Our love story starts as many do these days, with the two of us swiping right on Hinge. We were both living in Miami when we matched, and our first date was in January of 2019. What started as a casual coffee turned into something neither of us saw coming. A little over a year later, right as the world was shutting down for COVID, Tjos (pronounced “Joss”) moved into Andrew's house ("his house, our home" as we would say) and honestly, spending those early lockdown months together only made us stronger.

We got a second dog, learned each other's rhythms, and built a life together. We eventually left Florida for Seattle in 2021 so we could be closer to Tjos' family, bought our home in 2022, and were married in October of 2024 in Houston, Texas, where Andrew grew up. What began as a swipe has become the greatest adventure of our lives, and we are just getting started.

We are happiest when we are active, social, and outside. Skiing is a big part of our winters. We are lucky to be in the Pacific Northwest where world-class mountains are in our backyard. In the summer you will find us boating with Tjos' family, hiking, biking, or simply spending long evenings on our deck with friends and a good meal. Andrew loves to cook, so dinner at our house is always an event. Tjos keeps a beautiful garden and has recently gotten into woodworking, which has become a satisfying creative outlet.

We also golf together, travel when we can, and have a close-knit group of friends we see regularly, many of whom are starting families of their own. Our two dogs are a constant presence in everything we do and keep us moving even on slower days.

At home, we love a good movie night, trying a new restaurant, or just being together without an agenda. Life with us tends to be full and fun, and we would not have it any other way.

We are two people who balance each other perfectly. Andrew is structured, scheduled, and the type of person who has already looked up the restaurant menu before anyone else has even thought about dinner. Tjos is adventurous and spontaneous, happiest when there is something new to discover, build, or explore. Together we’ve found a rhythm that is equal parts exciting and grounding, and we genuinely believe that balance is one of the best things we can offer a child. We bring real range to parenthood. Between us there is a home chef and a gardener, a woodworker and a potter, a theater kid and a sports fan. We are curious people who love learning, trying new things, and saying yes to adventure — but we are equally happy staying home with our dogs with nowhere to be. What we share is more important than what sets us apart, though. We are both deeply loyal, wildly social, and completely committed to the people in our lives. We live three doors down from some of our closest friends who just had twins of their own, Tjos' family is a few hours away, and our home has a genuine open-door policy. A child joining our family does not just get two dedicated dads, they get a whole, wide, wonderful world of people who are already rooting for them.

We both come from two big, loving families who couldn't be more excited to welcome a child into the fold. Andrew grew up in Houston in a close Jewish family where Sunday brunches with cousins and Friday night dinners with grandparents were sacred rituals — food and togetherness have always been at the heart of how his family shows love. Tjos grew up in Wenatchee, Washington, in an outdoorsy family that took advantage of all four seasons — skiing Mission Ridge in the winter, waterskiing on the Columbia River in the summer, and gathering around a table in between. His parents have season tickets to the Seattle Sounders (the professional soccer team), which means many fun game days together throughout the year.

Both of our families are fully on board with our adoption journey and are already dreaming about family trips and making memories with a child. Our child will be the first grandchild on both sides — so the excitement and love waiting for them is enormous.

Geographically, we are fortunate: Tjos' parents and sister are just a few hours away in Wenatchee, and Tjos and Andrew make yearly trips to Houston and Andrew's family visits in Seattle as often as they can. We are also surrounded by incredible friends — including neighbors three doors down who recently had twins — so this child will grow up wrapped in community from day one.

We live in Seattle, Washington, in a warm and welcoming neighborhood. Our home is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with two living spaces, a kitchen, a dining area, and a large outdoor deck that opens onto a fenced backyard where our two dogs love to play. The nursery is right next to our room and is sunny, with a large window. We cannot wait to make it a cozy, joyful space for a child to grow up in, and we have already painted a mural inspired by the nearby Olympic Mountains that you can see from our street.

What makes our corner of Seattle especially special is the community surrounding us. We live three doors down from close friends who just had twins, meaning this child will have built-in playmates from the very start.

Our broader neighborhood is full of young families, and Seattle itself is an incredible city to grow up in — with sprawling parks, farmers markets, waterfront trails, and a culture that genuinely celebrates curiosity, creativity, and the outdoors. The Pacific Northwest is a playground for adventurous kids, with mountains, lakes, and forests all within easy reach.

Seattle is also one of the most welcoming and inclusive cities in the country, which matters deeply to us. We want our child to grow up in a place where they feel seen and celebrated exactly as they are.

We want to start by saying something simple: thank you. Thank you for being here, for taking the time to read these words, and for the extraordinary love it took to get you to this moment. We do not take that lightly, and we never will.

We are Andrew and Tjos (pronounced "Joss"), a married couple who have been together since a very lucky swipe on a dating app in Miami in 2019. We moved in together just as the world was shutting down for COVID, survived it together, got a second dog, moved across the country to Seattle to be closer to family, bought a home in 2022, and got married in October of 2024 surrounded by everyone we love most. We have spent over seven years building a life together and now we are beyond ready to start our family.

We have both wanted to be parents for as long as we can remember. For us, adoption has always been our plan to grow our family. We chose this path with intention and with joy, and we are ready in every way that matters. We have a warm, three-bedroom home in Seattle with a backyard garden, two goofy dogs named Ralph and Rainie, and a neighborhood full of friends who are already starting their own families. Your child will have playmates, community, and a home that is full of laughter from the very first day.

We want you to know who we are beyond the paperwork. Andrew is a home chef who treats every dinner like an occasion, a former news reporter, a scuba diver, and someone who will make every person in a room feel like the most important one there. He grew up doing musical theatre in Houston and still knows every word to every song. Tjos is a natural adventurer who has been skiing since he was four, speaks Spanish fluently, and recently taught himself woodworking. He has made wooden rattles for every friend who has had a baby in the last two years and is already making one for yours. Together we are goofy, loving, deeply social people who believe that a rich life is built on relationships, and we pour everything we have into our friends and family.

Your child will be the first grandchild on both sides of our family, which means they are walking into a level of excitement and anticipation that is truly something to witness. Tjos' parents are just a few hours away in Wenatchee, Washington, and Andrew's family makes it a point to visit, either in Seattle, Houston, or somewhere in between. Both families are fully behind this journey and cannot wait to welcome a child with open arms. Your child will have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a community of friends who will show up for them in all the best ways: consistently, lovingly, and without being asked.

We also want to speak directly to what we promise you. We will raise your child with honesty about their story from the very beginning. We will speak about you with love and with the deep respect you deserve. Your child will grow up knowing that the decision you made came from a place of incredible courage and love. We are committed to sending you letters and photos regularly so that you can see your child growing, thriving, and becoming exactly who they are meant to be. We are open to more than that, too, such as emails, phone calls, and visits if that ever feels right for everyone involved. We want you to feel good about this choice not just today but for always.

We know we cannot fully understand what you are carrying right now. But we want you to know that on the other side of this decision is a home that has been waiting and is full of love, full of life, and full of two people who will spend every day making sure your child knows how cherished they are.

With so much gratitude and respect,

Andrew & Tjos