Ever since we committed our lives together, we knew that we wanted to start a family. We believe that while families may be created in different ways, each has the potential to bring joy and love.

We both knew that the way we wanted to start our family was through adoption. As soon as we adopted our daughter, Cleo, we knew we made the right choice. Our daughter Cleo visits her birth mother once per year and connects on FaceTime as well. This has made Cleo really confident in the family she has and super understanding about her own journey as well.

We are sure that there is another child out there who is meant to be part of our family, and we are so excited to find them. We want to provide a life of wonder, learning, and adventure for a child, and adoption feels like the right way to start. We have seen several family members adopt children, and all of our extended family has welcomed them with open arms. These children have added energy and personality to our family, giving us all more to celebrate (whether it be a gymnastics competition or watching someone get on a surf board for the first time).

Getting to adopt your child would be such a gift. It would add so much to our own lives, and we hope we would be able to give your child a life that you would be proud of.

For us vacation is a way to recharge, focus on family, and have a lot of fun. Each year, we head to the beach with Trey's family and spend time making family meals, playing tennis, and (stereotypical as it may sound) taking long walks on the beach. There are always young nieces and nephews around for our daughter Cleo to play with, and they are looking forward to one day being cousins to your child. We play board games and watch movies, and there is a neighborhood pool near the beach as well. We even have a few family members who know how to surf! Each year we also try to do another vacation with just ourselves and Cleo, and we are so excited at the possibility of getting to include your child. This vacation is typically a bit more adventurous like going to London, England or Rome, Italy. It's an opportunity to learn about new cultures, eat amazing food, and see incredible sights. Our dream is to take our young family to places like the Grand Canyon. Wherever we go, we hope to learn a bit more about the world and have fun along the way.

We are blessed to have our dog Sam in our lives, and he is a bundle of joy. He's a beagle-mix, has golden short hair, and is small-to-medium sized. He joined us in early 2020, and he loves long hikes on nature trails and through the neighborhood, and he loves chasing tennis balls around the yard. What makes him so important to us is that he brings excitement and a playful attitude to our day. He reminds us to get out of the house and have some fun, and he's always ready to cuddle up after a long day. One great thing that we were not expecting is how well he's introduced us to our own neighbors. Everyone seems to want to come up and pet him and say hi, and he's gotten us to become more social within our neighborhood. We hope that he can be the best friend of your child and teach them how to have fun wherever they are (and maybe a little responsibility for walks when they get older!).

We feel fortunate to live in Washington, D.C., which is full of free museums, huge public parks, and is also the city where we first met. We do everything we can to make the most of this great opportunity. We have season tickets to the city's professional soccer team, and we have a boat that we take out on the water to see the best views of the city. We are even more fortunate to live in one of the best school districts, and Cleo gets to walk to her local elementary school each day. Our neighborhood is full of families, has a locally owned grocery store, barber shop, and bakery. On Sundays we can walk to an open air farmer's market. We often go on family walks with our dog on nearby nature trails in the largest park in D.C. We live in a spacious 6 bedroom house in a lovely residential neighborhood. Jonathon's favorite room is the kitchen, while Trey loves to hang out in the family room with our dog Sam. Cleo loves her playroom with a place to do art and rock climbing wall to climb on! We have patio in the backyard where we often have dinner outside, and Cleo and Sam can play on a warm day. We can't wait to show your child all of the wonders of our neighborhood and Washington, D.C.

Our families are thrilled to hear that we have started this adoption journey! If one thing is true for both our families it is that family matters. The holidays are when we come together to celebrate, reconnect, and reunite. Each Christmas Eve, we join our extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins) for dinner and presents, and there are children of all ages running around and full of excitement! The greatest gift for us would be to be able to bring your child to complete our family. We have several different family members who have experienced the joy of adoption, and we have loved meeting our new family members each time a new child has joined. Each child has brought something unique, whether it's becoming a gymnast, a swimmer, or a girl scout, and we know that whatever talents and passions your child brings will be welcomed and celebrated! Our family adventures are full of going to the beach, playing tennis, and bonding over board games. We've even gotten the family to travel together to places like New York, Hawaii, London, and Paris. We can't wait to experience these adventures with your child!

It is our greatest hope to make a real connection with you through this letter. You are such an incredible person, and it is wonderful to know that there are people like you in this world who are so thoughtful and caring. We humbly hope that you will come to see us as very caring as well. We have been together for over six years, and in that time, we have grown our family to include our adoptive daughter Cleo and our dog Sam. Together we love cooking family meals, going on hikes with the dog, and running around playgrounds in our neighborhood. Cleo is exploring her own interests through joining a soccer team, taking gymnastics classes, and art lessons. When we get the opportunity, we also love a trip to the beach with our extended family or even exploring new places and cultures.

While all of that brings us joy, we know that we want to share it with a child like yours. We want to teach your child how to make pancakes, coach their local soccer team, and encourage them to try out for the school play. We can't wait to introduce your child to Cleo as well as a bunch of cousins who are so excited to meet them (some of whom have also been adopted themselves!). We know that raising a child isn't always easy (and we can remember times in our own childhoods where things did not always go to plan), but we are excited for the challenges as well as the victories. We want to see your child as they create their own path in life, and we want to be there to guide them and cheer them on along the way. To do that would make our family and our lives complete.

We know that while we may get to be the adoptive parents, your role as birth parent will be just as important. Children are all eager to understand where they come from and to craft a narrative about who they are. You are a big part of their story, and we have no doubt that they will want to know that part of who they are. We want that for them as well, and we want to commit to you now that we will share photos and updates so that you can see how your child is making their way in this world. If you are comfortable, we are also open to visits so that they can hear directly from you.

We know that as you read this letter you are making a huge decision. We hope that you feel strong and empowered as you consider your options. Whatever decision you make, we know that it will be one that is driven by love, and that is an amazing thing. We are so grateful to even be in your thoughts as you think about this, and just know that no matter what you decide, you will be in our thoughts as well.

With Love,

Trey & Jonathon