George was born and raised on a small island in Hawaii. George’s father (Eric) was also raised in Hawaii and is the descendant of Japanese sugar plantation workers. George’s mother (Jane) was raised on a cattle ranch in Montana. George’s family created a lot of their family memories outdoors. George’s family enjoys hiking, biking, going to the beach, and camping. He also grew up visiting family in Alaska, Wisconsin, and back at the ranch in Montana. The outdoors is still the adhesive that binds George’s family together, and they regularly have family camping trips. 

Keith was born and raised in Indiana. Keith’s father (Randal) and mother (Michelle) grew up in Indiana and chose to raise their family in a small town (~3,500 people) in central Indiana. Keith was raised with Protestant Christian Midwest values of integrity, hard work, and belief in a higher power. Keith’s family was able to travel extensively while he grew up. On one of those trips, they fell in love with Hawaii. After an unexpected family loss, Keith’s family decided to relocate to Hawaii to be closer to the place they loved. Still here 15 years later, Midwest values meshed well with the local culture. 

As a couple, we enjoy doing outdoor activities together. We enjoy hiking, camping, walking our dog, and spending time at the beach. We both are also into free diving, which is exploring the underwater world without scuba equipment. We are able to dive about 30-40 feet and love exploring coral landscapes, seeing turtles, and watching schools of fish swim by. 

As individuals, we have our own hobbies that we enjoy doing. Keith enjoys working in the garden and has been growing native Hawaiian plants. Hawaiian plants are found nowhere else in the world, and Keith enjoys nurturing these plants and attending to their needs. While living on the mainland, George discovered road biking. George loves clipping into his bike and seeing where his legs will take him. George is practicing and hoping to complete the Pedal to the Meadow race, which goes from sea level to a mountain top. 

Keith About George: George has many good qualities. He’s intelligent and yet very intuitive too. His intelligence most pleasantly presents itself in his humor and wit. While not for everyone, Keith loves it. However, George can make these jokes only because he has tremendous compassion and care for those around him. He jokes as a way of expressing that care. He’s genuine and sincere in how he approaches the world. George has many good qualities. He's intelligent and yet very intuitive too. His intelligence most pleasantly presents itself in his humor and wit. While not for everyone, Keith loves it. However, George can make these jokes only because he has tremendous compassion and care for those around him. He jokes as a way of expressing that care. He's genuine and sincere in how he approaches the world.

George About Keith: Keith also has many admirable qualities. Firstly, he is a very committed and persevering individual. This is true in our marriage and his professional life. It’s also true around the house, even when projects might take longer than George would like. Keith’s professional and personal projects are fueled by his never-ending creativity and desire to bring things into existence. However, he’s also a very present and loving individual. He has a calming nature to him that is relaxed when others may stress. 

Our immediate family lives on the same island as us. George’s parents (Eric and Jane) are about a 5-10 minute drive away and still reside in the family home where they raised George and his brother (Charlie). George’s parents host most of the family gatherings. Although it may sound odd for people living on the mainland, the garage is the gathering place in many Hawaii homes. George’s parents host these ‘garage parties’ celebrating holidays, birthdays, and most frequently, just to get together. George’s brother (Charlie), sister-in-law (Kassy), 3-year-old niece (Lucy), cousins, family friends, and even neighbors regularly stop by. At the garage party, we gather around the hibachi (grill), eat off paper plates with chopsticks, sit around in beach chairs, and talk stories.

Keith’s mother (Michelle), sister (Carolyn), and brother-in-law (Stan) live in the next town over, about a 20 minute drive away. Keith’s immediate family moved from the Midwest to Hawaii about 15 years ago and started a small family homestead. They’ve cultivated an orchard, raised honey bees, and even bottle fed a struggling baby cow.

George & Keith’s family are very supportive of our decision to adopt and excited about the possibility of having additional grandchildren. Our niece (Lucy) is on her journey to become a big wave surfer and would love to have a surfing buddy.

We live in Hawaii on one of the smaller, more rural islands. Hawaii is a ‘melting pot’, meaning that ‘local’ culture is a blend of cultures from around the world. Throughout Hawaii’s history, various cultural groups have made Hawaii their home. As of the last census, its racial composition is about 37% Asian, 25% White, and 10% Hispanic, with over 24% identifying as multiple races. People in Hawaii are proud of their heritage, and this includes accepting and welcoming those with different pasts.

Our house is a three-bedroom and one-and-a-half-bathroom. It was originally owned by George’s grandparents. They have since passed away, however, the house still has the memories of his grandparents. Our garden has orchids and flower trees that George’s grandfather raised, and our cupboard still has cookware that his grandmother used to prepare their favorite foods. Our neighborhood is located in the island’s main city and is across the street from a playground, sports practice fields, and a community center. It is close to the hospital, library, elementary school, and a family-friendly beach. The neighborhood has a mix of families from different generations, incomes, and occupations. There are kids of all ages. Additionally, we live next door to George’s cousin who has two young children.

In Hawaii, we see the island equally as our home, and we are comforted by its embrace. We have jungles, swamps, beaches, streams, and mountains where we spend time. Hiking into a beloved valley is just like walking into a favorite aunt’s kitchen. 

We may not know you yet but we deeply respect your courage. We can only imagine the strength this decision requires. Thank you for taking the time to consider our family as a potential match for this child.

Beyond the stats, we wanted to share our story and journey with you. We both grew up in tight knit families that were nurturing and loving. Along the way we each realized we were gay. There was no role model for this since we lived in smaller communities. Neither knew of any openly gay family members or of any same-sex families in our community. So, we kept this part of our identity hidden and our parents assumed we were heterosexual, like our siblings. We questioned if our families would accepts us. Keith came out to his family during high school and George came out during college. While surprised and worried at first, our families did accepted us as we’d learned to accept ourselves.

We started dating in the summer of 2011. We initially thought the furthest our relationship could be was being boyfriends and possibly sharing an apartment together. That changed when we took our first trip together to San Francisco. While exploring the city, we walked past a gay couple pushing a stroller together. We’d never seen two father. It was a moment in time where we both realized that we did not have to choose between being gay and being a father. We could be together, but not just together.

Since that day and over our 14 years together, we’ve overcome obstacles, grown even closer, and strengthened our commitment in marriage. We’ve pursued education and experience in our respective fields, each holding multiple advanced degrees and licenses. We also grew our family by adopting a 30 pound Boston Terrier mix from the shelter. She’s taught us the joys, responsibilities, and rewards of nurturing a loved one.

The dream from that day in San Francisco never left us, and we’ve been building our life in the hopes of growing our family even more. We did consider exploring adoption sooner, but decided to hold off adoption until we moved back home to Hawaii. We wanted to start a family back here on George’s home island. We’re surrounded now by parents, siblings, cousins, our niece, and soon a nephew. Now settled back into Hawaii, we’re ready to move forward with our adoption journey. Family is important to us and this includes you too. We believe that an open adoption honors your role in the child’s life, and we’re committed to fostering that connection through regular updates and photos. We want this child to know you and you to know them.

Thank you again for taking the time to consider us in this important decision. We’d be honored to be part of this journey and hope to build a deeper connection than is possible in a simple letter.

With gratitude,

George & Keith