Allan listed his paternal grandmother as his personal hero because she was a Mother to all. It did not matter who you were, she treated you like one of her children. Sam got to experience this when he visited Allan's family. She was a force and a matriarch. Allan's grandfather wanted 2 children; she wanted 12. They compromised with 10 kids. They started with the five children they had biologically, and then adopted five more children.

Of the adopted children, 1 was from South Korea, 1 was from Hawaii, and 2 were biologically siblings. Allan's family would not exist, and he would not have had the experiences that shaped his life without adoption playing such a big role. Allan remembers growing up in a large extended family that was so diverse and with so many different personalities, but having everything anchored in a shared home warmed by a grandmother who had so much love to give.

Because of the time, most of the adoptions of Allan's aunts and uncles were closed adoptions. Only a couple were able to establish contact with birth parents later in life. This has informed how we think about the role of establishing an open adoption and maintaining communication with birth parents, so the child receives everything they need to flourish.

We have a wide variety of hobbies. Some of them are mutual interests, and others we do to support each other. We really enjoy having friends over to share a meal and good conversation while playing board games. We especially enjoy introducing friends to Exploding Kittens.

Sam is an avid coffee drinker who enjoys nature, hence, his passion for indoor plants. Among his favorite ones we have are the Monstera Siltepecana El Salvador (because it's from his home country), Philodendron gloriousum, and Monstera Thai constellation. His passion for nature and the outdoors have let him travel to a few destinations. Most recently we had the chance to visit Machu Picchu in Peru where we celebrated Allan's birthday.

Allan is quite proud to share with Sam his most recent musicals/Broadway selections, since live theatre is an artform that Allan has always enjoyed. His favorite musicals include "Into the Woods," "Matilda," and "SIX." Allan also enjoys listening to podcasts and audiobooks, walking in parks, and going to botanical gardens in different cities he visits. Allan is also a big fan of seeing movies, so we enjoy our subscription to the Alamo Drafthouse where we can see new movies and older classics.

Allan grew up in a Mormon family. Even though Allan does not practice the Mormon faith anymore, it has informed the principles he lives by. Among the most important ones, Allan would highlight the importance of family, fostering long-lasting relationships, commitment to honesty, and a strong sense of financial responsibility. One instance that illustrates those values was during his 2-year mission in Oregon, he was made aware of a family's financial issues. As Allan got to know them, he decided to set aside money from his weekly stipend to be able to help this family. This small detail allowed him and the family to have a better and deeper emotional connection during the rest of his mission. It also allowed the family to be able to pay for rent.

Sam grew up in the smallest country of Central America, El Salvador, where he completed medical school before moving to the US to undergo further training as a pediatrician and later on as a pediatric endocrinologist. Sam's family structure and career path has shaped his life. Sam has a strong sense of community, responsibility, commitment to others, and a strong work ethic. One of Sam's first experiences helping others was during his leadership role in med school, where he created a project targeted to provide medical care for kids living with HIV. The project was recognized internationally, and Sam was able to obtain funding for the project to run long after he was done with med school.

We live in Missouri and love our neighborhood. We have lived in this city for three years. From the moment we walked in, we knew this was our home. We could easily imagine our lives and growing our family in each room. Our house has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We use our basement for storage and a gym. On the first floor, we have a living room, dining room, and family room where we spend our day talking, watching TV, or playing with our dogs. On the second floor, there is a study, two guest rooms, and the main bedroom. All the rooms have plants since that is Sam's favorite hobby.

Our home is located in a family-friendly neighborhood. We are close to a women-owned coffeeshop, a black-owned bakery, a dog park, and a cheese and wine store. We are only 4 blocks from the second largest park in the city. It hosts a farmer's market where we have become regulars at a few vendors where we get croissants, meat, and tamales. The park hosts a variety of festivities, including a monthly food truck Friday, an annual international food festival, and so many other events.

There are two schools near our house. Every morning we are greeted by children on their way to school. It is a small reminder of what it would look like to see a child growing with us here. With excitement we can see our future walking to school and around the neighborhood.

Allan grew up in Florida with a large extended family. His dad has 9 siblings, and his mom has 5 siblings. Allan is the middle child of 3 kids. He has an older brother that lives in California and a younger sister that recently moved back to Florida. Because his dad is from Daytona, Allan's family tends to spend a good amount of time at the beach. When we visited Allan's brother in California, we walked along the Santa Monica pier. And when we saw Allan's sister this year, we walked along the beach in Fort Lauderdale. When Allan's family visits, we usually play board games, work on puzzles, go out to fun restaurants, or play with our dogs.

Sam grew up in El Salvador. He is the oldest of three kids. He has two sisters, Gabby (who lives in Virginia) and Nicole. We get to see Gabby, her husband Walter, and their son Matias about every four months. When spending time together, Gabby will make traditional Salvadoran food and we catch up on the most recent family gossip. When we told everyone about our adoption journey, they were very excited, happy that the family was growing, and glad that Matias will have a cousin to play with. Everyone responded that the child will be loved unconditionally.

Thank you for taking time to get to know us as you are considering an adoption plan for your child. We have been married for about 9 years. Our journey has taken us many places we never anticipated, but we have grown so much together and are excited to share our love with a child. We met while Allan was finishing his PhD in theatre history and Sam was trying to get into medical residencies after medical school. Now, Allan is Assistant Dean of Advising at a college and Sam is a pediatric endocrinologist. Throughout the years, we have seen ourselves change, mature, and achieve our dreams while creating many more. We expanded our family with two dogs: the sweetest, smartest, and most willful Staffy named Sydney and the best cuddle buddy/couch potato, a pit-bull mix named Waffles. They both adore kids, and we cannot wait to share our love and home with a child.

Early on in our relationship, we both agreed creating our family would mean having kids one day. Through our lived experience and following the footsteps of Allan's grandparents, we decided adoption was the journey we wanted to grow our family. Now that Sam has finished his medical training, his job provides a level of flexibility and he can work from home sometimes. Allan can also occasionally work remotely. We know we are in a fortunate situation where we will be able to prioritize time at home with a child frequently.

What makes us unique is the different cultural, educational, and social backgrounds that we have. Thanks to our family influences, we are both very nurturing individuals. Allan will make an excellent dad by providing a safe space in which kids will be able to express themselves, feel supported, and know they are loved unconditionally. Sam adapts to changing circumstances and events with ease. He can identify and understand cues, providing a safe environment for experimentation while always providing a joke.

Allan and Sam are different. We each have a unique set of skills, but something that we have learned is how to work as a team. We are willing to meet you where you are at as we establish an open and direct communication relationship. As part of this, know that we plan to share photos regularly of the different things your child experiences and providing updates on the child's life. We are open to discussing the shape in-person gatherings will have throughout the child's life. The child will be aware of the adoption journey early on. We will share with them our journey and the story of how we became a family. You will not be a stranger in that story. You will forever be a part of that story and the kid will be aware of that.

The greatest asset we could offer your child is our commitment as parents to adapt to understand the child, so they feel they are loved unconditionally. We can provide a safe and encouraging environment for them to pursue their hopes and dreams. We do not want anything more than to know the child knows they are supported and loved. We want a child to trust that no matter the circumstances we will be there to make sure they are loved.

As we envision our life with a child, we see ourselves sharing our childhood stories, sharing bedtime stories, and teaching them how to make and enjoy Salvadoran food like pupusas. We plan on sharing the loyalty and endless licks our dogs Sydney and Waffles provide. We foresee sharing our hobbies like going to musicals like Matilda or The Lion King. We want to go for walks around the botanical garden near our home or through the park with the dogs. We want to teach them the importance of being connected to nature. We see travel being a gift we want to share with a child, so they can be exposed to other cultures. However, the most important opportunity will be getting to know the child as an individual with their own interest as they grow and develop.

We are very happy to have the opportunity to share a little bit of our world with you.

Allan & Sam