Hello! We are Charlie and Chris (along with our dog Henry!) from Los Angeles. We have always dreamed about becoming dads and we can’t wait to pass on all of our love and happiness to a child. We appreciate your courage and openness and want you to know we are committed to creating a loving home for your child. Thank you for considering us and taking the time to learn a little about our lives. We are so excited to get to know you as well!
Dear Birth Mother...
5 Things We Will Teach Your Child
- To explore and love adventures
- To treat everyone with kindness and empathy
- To appreciate music and art
- To dream big and not be afraid to fail
- To be confident and empowered
Our Story
We had both been living in Los Angeles for 10 years, when we matched online in 2015. Our first date was at a local German restaurant both of us wanted to try. We ended up talking for hours about our families, our dreams, and the things in life that were important to us. Immediately we knew we were meant to be together, and we’ve been inseparable since. We quickly discovered we both liked to travel. We went to San Francisco, New York, Berlin and Prague, all within the first 4 months of dating.
We moved in together 6 months after our first date and later that Thanksgiving, we proposed to each other while visiting Copenhagen. Our wedding was at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, surrounded by our family and friends. We held our reception at a hip little bar and restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. We were both excited and nervous, and it ended up being the most magical day of our lives.
Now we live in a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles called Highland Park. We love the laid-back atmosphere and days filled with sunshine. We are both active and enjoy the outdoors. Charlie likes to walk our dog, Henry, around our neighborhood park and Chris likes hiking the nearby trails on Mt. Washington. We love living in California which allows us to enjoy the mountain air in Lake Arrowhead, lounge by a pool in Palm Springs, or drive to the beach. We can also hop in the car and head to San Francisco, Disneyland, or Napa Valley and can’t wait to take weekend getaway trips as a family.
Meet Chris, by Chris
My parents are both Taiwanese immigrants who met in Texas. I was born and raised in the suburbs outside of Dallas. I was the responsible older brother and did well in school. I loved music. I played piano and violin and sang in my church choir. When I wasn’t in the library reading books or in the Blockbuster perusing movies, I would be creating home videos with my dad’s camcorder and getting my friends to act in them.
I attended college at Yale and moved out to Los Angeles to get my business degree at USC. After working in finance at Disney, I knew I wanted to be involved on the creative side of the entertainment industry. I had to give it a shot or else I would regret it for the rest of my life.
Today I am a television writer and have worked on many shows, writing several episodes of TV that maybe you have seen! My job is exciting and always different, since I jump from show to show and work with new people all the time. My job is flexible enough to allow me to take time off and write from home when I need to. I love being creative and working with other talented people. Becoming a parent means giving our future child the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and potential. As a father, I’m most looking forward to taking our child on adventures and teaching them about the world.
"Chris will be an incredible dad! He will provide love and encouragement so our child can explore their creativity." - By Charlie
Chris' Favorites
- Spending time outdoors and gardening
- Playing the violin
- A good Pixar film with all the feels
- Getting haircuts from Charlie
- Chili cheese fries from Astro Burger
Meet Charlie, by Charlie
I was born and raised in West Michigan. My parents raised my sister and me in a small town with a close-knit church community. I grew up interested in architecture. After high school I went to Hope College and studied abroad for a semester in Mexico. I moved out to Los Angeles to get my PhD in psychology. For the past ten years, I’ve worked at the VA Hospital, providing therapy for Veterans. I find the work very rewarding, and one of the best parts of my job is tracking the improvement of my patients.
I love spending time with our friends. One of my favorite things is making dinner for them and sitting around the fire pit in our backyard. I also love to travel and meet new people. My dream vacation is exploring Spain and Portugal. But my favorite spot is Honolulu. Chris and I go on a lot of adventures, but the one we’re most excited for is starting a family together!
Becoming a parent has always been a dream of mine. I’m so excited to share holiday traditions, travel to new places, and to empower our child to pursue their interests.
“Charlie has so much love and support to give that I have no doubt about our future child’s happiness and well-being. I know he will be the best dad ever.” - By Chris
Charlie's Favorites
- Watching HGTV and Seinfeld
- Spicy foods!
- Cooking without following the recipe
- Cuddling our dog Henry
- Laughing at Chris’ silly dances
List of Favorites!
Favorite Food
Charlie: Anything spicy!
Chris: Chili cheese fries
Favorite Movie or Show
Charlie: HGTV and Seinfeld
Chris: Pixar films
Favorite Hobby
Charlie: Tennis
Chris: Gardening
Our Home and Community
Our house is in Highland Park, a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles. It is a beautiful craftsman with exposed beams in our living room and a large backyard we enjoy year-round. We are walking distance to coffee shops and local grocery stores. And a quick drive away from Dodger Stadium or the Rose Bowl. Our street is filled with close neighbors and friends with kids. On our block is a lovely daycare run by Betty, the warmest woman you’ll ever meet. We feel so lucky to live where we do. We can’t wait for our future child to have fun in the neighborhood playground, enjoy story time at our local library, and watch puppet shows at the famous Bob Baker Marionette Theater just up the street.
Our Dog, Henry
Henry is 20 pounds of cuteness! We rescued Henry 3 years ago as a puppy. He is the sweetest little guy. He loves meeting people, usually greeting them with a big friendly lick. Our friends’ kids always want to play with Henry, and he loves being around them. When he’s not chasing his favorite toy, Henry’s running around our backyard or being a cuddlebug in our laps.
Meet Our Family and Friends
Whether it’s for the holidays, summer getaways, or special birthdays, we make it a point to see our families back in Michigan and Texas. And lately, they’ve enjoyed coming out to see us in California.
Chris’ parents, Esther and Thomas, live in Texas, still in the house where Chris grew up. Chris’ cousin Joyce lives in San Francisco and every time we visit, we make a point of visiting her family with her two boys.
Charlie’s sister, Mel, lives with her husband and our three nephews in Michigan, just a short drive from Charlie’s mom and dad, Gail and Chuck. Visits to Michigan are always filled with big family gatherings (Charlie’s mom is one of 15 siblings!), trips to Lake Michigan, and plenty of homemade ribs and cheesy potatoes.
Our friends and family are so excited about our adoption journey! They can’t wait to support us as new parents and be the village to help us raise our future child. Our friends are important to us, and they will become the village to help us raise your child. Several of our closest friends we have known since college. And many coworkers and neighbors have become our newest network of support and friendship.
In Closing
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about us. We are so grateful for this opportunity to connect with you. We promise to give your child a life full of opportunity and love. We will be fully invested in your child’s happiness and will cherish them forever. We will speak of you and their adoption story, and how your love for them created our family. We are so excited to become devoted parents and couldn’t do it without a special person like you.