As a couple we have many traditions we enjoy. We were married on the summer solstice, so each summer we try out something we've never done before as a couple to celebrate another year together. While trying something different each time may seem an odd tradition to some, we love how it keeps us adventuring together through the years. Some of our favorites over the last decade include a magic show and a night exploring Abbie's college town.

Another tradition we have is exchanging books with one another each month. Abbie loves reading romance books and Nathan reads Sci-Fi, so we intentionally trade to experience a small piece of what the other loves.

There are also many holiday traditions we enjoy. Each year on Christmas Eve, we give each other a pair of pajamas which we wear to bed and throughout our Christmas breakfast. We are also sure to attend the Christmas festival where we went on our first date.

Throughout our relationship we've added new traditions along the way and can't wait to keep adding them as our family grows.

Those who know us best would describe our lifestyle as family-centered. We have chosen and planned our careers to have a healthy work-life balance, giving us the ability to focus on what is most important. Quality time with those we love is one of our top priorities. Hardly a weekend goes by that we are not spending an evening or day with family or close friends. We look forward to our annual vacation and enjoy attending events such as baseball games, musicals, and exhibitions in nearby Seattle. But, the thing we treasure most is a night in, sharing a meal with great company. Both of us are active in our community, volunteering regularly with after school activities and our church. We like to stay busy; some days that looks like running youth group then heading to Sunday night family dinner. Other days that looks like playing the piano and trying a new recipe together. Fostering these meaningful connections in our day to day life is what we enjoy most.

Cultural diversity is a passion of ours. Abbie grew up with a biracial extended family and has seen first hand the value of experiencing cultures outside of your own. Learning about the experiences of others prompted Abbie to seek ways to help effect change within our community. She currently holds the position of Educational Equity Facilitator in her school where she works with a team to help provide extensive training on diversity and equity. We have participated in and led activities focused on racial injustice in our area. Creating a welcoming space where all cultures are valued and celebrated is a goal we are striving for. Our church community is also a diverse space which has families of various structures, including adoptees. It is important to us that our adopted child remains connected to their cultural heritage. We will be actively creating connections for them through food, mentors, experiences, healthcare, and stories.

We live in a tight-knit community in Washington State.

We recently finished building our dream home right next door to Nathan's parents. Our house is settled on a beautiful four acres in the woods where we enjoy picking fresh blackberries and playing with our dogs.

Being within walking distance of our elementary school, there are many children in our neighborhood who love to play outside.

We live near a quiet regional airport and love watching the small glider planes fly overhead during the summer months. Even more than that, we love attending the city's weekly farmers market to buy local produce all year long.

We are also very fortunate that our neighborhood is connected to a walking trail which goes throughout our city. Along that trail there are parks, playgrounds, a skate park, and brand new splash pad that the community enjoys.

Beyond our city, Seattle is only an hour away from our home. We frequently take day trips to see plays, visit Pikes Place Market, and go to the zoo. For us, the biggest attraction to Seattle is the many different restaurants where we can experience foods from diverse cultures. Each summer we enjoy going out on the Puget Sound and fishing with Abbie's family for Dungeness crab. Our favorite part of crabbing is afterwards, when we gather with both of our families and enjoy a crab boil.

We look forward to sharing the community we love so much with a child.

We are blessed to have two very close-knit families who are supportive and excited about our adoption plan.

Nathan's parents live next door and they are overjoyed about having their first grandchild a short walk away. His two sisters live nearby and are looking forward to becoming aunties. We enjoy attending church with Nathan's family each Sunday.

Abbie's family also lives in the same city and we enjoy quality time with one another each week. We love getting together to cook family dishes, talk, and play our childhood favorite game of Mario Party. Our favorite event with Abbie's family is an annual camping trip. Each year we pack our tents, grab the family boat, and enjoy a week of adventuring together.

Both families love the holidays and have many traditions. Our favorite is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner each year where everyone from both of our families can come together in our home, sit around the same table, and celebrate together. With so many loving aunts and uncles for this child, they will hopefully have lots of cousins to grow up with around that Thanksgiving table.

Beyond holidays, our retired dads and semi-retired moms are looking forward to having a few grandparent days each week. As this would be the first grandchild in each of our families, this child is sure to grow up with lots of love and attention.

Thank you for taking the time to consider us as you are making this important decision for you and your child. We know we cannot truly understand how difficult this is, and we want you to know that you are in our prayers as you journey through these challenging decisions. What we can do is assure you that we will provide your child with a safe, loving, kind, and supportive home.

We are high school sweethearts, who started out as best friends before we began dating. We dated for two and a half years before getting married ten years ago. During our twenties, we have supported each other through college, establishing our careers, and building our dream home so we would be fully ready to become parents. We are so excited to have a child of our own to love and cherish. As a couple, we have always known that adoption would be how we built our family. Abbie received an infertility diagnosis in her early teenage years, so adopting a child is something we've been dreaming of since before we were even married.

We are overjoyed that our future child will grow up surrounded by love and community. Our families are both highly supportive of our adoption plans and are looking forward to welcoming their first grandchild through adoption. Each of our families are close knit and are excited to experience many family events and traditions with a little one. We also look forward to sharing our Christian faith with a child through our warm and welcoming church family. Our faith community is centered on God's love and accepting people wherever they are on their journey. We are committed to fostering strong morals, a love of learning, empathy, and supporting the interests of our child to help them become who they are meant to be.

We are overjoyed to have you be a part of our lives in whatever way you would like to be. No matter what, we will always reflect you in a positive light with your child. We will be open and honest with this child about adoption and their life story. You are, and always will be, important to us. We are committed to having you be a part of this child's life in whichever way you are comfortable doing so. We would love to not only send pictures and letters, but also share updates via social media, zoom, and email to provide you with more consistent updates on your child and their growth. We are also open to planning in person visits throughout their life as we are able to. You are dear to us and we look forward to maintaining a happy and healthy relationship with you throughout our lifetime.

Thank you for considering us as possible parents for your child. We have been dreaming of becoming parents for many years and can assure you that your child will grow up being loved, cherished, and supported in every way. Our deepest gratitude and appreciation to you as you consider the difficult decisions ahead. You will be in our prayers as you go through this journey.

Sincerely,

Nathan & Abbie