Adoption has touched both of our lives in meaningful ways.

Growing up, Jamie spent a lot of time babysitting children in her neighborhood. Two of those children, who lived next door to Jamie's family, were adopted. Each child came from a very different background and both a different race than their adoptive parents. The children (now 20 somethings) still remember Jamie's "bag of books," which she brought over every time to read stories together. Their family remains a special part of Jamie's life to this day.

Adoption is also part of Jamie's family history. Her grandmother was adopted by her maternal aunt after her mother passed away unexpectedly when she was just a baby. She was raised in New York and has shared many stories about growing up with her extended family who became her own family.

Nick has a cousin who was adopted as an infant. He grew up to be a healthy, happy, and successful adult, and he even attended our wedding—another reminder of how adoption can help create lasting family bonds.

The experiences we've had with adoption—through family, friendships, and childhood memories—have given us a heartfelt appreciation for the unique and beautiful ways families are formed. We know adoption will continue to impact our lives in an even deeper, more personal way as we look forward to growing our own family.

From Nick: I love, admire, and respect Jamie as a dedicated and compassionate teacher whose natural patience, strong communication skills, and nurturing spirit make her a constant source of support and encouragement for her students. Her ability to connect with children and help them grow both academically and emotionally highlights her deeply caring nature. Additionally, as a wife and partner, Jamie always brings a loving and positive attitude to all of life's challenges.

From Jamie: I love, admire, and respect Nick as a thoughtful and principled lawyer, who brings strength to any situation through his integrity, problem-solving skills, and calm demeanor under pressure. He is protective, fair, and values doing what is right even if it is not the easiest path. I also love Nick's sense of adventure and enjoy the many roadtrips he drives us on.

As a couple: Together we balance each other with warmth and stability, offering a loving, secure, and enriching environment. We believe that these qualities (as individuals and as a couple) will provide an environment where a child will be nurtured, cherished, and supported every single day.

Our favorite vacation spots are (1) our family cabin in Yosemite National Park and (2) our family beach house in Santa Cruz, California. Between the mountains and the ocean, we love exploring the natural beauty of our home state of California.

Our family cabin in Yosemite National Park is the place that we always seem to visit to rest and recharge while being surrounded by one of the most beautiful places on earth. While at the cabin we enjoy hiking to waterfalls (and giant sequoia trees), looking for wildlife, taking scenic car rides and just relaxing by the fireplace with a good book (and a cup of hot chocolate). When visiting the cabin in the winter we always put up a full Christmas tree with decorations while watching Hallmark holiday movies and baking lots of cookies.

Our family beach house in Santa Cruz, California is just a block away from the ocean and is the perfect spot for a day by the shore. We try to visit the beach house at least three times a year and we love walking on the beach, exploring the shoreline tide pools and (of course) getting a chocolate dipped ice cream cone at the famous Santa Cruz boardwalk amusement park. In the summer we love sitting on the deck looking at the ocean sunset while firing up the grill for dinner.

For the last ten years, we have lived in a wonderful, family friendly community in a suburb of Los Angeles, California. Our house is a traditional 2-bedroom 1-bathroom home in a quiet neighborhood. There are lots of trees and flowers surrounding our large front yard that blossom every spring along with roses, geraniums and agapanthus that add pops of color throughout the year. While at home, we enjoy watching television, listening to records, playing music, and reading books in our front room.

Our local elementary, middle, and high schools (including the school Jamie teaches at) are a short walk down the street. There is a public park complex with a playground, ball fields, tennis courts and a small theatre just a block away from us which is always bustling with families. There is an additional park a few blocks away with a large public swimming pool and splash pad that is a popular meet-up spot in the summer.

Our neighborhood hosts several annual get-togethers including a baseball/softball parade which passes right in front of our home. During the parade, local kids get to show off their uniforms and celebrate the season with fire trucks, classic cars, and music. Additionally, our neighborhood is considered a prime area to get the best Halloween candy and we get hundreds of trick or treaters each fall. We absolutely adore our home and would love to walk around the neighborhood for school days, play dates and holidays with a child of our own.

We both had amazing childhoods filled with cherished memories through the love and support of our families. Today we both remain extremely close with our parents who all live in Southern California. Jamie's father is a retired Army veteran who manages real estate properties in Los Angeles along with Jamie's mother. Nick's father is a retired civil engineer and member of the National Academy of Engineering and Nick's mom is a retired elementary school teacher. Nick is part of a large family with three younger brothers who live in California and Texas while working as a company manager, engineer, accountant and even one brother who works as a part-time college baseball umpire!

We are very fortunate that our parents live close to us. Jamie's parents are a quick 15-minute drive and Nick's parents are a 30-minute drive from our home. We spend as much time as we can with our families through lots of fun family events. Nick's family has an annual Super Bowl party and enjoy getting together at our family vacation homes. Jamie's family loves being together for family dinners on holidays and at least once a year meet up to see a live musical together in Palm Desert, California. We believe that one thing that makes our family unique is how close and supportive we all are of each other. Our parents (and extended family) are ready to support and welcome a new member to our family.

Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We can only imagine the strength it takes to consider adoption, and we want you to know that we hold both you and your journey in the highest regard. It means the world to us that you are considering us as potential parents to your child.

While we know this time may be filled with uncertainty and difficult decisions for you, we hope you find some peace in knowing that your child will be welcomed into a home (and family) overflowing with love, laughter, and security. Our promise to you is that your child will be nurtured, cherished, and supported every single day.

We understand that this is not an easy path, and we want you to know that you are not alone. We are here, not just as hopeful adoptive parents, but as a couple who deeply respect your courage and want to support you in whatever ways you may need. If we are chosen by you, we hope to build a strong, trusting connection with you and honor you throughout your child's life.

As a family, our relationship is rooted in deep love and unwavering friendship. After 11 wonderful years together, we still laugh daily and truly enjoy each other's company. Becoming parents has been a shared dream of ours, and we are more than ready to open our hearts and our home to a child.

We were both fortunate to grow up in families filled with love, encouragement, and joy. Our parents have shown us what lifelong commitment and exceptional parenting look like-Jamie's parents recently celebrated 50 years of marriage, and Nicks are right behind them with 47 years together. Our parents, as incredible role models, have helped shape the values we hold dear, and we're excited to carry on those traditions.

Family remains at the center of our lives. We are blessed to live close to both sides of our family and we regularly meet up for holidays, birthdays, and even spontaneous get-togethers. Your child would be surrounded by a big, loving support system which includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who are all excited to welcome a new member to the family.

Also, please know that if you choose us as adoptive parents, we are committed to an open and ongoing connection. We would be honored to share regular letters and pictures with you, to help you see the person your child is becoming-their milestones, their interests, their joy. It is important to us that your child grows up knowing where they came from, how deeply they are loved by you, and the immense sacrifice you have made for them. You will always be spoken of with respect, gratitude, and love in our home.

Finally, as you navigate this incredibly personal and difficult decision, please know we're open to connecting however you're most comfortable-through email, phone, or video. We want you to feel confident and supported in choosing the path that's right for you and your child. We are ready to give a child a life full of opportunity, wonder, laughter, and most importantly, unwavering love.

Thank you for considering us.

With love and respect,

Nick & Jamie