We both come from families who strongly value education and both found academic success in school, and both went to a four-year university after graduating high school. Jen went on to earn an advanced degree while in her 30's.

While we want our child to put forth their best effort academically, and we are prepared to provide whatever support they may need to be successful, we do not want our child to feel overly pressured to get perfect grades or compare themselves to anyone. We will support our child in pursuing their interests, be it music, athletics, artistic expression, or something else.

Our greatest priority is that our child develops a strong sense of self, learns to live according to their values, and knows they can have a positive impact on the world.

Matt About Jen: Jen is silly and spontaneous. She can sing a song or produce a wiggle for any situation. Jen is also great under pressure, able to prioritize and respond to keep things moving along. She's not a perfectionist and that really helps plans that don't quite go as expected stay an adventure. She'll be so good at cultivating a sense of wonder and adventure in a child. Jen also pays attention to kids and is able to set boundaries but also be responsive to their needs and feelings even when they don't make sense to most adults. Jen is a great cook. She's creative and a little haphazard and that often turns out really delicious!

Jen About Matt: Matt is the consummate Eagle Scout--trustworthy, dependable, helpful, friendly, kind, brave and loyal. He is generous and supportive, and demonstrates his care for others in the little things he does every day. Matt has impeccable integrity, and lives his values to the best of his ability. He makes other people feel seen and valued for who they are.

We will start early in addressing cultural diversity in a manner that is empowering and communicates love and acceptance. We both identify as white, and our community is a predominately white city (though there are neighborhoods that are more diverse). It is our intention to thoughtfully and intentionally raise a child who takes pride in their cultural and racial identity, stands up for fairness and equity, and believes they can have a positive impact on the world. We hope that this child's birth parent(s) will be able to partner with us in helping our child learn about their culture and heritage, to the extent that they feel comfortable doing so. We want to make sure we provide books, art, media, and experiences that help this child develop a strong, positive racial identity.

We will make sure that our child's toys and books represent their cultural and racial identity, and we will talk openly and honestly with them as they express awareness and interest in understanding their intersecting identities. We already have a diverse network of friends, and will be intentional about investing in friendships with families who share our child's heritage. We will encourage our child to learn about their heritage language, customs and culture, and will seek out and take advantage of the many cultural events in our community. We will also continue to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen our cultural competency and anti-racist skills so that we can be the best adoptive parents that we can be.

We life in a city in the Pacific Northwest, across from a beach front city park. There are many community activities held along the waterfront. There is dancing on summer nights, fire pits and picnic shelters, community beach cleanup events, and the community Arts Fair in July. There are even pirates that land on the beach every summer! There are lots of activities nearby, such as kayaking and paddle boarding, and a protected bike path along the waterfront. There are a couple other parks/playfields as well as the local elementary school within walking distance, as well as swimming pools, nature trails and a great library a short drive away. We look forward to going with a child to the beach or the park as well as hosting playdates in the summer, as well as taking bus adventures to explore our city's other great neighborhoods.

Our house has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a large kitchen, plus a small screened in patio that our cats can relax in. Matt uses one bedroom as a home office and there is a bedroom right across the hall from our bedroom that is going to be a perfect nursery- -it's cozy and just the right size for a small human. Matt's favorite place in the house is the balcony off of the master bedroom, which is an excellent place to drink coffee and watch the boats go by. Our back yard has a big apple tree, beautiful roses, a large deck, and a fire pit, and is Jen's favorite space because it's so much fun to invite people over and cook over the fire.

Matt's extended family lives in Indiana and we travel to visit them every year for the holidays. Matt has three nephews, and we enjoy seeing how much they have changed every year. The whole family is looking forward to welcoming another child into the family.

Matt's parents recently flew the whole family out to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and we rented a big house near Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. We explored ocean beaches, hiked in the mountains and roasted marshmallows over the fire. Jen grew up in Port Angeles, and especially enjoyed sharing some of her favorite spots as well as her knowledge of tide pool creatures and forest ecology with everyone.

Jen's sister and nephew live in Oregon, but Jen's parents live nearby. They are all excited to welcome a child into the family. Jen's family takes Christmas morning very seriously--big breakfast complete with eggs, bacon, sausage, and fresh cinnamon rolls, full stockings for everyone in the family (adults included!) and opening presents one at a time are all traditions we enjoy.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We can't imagine how you must be feeling or what you must be thinking as you face such a momentous decision.

We have been married for 6 years, and have built a life together. We met through an online dating app, and from our very first date it was obvious to both of us that we complement each other and bring out the best in each other. We've been dreaming and planning about starting a family, however we knew from the start that it might not be possible for us to build our family in a "traditional" way. Even before we got married, we've known that adoption is likely the way that we will become parents.

Currently Jen works as a middle school administrator. She has been a middle school educator for over 12 years and truly loves (almost) every minute. While many people cringe at the thought of being surrounded by middle school students, she thrives on their energy, awkwardness, curiosity, and earnest passion. Matt works from home writing software and is looking forward to having some company other than our two fluffy cats. We have many children in our lives through friends and family, and through Jen's work in schools, and we feel ready and prepared to be parents.

We're looking forward to sharing the world with someone who is seeing everything for the first time, from the tiniest shells on the beach to the biggest trees and mountains. We're excited to share things we loved as kids and still love as adults like the aquarium, the zoo, the science center, and museums. We're also excited to teach our child how to stake a tent and cook over a fire.

Both side of our family have young children and we're looking forward to the next generation joining our family traditions and making some new ones. For big family holidays we alternate between Indiana and Washington. We started building gingerbread houses at Christmas in Indiana and we know all the kids on the West Coast will love overstuffed stockings and a big Christmas breakfast when we're in Washington.

We'd love to share this journey with you through letters and photos over the years and in whatever other ways that you're comfortable with. We very much hope to have a healthy open adoption relationship. We've put together some photos and written about our values and hopes to help you get to know us, and we'd be happy to talk to you too by phone or email or messages if you have questions or concerns or hopes for your child that you'd like to share.

Thank you for considering us as adoptive parents for your child. We are honored and humbled, and we promise to love and support this child throughout their life.

Sincerely,

Matt & Jen