As parents we will always be caregivers and protectors, making sure they are happy, healthy, and safe. But we know our roles will ebb and flow daily: sometimes they’ll need an extra character in make-believe, another set of hands in a game of catch, a person to brainstorm with, or a friendly face cheering them on in the crowd. We are happy and looking forward to playing all of those roles and so many more.

We know that it won’t always be rainbows and kittens. There’ll be countless messes, tears, and sleepless nights, and constant fear for this child’s health, safety, and well-being. We’ll have to have tough conversations, and sometimes we’ll have to set boundaries that they might not like. We’re prepared to approach it all with empathy and care.

We’re looking forward to experiencing the world with fresh eyes. Brittney hopes to pass on her curiosity and love of learning by finding answers to their innumerable “why” or “what” or “how come” questions. Hanna wants to share her love for storytelling with a child and is excited to do voices for all the characters in our bedtime stories. We’re eager to watch their personality emerge and change over time, to see them find their passions, and to support their interests whether through sports, art, education, or something else entirely. We know parenthood will throw us curveballs and it won’t always be perfect, but we love a good adventure.

As a same-sex couple we know firsthand how powerful and joyful it is to find a community that welcomes you wholeheartedly. Our goal is to support their exploration of spaces and communities that do the same for them. We know how critical it is for a child to see themself reflected in the people around them and that we cannot and should not be the only ones teaching them their culture. We’re lucky to have a large circle of folks who hold an array of identities and have countless experiences they’re willing to share, including other adoptive parents and adoptees. 

We want to foster their curiosity and support them in learning who they are, where they come from, and to make sure they know they are loved exactly as they are every single day. We’ll read stories together with characters who are like them, and as they grow we’ll introduce other forms of media, like movies, plays, and music. We already enjoy going to festivals and museums to create new experiences and learn through doing, and are excited to share that with them. We also understand that culture is a daily practice and we want to share with them everything they want and need to know with as much care and empathy as possible. This means dedicating time to continue expanding our social circles, educating ourselves, adding new cultural staples to our monthly meal rotation, or maybe even learning a new language. 

We plan to read to them every day — it's a pastime we love and something we know is vital to their development. We've also started learning some American Sign Language to practice basic communication before they can speak.

We're excited to share the great outdoors with them and have already looked at some highly rated local outdoor schools for when they're young. We intend to enroll them in our local public schools when they reach school age. Its important for us to encourage them to try new hobbies, sports, clubs, instruments, and subjects. Our parents allowed us this same freedom and we both found it valuable in teaching us many life skills, like resilience, comradery, collaboration, and self-discipline.

We know that academic education is not all they will need. We hope to foster a love for learning so this child feels empowered and prepared to seek out the education they want and need. We also plan to introduce practical everyday skills early, like money management and budgeting, home and auto repair, and household tasks. We want to provide as many opportunities for hands-on learning as we can so that they have the tools they'll need as they grow. Whatever this child wants to do, we will do our best to facilitate and we have several educators in our close circle who can help us!

Hanna's family lives out of state, but they share a call every Monday and we take turns visiting each other often. They're curious and outdoorsy people who love to travel and go to the Renaissance Faire together, which they can't wait to share with a child. Hanna's brother is an architect and her sister-in-law is an interior designer. Her dad is a master carpenter who's acquired an accidental specialty in making wine cellars and her mom's a receptionist at a dentist's office who loves trips to the botanic gardens and zoo. They've been channeling their grandparent duties into spoiling our pets, but are now excited for family baking and mini ski lessons with this child.

Brittney's mom lives only a drive away so we often spend weekends with her. She is thrilled to become a grandma and we know that a child in her orbit will undoubtedly learn her kindness and compassion. She's a jack of all trades and we're anticipating lots of time spent outdoors with her, camping, rock hunting at the beach, and grilling on the back deck. Brittney's dad lives near her sisters and niece and nephews and we love to spend time in the summer going on adventures with them. He's a retired air force vet and a plumber by trade and he spends his afternoons putting golf balls in a nearby field; we know he'd love to teach a child about the right swing technique. He is delighted to become a grandpa again.

Since we purchased our home, we've dedicated time and energy into updates. Some favorite projects have been building raised beds in our backyard for growing fruits and veggies and DIYing a built-in bookshelf for our office. Most of our time we're in our living space where we love to host friends and family for dinners, game nights, and crafternoons. In the winter, we stay cozy in front of our fireplace and in the summer we keep our sliding glass door open to let fresh air in from our garden.

Rain or shine we take our pup on daily walks around our neighborhood. It's very family-friendly with kids of all ages. We live walking distance from a nearby elementary school, a park, a playground, and a large community green space behind our garden where kids and families can be found playing when the weather is nice.

Beyond our immediate neighborhood, we live close to a major city and several state and national parks. Some of our favorite city activities include museums, escape rooms, interactive art exhibits, international gardens, and catching the occasional hockey game (Brittney affectionately calls the penalty box "tiny jail"). Our downtown area holds a Christmas tree lighting every year and we frequent our year-round farmer's market which is kid and dog-friendly. We love our local art studio which offers classes for kids and parents. We've made pottery there before!

Hello—Thank you for taking the time to read about our family and for giving us the opportunity to tell you a bit more about us. We want to acknowledge that as excited as we are to grow our family, we recognize that you are a real person. We can only imagine the emotions you’re feeling as you decide if adoption is right for you. Your confidence in this decision is critical, and we want you to know that we respect the decisions you make for yourself and your child.

As a same sex couple, one of our common experiences is creating our own non-traditional families, and we knew before we got married that we wanted to use those experiences to inform how we expanded our own family, which is why we chose adoption. A child in our home will grow up knowing unconditional love, the power of kindness, and the value of community. We truly have a village surrounding us and this child will be raised in a family that is full of doting aunts and uncles, grandparents, and cousins. Many of our friends have young kids and they’re excited for shared play dates, trips to the zoo, story times at the library, and camping trips together with us.

We’ve been happily married for about three years and best friends for over eight. Early on we bonded over our shared love of books and animals, two passions that continue to flourish in our life together. When we travel, we always make sure to have a book or two (each) on hand for downtime and on road trips, one of our favorite things to do is listen to audiobooks while we drive. In our time together we’ve also raised two ginger cats (Vega & Enzo), and a sweet Bernese Mountain dog (Georgie). Georgie cannot wait to have a child in our home. He makes a point of saying hi to every kid in the neighborhood when we go on walks and he’s grown attached to all of our friend’s children. We know he will be a great companion to this child as they grow up.

Quality time spent together as a family is critical to us. Hanna is on a hybrid schedule and is home two days a week and Brittney works from home full time. These flexible schedules have helped us build moments of connection into every day. We love cooking and eating dinner together, going on chatty walks, and making everyday a special occasion with little treats and spontaneous adventures. We’re eager to start new traditions with them, like family movie and game nights. Brittney is especially excited to introduce them to Ratatouille and Hanna can’t wait to run their first D&D campaign. We want to prioritize fun and encourage silliness, so kitchen dance parties and impromptu singing are likely to be common occurrences.

All we want is for this child to grow up happy, healthy, and loved with as many opportunities and experiences as possible. Our hope is that we raise a good human and you are a vital part of that journey. We look forward to building a relationship of respect, care, and open communication with you, your family, and your community. We are committed to sending letters and photographs to you often and we understand that your wants and needs may change over time, but know that we are also happy to share phone calls, emails, video calls, and visits as they grow. We know that love is infinite and that there is room for all of us in this child’s heart.

Your child will always know the love and care you have for them and we are dedicated to talking about you often and with the utmost respect and compassion.

We want to thank you again for taking the time to read about our family. We’re happy to connect and answer any questions you may have about us as you make your decision.

Sincerely,

Brittney & Hanna