We are grateful for your tremendous courage and are honored you are considering us as the adoptive parents of your precious child. Your selfless, loving act is nothing short of a miracle for us. We are a warm and loving family that likes to be out in nature, whether it is swimming, canoeing, walking a trail, or just laying in the sun. If we aren’t doing that, you can find us inside building Lego sets with Jack, cooking delicious meals, or enjoying good books. We also love planning our next big travel adventure either to spend time with extended family or to go farther afield to experience new parts of the world.

We believe adoption is a beautiful way to have a child and that it is the right path for us. We were lucky to conceive Jack through IVF. We knew we wanted a second child, but did not want to rush so we could give Jack our full attention when he needed it most. When Jack was 3, we decided it was time. Natural conception was not in the cards for us, so we had to sit with our options and process them deeply within our hearts for a while. We arrived at the truth for us: it doesn’t matter whether the child is biologically “ours.” It is scary to give up so much control to the uncertainty and emotional rawness of adoption. But, that is what we know in our hearts is the right path for us. We are so excited to find the right match and meet the new love of our lives.

We met in Chicago when we were both studying to take medical school entrance exams. We were immediately drawn to one another and became very good friends, laughing over the same shows (Arrested Development) and taking long walks to explore the city together, bonding over the stress of trying to get into medical school and trying to figure out life in our mid-twenties. Although the next decade brought medical school, multiple long-distance moves, and career changes, our friendship remained strong and we finally decided to get married. Now, eight years into marriage and twenty years into our friendship, we are still bonding over the stress of trying to figure out life, now in middle-age. Everything is more focused on our family life now, as it should be, and life finds us still laughing at the same shows (Bluey) and taking much shorter walks to explore various playgrounds.

I have always known I wanted to be a mom. I love kids and I love taking care of kids. Before becoming a mom myself, one of my most joyous moments, a time when I experienced a state of flow, was when I directed a musical for a children’s theater. We put on a production of Annie (one of my favorites) and I had an incredible experience working with the elementary aged kids. I loved them and the entire process so much.

Then came the best day of my life so far: Jack was born (sorry, John!). A new part of me opened up that day, one that made me more fully myself. It unlocked a depth of empathy and experience that had previously been unreachable. On a lighter note, I love singing and performing and have lately been starting the day by playing the piano after I do my morning meditation. It puts me in a great headspace.

Personality-wise, I have a calm, gentle demeanor, I’m friendly and open and love to connect with people on an individual level. Being from Iowa, kindness, honesty and neighborliness are fully baked into my being.

Nettie is a very caring mother and is the heart and soul of our family. She works to create a warm and safe home environment for us - one where Jack can develop into an emotionally stable and well-rounded person. She and Jack are on a journey to find his passions in this life. Right now, that means not over-scheduling so he has lots of imaginative play time and helping him to draw, and build and paint things. When I come home in the evening, there is often some new creation made from a cardboard box, some paint and lots of tape. They have bonded over their love of music and it is very comforting to watch them play the piano together while our cat George and I sit on the couch and watch.

Beyond that, she has a wry sense of humor that I really appreciate. She is an incredible chef and makes delicious pies. She is close to her own family and makes every effort to be close to mine as well. She sees the good in everyone. She likes to watch PBS Newshour while making dinner and is excessively fond of British TV.

Beyond that, she has a wry sense of humor that I really appreciate. She is an incredible chef and makes delicious pies. She is close to her own family and makes every effort to be close to mine as well. She sees the good in everyone. She likes to watch PBS Newshour while making dinner and is excessively fond of British TV.

One of the most exciting things in my life is being a dad. Sitting down to write this, I am thinking mostly about what I like to do with my family - like teaching Jack the ways of the world and learning to see things from his perspective. All week, I look forward to being at home with my family just to relax and goof off. It’s fun for me to think of all the activities we can do as a family and the values I can share with Jack as he grows. Values like trustworthiness, loyalty and dependability. These are some of the things I picked up in cub scouts as a kid and still live by today.
I have a demanding job and I love it because I get to help people. I’m a hand surgeon and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to be able to fix whatever issue a patient presents. I am a very caring person. When someone is in pain or there are complications from a surgery, it really impacts me. I spend a lot of time thinking about my patients to give them the best care I can. I like being able to provide for my family and creating a nurturing environment at home. I am also very focused and goal oriented.

John is a loyal, kind and empathetic person who cares deeply for his family and friends. He is good at forming and keeping close friendships and has remained close with many of his childhood friends. Although John has chosen a very serious and intense professional career, he also has a very light-hearted, goofy, nurturing side to him, which is really allowed to shine when he is with Jack. When Jack was little, he would pick Jack up and raise him in the air, pretending that Jack was bouncing high on the couch and flying through the air, a game he called spider-baby. He has always been good at making goofy voices and playing silly games. John has a witty dry sense of humor and loves Pixar movies.

On the weekend, he usually gets up and goes for a long run before Jack and I wake-up and then gets dressed in his swim trunks for the day. He convinces us all to go for an early swim at the pool, and later, after we have eaten and rested, he will lead us down to the beach. Add in a trip to Costco or REI, his two favorite stores, and that would be a perfect weekend!

Nettie is taking a pause from working as an attorney to be a full-time mom. After packing Jack’s lunch, helping him with his morning routine and dropping him off at school, she loves to swim laps before returning home to face all the housework. She also regularly spends time in Jack’s kindergarten classroom reading with the kids one-on-one and loves watching them grow.

In her free time, she likes to relax at home with a good book or plan the next family vacation. Travel, fashion, good food and going to the theater are some of her absolute favorite things in life. This year, in addition to dreaming about travel and fashion, Nettie has plans to learn how to scuba dive. Jack recently expressed an interest in snorkeling, so we are also working on improving his swimming skills and putting a family snorkeling trip on the dream board!

John enjoys going for long runs and all things beach. On Saturday afternoons, after a long run on the Salt Creek Park Trail, he takes Jack to the beach to teach him how to jump waves and swim in the ocean, like he did as a kid. At the end of the afternoon, there is almost always a trip to the Killer Dana surf store in the works, where they also happen to sell ice cream. On Sunday afternoons, John often has a football or basketball game on in the background while he helps Jack set up elaborate train track sets or lego cities. He also follows the LA Kings hockey team and is very, very good at sports trivia.

We both grew up in Catholic families, but with religion incorporated into our lives in different ways. John’s family was a little more old school Catholic and Nettie’s was a bit irreverent. John enjoys going to church and Jack has been baptized. Nettie has an active spiritual practice, which involves meditation, prayer, and studying various spiritual traditions like Buddhism, but does not consider herself religious. We both feel it is important to incorporate faith and spirituality into our lives and into the lives of our children.

We live in Dana Point, California, a small beach town in Southern California. Dana Point is an extraordinarily beautiful place, made even more special by the friendly small town nature of the community, within easy reach of larger metro areas for access to bigger arts and culture events.

We live in a cozy house on a hill above the beach within a neighborhood that has a beautiful community pool, parks and playground. Jack can walk to his best friend’s house down the street. Everyday, people ride bikes, walk their dogs, and drive their golf carts around the community. They surf and watch dolphins play. Sometimes, we can’t believe we actually live here! The larger community celebrates together throughout the year with an annual Whale Watching Festival, free summer concerts in the park, the Ohana Music Festival, holiday lights at the harbor, and many smaller events - including a fun to ride trolley that connects Dana Point and Laguna Beach. The schools are outstanding with so many options to choose from, it’s a bit overwhelming. Whatever the needs of the child, they will be amply met.

Jack is six and has been begging for a sibling for 3 years. If he has a sister, he wants to name her Annie, because that is the name of the little sister in the Magic Tree House book series, which he is really into right now. Aside from reading, Jack loves dressing up in his Spiderman costumes, building Lego kits, and playing with his best friend Hiroki. He also loves swimming and just learned to do a front flip off the side. Jack is incredibly kind and empathetic and will be an amazing brother.

We have a beautiful tuxedo cat named George. He has been with us for about 6 months and has very quickly become part of the family. He’s unusually affectionate for a cat. We can’t sit down without George coming over to sit in our lap. He likes to wrap himself around Nettie’s neck like a scarf when she sits on the couch.

We have a big community of family and friends that enrich our lives. Some live close and some far, so we set aside lots of time each year for traveling to be with family and friends. Nettie is very close with her parents and her two sisters, who are both married and have little kids, and who live in other states. In Nettie’s family, the kids are the primary focus of the family - pretty much everything revolves around the children - and when we all get together in the Midwest, everyday feels like a little celebration. We plan our family meals together and take turns making dinner; we watch the kids learn to ride bikes on the sidewalk or take them to the pond to try fishing; we sit and talk for hours, or decide to have a dance party, or play cards. It’s a running joke that we try to choose a movie to watch together at night, but by the time we have all agreed on what to watch, we are too tired to stay up and actually watch it. Nettie grew up this way, too, with hordes of aunts, uncles, and cousins together in beautiful chaos.

We are also lucky to live near John’s mom, his brother, and two sisters who we see on a regular basis and who help us with child care and everyday life. John’s side of the family is growing as well. Jack’s baby cousin Remy is our favorite weekend visitor! We also take a very fun annual trip to visit John’s aunt, uncle, and cousin in beautiful New Hampshire.

Simply put, our goal as parents is to pour all of our love into our children to help them bloom into the best humans they can be. For us, this means teaching them kindness and respect for all life, first and foremost, and that life is not a race or a competition. Rather, it is a journey that is enhanced through collaboration, gathering with community, and celebrating each other. We believe it is important to expose our children to many things (people, places, activities) so they can begin to form their own identities and pursue what they love to do. We believe in providing a warm, loving and supportive home environment where the needs and desires of the children are just as important as ours. We know that our children will enrich our lives as much as we will enrich theirs.

We cannot pretend to understand all of the emotions you are feeling or the pressures or circumstances of your life that brought you here today. But, we can express our profound gratitude for the journey you are on. Thank you for considering us as part of that journey.