Our free time tends to be a mix of the simple things we enjoy most: eating good food, being outdoors, spending time with friends, and taking care of our home. Weekends usually include dinner out (usually at one of our favorite spots in the neighborhood) and catching up on yardwork or household errands. Gary plays tennis, Eric likes to bike, and we both enjoy long walks through the neighborhood, often with our dogs, Truman and Bowen, in tow.

We cook most weeknights and especially like baking around the holidays. Gary's cheesecake is a regular request from Eric. While we love spending time together, we also make space for our individual interests—classic TCM movies for Eric, tennis for Gary, and cheering on our college teams when they're playing.

We're close with our families and often gather with them or our longtime group of friends. Our home tends to be a gathering spot—particularly by the pool on hot Texas summer days. Travel is another thing we really enjoy—usually somewhere calm where we can unplug, like a quiet beach or pool.

We're excited to bring a child into this life we've built—one that has plenty of laughter, a strong sense of connection, and room for new interests and experiences. We both know a child will have their own personality and passions, and we're looking forward to giving them space to explore those—with our full support, curiosity, and love right alongside them.

Gary About Eric: What first drew me to Eric was his energy and sense of adventure. I've come to admire how loyal he is to the people he loves. He treats friends, family, and even strangers with genuine interest and care. He's a true teammate and always willing to help, listen, and support me in big and small ways.

He's passionate about the things he loves, whether it's old movies or college sports, and I know he'll bring that same passion to parenting. We balance each other well—he's high-energy, I'm more laid back, but we're aligned where it matters. It's by no means perfect, but it's perfectly solid, and I know we'll offer the same to a child.

Eric About Gary: What first drew me to Gary was his sense of humor—he made me laugh right away, and still does. He's laid back but focused, with a way of keeping things light even when life gets busy or stressful. He listens when I need to talk, gives solid advice, and has a calming presence.

He's great at solving problems, staying level-headed, and knowing just the right witty comment to break the tension. I think he'll be a fun, steady parent—the kind a kid can count on.

What makes our relationship work is that we communicate, we show up, and we both understand that it takes effort. We've built a life I'm proud of, and I know it'll only grow stronger with a child in it.

To us, being parents means intentionally building a life rooted in love, care, and commitment. As gay men, we grew up with uncertainty about what our futures might look like—especially when it came to having a family. Frankly, it's not something that either one of us thought we could or would experience. So growing a family isn't something we take for granted. If you had told a teenage Eric or Gary that they'd be married, happy, and preparing to expand their family, it would have seemed impossible. So being here now feels not only exciting, but also incredibly humbling.

We see parenthood as an opportunity to pour our hearts into raising a child who knows they are deeply loved. We want to teach them the values that shaped us: kindness, respect for others, and a strong commitment to education and curiosity. Of course, we look forward to holidays, birthdays, and vacations—but we're also equally excited for the simpler moments: bedtime stories, Saturday morning cartoons, family walks, and everyday laughter.

We know becoming parents will change our lives in big and small ways. There will of course be sleepless nights and new challenges and anxieties, but also more joy, more love, and a deeper sense of purpose. Our goal is to create a home where our child feels safe, seen, and supported, and to build a relationship grounded in openness, trust, and unconditional love.

We live in a charming, nearly 100-year-old home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Our favorite spot is our big front porch, where we enjoy sipping coffee on a slow morning or playing a game of Scrabble on a nice day. The backyard is perfect for summer in Texas, with a pool where we spend lots of time with our dogs, friends, and family.

Our neighborhood has beautiful, historic homes and mature trees that give everything a cozy feel. It's quiet, but still just minutes from the city's energy. We're lucky to be within walking distance to restaurants and coffee shops. One of our favorite parts of our neighborhood is how much the community embraces the holidays—especially Halloween. Literally hundreds of kids fill the streets, dressed in costumes, going door-to-door with buckets full of candy. It's a magical time that brings everyone together and really shows the warmth and spirit of our neighborhood.

There are plenty of parks, playgrounds, walking trails along a nearby creek, a golf course, and tennis courts nearby. When we are exploring the neighborhood, we see families outside visiting, walking, or enjoying the fresh air—it's a place where kids can grow up safe and part of a tight-knit community.

We love our home and neighborhood, and we're excited for a child to experience the place we call home—playing outside, exploring nature, and being part of a neighborhood full of warmth, friendship, and fun.

Our families are a big part of our lives. Gary's immediate and extended family live near us, and we get together often—especially around holidays and during the summer at the family lake house. Those visits to the lake are filled with boat rides, waterskiing, tubing, and great food. When we're not gathered at the lake, we're usually at someone's house for a good meal and the occasional high-stakes board game night. Winners take home gift cards, so it gets competitive.

Eric's family lives more scattered and farther away, but we make it a priority to get together a couple of times a year. Those visits are slower paced and are an opportunity to catch-up—conversations around the dinner table, putting together puzzles, grilling out, and going on walks through the neighborhood. Eric's grandmother is 101 years old, so we love catching up with her and hearing all of her amazing stories and words of wisdom when we go and visit.

Both of our families have been incredibly supportive of our adoption journey. We're the first in our families to take this path, so they've asked thoughtful questions and shown excitement about welcoming a child into our family.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. Frankly, this whole process is a bit overwhelming to us. But we cannot even imagine how overwhelming this decision must be for you. While we know we will never fully understand what you're going through and the decision that you have before you, we do want you to know we're thinking of you with deep respect and care.

We're Gary and Eric, a married couple living in Texas with our two dogs Bowen and Truman. We've been together for ten years, and one of the things that makes our relationship work so well is how different we are in all the right ways. Gary is laid back, funny, and always has a witty comment ready to go, while Eric is passionate, driven, and brings an intensity to life that balances us out. While our personalities are very different, we share the same values of honesty, respect, and a deep commitment to our family and friends.

Gary is an attorney who loves digging into tough problems and figuring them out. Eric is a director at an aviation company and manages a large team, and he thrives on helping people grow and succeed in their roles. We both work hard and take our jobs seriously, but we also know when to slow down and focus on the important things in life—one another, our family, and friends.

Our home is in a quiet, older neighborhood that feels friendly and familiar. We're in walking distance to restaurants, parks, and our favorite local coffee shop, and we often take walks just to enjoy the peace of the area. Gary plays tennis on the weekends when he gets the chance, and Eric has a real talent for gardening and taking care of our house plants­—our home is filled with plants (some may say too many). We try to lead a balanced-life, and we are confident that a child will fit seamlessly in our life.

We both come from small families of 4, but we were raised surrounded by large extended families. We're uncles to three amazing nieces and love spending time with them every chance we get. Family traditions like Christmas and vacations are some of our favorite memories, and we can't wait to share those experiences with a child of our own.

Our decision to adopt comes from a shared desire to grow our family and open our hearts and home to a child. We know this child will come into our lives through your act of love and courage, and that's something we will never take for granted. We want to be the kind of parents who are loving, supportive, and always listening. We value honesty and open communication in our home, and we plan to talk to our child about their adoption story from the beginning. They will always know where they came from, and how deeply they were loved by you.

We both come from families of public-school teachers, so education is incredibly important to us. We want to instill this same love of learning in our child that was instilled in us by our families. But more than anything, we want our child to grow up knowing they are safe, loved, and encouraged to be exactly who they are. We will support them in every part of who they become.

We believe in openness and look forward to staying in touch in the way that feels best to you. We're open to exchanging letters, pictures, emails, phone calls, and visits if that's something you would want. We're committed to sending regular updates and photos so you can see how your child is growing and thriving.

If you feel a connection to us, know that we would be honored to go on this journey with you. And if not, we still wish you peace and strength in whatever path you choose.

With love,

Gary & Eric