We are unique because we fell in love at a very young age and have been in a stable relationship for over twenty years. We've been successful in maintaining a long-term relationship that started in our teens because we've given each other the freedom to pursue our goals and grow as people, and have never held each other back.

We stayed together during college, even though we went to schools in different states and had to maintain a long-distance relationship for several years. This was a really difficult time for us because we missed each other so badly when we were apart, but it also helped deepen our friendship. We learned how important it was to laugh together during hard times. It also taught us how important it was to value our time together. When we were able to be together during our college years it was often just for a summer, a few weeks or even a few days. We learned to make the most of that time, and thinking back on it now make us remember to never take each other for granted.

Kari is partially of European descent, and is also descended from Alaska Native people (Athabaskan). She is strongly influenced by memories of her paternal grandmother, who grew up in a Native village in the Yukon territory of Canada. Hearing first-hand accounts from her grandmother and her father about how native people were treated shapes the way that Kari thinks about the world, and about adoption. Her grandmother was taken from her home at a young age by white missionaries who deliberately robbed her of heritage and language. Knowing the pain that this causes, Kari is committed to making sure that her child learns and values the cultural heritage of their birth parents.

Dustin is of European descent - primarily Italian and northern European. His ancestors have deep roots in the area where we live. His maternal great-grandparents were immigrants from Italy who became farmers on the south side of our city, and who were among the first farmers to sell produce at the historic public market downtown. He has great memories of going to family dinners and learning about this part of his family (and also great memories of his family's Italian cooking).

We've wanted to adopt a child for a long time, and we always talked about it even before we had problems conceiving a child. Part of the reason for this is having a family member who is adopted.

Spencer is Kari's brother-in-law and is one of two adopted kids in his family. He's taught us a lot about what it's like to be adopted. He is a kind and enthusiastic person who's close with his family, and he's a reminder of what a truly successful adoption looks like.

His adoption was also transracial. Spencer is from Mexico and his parents are white. Talking to Spencer about the way in which transracial adoption has shaped his life has been influential in how we think about our own ability to be transracial parents. He has told about what it's been like to grow up as a person of color in a white family within a white community. Talking to Spencer has helped us realize the need to potentially transform our lives when we adopt. Our current neighborhood has some diversity, but it is still mostly white. If we are part of a transracial adoption, we feel strongly that we are going to relocate to a more diverse neighborhood for the benefit of our child so that they are not racially isolated and can feel comfortable.

We've always wondered about the challenges of adopting. It's hard to anticipate what adopting is like before you've done it. Talking to Spencer has given us assurance that we can be successful.

We live in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in Washington state. Although it's located in a city, our neighborhood feels like a tight-knit community. We've lived here for over 10 years and have gotten to know our neighbors well.

Our neighborhood has a coffee shop across the street where all of the neighbors get together with their kids and dogs. We have multiple beaches and lakes within walking distance, so our child will be able to grow up on the water just like we did. We also live close to the city zoo, where our child will be able to regularly visit their favorite animals. Sometimes you can hear the animals when you're just walking through the neighborhood!

There are lots of community events on our street such as block parties, car shows and school fairs, and ample opportunities for a child to meet other kids. There is also an elementary school and a library just a couple of blocks away. We currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment, but we have a down payment for a house and plan to buy one once we have a child and they get a little older; this way we can make sure that when we purchase a house it will be a good fit for the child.

Our families and friends are very important to us. We both grew up in the area, and so most of our extended family and friends live close by.

Both sides of our family have traditions that we celebrate every year. Kari organizes a weekend camping trip for her siblings every summer. Everyone takes turns cooking for each other at the campsite, and during the day we go on short hikes and spend time with Kari's niece, Blakely. We look forward to it every year as a time to re-connect. On Dustin's side of the family, we like to go out on Dustin's brother's boat and fish or just spend time together on the water.

In addition to our families we spend a lot of time with our friends. Some of our friends we've known since high school. We like to cook for each other and travel together. Dustin goes to Comicon every year with one of his closest friends, Jamie, who is expecting his first child. We are excited about the prospect of raising our kids together!

We are grateful and honored that you are considering us to adopt your child. We imagine this is an emotional time filled with uncertainty. We want you to know that we care about you, and we will work hard to make sure that this process is as smooth as possible. This is a new experience for us, as it may be for you, and we want to work together to make sure that you feel respected and cared for.

We are both in our early 40's and live in the pacific northwest. We've been married for thirteen years, and together for nine years prior to that. We met when we were both still in high school and stayed together while we went to college in separate states. Having been together for such a long time we've both changed a lot over the years, but one thing that has never changed is our love for each other. We've always been there for one another, and we always will be. Neither of us come from families with a lot of money, but we have worked hard to establish good careers, save money and make sure that we are able to provide for each other and for our future family.

We have a warm and welcoming household that we would love to share with a child. We laugh together constantly and spend a lot of time playing with our dog, traveling and seeing family. We can't wait to welcome a child into our home. We have friends and family members with children, and a child in our house would have no shortage of cousins and kids their own age to play with. Our neighborhood has parks, a zoo, beaches, great schools and lots of other kids.

Our relationship is really strong and long-lasting, and if we were to adopt your child they would become part of a family that has faced a lot of challenges and thrived. We will do everything in our power to nurture our child and give them every opportunity possible, most importantly the opportunity to discover themselves. We aren't going into this process with an expectation that our child will be any certain way - we just want them to be loved and supported. Our goal is to raise a child to have a happy, fulfilling life.

As the child's birth mother we see you as an important person in our lives. It's understandable if you don't yet know how much you want to be involved in the child's life going forward. However, you should rest assured that we will always honor your role as birth mother, and will do everything we can to make sure our child learns about their birth family's culture and community. Kari's family's experience with Native missionary schools in Canada - where Native children were taken from their homes and robbed of their culture- makes us especially committed to honoring our adoptive child's culture. We are open to setting up communication like letters, phone calls and pictures, or visits in the future, depending on what you are comfortable with.

It's hard to express in a letter how much this chance to adopt your child means to us. We are humbled and honored by your consideration of us as adoptive parents for your child. If you were to select us, your child would have a family that would always fight to give them security, love and encouragement.

Sincerely,

Dustin & Kari