We have been together for seven years and were married in the summer of 2005. When we learned we could not have a biological baby we felt right away that we should trust in nature, and not try to fight it with science. We have both always been drawn to adoption and knew right away we could grow our family with the help of a birthmother. The mother who chooses us to raise her child will be giving us the most precious gift in the world.
Where We Live
We live in the Eureka Valley neighborhood in San Francisco, where we are blessed to own a 2-bedroom top floor condominium. We chose it because of the views, the spacious living room and fireplace, and our sunny kitchen where we love having coffee together and cooking. Off the kitchen is our back deck where we enjoy reading the newspaper on sunny days. We are already planning the baby’s room, and have painted the walls a beautiful sage-green.
So many nice people live close by! In fact, our neighbors recently brought their daughter home through adoption, and we look forward to our children playing together. We’re on a first-name basis with the people in the organic grocery store a few blocks away and have made friends with many of our neighbors at the dog park where we take our pooch to play.
It would not be “home” without our dog Henry and our cat Bennie, both of whom we rescued from animal shelters. Henry is small and very gentle, and loves to lick everyone he meets. Bennie likes snuggling more than any cat we’ve ever met. They are both wonderful with children.
Our Family
Originally from Ohio, Jonathan’s mom, sister and one of his brothers have all moved to the Bay Area. They all plan to be very involved with our growing family and are looking forward to play-dates and babysitting. Jonathan’s other brother Craig and his family live in Texas where we look forward to visiting with our baby.
Jennie was raised in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Her mom still lives there, and her Dad and stepmother live in Tennessee on a small farm with goats, chickens and rabbits. Jennie has two brothers, each with children of their own, so our baby will get to have 7 cousins right off the bat!
We consider our close friends just as important as family and we’ve already made plans for camping trips and lots of California adventure with our friends and their children. One of the moms is planning to form a band with all our kids and there has been talk of a basketball team… we’ll see!
How We Have Fun
Summer is a special time for us because we love long lazy days at the beach, hiking through nearby redwood forests, and pulling out summer recipes from Jennie’s childhood like her homemade Opa’s Crab Cakes (named after her grandfather.) We are big fans of Christmas and love putting up our tree each year. We buy the biggest one that can fit through our door and fill the house with holiday decorations and music. We listen to Christmas music nonstop from Thanksgiving to New Years!
We like traveling to see family in Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee to hang out with our nieces and nephews and have some good southern cooking. We also like traveling to Washington, D.C. to visit Jennie’s mom and the museums (since Jonathan’s a history buff.)
Jonathan loves to climb mountains and has scaled some of the tallest glacier-covered peaks in the world. Jennie went to Africa and climbed the highest mountain on the continent, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Together we hiked through the Himalayas of Nepal, an experience that changed us both forever. We both love winter sports -- Jennie skis and Jonathan rides his snowboard as often as he can.
We also enjoy being at home just relaxing by the fireplace. On a typical night we make dinner or order from our favorite neighborhood Thai restaurant. Then we read books or watch our favorite comedy shows. Jennie loves to entertain and when we have our friends over for dinner we usually end with a game of charades. The competition can get pretty heated since Jonathan is definitely the best charades player around. No matter which team wins everyone gets loud and has a lot of laughs.
On weekends Jennie will take a yoga class, go on a hike with her girlfriends and read. She loves books that make her laugh. Jonathan plays soccer and softball with his friends and during the summer he races small sailboats in the San Francisco Bay.
About Jennie (by Jonathan)
Jennie is my best friend and a loving, loyal and good-natured person. She invests a lot in her relationships and she’s the one her friends call when they’re having a crisis. Jennie loves a crowd and can walk into a room and feel completely comfortable no matter what the scene. I find it amazing. And what’s better, she will make everyone else feel at ease.
Jennie is always evolving and gains wisdom through life experience and her spiritual practices every day. I’ve seen her become more playful and creative the longer I have known her and (lucky for me) her creativity comes out in her cooking! She has a great sense of humor and loves a cold beer and rock concerts as much as opera and fine wine. I love watching how much joy she gets from giving love to our cat and dog. I know she is going to make a devoted mom to our child.
About Jonathan (by Jennie)
Jonathan is a sweet, sensitive man, and a fantastic listener Although he is shy and take
s some time to open up around new people, everyone who knows him adores him. The thing I love most about him is how caring he is about other people’s feelings and how humble he is. He truly understands that money and material possessions are a blessing, but not what life is about. He is funny and also very goal-oriented. His greatest pleasure comes from completing something well from his “to-do” list.Not a leader or a follower, Jonathan is just that, himself. He is guided by his own desires and feels little compunction to conform to anyone else’s plans. He is just as comfortable at the Ritz Carlton as he is camping in the wilderness for a month and to me that makes him so interesting. Plus, I just love to look at him!
Our Values
We hope to make our children aware of the power they have inside themselves to create whatever kind of life they can dream of having. We are both spiritual people. Jennie has a daily prayer and meditation practice and Jonathan turns to nature to connect with the peace inside him.
We want to raise our children to be open-minded and non-judgmental, loving and respectful toward themselves and others, to value friendships and family, and to get involved in making the world a better place. We will encourage our children to be open-minded, to be accepting of others and to challenge conventional wisdom when they have a different point of view. We want them to trust their intuition as a guide at all times.
Education will be a priority and we plan to begin saving for college the day our child comes home to us.
Our Jobs
Jennie has a marketing consulting company that helps nonprofit organizations improve their visibility and effectiveness. She loves her work because she gets to help organization who are making the world a better place reach their goals. She works from home and is happy not to have to go to an office -- so she won’t miss a thing when a baby joins our family.
Jonathan is a producer at a company that makes TV commercials and corporate videos for companies like Apple and Microsoft. He loves his job because he gets to work in a fast-paced environment with creative people and enjoys the technical challenges of every project. His office has a ping-pong table and everyone can bring their dogs to work.
In Closing
We’ve been told that being a parent is both the most rewarding and challenging experience ever. We are ready! Our greatest strength as a couple is our ability to slow down, open up and listen to each other from an honest and loving point of view. We are open to talking with you about what kind of adoption you envision, and want to support you along the way.
We are working with the caring people at Adoption Connection, a nonprofit adoption agency that helps birth mothers from all over the country find loving homes for their babies. Please call them toll free at 1-800-972-9225 if you would like to talk or meet with us. You can also call us directly on Jennie’s mobile phone at 415-990-9360 or email us at jenniewinton@yahoo.com.
We want to meet you!
With thanks and love,
