We do not yet have children, but we have hoped to have children because we want to share our joy and love with them, and watch them grow and thrive with all the love and opportunities that we can provide them with. We love to travel and do fun things together, and we always think about how a child might experience those places and activities.

What Tim expects to enjoy the most about being a dad is sharing those experiences with a little one. He looks forward to discovering the world with them and watching them enjoy all the things that he enjoyed growing up. Things that we already enjoy like hiking, riding roller coasters, and spending time on the beach will be even more exciting and fun with a child. Tim also looks forward to watching our child develop and learn. As someone who is a cognitive scientist and studies the mind, he looks forward to seeing for himself as a child experiences all the milestones of development -- learning to walk, the first words, learning to ride a bike and read, and so on.

Julie can't wait to be a mom. She loves her little family and can't wait to expand the family to include a child She especially looks forward to love, laughter and lots of cuddles. She can't wait for the jokes and stories and new adventures that the entire family will experience together.

Pets are a really fun and enriching addition to any family. Currently, we have a six-year-old big friendly dog named Buddy. He lives up to his name, and follows us everywhere we go. We got him when he was a puppy and he brings us a lot of joy. We think he will make a great big doggy brother to our child, because he is always sweet and patient with children. Because of how much we love Buddy, we doubt we will ever be without at least one dog for very long.

Pets are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about nurturing and caring. We see this in our friends and families who have pets -- the children in the family often have to try to see the world through the eyes of these creatures that depend on us, and understand what they might be feeling or thinking. It also helps a family to structure a routine -- if you don't feed the dog on schedule, he will be quick to remind you! If you are slow to rise in the morning, then you are likely to find a wet nose in your face waking you up. It also helps us get exercise and meet neighbors that we might not otherwise ever get to know.

Even though we don't yet have children, we are a tight little family team of two. We have many family habits that we know will continue with a child in the picture, and be even more enriching to our lives. Almost every night, we make a point to sit down for dinner together. We also walk our dog together, usually twice a day or more. And we have a tradition of watching TV, playing games, or doing other fun activities after dinner every day.

Every year we visit both Tim's and Julie's side of the family, around Christmas. Trips to Tim's parents' house always involve getting together with his brother's family for at least one big meal and hanging out and talking and playing games well into the night. On Julie's side, Julie's mother usually rents a cabin in the mountains just after Christmas. The entire family stays together for several nights, bonding over activities like hikes and escape rooms, playing board games, and talking and sharing updates to our lives. In the summer, we usually take at least one week-long trip with family. Last year, we went to the beach with Julie's mom, Julie's brother, his wife, and their two boys. We had a blast playing in the sand, swimming, and just being together and having fun with our nephews.

A new addition would so enrich these wonderful traditions and experiences.

Our home is in a quiet, beautiful neighborhood full of big trees and flowers. We have a three-bedroom house with a large and comfortable living room, where we spend most of our time. A large fenced-in backyard with a spacious patio are great places for children (and pets) to run around and have fun. We have plenty of space to welcome a new child, who would have their own room in our house.

In our neighborhood there are many families with young children, several even on the same block as us. Kids play freely and safely all year around, biking up and down our street and going to the nearby swimming pool and baseball field (just about two blocks away from us).

Our community is diverse and celebrates children, with excellent schools and many annual events where children are welcome. These include a Fourth of July parade and special events for Christmas and Halloween in the town center, which is full of shops, restaurants, a wonderful public library, and a train station. Trick-or-treating is a huge event and children come from all around to walk our safe and fun-filled streets. The elementary school is walking distance from our house and has an enormous playground where children are welcome to play year-round.

Our house and neighborhood would be perfect for a child, who will find plenty of playmates, activities, and fun events to fill their lives.

Both of us are close to our families, and we make many special trips to see family and vacation with them. Our family gatherings are filled with laughter, conversation, and joy. Grandparents Larry, Linda, and Cheryl take the greatest joy in sharing time with the family. Aunt Karen is a scientist who studies the brain and loves to share her cooking with the family. Uncle Matt is a television producer and Aunt Kate is a kindergarten teacher. They love to joke around with the kids, play games, and hike. Uncle Stephen and Aunt Mitzi are artists who write books and like teaching us to paint. Uncle Jamie and Aunt Kendra run a children's clothing store and love kids.

Our nieces and nephews are incredibly special people. Our nephew Caleb loves geography and challenges us to games about geography and maps. Our niece Stella is a great artist and impresses us with her latest works. Catherine is grown up, now, and is working on a degree in School Psychology.

Every member of our extended family is excited about welcoming a new child through adoption.

We are so grateful that you are viewing our profile and reading our letter to you. We know that the decision you are making now is incredibly difficult and important to you. We understand that parents such as yourself want the very best for their child, because they love them and want them to be happy.

We are committed to doing everything in our power to help our future child thrive. We have been married for over 15 years and together for over 20 years. We have a rock solid commitment to each other and would provide a happy, loving, and fun home to any child who becomes a part of our lives. We know that adoption will change our lives forever and we know that we can provide a safe, loving, fun, exciting, and happy environment for our child.

All children face challenges, but adopted children face special challenges. We are prepared to meet those challenges. We are committed to making sure that our child knows about their background and the love that everyone has for them. We are also deeply invested in making sure that the child knows about, celebrates, and cherishes where they come from. We think it is very important for our child to connect with their adopted and birth family. We believe in open communication through e-mails, phone calls or visits with you throughout our child's lives. We see this open communication as an opportunity to help us, you, and our child thrive and as the key to a well-rounded and happy life.

If you choose us, we promise to do our very best. We promise to always love our child, and to make sure they are healthy and happy. We promise to make sure that they spend time with and bond with their extended adopted family, so they will have deep connections with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We will give them every opportunity to develop strong friendships and find opportunities for mentorship. We will help them find their passions, encourage them to explore and develop their skills and knowledge, and find a future that makes them happy, satisfied, and feel loved. We know that an adopted child will bring so much to our lives and will help us experience joy in a brand new way.

We look forward to sharing our child's development, milestones, personality and daily lives by sharing letters and pictures with you. We are open to more contact than that, depending on what the you and your family are comfortable with, including emails, phone calls, or open adoption that includes visits and special occasions. In our view, the more our child knows about you and how much they are loved, the happier and healthier we will all be. Anything that we can do to achieve that future is our goal.

Whomever you choose, know that you are making a good and right decision. We wish you the very best in your future and thank you for reading this and thinking about us.

Sincerely,

Tim & Julie