Dear First Mother,

We are so amazed by the strength and love you have for your baby! In order to help you make the very best choice for your child, we want to give you more information about us as a prospective family for your baby, so that you can weigh all of your options.

We truly believe that of all of the people that are involved in an adoption, it is you that acts with the most love and courage and we want to honor that amazing gift.

We are committed to you as well as to your child and want to work with you to make the adoption plan that helps you feel the most positive about you and your baby's futures.

If you wish for privacy, we will honor that. If you would like to develop a relationship with us that keeps you in contact, we would be delighted to do that.

Always remember that you are the giver of the greatest gift of all, and as such deserve respect and love from us, or from whomever you place your child with!

All the best,

The Ravenstahls (Matt, Nia, Maris and Seth)

Nia

Meet Nia. She is the wife and step-mom of the family. She adores children and is thrilled at the idea of becoming a mom to a tiny person through adoption!!

Nia's whole world revolves around kids. Whether taking care of her two adorable step-sons, or teaching her class of fantastic special-needs kindergarten students, she is happiest when surrounded by children.

Matt had two young boys when he met Nia and he knew that he couldn't bring home anyone but the "one" to meet Maris and Seth. He has always taken great joy in seeing how well the kids and Nia get along, he would tell you that Nia is a natural mother, a strong and independent woman, and a patient and loving friend.

Nia enjoys singing along while Maris plays his guitar and she and Seth have a family tradition of baking brownies together every week. Although the boys were already 7 and 11 when she came into their lives, she can't remember a time when she wasn't with them and loves every moment she gets to spend with them. Some of her best moments in life have come from sharing her favorite places and things with the boys.

Nia loves to sing, cook and travel, and believes that all of these interests can be shared with the newest addition to our family. She is so excited to meet the baby, and the baby's first mom and family, and hopes very much to have a little one to love and cherish soon! She is already making little baby blankets and hats for the newest Ravenstahl :)

Matt

Matt is an awesome Dad, who can't wait to meet his newest child. Completely devoted to his sons, he never misses a game or school event, and has the kids' teachers on speed dial! Nia first fell in love with Matt after seeing what a wonderful father he is and seeing how much love he has to share with all children. She couldn't imagine raising children with a better guy.

Nia thinks of Matt as a creative, loving and truly respectful partner. They have taken on the challenge of raising Matt's boys together and she has always been inspired by his endless energy and encouragement with the kids.

Matt is also a wonderful uncle to his three young nieces, and could often be mistaken for a jungle gym from the amount of time he spends on the floor letting the little ones jump all over him!

Matt has been a teacher at our local high school for 15 years. So long, in fact, that our oldest now goes to the same school his dad teaches at! Matt teaches art, and often exhibit his own work in galleries in New York and Washington DC. While some people may think of a garage as a place to keep a car... Matt uses ours as his studio so he is never far from home, even if he is working on his art.

Teaching allows Matt the summers off from work and gives him even more time to spend with the kids, and travel with the family. Like Nia, he is a big traveler, and has set himself the personal goal of seeing all seven continents with the kids.

This dad is a man to be relied on under any circumstances. He is always there with support, advice, and a hug when needed!

Maris

Goofy, funny, and talented, Maris is our oldest guy. He is a big music buff and plays the guitar constantly! He does very well in school and still manages to find time to play on his high school's soccer team, and for the local travel team.

He is a very family centered guy who still enjoys having us around. Between Maris's games and Seth's we spend a lot of time cheering for our boys!

Maris loves little children and is great with his little sister and younger cousins.

Seth

Nice, smart, and very funny, our boy Seth is a joy to be around!

Seth excels at school and is a pretty fierce right guard on his tackle football team. He is also an amazingly patient big brother to his three year old sister, Emily, from his mom's second marriage.

Just a sixth grader, Seth gave weekly volunteer hours of his summer break to tutor 2nd grade students who were having trouble learning to read. He is one of a kind and looks forward to meeting his newest brother or sister.

Our House

Our house sits on a quite street with no through traffic. It is roomy enough for all of the children, including our newest little love, to have their own rooms. We have a big fenced in yard, and lots of shady trees. Just around the corner is the neighborhood park with swings, tennis courts and basketball hoops. We love our neighborhood for the diversity. Each house holds a unique and awesome family! All ethnicity's and backgrounds are represented in our community, and our schools are top-notch. (although as teachers, we might be biased!)

The best part about this house is that we bought it from Nia's parents when they moved to China, so our kids get to hear their bedtime stories in the same place Nia did!

Travel, Education, and more...

A life with us is a busy one! We are dedicated to expanding our children's horizons by enjoying all of the great resources Washington DC has to offer, and by traveling the world. We are lucky to be close to the nation's capital and to have Nia's family spread out through England and China, so we always have a reason to go, and a nice place to stay!
Since Matt and Nia are both teachers, education is a big deal in our house. As a special education teacher, Nia has lots of tricks up her sleeve to help with any struggles the kids have in school. Being an art teacher helps Matt do a great job of helping the kids to explore their creativity. We are looking forward to sending all of our children to college to pursue their individual interests and strengths.
No matter what the future holds for any of our children, we have unlimited love and support to offer them. Through all of life's ups and downs, we always put family first and support each other.

We are dog people

We have three wonderful older pups (only two of whom will pose for a picture.)
Our house is made warmer and happier because Gobby, Miles, and Monroe are here to snuggle with. They are very patient with babies, and kids of all ages and are sure to be loved by our new bundle of joy!

A parting thought...

We would love to answer any questions that you have for us. We are happy to talk to you about wherever you are in your journey. Your baby is the most precious gift and we want you to feel 100% comfortable with any decision that you may make. God Bless!
-Nia and Matt