Blarney. They are very good with children. Our nieces especially love to come over and carry them around like little dolls. There has never been a scratch, bite, or hiss (although there has been some hiding under the bed). Our house is on a quiet, dead end street. At the end of the street is a short path that leads to a walking path in a wooded area.
Most of our immediate families live in the area. We spend holidays and birthdays together (which happen often with twelve nieces and nephews). We also attend many family gatherings. There is the Easter egg hunt where Ray shows up in a bunny costume, hands out candy and has his picture taken with kids and adults alike; the 4th of July cookout and watching the fireworks from the same spot since Misty was little; the annual hoe down where we get together for a pot luck dinner and square dancing; the Steeler parties, especially when they are in the playoffs. These family get-togethers (along with all the others) are fun and crazy events.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our letter. We hope that you now have a better picture of us, and of what kind of family your child would be joining. We can’t begin to imagine the difficulty of the decision you are making. We respect and admire you for considering adoption. As you are planning your baby’s future, we hope to be a key part of it, and look forward to meeting and talking to you someday soon. We are working with the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, a respected, licensed adoption agency. Please call them anytime at 412-441-4884, or toll free at 1-800-961-7704.
Sincerely,
Misty and Ray Bogler