Some things that have been constant in our relationship from the beginning were honesty and humor. Those tenants of our relationship have gotten us through tough times and helped us make the mundane stuff more fun. Just a couple of months after we started dating, Brea had to go back to school, and that put us about an hour and a half's drive apart. We had to kind of decide how serious we were about this relationship. But we were both pretty comfortable admitting that we made each other happy, and that was enough to continue dating. We didn't play any games or hide our feelings, and that set the tone for the rest of our relationship. Often when we were together we just did regular things like going grocery shopping or walking Fiona, but doing it together made it more fun. Even now, we spend a fair amount of time with each other at home but if one of us needs to drive far out for an errand, the other usually comes along just to people-watch or listen to and discuss a podcast along the way. We're in constant communication so there's never the need for "I need to tell you something", we're always just talking about whatever.

Our pets bring so much happiness to our daily lives. They make us laugh even in sometimes yucky or stressful situations just because they are just so genuine, carefree, and loving. Here are some things they do or have done that we find fun:

Adoption has touched our family in many ways. Dexter's mom was adopted, and never knew her birth parents or birth family, which was common for adoptions at that time. Only recently did she try to find them, and connected with some of her extended birth family.

Brea's aunt was also adopted, and though she knew her birth mother, she did not know her birth father. As an adult, Brea searched for her father, mainly because she wanted to know more about her medical history. She eventually found him, and today they have a good relationship, she even watched his dog for him for a while when he was out of the country for some time.

Brea's aunt and uncle also adopted a child some years ago through the foster system. That was a very long process, where they fostered a few children that were reunified with their parents. Eventually they adopted a young girl, who will now graduate high school in just a few weeks. She's a really cool girl, with a lot of fun hobbies and interests.

Everyone has their own adoption story and will have their own questions. We believe that honesty and openness is important in adoption, and we will always share our child's adoption story with him/her.

We live on a very small street off of a bigger rural road. It's pretty quiet and everyone waves as they pass each other on the street. There are a few other babies that live on this street. We imagine getting together with the other parents to walk with our babies on the trail nearby. As they grow up, we imagine them playing together in our front yard under the apple trees or catching salamanders in the creek next to the trail. We have a lot of trees in our backyard, and have already picked out two that are close enough together to support a really cool treehouse. There are great opportunities for our child to experience nature daily and learn about wildlife. We often see deer or turkeys pass through the yard. At night you can hear frogs and owls. Our neighbor sometimes brings her horses to the house and we feed them carrots and sugar cubes. Overall we think it will be a really fun place to raise a child.

We moved to Northern California to be closer to our families. Early last year we took a road trip here and realized there was a place we could live where we would be within an hour of family members from both sides. After that it was kind of a no-brainer to move, and we did so as quickly as we could.

,p>Since moving, we've hosted barbecues and game nights with all of the family. The first time we celebrated Dexter's brother's birthday here, he had the realization that they didn't need to facetime anyone when it came time to sing "Happy Birthday." Everyone was there - it was a wonderful feeling! We were running errands one day when we found out Brea's aunt got a new puppy, and we were able to stop by just to meet him and play with him. Brea's brother lives a little farther away, but still within driving distance, and we've been able to visit him and his new baby and be there when she gets a new tooth or is learning to crawl. Moving here has allowed us to make many more memories with family, and we're excited to create new ones with a new child.

We are writing to you today to express our sincere gratitude for considering us as adoptive parents for your child. We are a loving and committed couple who have been together for 10 years and are excited to welcome a child into our family.

Our relationship has been built on a foundation of honesty and not taking life too seriously. We've always enjoyed just doing the little things together, like taking walks or running errands. There's a quote that says "Forever is composed of nows." Our relationship has really embodied that. Every day may not be an adrenaline filled adventure, but we can still appreciate the happy little moments in it, and that's what we've been doing in our ten years together. Over the course of our relationship we've traveled together, moved together, and gotten married along the way. We're excited to bring a child into our daily life, and make more memories together.

We know that making the decision to place your child for adoption is a difficult one, and we want to assure you that we will love and care for your child as our own. Adoption was always our first choice in having a child, and we feel so ready to start this journey. We are financially stable and have a safe and loving home to raise your child in. We moved to this home last year to be closer to both sides of our family as we started the adoption process. We have taken parenting classes, read books about parenting, and talked to other parents about their experiences. We believe that every child deserves to be loved, cherished, and supported, and we are committed to providing the child with a happy and healthy childhood.

We are looking forward to participating in an open adoption so that you can continue to be a part of this child's life. We know that this is important to you, and we are committed to making sure that you feel comfortable and supported throughout the adoption process. Rest assured that we will send letters and pictures as the little one grows up. You'll have our numbers and can text or call to check in. We hope one day you'll be ready to meet them. We believe that open adoption is the best way to ensure that the child feels loved and supported, and avoids pain and questions later in life. Brea's aunt was adopted at birth, and later adopted a child from foster care, Brea's cousin. Dexter's mother was also adopted at birth. We're familiar with some of the feelings that a child may feel after they are adopted, and hope to provide a loving and nurturing environment not just with us, but with extended family. We're committed to making sure the child not only feels comfortable talking about their adoption, but welcomed and celebrated.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to be considered as adoptive parents, and we hope that you will choose us to give your child the best possible life.

Sincerely,

Dexter & Brea