We both understand how powerful early learning can be, especially when it starts from home. Markesa will use her experience as a Montessori Teacher to homeschool our child from birth to preschool using the Montessori Method. This will give our child a head start to academic success by nurturing self-motivation and early literacy/pre-writing skills.

Experience with sign language and early childhood education has shaped our values on the importance of early language exposure. From day one, we'll use both English and Sign Language to support communication and connection (especially during the pre-verbal years). Aware of the negative effects of screen time, we will prioritize face-to-face interactions through singing, reading, and play.

We believe learning doesn't happen only in a classroom. Our plan is to nurture our child's curiosity through trips to zoos, museums, aquariums, and libraries, which we believe are wonderful places for children to learn and explore. As parents, we are deeply committed to our child's academic success and will support their education in every way—whether it's helping with homework or providing additional learning resources.

Markesa is the first in her family to graduate from college, and Jomar has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Masters in Operational Studies. Thanks to the financial support of military educational benefits, our child will also have the opportunity to attend college on their path to achieving their dreams.

We love traveling and spending time outdoors, especially hiking, biking, swimming, and nature walks with our dog Buddy. We look forward to sharing these hobbies with our child as a way to stay active and curious about the world. We can't wait to have family camping trips where we can pitch a tent, go fishing, and make s'mores together.

In the winter, we like to play board games or curl up to watch a movie. We often take advantage of the winter break to head to the mountains for snowtubing or snowboarding adventures.

During the week, we experiment in the kitchen cooking new recipes and our favorite cuisines, a pure joy we will share together as a family. Both of us are avid readers; we will share our love of books by reading together and attending events held at our local library. Bonsai and gardening have been calming activities that brighten up our home both inside and out. We look forward to sharing these moments with our child, and allowing them to be involved and get messy with us as we tend to our plants.

Our lifestyle is centered around intention, connection, and a lifelong love of learning. We are eco-conscious and live in a way that's gentle on the planet. We aren't big consumers who are interested in fancy labels. Our philosophy is to make sound purchases based on needs, not wants, so we can spend money on making memories with loved ones rather than on material things.

Travel plays a big role in our lives. Whether it's a weekend road trip or visiting a new state or country, we enjoy learning about different cultures and experiencing new places. We're excited to share these adventures with our child and help them grow up curious, grounded, and respectful of diversity.

We are lifelong learners and as the saying goes, "You learn something new everyday." We continue to add value to our lives by reading books, watching documentaries, and learning new recipes. Moreover, we continue to make small upgrades to our home through do-it-yourself projects. We have the most fun doing small home projects together.

We live in a 3 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home in North Carolina. We have a large fenced-in backyard with plenty of grass, shaded areas, and a fire pit for roasting s’mores. We are located an hour and a half away from the beach and are eager to take trips there during the summer to make memories building sand castles, and collecting sea shells.

Our home is within walking distance of a 300-acre nature park with trails, mountain biking courses, a playground, and disc-golf course.We are also just a short drive away from family-owned farms/homesteads that offer "Family days" where children can explore the petting zoo and learn about the different animals.

As a military-family we have access to many free family-friendly events throughout the year. Many of which are family traditions of ours, such as trips to the fall festival, annual carnival, and the holiday tree-lighting ceremony. We are looking forward to enjoying the many amenities the military base has to offer, including warm summer days at the pool and weekend trips to the ice rink, or bowling alley. We're excited to spend quality time with our child participating in these activities and developing hobbies with all our community has to offer. Our child will be involved with outdoor education programs, school athletic activities, as well as arts/musical programs - whatever makes them most happy!

Jomar's family lives across the world, with his parents residing in their dream homes in Guam and the Philippines. His sister, Marli, lives in Germany with her husband, Paul. Jomar's parents visit us for 2-3 months out of the year. During the fall months, we visit Markesa's family in California.

We make an adventure out of every family visit and enjoy showing them our favorite places, spending quality time, and making new memories every year. Jomar is excited to share the wonderful aspects of island life with our child. We are eager to take our child snorkeling along the beautiful beaches of Guam and introduce them to cultural dances and family fiestas. Markesa is half black and embraces her African American heritage from her dad's side of the family and she is eager to pass along the rich beauty of black culture to our child.

It truly takes a village to raise a child. Our siblings are thrilled to have a niece or nephew and have been very supportive through our adoption journey. We expect frequent visits from Markesa's brothers and Jomar's sister from our child's young toddler years and throughout their upbringing for graduations, birthday parties, and family vacations. Moreover, Jomar's parents will be providing a helping hand the first few months of parenthood. We both grew up with involved grandparents and we are excited for our child to have a close relationship with their grandparents as well. We are blessed to have a strong support system from our loving families.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our letter. We cannot begin to imagine the weight of the decision you are facing or the emotions you may be feeling. Please know that we already admire you deeply-for your courage, your love, and your strength. Considering adoption is a profoundly selfless act, and we are truly honored to be considered as potential adoptive parents for your child.

We are Jomar and Markesa, a married couple who have been together for three years. From the very beginning of our relationship, we spoke openly about growing our family through adoption. It has always been our first and only choice-not because of infertility or circumstance, but because adoption is incredibly close to our hearts.

The man who Jomar lovingly calls "Popsy" isn't his biological father, but quickly became the father figure who raised Jomar as if he was his own child. As Jomar's step-father, "Popsy" taught Jomar the life-changing possibilities of taking in a child and raising them as your own. Markesa's father is an adoptee, and his adoption story shaped the foundation of her family in the most beautiful way. She attributes her life to his birth parents' brave decision to choose adoption and carefully choose a family to raise him. That legacy of love, choice, and trust is one we carry with immense gratitude-and we're ready to carry it forward.

Jomar is an Army Officer specializing in health services administration and planning. We are fortunate that his position is office-based, just 25 minutes from our home. This means he's not only a dedicated provider, but also an active, present husband and future father. He's home every day to share meals, go on walks, read bedtime stories, and build a life centered on stability and love.

Markesa plans to be a stay-at-home mom during the early years of our child's life. She has a strong background in early childhood development and is deeply passionate about education. Using her knowledge of Montessori philosophy, she plans to homeschool through the preschool years-creating a calm, nurturing environment where learning is led by the child's natural curiosity and individuality. Her goal is to help our child develop confidence, independence, and the joy of learning.

We are looking forward to building a bond with our child. One unique way we hope to do this is through breastfeeding. Thanks to hormone therapy, we are prepared to breastfeed our child, to assist with bonding, comfort, and immune support. It's one of the many ways we're committed to being fully present and connected in the early days and beyond.

If we are chosen, your child will be raised in a home full of love, laughter, structure, and support. We will provide them with a safe and stable foundation, and surround them with encouragement, fun, and unconditional love.

Most importantly, your child will always know where they came from and that your choice was made from a place of love. We will speak of you with honesty, compassion, and the deepest respect. We are committed to sending letters with pictures regularly so you can see your child grow. We will honor your preferences for receiving letters and photos in any way that feels comfortable for you.

We understand that choosing an adoptive family is a deeply personal and emotional decision, one that can shape a child's entire life. We want to continue the family legacy of successful adoption stories. If you choose us we will cherish your child with all our hearts.

With love, respect, and deep gratitude,

Jomar & Markesa