Our favorite moments together are the slow, simple ones — the kind that make life feel full and grounded. We love spending time outdoors, whether we're walking the dogs, working in the garden, or heading off for a weekend camping trip in our little travel trailer. Nature is our reset button — a place where we can breathe deep, reconnect, and enjoy being fully present with each other.

At home, Emmanuel keeps a beautiful backyard garden full of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, while Dustin bakes fresh sourdough bread that fills the house with the smell of comfort. Dustin also does ceramics — he finds peace in the messiness of clay and the rhythm of the pottery wheel. Emmanuel brings the color and warmth to our meals, especially when cooking traditional Mexican dishes passed down through his family.

We love cozy nights at home playing board games (nothing too serious — just lots of laughter), baking something sweet, or curling up on the couch with our dogs. We're also close with our extended families, so weekends often include birthdays, cookouts, or spontaneous get-togethers where there's always room for one more.

We imagine our child joining us in all of this — planting seeds in the garden, roasting marshmallows under the stars, dancing in the kitchen, and growing up surrounded by love, creativity, and connection.

We're two dads who bring different strengths to the table — Emmanuel is calm, nurturing, and grounded, while Dustin is energetic, creative, and always dreaming up our next adventure. What makes us unique is how we blend those energies to create a life that's intentional, joyful, and full of heart.

We live in a bilingual home — Emmanuel speaks both English and Spanish, and it's important to us that our child grows up hearing both languages every day. We want them to feel connected to their full identity and have the ability to speak to all sides of their family with ease and pride.

We also practice daily meditation together — sometimes quietly, sometimes with music or guided reflection — as a way to stay centered and spiritually grounded. It helps us stay present in our relationship and in how we approach life.

One of the biggest joys in our life is travel. We love exploring mountains, forests, and new cultures around the world. We hope to raise a child who's curious and open — someone who's excited to learn about different people, places, and ways of life.

Our home is full of small joys — sourdough bread baking, vegetables growing in the garden, dogs curled up at our feet. But we're also full of big dreams. We're ready to share all of it — the calm and the adventure — with a child we'll love with our whole hearts.

To us, being parents means building a life where a child feels completely safe, deeply loved, and truly known. It's not about being perfect — it's about being present. Showing up when it matters. Listening when it counts. Laughing when things get chaotic. And offering comfort when the world feels too big.

We're excited for the simple, everyday moments — bedtime snuggles, early morning giggles, the sound of tiny footsteps running down the hall. We picture muddy boots after a backyard adventure, stories by the campfire during weekend getaways in our travel trailer, and sleepy movie nights with our dogs curled up at our feet.

We want our child to grow up bilingual in English and Spanish, surrounded by traditions, stories, and cultures from both sides of our family. We'll celebrate their identity and teach them to be proud of where they come from — and confident in where they're going.

We know parenthood will challenge us in ways we can't fully predict, but we're ready for it. We're ready to pour our love, patience, and humor into raising someone who feels supported, safe, and celebrated. More than anything, we can't wait to meet the child who will turn our family into something even more complete.

We live in Strongsville, Ohio—a city that perfectly blends small-town warmth with the benefits of suburban living. Our family has found it to be an ideal place to grow, connect, and put down roots. Strongsville offers so much for families like ours: excellent schools, beautiful parks, and a community that values togetherness. We enjoy taking walks through the Cleveland Metroparks, attending the annual Homecoming Festival, and spending weekends at the local library, rec center, or one of the many family-owned restaurants around town. There's always something happening, yet the pace feels grounded and neighborly.

Our home sits on three acres of land—half of it wooded—giving us a peaceful space to relax and explore nature right in our backyard. It's a 4,000-square-foot custom home with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, designed with plenty of room to grow. One of the things we love most is that we live on the same street as extended family, making support and connection a part of our daily lives. Strongsville has become more than just a place to live—it's truly where our family belongs.

Family is at the heart of our lives. We spend a lot of time with Dustin's side of the family playing board games, card games, and sharing home-cooked dinners. With Emmanuel's family, backyard Mexican cookouts and karaoke are our favorite tradition. We also love hosting get-togethers with friends, whether it's for holidays, murder mystery parties, or simply hanging out at coffee shops, dinners, or going on vacations together.

We are lucky to have close family nearby — Dustin's parents, Kelly and Bob, live just two houses down, with his aunt, uncle, and cousins only a few streets away. We see them often. Emmanuel's brother Victor and sister Noelia live about an hour away, and we visit with them monthly.

Our family is unique because we are a bilingual household that blends Mexican and American traditions with a modern twist. We love to cook traditional meals like tostadas, tinga, molé, empanadas, and tamales, and we celebrate a mix of cultural holidays. Adventure is a big part of who we are, and we look forward to sharing new trips and experiences with a child.

Our families are beyond excited to welcome a new child into our lives. This child will be surrounded by the daily love and support of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who can't wait to be part of their journey.

We've sat with this letter for a while, trying to find the right words. The truth is, nothing feels quite big enough to express what we want to say. But here's what we do know: you're considering something incredibly brave and selfless, and we're already in awe of your strength.

We're Dustin and Emmanuel. We've been together for nine years, married for six, and every year has made us stronger, closer, and more ready to be parents. We laugh a lot in our home. We don't take ourselves too seriously-but we take love, commitment, and family seriously. We reset in nature, we show up for each other on the hard days, and we build a life that's full of small, meaningful moments: baking bread from scratch, digging in the garden together, or packing up the dogs and heading into the woods for a weekend camping trip.

We've been dreaming of growing our family for a long time. Adoption has always felt like the right path for us, and we're coming to this moment with open hearts. We're not perfect, but we're present. We'll be the kind of parents who listen when your child has something to say, who cheer them on when they're nervous, and who hold space for whatever they're feeling. We'll make time for bedtime stories, for dance parties in the kitchen, for getting muddy in the yard. Our child will grow up knowing they are safe, celebrated, and deeply loved-every single day.

We live in a bilingual household-English and Spanish-and we're excited to raise a child who embraces multiple cultures, who knows where they come from, and who is encouraged to see the world through many lenses. Travel and diversity are a big part of our lives. We believe one of the greatest gifts we can give a child is a broad view of the world and the confidence to explore it.

We're surrounded by a strong, supportive extended family -grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles-who are already so excited to welcome this child. Holidays are a big deal in our family-especially Christmas and Halloween. We go all out decorating the house, creating traditions, and making memories. This child will never wonder if they're loved. They'll feel it-in every hug, in every silly game, in every part of our home.

If you choose us, please know we are committed to keeping you connected. We'll send you letters and pictures so you can watch your child grow, smile, and thrive. We're also open to more if that's something you want-emails, phone calls, even visits. We're here to work together on what feels right, and we'll always honor your place in this child's life and story.

More than anything, we want you to know this child will grow up knowing who you are. Not just as the person who gave them life, but as someone who made an incredibly loving and courageous decision. We will speak about you with respect, warmth, and gratitude. Always.

Thank you for considering us. Thank you for even reading this far. We don't take this moment lightly. Wherever your journey leads, we're wishing you strength, peace, and support along the way.

With love and respect,

Emmanuel & Dustin