What takes priority in our life is our family. Our relationship with each other and the love we share with our daughter is truly at the center of every decision we make. While we deeply value travel and the opportunity we currently have to live abroad and experience different cultures, we never want those experiences to come at the expense of feeling grounded or connected. No matter where we are, we want to always create a sense of home, routine, and safety for our children.

Both of us grew up dreaming of seeing the world, learning from other cultures, and living with curiosity and openness. Being able to share that with our daughter has been incredibly meaningful. At the same time, we know that every child is different. As our daughter grows and as we welcome another child into our family, we want to honor their voices, interests, and comfort levels. We believe parenting is about listening, adapting, and putting our children’s needs first.

Above all else, our priority will always be raising children who feel deeply loved, supported, and secure, knowing they belong and that their happiness and well-being truly matter to us.

Adoption has been part of our story from the very beginning. On our first date, we connected over our shared dream of becoming dads and our belief that adoption was the right path for building our family. It felt intentional, meaningful, and rooted in the kind of family we hoped to create.

Growing our family through adoption has been one of the most meaningful experiences of our lives. Becoming parents to our daughter deepened our understanding of what adoption truly represents: love, trust, and an incredible amount of courage. Staying in contact with our daughter’s birth family has been especially important to us. We value that connection and the role they will always have in her story. It has taught us to approach adoption with humility, gratitude, and respect for everything that comes with such a life-changing decision.

When it comes to sharing information on adoption with our children, honesty and openness matter to us. Our daughter is already at an age where we talk about her adoption story in age-appropriate ways, and we plan to do the same with any future child. We want our children to grow up with a deep appreciation for every person who is part of their story and to understand that their life is shaped by many acts of love, care, and selflessness.

Creating a home where our children feel seen, respected, and proud of who they are is deeply important to us. If we adopt a child from a different racial or cultural background, we are committed to honoring that part of their identity, staying connected to their roots, and doing the ongoing work as parents to learn, listen, and grow alongside them.

Living abroad has given our family daily exposure to different languages, traditions, and ways of life. This experience has shaped how we talk about the world at home and how we encourage curiosity, respect, and understanding in our daughter. It has also helped us see the value of raising children in environments where diversity is part of everyday life.

As a same-sex couple, we already have open, age-appropriate conversations with our daughter about what makes families unique. That experience guides how we approach conversations about race and culture. We want our home to be a place where these topics are safe to talk about, where questions are welcomed, and where our children always feel supported in becoming confident in who they are. 

Family is at the heart of everything we do. We both come from close-knit families, and spending time together has always been a priority for us. Zack is from Ohio and Matt is from Kentucky, and both places still hold much of our family and our roots. Although we have lived away as adults, it has been meaningful to stay connected and spend holidays and long weekends with both sides of our family. Being just a few hours drive apart has made it possible for us to maintain strong relationships with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

What makes this even more special is the way our families have embraced adoption. Our daughter was adopted and was welcomed with open arms from the very beginning. She is surrounded by love from both sides of the family. Between our families, Ella has fourteen cousins, which has brought so much joy, laughter, and connection into her life. Our families fully support our adoption journey and are so excited to welcome another child with the same warmth and love.

Even when we are not physically together, our families remain closely connected. We talk often through FaceTime, share photos and daily updates, and make it a priority to spend as much time together as possible during school breaks, holidays, and special moments.

Washington, DC is home for us. While our families are rooted in Ohio and Kentucky, Washington, DC is where we’ve built our life together, formed lifelong friendships, and created the community we plan to return to as we continue growing our family.

Right now, we’re living abroad for a period of time because of Zack’s work with the federal government. This experience has brought us closer as a family and has helped us slow down and focus on what really matters to us.

What we love about our current community is how family-centered it feels. We are surrounded by parks, outdoor gathering spaces, and neighborhoods full of children playing together. We are also just ten minutes from the beach, which we visit every chance we get. Much of our time is spent outdoors at parks, near the water, and simply enjoying being together as a family. We also value being part of a diverse community with families from many backgrounds in our neighborhood. Watching our daughter naturally connect with neighbors across cultural and language barriers has been incredibly special.

Whether at home in Washington, DC or during this chapter abroad, our priority remains the same: providing a stable, loving home where our child feels safe, supported, and deeply connected to their family and community.

First, thank you for taking the time to learn about our family. We know this is not an easy journey, and we want you to know how deeply we respect the love, courage, pain, and hope behind the decisions you are making. Wherever you find yourself in this moment, we hope you feel supported and cared for.

We are Matt and Zack, a married couple who have built our life around love, adventure, and family. We have been together for ten years and continue to grow stronger through shared experiences, challenges, and countless joyful moments. What we value most in our relationship is how we support and care for one another, and how that foundation shapes the home we are building for our daughter and future children.

Our family includes our amazing, spirited daughter, Ella, who was adopted at birth and is the absolute light of our lives. Becoming her parents changed us in the best of possible ways. It taught us how powerful love can be, how meaningful family is, and how much room our hearts have to grow. Ella is kind, curious, and full of joy. She loves beach days, exploring new places, collecting shells, and dancing around the house. She reminds us every day that family is built through love. We also share our home with our six-year-old goldendoodle, Kuna, who brings constant smiles, cuddles, and playful energy into our lives.

Although we’re living abroad right now due to Zack’s work with the federal government, Washington, DC is the place we call home and where we look forward to continuing to build our life as a family. Living internationally has given us a beautiful opportunity to show our daughter the world, different cultures, and the value of curiosity and kindness. Travel is something that brought us together early on in our relationship, and we hope to offer our children a life filled with adventure, learning, and wonder.

If you decide to place your child for adoption in our family, your child will grow up in a house filled with warmth, laughter, encouragement, and safety. We believe in celebrating individuality, nurturing confidence, and creating space for open communication and big feelings. We look forward to bedtime stories, school projects, weekend adventures, family traditions, and quiet everyday moments.

We also want you to know that we will honor the important role you will always hold in your child’s story. We are committed to sending letters and pictures so you can see how your child is growing and thriving. We are open to ongoing communication, including emails, phone calls, and future visits if that feels right for you. We believe that maintaining connection ?" in whatever way feels healthiest and most comfortable ?" can be a beautiful gift for everyone involved.

Above all, we promise to speak about you with respect and gratitude, and to ensure your child always knows how deeply they were loved from the very beginning.

Thank you for considering our family. No matter what you decide, we wish you peace, strength, and comfort as you move forward. If our paths are meant to cross, we would be honored to walk this journey with you.

With warmth and gratitude,

Zack & Matt