We are blessed with two beautiful daughters, Elle Autumn and Vivian Anna. Elle is a miracle baby, as she was born with some medical challenges, and she continues to amaze us as she reaches developmental milestones. Vivian is our second miracle - she joined our family through adoption in 2019 and has been amazing us ever since. She is sweet and kind, but also passionate and animated.

Both of us were raised in blended families, Angel with a stepfather, and Cory with an adopted father. To us, adoption is a way to bring people together, into a larger, extended, more diverse unit. Adoption has given us the opportunity to learn about new cultures, incorporate new foods and traditions into our holiday celebrations, and reasons to explore the world.

Cory's brother-in-law is from Puerto Rico, which prompted us to travel there a few years ago, finding that we loved the food, culture, and of course the beaches. This also helped us be prepared to teach Vivian, who is Hispanic, some of the important lessons about her background and expose her to food, language and culture outside of our own.

We are an open-minded family in constant pursuit of knowledge and adventure. Adoption in our lives has encouraged us to be more worldly, and embrace differences. We believe that the more people that you can surround yourself with, the better off you'll be - which stands true for our children as well.

By far, the best thing about being a parent is hearing the blissfully loud squeals of happy children. While we recognize that they are not always happy, their smiles and their laughter fill our hearts. Standing in another room, and hearing their pitter-patter down the hallway, followed by giggles is quite possibly the sound of heaven on earth. As parents, we also take pleasure in watching the girls learn. Our hearts swell with pride when they learn something new, and marvel in how they find unique ways to express themselves. We teach our children English, Spanish and American Sign Language, so it is fun to watch them use hand gestures and languages interchangeably.

Parenting to us is raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted children who are respectful to others and the world around them. We have no preconceived notions of what they should be, but rather support them as they explore the world in their own ways, at their own pace.

About Cory:

About Angel:

From our home, we can hear the lapping of waves on the beach, the sound of sea gulls in the air, and see every star in the night sky. Our home is situated on a peaceful, quiet wildlife preserve on a single street of homes. Not only is the neighborhood safe for kids to play, but it provides an enormous list of outdoor activities, from kayaking to hiking, star gazing to fishing. Our girls love "rescuing" crabs in the summer months and watching dolphins play in the bay.

We bought an outdated house and made it into our own nautical oasis - there are starfish in every window, seashells in every room, and plants throughout the house to promote a healthy and calm space for our family.

Our small neighborhood hosts events to celebrate holidays, community days to clean up the beaches, and supports education of wildlife in the area. Outside of our little community, the schools are top tier, recognized for providing world class education and for their support of diversity and inclusion.

We have a close-knit and loving relationship with our family, who are located all throughout the U.S. Angel has family across the East Coast, including her twin sisters who are in nursing school, her brother, a former Marine, who lives on a houseboat in Virginia, and her mom and dad, who live close by. Angel's mom instilled her love for the beach in her children, who all seek sand and water to find contentment. Cory's family has roots throughout the Midwest and South, from Chicago to Alabama. Cory's family uses Facetime to stay connected to each other. Having family throughout the U.S. gives us a reason to travel, which is our favorite family activity.

Our families are brought together by our love of food - Angel's side usually makes pasta and traditional Italian meals whereas Cory's family focuses on Midwest and Irish fair - meat and potatoes!

Both families are incredibly supportive of our adoption journey and look forward to welcoming another baby.

Our hope with this letter is to share our gratitude for your willingness to consider our family as well as create a vision of the life we will provide for our children.

We have built a strong marriage, created a beautiful home, and cultivated a stable environment for our children through hard work, patience and persistence. We turn to laughter when times get tough, and nurture our family through unconditional love and support. We are blessed with two amazing daughters - Elle Autumn and Vivian Anna - who anxiously await the arrival of a little brother or sister.

A little about us … we were married in 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa, while we were volunteering. Cory is an Ironworker, and served for many years on the Board of his Union. He is now an entrepreneur, and has been successfully renovating homes for the past year. Cory is an amazing father with an endless supply of patience and a playful, adventurous spirit. Angel is an attorney by trade, and is responsible for regulatory compliance at a large multi-national bank. Like her profession, she takes her job as a mom very seriously, prioritizing her girls in every way.

Neither of us were born into privilege, but have worked very hard to put ourselves through school and have found a good work/life balance, ensuring we reserve time for family, friends and our community. We hope to instill that same sense of purpose in our children, providing them with the education, support, and unconditional love needed to live fulfilling, happy and healthy lives, and pursue their passions, whatever they may be.

Our hearts are happiest when we travel, and we look forward to sharing our deep love of travel with our children. There is nothing we'd rather do on our free time then sink our feet into the sand! We haven't been to a beach we don't love - and we've been all around the world. From our beach at home on the Delaware Bay to our travel spots in Mexico, France, South Africa and the Caribbean, we can't wait to build sand castles, watch our children chase seagulls, and hear their squeals of laughter and pure joy as they run away from waves.

We are very proud parents, delighting in the milestones big and small, photographing many of our family memories, and savoring the little moments. We would love to share with you, to the extent you desire, these priceless moments, whether through photographs, stories or keepsakes. We also want to share your child's culture and heritage with them so they feel complete, understanding their roots and embracing their background. We've always loved the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child" and believe that the more people that love a child, the better off they will be in life.

We are humbled by your strength and courage, and our thoughts are with you as you consider the options available to you and your child. While we can't even begin to imagine the range of emotions you are experiencing, we hope we can provide some words of comfort and perhaps create an image that helps you feel hopeful about the future.

Cory & Angel