We work hard, and we love to play hard! One of the fortunate things about having lived in different places with the Navy is meeting different types of people and doing fun activities all over!

We love to experience the great outdoors. We enjoy doing local hikes, swimming in lakes, biking, and camping. We live close to several ski resorts, and in the winter we have fun skiing with friends. We love water sports like kayaking, paddle boarding, and wakeboarding.

We enjoy traveling and immersing ourselves in the local culture. Our favorite vacation spot is Hawaii, and we loved surfing, rock climbing, snorkeling and trying different food. Last winter we traveled to Iceland and it was fun soaking in the thermal hot springs and learning about the country's history.

While we spend about 99.9% of our leisure time together, we have individual activities that are renewing and stress relieving. Kelly is a yoga teacher and enjoys doing yoga on our sunny decks. She is a talented artist and one of her favorite activities is making cards for her friends, family, coworkers and patients. Eric surfs at any opportunity he gets and he likes to golf with friends and family.

Even as adults we love to play! We are super excited to share our hobbies with a child in the future!

Eric About Kelly: Kelly and I are best friends, sharing the ridiculously funny moments and also the difficult moments. Kelly is the most vibrant and energetic person that I have ever met. She radiates positivity and is kind to everyone that she meets. She prides herself in being a nurse and uplifting her patients during some of their most vulnerable, challenging times. She is an extraordinarily gifted artist, using her talents to create hand-made cards for friends and loved ones. She loves adventuring in the Pacific NW, always meeting new people and spreading her joy. What I love most about her is how she is 100% devoted to me, and she supports and loves me unconditionally.

Kelly About Eric: Eric is known for amazing shoulder massages, delicious smoked meats, and award-winning shower singing. He is one of the most hard-working, intelligent, and humble people that I know, and he's always having junior coworkers over for dinner or providing thoughtful professional mentorship. He lavishes his love on me, getting pedicures with me, treating me to dinners, and thinking of me before himself or anyone else. He genuinely enjoys my healthy cooking (or at least he does an excellent job of pretending)! Our nieces and nephews are drawn to him and can't seem to spend enough time with him. He is so silly and imaginative, but also is naturally athletic and loves playing sports.

We both had active duty careers in the Navy, lived and deployed in 11 overseas countries, and lived in many areas and cities throughout the United States. Kelly is currently a Registered Nurse and works with and cares for people of all nationalities and ethnicities. We have interacted with people of many races and are friends with people with many ethnic backgrounds.

Kelly's best friend growing up was adopted from Korea by Caucasian parents in a rural area of Pennsylvania. We are very close with her best friend and have spoken to her many times on her perspective of transracial adoption and situations she has faced.

We discussed at length the importance of integrating specific cultures into our lives to support our future child, if given the opportunity. We will make a significant effort to learn about cultural customs and integrate them into our daily lives. We already seek out opportunities for diversity in where we shop, where we get medical care, and in our religious community. Fortunately, we have a varied friend group with little ones and will always have the Navy's diverse network.

We live in a beautiful small town in Washington state. Our neighborhood is quiet, safe, and has a lot of families with young kids. What we love most about where we live is the ease of access to parks with lakes, beaches, jungle gyms, sports fields, and hiking trails. It's an outdoor paradise with countless activities for kids and adults to play. We also love that we have access to two major cities that have famous aquariums, zoos, and museums.

We absolutely love our home! It has a large yard with a fire pit that gets a lot of use! The house is very spacious with plenty of room to play! We enjoy eating meals, reading, exercising, and spending time outside on our big front and back decks. Our home is surrounded by trees which provide ample shade, yet sunshine and natural light beam through our big windows and skylights. We hear songbirds singing and neighborhood kids playing, and the fresh mountain breeze brings in the pine and wildflower smells.

We picked where we live because we thought it would be the perfect place for a child to grow up in. There's so much to do in our community, and we cannot wait to explore more with a little one!

We both come from loving families that are very excited and supportive about the possibility of adopting. One of Eric's family traditions is that the family rents a beautiful lake house and gets together every summer. We have fond memories fishing, swimming, and exploring by the lake with our nieces and nephews. Kelly's family has beach vacations and we love building sand castles, paddle boarding, and burying Eric in the sand, haha! Both of our families have competitive sides and love to play games like corn hole, spoons, Uno, Catch Phrase, and Settlers of Catan. Somehow, our niece manages to outsmart us every time!

Although our families are spread out in states like New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania, we always make an effort to remain connected on the phone and with Facetime and travel frequently to visit each other. It's always fun visiting our loved ones and experiencing the local culture! Eric's grandfather is 94 and one of our favorite traditions is to spend time with him in Florida. Every year, the whole family gets together for Thanksgiving in Florida with Grandpa. We enjoy cooking his favorite dishes, doing crafts with the nieces and nephews, and spending time at the beach and pool. We are beyond excited about bringing a child on our family adventures.

We want to express our deepest gratitude for considering us as prospective parents. We cannot even begin to truly understand the weight of this decision, and we admire your strength and selflessness.

We are college sweethearts, and we have had a strong and loving marriage for nearly nine years. Our journey began fourteen years ago, and we have grown together as best friends, supporting each other through the joys and challenges of life. Our love for each other and our faith in God have been guiding pillars throughout our lives. We both served in the Navy, and Eric still serves as a Navy Pilot while Kelly works as a nurse. We are dedicated to serving others and are passionate about believing in something bigger than ourselves.

We firmly believe that every individual is created in God's image and that He has a plan and purpose for every life. It is with utmost humility that we embrace the opportunity to provide the child with a caring and joyful environment, where they can grow and fulfill their potential. We are committed to raising the child in a home filled with love, laughter, respect, and faith.

We are genuinely excited about the prospect of building a lifelong connection with you. We understand the significance of open adoption and the importance of maintaining a connection with birth parents and the child. We wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to share letters, emails, and pictures with you, documenting the beautiful journey of the child's growth, achievements, and milestones. We are open to additional methods of communication to support you and allow the child to know their roots, heritage, and the love that surrounds them.

In our household, we encourage creativity, exploration, and personal growth. We value education and will strive to provide a solid foundation for the child's intellectual development. We believe in the importance of outdoor adventures, discovering nature's wonders, and developing an appreciation for the world around us. Moreover, we plan to instill the child with values such as kindness, empathy, and respect for oneself and others.

We recognize the gravity of your decision and the emotions that may accompany it. Please know that we are committed to honoring and respecting your wishes throughout this journey. We are here to support you, both now and in the future, should you desire it. We hold the utmost respect for your strength and courage, and we will ensure that the child grows up understanding the love and sacrifice that led to their adoption story.

If you choose us as adoptive parents, we promise to devote our lives to providing the child with unconditional love, unwavering support, and a safe and nurturing environment. We will cherish them, celebrate their uniqueness, and guide them as they navigate life's challenges and embrace their dreams.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for considering us. We are eternally grateful for this opportunity, and we assure you that we will approach parenthood with boundless unconditional love, devotion, and an unwavering commitment to the child's happiness and well-being.

With heartfelt gratitude and warm regards,

Eric & Kelly