We have spent significant time living abroad. After college, Matt lived in Indonesia teaching English to school kids, and Charlie traveled around Africa and Asia researching poverty. Later, after we got married, we chose to move abroad together and worked as diplomats in Africa. We lived in Congo for a few years, and then in Senegal after that. Something that's special about us is we love to learn about different countries and cultures. In Africa, we learned how to speak French, listened to exciting music like Congolese drumming, and ate crazy foods like caterpillars and goat. We have traveled to more than 10 different countries together and are always excited to learn about new people and places. While we're happy to be settled down close to family again, we hope to inspire a child to have a sense of wonder about the world, and go on even more adventures together as a family!

Charlie About Matt: What I admire most about Matt is his intelligence and his care for others. As a former teacher, Matt loves to talk to people about important things that have happened in the world and why they matter. You always leave conversations with Matt feeling like you got a little smarter. I also admire Matt's sincere care for others. He never judges others, which makes everyone feel comfortable being themselves around him. He remembers every friend's birthday, and is always checking in on family members and neighbors to make sure they're doing OK. Matt seems to make new friends wherever he goes.

Matt About Charlie: Charlie has an excited spirit that is infectious. He is the driving force behind many of our big life adventures, like moving to Africa, adopting a stray puppy that has become our wonderful dog Pete, or buying and fixing up our old historic house. I also love his depth of curiosity and creativity. He wanted to learn how to build furniture, so he taught himself woodworking. He wanted to learn more about growing vegetables and flowers, so he constructed a large garden in our backyard to experiment. Charlie is filled with excitement, confidence, and bravery to tackle new adventures.

Cultural diversity means understanding where you come from and appreciating other people's differences. We're excited to support a child in learning more about their background. That might look like spending time together in communities with people that look like them, making sure they have friends and mentors who understand their experiences, and learning languages, recipes, and traditions aligned with their background. We're lucky to live in a neighborhood that has a strong mix of races and ethnicities that will make culturally diverse experiences more accessible and integrated into daily life.

We both came out as LGBTQ when we were younger and didn't have close gay family members or role models. We understand what it means to grow up feeling different. Because of this background, we know the importance of being connected to people who know what you're going through, and we also know the importance of feeling the love and support of your family even if they don't fully understand your experience. We are committed to embracing whatever cultural diversity exists in our family. But most importantly, we are committed to making sure a child feels unconditionally loved and supported by us regardless of any surface differences between us.

We live in a charming and culturally diverse neighborhood in the heart of a large Midwestern city. The neighborhood is filled with big trees, old historic houses, and lots of friendly families who go on walks with their kids and dogs. One block away from our house is a large park with playgrounds and a children's splash pad. When the weather is nice, the park is always filled with kids and families playing together. There's a local elementary school just down the street from our house that is known for having a strong community, with good teachers and tight-knit friendships between kids.

We live in a 4-bedroom 2-bathroom house surrounded by trees. What we love most about our house is the big backyard. Our dog is always chasing squirrels and birds there, and we love hanging out with friends on the deck or watching our nieces and nephews play soccer and catch. We also have a large garden where we grow vegetables and flowers. The other thing we love most about our house is our neighbors. The neighbors on our street often stop to chat with us, and they sometimes bring us freshly baked treats. We're excited to raise a child in our house because we know they'll receive love from us and our family, and also from the caring community of friends and neighbors around us.

Family is an important part of our lives, and we're grateful to be close with both of our extended families. We live close to Charlie's parents, and also his sisters and their families. Our house has become a regular hangout spot – we recently hosted family Thanksgiving and Christmas - and we see everyone several times a month. Charlie's family is funny, passionate, and creative.

Matt's parents live in San Francisco, and his brother and family live in New York. They visit us often, and we regularly travel to see them too. We like to play mini golf whenever we get together. Matt's family has a tradition of taking a big family vacation every year. We went on an African safari last year, and we'll go on a trip to the beach later this summer. Matt's parents and brother all work in healthcare as doctors and nurses. Matt's family is smart, organized, and caring.

We love being uncles to our 2 nieces and 3 nephews. Matt connects with our nieces and nephews about their favorite books, always reading the same books too so they can talk about it together. Charlie is quick to make our baby niece and nephew laugh, and is the go-to uncle for arts and crafts projects. Both sides of our family are excited to see us build a family of our own.

Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about us as you think about adoption. Over the past decade, we've built our relationship on a foundation of love and support, embracing challenges, and encouraging one another's growth. We're thrilled about the possibility of welcoming a child into our lives and giving them the same love and support we give each other.

It's incredibly meaningful to us that your child understands their roots, your journey, and the story of their adoption. Depending on your preferences and comfort, we would consider you to be a part of our extended family. We want to make sure that your feelings and hopes are a part of this experience - not just now, but always. We'd love to keep you connected in whatever ways feel best for you. This could look like sharing pictures, emails, texts, or arranging phone calls or in-person meetings. Open, honest conversations about adoption will always be a natural and positive part of our family life. Your child will grow up knowing their adoption story, the strength it took you to make this decision, and how deeply you love them.

Ever since we first met ten years ago, becoming parents has been a shared dream of ours. Our excitement about welcoming a child into our family has steadily grown, shaping our decisions about where we put down roots, our career flexibility, and the values we hold onto. When we envision ourselves as parents, we see a home filled with support, laughter, adventure, and discovery. Our greatest hope is to nurture a child's curiosity and individuality, helping them learn about the world and about themselves, always offering unconditional love and guidance along the way.

Our community in the Midwest is well-suited for raising a family. We live in a warm and welcoming house surrounded by trees and a big backyard, walking distance from parks, playgrounds, and museums. The local elementary school is just a few blocks down the street. Our neighborhood itself is vibrant and diverse, with families from many different backgrounds who are often walking their dogs or riding bikes nearby. Downtown is just a ten minute drive away. Our area offers endless opportunities to explore and learn, with lots of other kids nearby to form meaningful friendships.

Our home life reflects our personalities. We try to make everyone comfortable, and we want people to know they're cared for. Our house is often the gathering place for family events like Christmas and Thanksgiving, with our nieces and nephews running around and playing catch in our yard. You'll find bookshelves full of books that Matt has read and loves to talk about, and colorful photos on the walls that Charlie took during our vacations. We have knick-knacks around the house from our time living in foreign countries together which helps us celebrate and remember our adventures. We have a loveable dog named Pete who likes to take naps in the sun, chase squirrels in our garden, and snuggle with us when we watch TV at night.

Our commitment as parents is to offer a loving home that encourages your child to grow, learn, and explore freely. We'll emphasize education, creativity, and personal growth, helping them to make strong ties with family and friends along the way. Traveling, learning new things together, and celebrating life's special moments will be important parts of our family's life. We hope to inspire them to be curious about the world, and proud of their own background. Above all else, your child will always know how deeply they are loved - not just by us, but by you as well.

We look forward to learning more about you, hearing your hopes for your child's future, and building a trusting relationship with you. Thank you for considering us as part of your adoption plan. We are very grateful for this opportunity and appreciate your strength, generosity, and thoughtfulness as you navigate this important decision.

Matt & Charlie