Keith’s family background includes German ancestry on his father’s side, and Irish, English, and Choctaw roots on his mother’s. Karessa’s heritage is Hispanic through her father and Caucasian on her mother’s side. While neither of us grew up practicing specific cultural traditions, our families always emphasized kindness, curiosity, and the importance of community.

Living and working near a major city has given us wonderful exposure to a wide variety of cultures and traditions. Through friendships, we’ve been lucky to experience celebrations like a traditional Diwali party—complete with festive Indian attire—and have learned so much from coworkers abroad, including exploring castles and countryside in Germany. We also love discovering new cultures through books, museums, and travel.

Together, we’ve created our own family traditions that reflect who we are: decorating early for holidays, cooking side-by-side, and running Turkey Trot 5ks (yes - we’re THAT family). We look forward to weaving a child into that mix—a home rooted in love, inclusion, and a sense of belonging.

Our family traditions are a mix of meaningful experiences, seasonal celebrations, and the little rituals that make everyday life feel special.

We make birthdays an experience - celebrating not just with cake but with favorites. For Karessa, that might mean a scenic drive into the mountains to chase waterfalls or a meal in a restaurant with oysters, chandeliers, and serious ambiance. For Keith, it’s all about cozy joy: a new video game, a pizza delivery, and a full day of guilt-free gaming in pajama pants.

We also love marking the seasons with intention and fun. Halloween decorations go up in early September, and on Halloween night, we flip the house into Christmas mode - The Nightmare Before Christmas playing while we put up the tree. Thanksgiving starts with a Turkey Trot (always in themed socks), and every December we add a new ornament to the tree. Comic Con is a yearly must, and we each pick out at least three new books to read while we’re there.

Some of our favorite traditions are the ones built into everyday life. Friday nights often mean sushi and a movie (we rotate who gets to choose), and road trips always start with a snack run (we inevitably buy too many). Our home is decorated with art we’ve picked up from our travels—almost every piece tells a story. Karessa runs the Ragnar Northwest Passage relay each year, and she always insists on one coordinating outfit photo with a beautiful backdrop, even if Keith rolls his eyes.

We look forward to including a child in these traditions—letting them pick the Friday night movie, help decorate for the holidays, choose their own birthday adventure, and add brand-new traditions that become part of our family’s story.

Parenting, to us, means creating a safe, loving home where a child can feel secure, seen, and free to become who they are. We want to be steady guides and joyful companions—modeling kindness, curiosity, and resilience—while filling everyday life with traditions, laughter, and learning.

Keith looks forward to the simple rhythms of family life—establishing traditions, reading at bedtime, and finding happiness in the day-to-day routines that help a child feel anchored. Karessa can’t wait to plan adventures near and far—trying new foods, exploring new cities, discovering shared hobbies, and collecting the kind of memories that make a childhood sparkle.

Together, we balance each other well: calm and creative, steady and spontaneous. We aim to offer both security and wonder—plenty of structure, and plenty of room to explore the “great wide somewhere.”

We’re both very close with our families and deeply grateful for the love and support they continue to show us. Our families are fully behind our decision to grow our family through adoption, and this child will be welcomed with open arms and lots of love and laughter.

Karessa’s parents live in Tennessee, but they stay closely connected through daily texts, weekly phone calls, and annual vacations together—usually somewhere fun and new around the U.S. Karessa’s mom is truly one of her best friends, and they share a love of fashion, Elvis, Disney, cats, fitness, and finding hidden gems in new cities. When we visit, we enjoy trying new restaurants, visiting museums, and catching a good movie or show. Her parents already dote on our cats (they get their own Christmas gifts!) and are beyond excited to become “Mia and Papa.”

Keith’s family lives in Washington State and Idaho. Keith is especially close with his dad—they can talk for hours about history, politics, or the latest video game strategy. He also loves spending time with his nieces and nephews, whether reading books together, folding origami, or playing board games around the table.

Washington - We live in Washington State, just outside of Seattle, which gives us the perfect mix of peaceful neighborhood life and access to the culture, food, and fun of a big city. Our neighborhood is full of life, with over twenty diverse families who have young kids—it’s normal to see them riding bikes, playing basketball, or running around during seasonal events like Easter egg hunts and Fourth of July BBQs.

Our home has four bedrooms, including one already set aside for a child that we’re so excited to decorate. There’s also a master bedroom, Karessa’s cozy little study, and our favorite spot in the house—the loft—where we unwind together at the end of the day. It’s filled with posters from Broadway shows, concerts, and movies we’ve experienced together over the years. The living room adds to the warmth, with cheerful Disney touches and a big couch perfect for movie nights.

We also live right next to a small park with a playground, and there are several bigger parks just a short drive away—places we can’t wait to form memories with a child.

First, thank you. For considering adoption. For reading this letter. For holding the weight of this decision with such bravery. We imagine this is one of the hardest, most love-filled choices a person could make - and we want you to know we see the strength it takes. Whatever you ultimately decide, we respect it deeply.

We’re Karessa and Keith. We’ve been married for 12 years and together even longer - best friends who somehow still make each other laugh daily. Our relationship is built on honesty, joy, loyalty, and the kind of teamwork that gets you through everything from cross-country moves to IKEA furniture builds. We cook together, hike together, try to beat each other at game night (Karessa wins more), and we show up for each other; whether that means cheering at a marathon finish line or showing up with sushi after a long day.

From early in our relationship, we talked about growing our family through adoption. For us, adoption is a beautiful, intentional way of building a family. We’ve seen its power through our extended family and close friends: cousins, step-parents, chosen siblings, and now close friends building families of their own through adoption. These examples have shaped how we define family - not as something determined by biology, but by love, choice, and commitment.

Our home is steady and full of warmth. We have a rhythm of work and errands and the daily “what do you want for dinner?” texts, but also space for creativity, celebrations, and adventure. Keith brings calm and structure; Karessa brings holiday magic and themed snacks. We share our lives with a small herd of very spoiled cats - who bring laughter, cuddles, and a surprising amount of personality. (Tennant plays fetch. Echo is loyal to Karessa only. Prada insists on being the center of attention and has strong opinions about which TV shows are worth watching.)

We picture this child growing up with Friday night movies, Saturday morning pancakes, road trips with car karaoke, and quiet bedtime books. But even more than that - we picture them feeling safe, adored, celebrated, and supported. We want to give them a life full of silliness and security, curiosity and comfort.

And we want them to know their full story.

We will tell them, from the very beginning, how loved they were - not just by us, but by you. That their life began in courage. That they were chosen with intention. That adoption isn’t a secret or a one-time conversation - it’s part of who they are, and we will celebrate it with openness and honesty as they grow. We’ll meet them where they are - sharing more as they ask, honoring their questions with love.

We promise to send letters and pictures so you can see how they’re growing - what makes them giggle, what books they love, what weird snack combos they invent. If you’re open to more, we’d love to talk about what that might look like - emails, phone calls, or even visits. We know that openness, when it works for everyone involved, can be a powerful gift to a child. We're not afraid of that - we welcome it with care and respect.

If you choose us, please know the child will grow up in a home where their story is known, their voice is valued, and their heart is safe. A home filled with adventure and structure, quiet nights and loud celebrations, and unwavering love.

Thank you, again, for considering us. We wish you peace, clarity, and support in whatever decision you make.

With care and deep respect,

Keith & Karessa