First and foremost we enjoy spending time together as family. We share a love of food (cooking AND eating!), game nights, movie nights, and anything that challenges us both to bring our own unique strengths together as one. We can’t wait to add a little one into the mix and to adapt our fun and traditions to include the personality and talents he or she will develop over time.

We love reading, and look forward to diving into children’s books and sharing those adventures with a child. We love staying active, including running and sports--Go Cubs! We will enjoy family trips to the ballpark and exploring any new activities with the child. We can’t wait to be our child’s number one fan! Our leisure time reflects what we enjoy as a family: adventure, learning new things, and enjoying each other’s company. Whether it's snuggled up on the couch with a good book or a bucket of popcorn for a movie--or digging our toes in the sand at the beach and basking in the sunshine--we will enjoy those moments together as a family.

We met while graduate students in 2008. Marc had just finished active duty in the U.S. Army and was studying international relations, and Alicia had recently finished serving in the Peace Corps and was studying public policy We had a foreign policy class together and, by chance, happened to choose seats beside each other that we maintained for the rest of the quarter. Alicia thought Marc was the most interesting person she had ever met! We were raised in different parts of the country, yet our similar interests had brought us to the same school at the same time. After class one day we happened to be at the same local watering hole and struck up a conversation that lasted hours. We quickly discovered that we had similar values (family, education, and community) and interests (international affairs, outdoor activities, and food). We dated a little over three years before getting married in 2012.

We look forward to ensuring our child never goes a day without understanding the beauty of their story and how they came into our lives. We want him or her to know what an amazing gift it is to have so many people in their world who care about them, love them, and want what is best for them and hope to maintain a connection with you as well so they can see just how amazing their biological family is. We want to instill a sense of pride in this experience, and will answer any question that may come up along the way with honesty and love. Adoption is one of the many ways that a family is created, and it will be an ongoing discussion in our home to ensure this child can feel comfortable in their identity and who they grow to become.

Marc grew up in suburban Texas as the youngest of three boys and Alicia grew up in a small town in Indiana with one younger brother. Our parents still live in Texas and Indiana, and our brothers live in Hawaii, California, and Georgia with our eight nieces and nephews; all places we enjoy visiting. When we visit Texas, we usually have a BBQ with Marc's cousins, godparents, and other extended family and friends. We try to time our visits to Indiana with the county fair, which is one of the largest in the nation! Our parents enjoy each others' company so much that they joined us in London for the holidays this past year.

We have regular phone dates and FaceTime calls with family and friends to keep up with the latest news. We love that we have been to watch our nieces, nephews, and friends' children grow up even when we are not co-located. We also enjoy hosting friends and family in our home: showing them around town, cooking meals together, and attending a local sports game.

One of the highlights of living abroad is the strength of the Embassy community, which quickly becomes a built-in support network. Adoption is very accepted in the community and we have already received so much support and encouragement from other families. Everyone is very excited to welcome a child into our lives!

Our home base is in Washington, D.C., just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian museums, and public parks. Living in D.C. means that we have regular access outdoor concerts, farmer's markets, and the amazing Fourth of July fireworks show!

Because we work for the U.S. government, we also have the exciting opportunity to periodically live overseas (usually for 2-3 years at a time). We enjoy the opportunity to change our scenery and meet new people and have found the Embassy community to be tight-knit and welcoming. In our current post, Cairo, Egypt, we have a three-bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood near the Nile River. Government-provided housing is large and well-maintained. We often host BBQs on our building's large rooftop, as it is a nice place to relax with some fresh air and has beautiful views of downtown Cairo. We have even potted some lime and orange trees on the rooftop and our first limes are almost ripe! The Embassy has a private club with a playground and activities for children in the community such as an annual Easter Egg hunt and Trick or Treating.

Hi there. Thank you for considering us. We are here to support you and would be happy to answer any questions you may have for us.

We always saw having children as our next great adventure. Married since 2012, we love to experience new cultures and food, entertain friends and family, and take on new challenges. For example, we are both currently learning Arabic. It's really hard! As avid baseball fans, we look forward to teaching, playing, and watching the beautiful and deliberate game that is baseball with a child. Our families share our love of the outdoors, and we hope to continue family hikes, camping trips (even if sometimes only as far as the backyard), and water activities together. We are looking forward to sharing our interests with a child, and as curious people with wide-ranging interests, we are delighted to foster and encourage additional interests the child may develop.

We welcome the opportunity to shift our day-to-day focus to that of a child’s needs. We look forward to experiencing life’s normal ups and downs through the perspective of a child, and sharing future adventures with a child. Alicia thinks what she will like most about being a parent is the ongoing learning: as the child learns and develops a personality, and as she learns to be a parent. Marc thinks he will most enjoy watching the child grow and develop. We value providing a structured environment so that he or she always feels safe, while encouraging their interests and personality through creative play. We look forward to incorporating a child into activities we already enjoy, such as watching and playing baseball, going to the beach, and travel.

We are committed to providing a loving, caring, fun, stable, and safe environment for a child. As lifelong learners, we value quality and comprehensive education, including languages, the arts, sciences, and math. We are well-equipped to provide the best education available and will reinforce that education through daily life. Alicia looks forward to reinforcing math and science concepts through baking cookies and Marc looks forward to modeling his drawing skills through coloring contests. Another value we hold is community service. Marc served as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army and Alicia served as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. While we both have moved on to other careers, we continue investing in our local community through various volunteer opportunities, which we hope will one day include volunteering at our child's school.

Adoption has renewed our hope of adding to our family, as we have been unable to have biological children. We have many friends who are adopted, or who have adopted, and have experienced first-hand what a valuable and positive experience it has been for all parties. We will be open and honest with a child in regards to adoption so that the child always understands that adoption is one of many loving ways a family is built. We would love to hear about the hopes and dreams you have for your child.

We imagine that you have questions about us, and will continue to have questions throughout our journey. Moving forward, we are happy to communicate with you through e-mails, letters, and pictures, and share with you the child's growth and experiences, if you are comfortable with that. We understand that your level of comfort may change over time. It is important to us that you are comfortable with your role in the child's life.

We imagine that you have questions about us, and will continue to have questions throughout our journey. Moving forward, we are happy and hopeful to stay connected with you through future phone and e-mail communication, photo sharing, video chatting, or even the ability to meet up again in person someday, should you desire.

All the best,

Marc & Alicia